History

The Ritz Theater is an integral part of the community in Thomaston, Georgia. It is one of the few businesses still running since the early 1900s. The business was previously used as a mule stable before opening its doors for movie-goers August 8, 1927. The theater was first owned and operated by W.C. Stubbs. The building was designed in modern Spanish style architecture. The very first movie shown was “Tell it to the Marines” , a silent film first released in 1926 starring Lon Chaney, William Haines, and Eleanor Boardman. It tells the story of a marine recruit and his sergeant. Tickets sold for just 25 cents for adults and 10 cents for kids. 

On January 27, 1928, the theater sold to the business duo of Odom and Hardy. W.A. Odom was known around town for owning just about every theater in Thomaston. He owned the Palace Theater which opened in 1913, located in the same space as the previous location of Hometown Printers. He also owned the East Thomaston theater, Five Points, which was located near the current Department of Family Services building. Hardy was a man of the people. He served on the local R.E. Lee School Board and had a heart for serving the people. He was on the original board of Upson Tech. He purchased the Thomaston Times shortly after his purchase of the Ritz. 

Just a year later, the Ritz was labeled one of the “most progressive theaters in Central Georgia”. Odom and Hardy modernized the theater in 1938 with the trendy Art Deco styled black and bronze tile and red stucco. Hays Arnold Construction Company submitted the plans and began construction. In 1947, the duo opened the Harlem Theater. This theater was open for African American movie-goers during the times of segregation. It was located near the corner of Hightower Street and Walker Street. During the mid-1960s, Hardy passed away.

The Odom family passed down the Ritz to the 2nd generation patriarch. When he passed away, the family struggled to keep the theater open and ultimately made the decision to put the building up for sale. In 1989, John Cox, a senior at Georgia Tech, purchased the Ritz. He took the dated auditorium and “brought it back to life”. When he bought it, the building and most of the equipment were in poor shape. Cox cleaned the theater up, repaired the marquee, and fixed the toilets before the summer blockbusters that year. The summer movies were a huge hit. Cox made enough money to replace all the windows, replace the missing tiles, repaint the interior, and add heat and air to the auditorium. In the spring of 1991, they began renovation on the storefront of the now cafe. He also added a Dolby surround sound system.

In 1997, Malcolm and Amy Neal purchased the Ritz and had their ribbon cutting on November 3. They introduced a game room downstairs, and served beer and wine on the upper level balcony for those over 21. 

By 2009, movie theaters began to replace their film projectors with digital projectors. This forced theaters across America out of business because they couldn’t keep up with the expenses of new technology. The Ritz was not exempt from this changing time. In an attempt to keep business alive, the Neals reached out to their local community for donations to “Save the Ritz”. They received an outpour of support from those in the community and even those not in the community. The Ritz was featured in a music video by T. Hardy Morris and a segment on Fox 5 Atlanta news. 

The Neals hosted anniversary shows each year in an attempt to bring in more money for necessary upgrades. They were successful and eventually raised enough money to replace the screen and purchase a new digital projector in 2014. This digital projector is still in use today.

In April of 2020, the Neals sold the Ritz to Woody Heath. Heath redesigned the lobby and cafe areas. He added booth seating to the cafe area, installed a chandelier to the lobby, enlarged the kitchen, and designed for an ice cream parlor in the previous game room space. The new design features red leather booths, black walls, and silver and copper detailing. 

In January of 2023, Ricardo and Ellyn Dias of Parkland, FL, purchased the Ritz. They were inspired to invest in the theater after hearing about how much it meant to our community. They wanted to keep the business alive. Ricardo is the owner and CEO of United Teleports, a satellite communications company with locations in Thomaston, Miami, and Port Saint Lucie. He has great plans for improving the Ritz while keeping its vintage charm. So far, he has bought a new screen, improved the sound system in the auditorium, and invested in a new popcorn machine.