The Murray Theatre was built in 1921 and later became the Ritz Theater.
“Requiem for a Heavyweight” was distributed in 1962, so this photograph is most likely from that era. The theater is still on Baldwin Avenue and is called the Chautauqua Theater. It is used for theatrical performances.
The following timeline is based on notes compiled by the late Harold Gillis in September 1993:
- 1888: The DeFuniak Land Company sold the east half of Lot 829 on Baldwin Avenue to J. C. Scott, who was the owner of the New York House that burned down in the Great Fire of 1898.
- 1901: J. C. Scott sold the property to Sarah Murray.
- 1921: The Murray Theatre was built by the Tappan Brothers.
- 1928: The theater was leased to the Alabama Theatre Company.
- 1930: The theater was leased for five years to D. B. White.
- 1936: The theater was leased to the Martin Theatre Group, which was owned by two brothers.
- 1943: The brothers dissolved their partnership and divided up their theaters. This theater became the property of Hugh G. Martin.
- February 22, 1963: The theater was sold to John Lawson.
The theater was restored in the early 1990s through the efforts of the Walton County Heritage Association. It is now operated by a non-profit group.
Thanks to Scott Edwards, Historic Preservationist and Florida Historic Gulf Trail Coordinator at the Bureau of Historic Preservation, for this item from 1949:
