Saline County’s First Movie Theater

^{By Cody}^Berry

^{The Bauxite Theater was built in 1918 and}^w^c^{ould seat}^{1,000 people.}^It^was^run^{by the}^{town’s “}^{Amusement Commitee,}^”^which^had²⁰^members^.¹^{During the Great Depression of the 1930s}^,^{the Bauxite Theater was}^{much more than a place to watch news reels and Hollywood movies.}^{In November 1930, after}^the^Bauxi^{te Mercantile}^Store^{burned down, the theater building was used to house their business until a new store was built. The theater building even hosted boxing matches}^{thanks to W.H. McDermott, who promoted the sport.}^{McDermott started boxing teams in Bauxite in}^1938.²

^{In July 1945,}^the^Pick^{and Shovel}^{reported that the Bauxite Theater was the site of a huge rally in which}^{more than $27,000 was raised through the sale of war bonds}~~^there~~^.^{Sadly, the Bauxite Theater showed its last movie in 1957, and it was eventually torn down in 1966.}³^{The last movie shown at the Bauxite Theater was reportedly “}^A^{Lawless Street,” starring Randolph Scott and Angela Lansbury}^{, which was released in 1955.}⁴^{All that}^remains^{of the old theater building is its floor and foundations on what is now the Bauxite walking track near the former Community Hall building which}^{houses the Bauxite Historical Museum on Benton Road.}^{The Bauxite Theater’s movie camera, some of its seats}^,^{and even its water fountain}^a^r^e^{now kept in}^the^museum.⁵

Citations:

¹ Gordon Scott Bachus, A Printed and Pictorial History of Bauxite, Heritage Publishing Company, North Little Rock, Arkansas, 1968, 2000, 2007, p. 24-25.

² Ginger Fox English, “Bauxite Theater – Served Community Many Ways,” Miner Memories, pp. 99-100. Originally published in The Saline Courier in March 2013.

³ Ginger Fox English, “Bauxite Theater – Served Community Many Ways,” Miner Memories, p. 100. Originally published in The Saline Courier in March 2013.

⁴ “Bauxite Theatre,” https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/17628, Date Accessed July 18, 2025, and “A Lawless Street,” imdb.com, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048289/, Date Accessed July 18, 2025.

⁵ Ginger Fox English, “Bauxite Theater – Served Community Many Ways,” Miner Memories, p. 101. Originally published in The Saline Courier in March 2013.