The Prytania

The Prytania Theatre

Inside Louisiana's oldest continuously-operating movie theatre

Story and photo by Poet Wolfe

Standing in the doorway of New Orleans’ Prytania Theatre is to have one foot firmly in the present and the other reaching back into the past century. Inside the historic lobby, chandeliers hang from the ceiling and radiate dim golden light; the concession embraces nostalgia with glass bottles of Coca-Cola and striped boxes overflowing with popcorn. At the corner of the theatre is a cocktail lounge, mirrored walls and dim lights recalling that iconic scene in The Shining, when Jack Torrance tells the bartender how he would give his goddamned soul for a beer. On my way to take my seat in front of the famed theatre’s only screen, I’m captivated by framed charcoal drawings of Hollywood stars—James Stewart, Katherine Hepburn, Bette Davis.

Before the start of every film, the Prytania Theatre carries on its tradition of playing the 1957 advertisement “Let’s All Go to the Lobby,” where cartoon characters gleefully dance across the screen and sing about getting a treat at the concession stand. If you’re lucky enough, the theatre’s former operator René Brunet, father of current operator Robert Brunet, will appear onscreen and introduce the old film you’re about to watch.

While the circa-1914 theatre has gone through various renovations over the years, Brunet and general manager Eric Ramstead go to painstaking efforts to maintain its original, historic mien. Aging, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and new technology have motivated the pair to make updates to the seats, drapes, projector, and sound system. Brunet and Ramstead want to bring a high-quality experience, while staying loyal to the theatre’s past.

“We took the mentality of 'As long as it looked or felt the same way that it did prior to our improvements, then we were okay with it,’” Brunet said.

There was even a time that the two considered opening a second screen in the theatre, but decided instead to preserve the very thing that makes their institution so unique—the Prytania is the only single-screen theatre left in Louisiana.

In this way, Prytania Theatre joins other New Orleans institutions like Angelo Brocato, Café du Monde, and Commander’s Palace that have persisted through the city’s tumultuous existence in the spirit of keeping history alive. As the string orchestra soundtrack of a James Bond film played behind the closed doors of the theatre, Brunet and Ramstead met with me to discuss the Prytania Theatre’s historical significance.

Originally opened by United Theatres to show films, the Prytania showcased other forms of entertainment as well, including fashion, comedy, and magic shows. However, during the World Wars, the theatre gained a new level of importance as the only other way people could watch newsreels of the war on screen.

By the 1950s, according to Brunet, the single-screen neighborhood theatre had gained a loyal following that continued until around the 1970s, a time where televisions, suburban life, and social settings like malls continuously advanced. When United Theatres went out of business, the new owner, Patrick McNamara, renamed the theatre the Energy Theatre and attempted to bring customers back by presenting a combination of live events and movies, though he was largely unsuccessful.

At the time, the Brunet family owned several movie theatres in New Orleans, including Joy and Carver Theatre, and had been involved in the industry since the early twentieth century. Brunet’s father became known as “the man who saved theatres as they closed”. In the 1990s, the Brunets used their experience and knowledge of the industry, as well as their value for showmanship and customer needs, to take over the Prytania Theatre. Since then, the theatre has been dedicated to preserving the past and giving back to the community.

“We really pay attention to what our customers want and do our best to give it to them,” Brunet said.

The film programs of Tulane University and Lusher Charter School are just a couple of partnerships the Prytania Theatre has made throughout the years to support young, local film makers and showcase their work. The theatre is also a popular location for summer camps, school field trips, and kids’ birthday parties.

“We feel it’s important to offer a good place for kids to come, as well as filmmakers to come and watch their movies, and support the arts,” Ramstead said.

Still to this day, during the week, the Prytania Theatre plays a combination of old and newly-released films—though the old ones hold a special place at the Prytania, because as Ramstead put it: they are “what a lot of new movies are based off of.”

“It’s important to kind of take a step into the past,” he said. “Movie theatres are one of those things where you walk in and you can sit down for two hours and forget everything that’s going on out in the real world.” They are, he said, “the place to escape.”

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