Meagan Gallaway

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Mrs. Morris Graham High School Graham, TX Young
County
A Production By
Meagan Gallaway Mallory Queen Amy Stamper

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The Graham National Theater
Presenting
The History of
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• Construction on the original theater began in
  1919, and the theater opened its doors to Graham
  on Friday, April 23, 1920.
• Owner M.W. Pic Lamour worked with architects
  W.J. Moore and Jack Corgan on the theater.

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• In the 1920s, movie film was extremely flammable.
  Therefore, when the theater was first built the
  Film Room was designed with cement walls to
  contain a fire.
• Furthermore, employees would have to stay and
  watch the film to make sure a fire did not erupt.
  As a result, a toilet and sink were put in the
  room so the worker would not have to leave.

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• The Cry Room is a small room on the second floor
  of the Graham National Theater with a love seat,
  viewing window, and audio speaker.
• In the early years of the theater, the Cry Room
  served as a place for African-Americans to watch
  a movie while segregated from the rest of the
  white audience.
• However, currently the room is used for families
  or mothers with crying babies so other audience
  members are not disturbed.

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The Fire

• On September 12, 1928, the National Theater was
  completely destroyed by fire.
• Pic Lamour was severely burned but was able to
  come back to the theater the following day to
  observe the damage.
• No definite cause for the fire was determined,
  yet firemen speculated a curtain adjacent to the
  wall caught on fire as a result of smoldering
  insulation, or a cigarette was tossed into the
  curtain just as the show closed.
• Mr. Lamour decided the day after the fire that he
  would rebuild the theater bigger and better as
  soon he got the insurance adjusters examination
  and approval.

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A Modern Look

• When Pic Lamour opened the newly refurbished
  National in 1941, he included technologies new to
  Graham and several updates from the previous 1920
  design.
• The new technologies included fluorescent
  lighting and air conditioning.
• The theater was expanded to include seating for
  an additional 100 patrons.
• The theater was also designed for live stage
  performances as well as movie presentations.
• The National continued to offer entertainment
  such as Bingo and Showball with cash prizes.

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Renovations

• In 1987, the National was so badly deteriorated
  that Jim Lamour, Pics son who had taken over his
  fathers business, chose to close it down.
• However, this historic site was not closed
  forever. In 1990, Dr. David Scott and his wife,
  Pam, bought the building and began renovations.
• During the renovation process the Scott family
  preferred to keep the historical aura as much as
  possible and enlisted the advice and support of
  Mr. Lamour.

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Ghost Stories

• Pic Lamour, the original owner of the National,
  was found dead in the theater and to this day is
  said to haunt the premises.
• The current owner, Pam Scott, has reported one
  eerie incident that happened a few years ago.
  While downstairs after the theater had cleared,
  she remembers hearing the familiar footsteps of
  someone walking on the stairs. After hearing this
  for quite some time, Mrs. Scott went to check on
  the individual. However, she found that she was
  alone and quickly left the theater.
• Teenagers that have worked at the theater have
  also claimed similar scenarios.

Haunted or Not?
You Decide.
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Images Slide 2 First 1940s National Theater.
Personal photograph. 1941. Slide 2 Second
Current Theater. Personal photograph by Mallory
Queen. 19 November 2008. Slide 3 1920s
National Theater. Personal photograph. 23 April
1920. Slide 4 The Film Room. Personal
photograph by Mallory Queen. 19 November
2008. Slide 5 The Cry Room. Personal photograph
by Mallory Queen. 19 November 2008. Slide 6 The
National Theater. Personal Photograph by Mallory
Queen. 19 November 2008. Slide 7 Images 2, 3,
4, 6 The National Theater. Personal photographs
by Mallory Queen. 19 November 2008. Slide
7 Image 1 1920s National Theater. Personal
photograph. 23 April 1920. Slide 7 Image 5
1940s National Theater. Personal photograph.
1941. Slide 8 Images 2, 3, 5, 7 The National
Theater. Personal photographs by Mallory Queen.
19 November 2008. Slide 8 Images 1, 6 Main
Theater. Photograph by Lifeimage Studios. Slide
8 Image 4 1940s National Theater. Personal
photograph. 1941. Slide 9 Background Main
Theater. Photograph by Lifeimage Studios. Sound
Slides 1, 2 John Williams. 20th Century Fox
Fanfare. Star Wars Episode IV Soundtrack.
Lucasfilm Ltd., 1997. 29 November
2008. Slides 2-10 Catherine Zeta-Jones, Rene
Zellweger and Taye Diggs. All That Jazz.
Chicago Soundtrack. Epic/Sony Soundtrax,
2002. 29 November 2008. Slide 11 Warner Bros.
Symphony Orchestra. Thats All Folks. Bugs
Bunny on Broadway. Warner Bros. Record Inc.,
1991. 29 November 2008.
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Credits
Architects Drawing New Theatre Plans. Daily
Reporter Graham 3 Oct. 1940 2. McDonald,
Chuck. Graham Landmark to Be Revived. Graham
Leader 24 June 1990 1-2. National Theater.
Atlas Data. 2008. Texas Historical Commision.
23 Nov. 2008 us/?common/?viewform.asp?atlas_num2093000565.
National Theatre Building. Graham Leader 13
Sept. 1928 1 and 6. National Theatre New
Decorations. Graham Leader 24 Aug. 1922 3.
New National Theatre To Open Here Friday.
Graham Leader 22 Jan. 1941 2,4. Ross, Alan. An
Encore for Old Movie Houses. American Profile.
2006. Publishing Group of America, Inc. 24 Nov.
2008 /?article/?1471.html. Scott, Pam. Personal
interview. 19 Nov. 2008. Texas Young County.
National Register of Historic Places. 2008. 23
Nov. 2008 aces.com. Work Begins on New Theater Buliding.
Graham Leader 7 Nov. 1940 4.