Joy Theatre

A regional chain of movie houses called Brownie Theatres operated in North Louisiana & East Texas in the 1920s & 1930s. Other locations in the area included Homer & Minden. Arcadia’s Cinema opened on December 7, 1922 & featured silent movies accompanied by a piano player in the theatre. A fire on December 16, 1928 heavily damaged the theatre & two adjoining buildings, the People’s Diner & Guidry’s Grocery. Damages were estimated around $10,000 & fire departments from nearby Ruston & Gibsland were called upon for assistance. The theatre reopened the following year & transitioned to “talkies”, movies with sound. In 1935, it began operation as the Joy Theatre, boasting an “artistic, comfortable & well-ventilated theatre with every modern sound device”. The theatre operated during the Jim Crow Era, which required separate ticketing, entrances, balcony seating, & restrooms for Black patrons. The building served as a meeting space for the local Chamber of Commerce & other civic groups. Politicians, including several governors & senators, gave speeches in the theatre. The Joy Theatre continued to operate until at least the late 1960s but has remained vacant for several decades.