The Landers Theater: Resurrection of a Classic

Arkansas is fortunate to be home to a number of historic cinemas, with more than 20 still in existence.  Some, like The Lyric Theatre in Harrison or The Gem in Heber Springs, have been purchased by local arts councils, painstakingly restored, and now function as multi-purpose community arts centers, offering dramatic productions, concerts, occasional film screenings, and special events.  Others, like the majestic Rialto Theatre in El Dorado, are privately owned and operate as commercial cinemas.  Still others, like the Saenger in Pine Bluff, have sadly failed to generate necessary community support for rehabilitation and find themselves on the “endangered historic structures” list.  In all cases where restoration has taken place, the cinemas have become centerpieces for community activity, a source of civic pride, and a magnet for cultural tourism.

Batesville is fortunate to have two existing cinemas situated at either end of Main Street, more or less serving as the boundaries for the downtown business district.  The Melba (115. W. Main), built in 1940, operates on weekends with mostly family features and occasional concerts.  While the Melba remains operational, it awaits full-scale restoration.  Just a few blocks away, the Landers Theater (332 E. Main), the oldest existing theater structure in Arkansas, is about to rise again from what just months ago was a very uncertain future.

The Landers sits on a site that first housed a theater in the late 1890’s. The current structure was built sometime in 1907 and originally known as the Gem. The theater was managed by William Landers; three generations of the Landers family would manage and eventually own the theater until its closing in 1998.

The Gem began as a vaudeville theater, hosting traveling shows of comedians, acrobatic acts, trained animals, singers, and dancers.  The Landers family purchased the building in 1929 and gave it their family name.  A major renovation and modernization was undertaken after the purchase.  Like all vaudeville houses, the Landers eventually embraced the movies and by the early 30’s vaudeville acts were few and far between.  William Landers also embraced the coming of sound, bringing talkies to Batesville in 1931.

A second major overhaul in 1947 required that the theater close for four months.  The auditorium, balcony, screen, and projection booth were remodeled and the current marquee and neon sign added.

The history of screenings and special events at the Landers mirrors the variety and complexity that was 20^th century America.  In the 30’s, audiences at the Landers sought refuge from the suffering of the depression years with films like Swing Time, It Happened One Night, and the comedies of the Marx brothers.  In the 40’s they cheered the troops in patriotic movies like To the Shores of Tripoli, then bought wars bonds.  Later in the decade they rode west with John Wayne in The Desert Trail. The 50’s saw thinly disguised allegories of the personal betrayal brought by the Hollywood Blacklist in High Noon, and cautionary tales of the red menace in Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

Known as a good citizen for hosting benefit and community events, the Landers also challenged community values with many of its late-night, adult-oriented “Owl Shows.”  One 1940 double feature paired Reefer Madness, well on its way to cult status even then, with How to Take a Bath. By the 70’s the “Owl Shows” had graduate to full-blown X-rated films, which ultimately led to a city ordinance prohibiting such screenings. 

Otherwise, the Landers enjoyed relative success well into the 80’s, when movie theaters began to feel the competition from home movie rentals and the growing number of television options.   A more comprehensive account of the Landers storied history was written by Lyon College student Trey Gaines and appeared in the Independence County Chronicle in 2002.  The article, titled “From Vaudeville to Blockbusters: the History of the Landers Theater,” can be found in Batesville’s Old Independence Regional Museum archives. 

After closing in 1998, the Landers sat essentially vacant for nearly a decade, with one of the storefronts occupied by a used vacuum cleaner shop.  During this period a roof collapse and the subsequent water damage essentially destroyed much of the rear of the building.  Fortunately, the stone façade, marquee, neon sign, ticket booth, projection room, and most of the front of the building remain intact and, in some cases, in surprisingly good condition. 

The Landers was purchased in January of this year by Steve and Beth Carpenter, owners and operators of Josie’s Steakhouse on the White River.  The Carpenters plan to rehabilitate the existing structure in keeping with its place on the National Register of Historic Places and in harmony with the Downtown Batesville Historic District, to which it belongs.  The extensive damage caused by the roof collapse make it impossible to restore the Landers as a theater, but the Carpenters plan to retain as many design elements from the theater as possible, including the marquee, the neon sign, and the ticket booth.  Ultimately, Steve Carpenter hopes the restored Landers will be home a variety of tenants, including small business or professional offices, a café and gift shop, a small museum focusing on the history of Batesville’s historic cinemas and life on Main Street, and possibly a visitor’s center.  Carpenter is also considering building a number of executive-quality apartments at the rear of the property. 

The Landers occupies a unique place in the minds of three generations of Batesville residents who took their first date there, had their first kiss there, or experienced an indelible movie moment there. People still recount seeing Gone with the Wind, A Hard Day’s Night, Star Wars, or Forrest Gump at the Landers as if it were yesterday, with vivid details about the popcorn, the crowd, and the building itself.  In the words of Jo Blatti, executive director of Old Independence Regional Museum, “The Landers is a highly significant building in terms of its physical history and community memory.”  The restoration of the Landers has already sparked a surge in interest in the history of both of the historic theaters on Main Street and the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville (UACCB) will offer a course on Batesville’s Historic Cinemas this fall. 

Historians have taken to referring to the 20^th century as the “American century.”  Perhaps not coincidentally, it is also the first full century of the cinema.  Life in 20^th century America was elevated, dominated, shaped, and sometimes haunted by the movies.  Movie theaters, whether majestic palaces or more humble shotgun style buildings, occupied a special place in the “American century,” celebrating our heroes and our values, providing a common imagery and lore, and emboldening many of us to pursue our own celluloid-driven dreams. 

The resurrection of the Landers will trigger fond memories for many and will spark much discussion in this town where history matters.  Of equal importance is the contribution that a restored Landers can make to the revitalization of Main Street and downtown Batesville.  Steve Carpenter’s plans for the Landers are ambitious and exciting.  In fact, the resurrection of the Landers would make a heck of a good movie.

[ Mark Martin Museum ]

[ Old Independence Regional Museum ]

[ Janine's Café at Cooking Secrets ]

[ Josie's at the Lockhouse ]

[ MorningSide Coffee House ]

[ Landers Theater ]