Majestic Theater
by Pat Sides
When the old Igleheart Mill moved to First Avenue in 1904, the building it vacated at Fifth and Locust streets was converted into a theater, one of about thirty that operated in Evansville in the early twentieth-century. Named the Majestic, the theater was rebuilt in 1909 and offered vaudeville shows, concerts, and other live entertainment. Â
In August 1931, the Majestic became a “talkie house†when a film starring James Cagney and Edward G. Robinson played there, attracting standing room only crowds. When the blockbuster film “Gone With the Wind†premiered in Evansville in early 1940, the Majestic hosted the event, decorating the theater with pillars to resemble Tara for the special occasion.
As larger and more modern cinemas opened around the city by the mid-century, the Majestic’s business steadily declined, leading to its closure in the fall of 1973. The building was razed a year later to make room for a parking garage.
