I think the Ritz Theatre has been closed ever since I moved here in 1977, though there had been a kind of jewelry store there for several years. The facade was in terrible shape, the roof had already been damaged when a tornado struck Natchez in 1998 and tore it up even more.
You can see the old Ritz in the Tom Hanks movie "The Lady Killers," as the old woman walks by it several times during the movie. It was also featured in "My Dog Skip" as the kids go in to see a John Wayne movie. I was told by movie construction people that they had to build a platform for the kids to stand on because the floor was so damaged.
Now the Ritz is coming back, as you can see on the right. I don't know what they're going to do with it, but the restored Art Deco facade looks great. They are currently working on the neon, some of which you can see has been replaced already. Clicking on the thumbnail at right will show you a larger view. I took this photo and several others today (August 16, 2008).
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