119 North Main Street, Clinton (865) 463-0440

The historic Ritz Theater located at 119 North Main Street, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. During the 1970’s it was also known as Red Speeks’ Country Music Theater.

The Ritz, located on Main Street across from the Anderson County Courthouse, was constructed during World War II under the direction of the War Production Board, which cited Clinton’s close proximity to Oak Ridge. When it opened in November 1945, it was called by many “the most modern theater in the South.” During the heyday of the motion picture industry of the 1940’s and early 1950’s, it hosted packed houses six days a week for all of the great movies of that era. As the movie industry dwindled during the late 1960’s, so did the Ritz, and it closed its doors in 1969.

In 1972, a country music show call “The Red Speeks Show” was started at the Ritz. At one time, Speeks hoped to present a show each Saturday night that would rival the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. The shows were even broadcast on local radio for a time. By 1987, however, the Speeks show had lost its luster and it faded into memory. The Ritz remained closed until 2000.

In 1995, the Brock family purchased the theater and made its reopening a family project. The theater has been restored to look like the classic theater it was in the 1940’s. It has been repainted inside but the original design has remained.

Current Movies are shown nightly. Contact the Ritz Theatre for showtimes.

Click Here to visit the Ritz Theatre’s official website.