Historic Savannah Foundation’s lecture series, “People, Places and Stories that Define Savannah,”  will feature lectures covering a wide range of speakers and topics. Each lecturer will give a presentation on a subject that falls within the realm of their expertise followed by a question-and-answer session.

Dr. Chad Newsom

Making Film History on West Broad Street

November 19 | 6:00 PM

Doors open at 5:30 pm and the lecture starts at 6:00 pm

From the 1910s to the 1960s, Savannah’s West Broad Street was home to a lively movie theater district that served the city’s African American community during the Jim Crow era. The West Broad theaters, however, mattered far beyond their local importance, for along this boulevard we find one of the nation’s first theater palaces, venues that supported the work of the earliest African American filmmakers, and legendary performers who brought a touch of Hollywood to Savannah and vice versa. This talk will feature stories of theaters, entrepreneurs, films, and stars, and examine how these local Savannah tales enrich and enlarge our understanding of cinema. West Broad’s theater district wasn’t merely a place where film history happened; it’s where film history was made.

Doors open at 5:30 pm for a wine reception and the lecture starts at 6:00 pm. The event is free for HSF members and $15 for non-members; space is limited; guests may reserve their spot by clicking the button above.

DR. CHAD NEWSOM

Dr. Chad Newsom is a film historian and professor who researches intersections between cinema history and local Savannah history. His forthcoming book,
Movietime Down South, paints a portrait of Jim Crow moviegoing using stories of Savannah theaters, films, and stars, and will be published by University of Georgia Press in 2027.

SPECIAL TOUR:

Savannah’s African American Movie Theaters: A Walking Tour of Historic West Broad Street

NOVEMBER 21 | 10:00 AM

DON’T MISS OUR UPCOMING LECTURES & TOURS!

Plan ahead and reserve your spot now!

Attendees are invited to a wine reception preceding the lecture to meet & mingle with HSF members and staff. The discussion will follow.

We take a ‘lecture break’ in July and December.