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The Lyric Theatre: A Look Back at the Beginnings

The Lyric Opens


Lyric Trivia
The first film shown at the Lyric, April 17 and April 18, 1930 was The Girl Said No, a comedy with William Haines (who sent a congratulatory telegram for the Lyric Opening), Leila Hyams, Polly Moran and Marie Dressler. It was followed on Saturday, the 19th by No, No, Nanette with Bernice Claire, Alexander Gray, and Zazu Pitts. It was noted that this film had "technicolor scenes."
Cinema Trivia
In the 1930s publicity was about creating headlines. Publicist Pete Smith was inspired with the idea of getting Sam Goldwyn to say there were only thirteen real actors in Hollywood and then to name them. Goldwyn liked the stunt except for the fact that it would mean he would be on speaking terms with only thirteen actors. He found the solution himself, naming twelve and leaving Hollywood to guess the name of the thirteenth.
from The Book of Lists: The 90s Edition by David Wallechinsky and Amy Wallace. (Boston: Little, Brown & Company, 1993).

"If all the electrical equipment and apparatus in the Lyric were put into use at one time, more current would be consumed than is consumed by the entire town of Blacksburg in the same period of time?"
From the V. P. I. Skipper, April 1930.
URL: "http://spec.lib.vt.edu/specgen/lyr/opens.htm" Return to Lyric Theatre home page
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Send questions or comments to Tamara Kennelly:tjk@vt.edu
Last updated: January 22, 1996