Waters Theatre Company

The Waters Theater Company was a cinema chain founded by Newman Waters, Sr, who also owned the Lyric Building downtown. It was later managed by his sons J. R. and Newman Jr.

The company built the Roebuck Drive-In, Shades Mountain Drive-In, Fair Park Drive-In and Starlite Drive-In cinemas and also operated 12 neighborhood and suburban theaters in the Birmingham District, including the Newmar Theater (1948–) downtown.

In 1950 the Waters Company took control of five suburban theaters formerly operated by the Community Theaters circuit. These included the East Lake Theater, Woodlawn Theater, Tarrant Theater, North Birmingham Theater and the Gary Theater. At the same time, the chain announced construction of two new 600-car drive-ins, one on Jasper Highway near East Thomas and one on Cullman Highway.

On January 1, 1951 the Waters company ended its lease of the Lyric Theatre to Paramount Theaters and Wilby-Kincey chain of Atlanta, which had been in effect since 1932, and leased it instead to the Acme Theaters chain, which also operated the Melba Theater, Empire Theater, Galax Theater and Royal Theater.

Later Waters was instrumental in developing the Office Park in Mountain Brook and Eastwood Mall, adjacent to his Starlite Drive-In.

References

• "Drive-In Boom On in South: Ala., Tenn., Locations Set" (November 20, 1948) Billboard
• "Waters announces theaters' merger." (August 1950) Birmingham News - via Birmingham Rewound