Movie - Washington, DC - True entertainment 1922 - Side by Side
by Mike Savad
Title
Movie - Washington, DC - True entertainment 1922 - Side by Side
Artist
Mike Savad
Medium
Photograph - Hand Colored Photo
Description
Hand colored photo from Feb. 1922
Original title: Leader front
Photographer: National Photo
Location: 513 9th Street NW, Washington, D.C.
In the early 1920s, Washington DC's 9th Street NW was the heart of a vibrant entertainment district. Known as Washington's Broadway, this stretch was alive with glowing marquees, foot traffic, and the sounds of music and applause drifting from grand venues like the Gayety and the Leader. On one particular day, a long line of boys streamed out of the Leader Theatre, excited and chattering, having just seen the latest installment of The Adventures of Tarzan.
These boys were newsboys, invited to the show as guests of Sidney B Lust and the Washington Post's circulation department. Each boy had received a letter of thanks and a bonus dollar for their dedicated work delivering papers during a storm. The event was more than just a matinee. It was a reward and celebration. When they arrived at the theater, they were greeted by Bo-Bo the monkey, a star of the serial, and left with bags of peanuts. The film featured Elmo Lincoln as Tarzan, and Bo-Bo's antics brought laughter and excitement to the theater. For many of the boys, this was a rare escape and a mark of appreciation.
The Leader Theatre, located just a few doors down from the larger Gayety, opened around 1910. It began as a neighborhood silent-film house, showing travelogues, newsreels, and dramatic features. A 1921 newspaper ad once promised audiences "astonishing scenes filmed among the savage Kia Kia headhunters of New Guinea," showing its taste for exotic adventure. The Leader's marquee became a familiar sight on 9th Street, and its well-appointed design drew praise despite its smaller size. Managed by Alfred S Rich & Co. under the Sidney B Lust theater chain, it remained a favorite for working-class audiences and especially popular with the city's carriers and young moviegoers.
By the 1950s, like many urban theaters, the Leader began to shift with the times. It rebranded as the Pix Theatre, an adult movie house, marking the area's turn toward seedier entertainment. The Pix closed in 1960 and was eventually torn down, like so many others along the block.
The Gayety Theatre, just steps away, was the district's crown jewel. Built in 1907 and seating about 1,500, it was known for its ivory and gold interior, ornate Beaux-Arts styling, and a stage flanked by sculpted muses. It belonged to the Columbia Amusement Circuit, one of the nation's largest burlesque chains. Night after night, audiences packed the house for variety shows filled with dancers, comics, singers, and risque revue acts. The upper balcony was especially rowdy, often filled with men loudly cheering the performers. In the 1950s, the theater attempted to pivot to more respectable fare, rebranding as the Shubert Theatre and hosting legitimate stage productions. But the crowds never fully returned, and it closed in 1959 before being demolished the following year.
Together, the Gayety and the Leader were central to the cultural rhythm of the neighborhood. Alongside them stood theaters like the Joy, Central, Follies, and Virginia. Through the 1910s and 1920s, this corridor was packed on weekends and lit up with electric signs. But by the 1940s and 50s, the mood shifted. Television, suburban migration, and changing social norms pulled audiences away. Many theaters fell into disrepair, converted into adult cinemas or shuttered entirely. By the 1960s, most were gone, replaced by parking lots and commercial buildings.
The boys who once filled those Saturday matinee seats moved on. The theaters disappeared. But the memory of that long line outside the Leader, excited, expectant, and ready to be swept into the world of Tarzan and Bo-Bo, remains a vivid glimpse into a lost chapter of city life, where entertainment, community, and youth all came together for just a dime and a bag of peanuts.
Color notes:
This was taken on a damp February day, and its either misty or it just rained, everything was wet and the exposure poor. Now this is a busy scene, and it would be colorful in the past, but I didn't want to over do it, so I went with a calmer look, but there is still a lot to look at.
What was interesting about the Leader is that they would modify the front of the theater to match the movie, changing everything in open areas, ticket window, I even saw an image of a guy dressed as Zorro.
If it wasn't for a few pictures, we would have never have known about this place.
Uploaded
June 13th, 2025
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