Henn Theater
Feb 06, 03:26 PM
Preston Jefferson "P.J." Henn, opened the Henn Theater in 1934 and it has been family owned until very recently. Of the 23 theaters owned or operated P.J. Henn, only two survived the Great Depression and only this one in Murphy survives today. Originally, Murphy's Henn Theater was located just around the corner from here but moved to this current location in 1941.
In the years before television, theaters like this were the cultural centers of the cities. Connecting Murphy to the world through cinema for entertainment and bringing the world to our doorsteps with newsreels, theaters were an important part of the daily lives in our little town. In fact, at one time, Murphy had two movie theaters and an opera house! Imagine the activity in town on a typical Saturday night!
Times change and now television, streaming video and the internet have changed how we are entertained and informed, and most old theaters like the Henn have struggled and closed their doors.
On March 16, 2009, the Henn Theatre was damaged by a fire. The main auditorium and front of house sustained only smoke damage, but the stage and back stage areas were considerably damaged, putting the movie theater out of use for a while. It reopened in May 2009.
In 2015, the Henn was purchased by new owners and they have worked hard to preserve the historic nature of the
theater while upgrading it to modern times. The projection and sound systems were upgraded so that high quality, first run movies could be shown. The new owners have preserved much of the original interior and experiencing a movie in this historic gem is indeed a joy you must experience. Come inside the lobby and enjoy the display of movie memorabilia, then order some popcorn at the historic snack counter before finding your seat in the comfortable theater. You will feel like you have stepped back into a time when "Talkies" were new and color films were only a dream.
In the years before television, theaters like this were the cultural centers of the cities. Connecting Murphy to the world through cinema for entertainment and bringing the world to our doorsteps with newsreels, theaters were an important part of the daily lives in our little town. In fact, at one time, Murphy had two movie theaters and an opera house! Imagine the activity in town on a typical Saturday night!
Times change and now television, streaming video and the internet have changed how we are entertained and informed, and most old theaters like the Henn have struggled and closed their doors.
On March 16, 2009, the Henn Theatre was damaged by a fire. The main auditorium and front of house sustained only smoke damage, but the stage and back stage areas were considerably damaged, putting the movie theater out of use for a while. It reopened in May 2009.
In 2015, the Henn was purchased by new owners and they have worked hard to preserve the historic nature of the
theater while upgrading it to modern times. The projection and sound systems were upgraded so that high quality, first run movies could be shown. The new owners have preserved much of the original interior and experiencing a movie in this historic gem is indeed a joy you must experience. Come inside the lobby and enjoy the display of movie memorabilia, then order some popcorn at the historic snack counter before finding your seat in the comfortable theater. You will feel like you have stepped back into a time when "Talkies" were new and color films were only a dream.