5 . ▁An ▁African - American ▁tr oupe ▁opened ▁at ▁the ▁Columbia ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 2 5 , ▁including ▁a ▁jazz ▁band ▁featuring ▁the ▁clar inet ist ▁Sid ney ▁Be ch et . ▁Other ▁players ▁were ▁Jer ome ▁Don ▁Pas qu all ▁and ▁Well man ▁Bra ud . ▁L ucky ▁Sam bo ▁( 1 9 2 5 ) ▁was ▁another ▁production ▁with ▁an ▁African - American ▁cast ▁that ▁was ▁popular ▁with ▁white ▁aud ien ces . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 2 0 s ▁cin emas ▁were ▁providing ▁shows ▁that ▁combined ▁film ▁and ▁live ▁entertain ment ▁with ▁ticket ▁prices ▁lower ▁than ▁any ▁bur les que ▁show . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 5 ▁season ▁Columbia ' s ▁president , ▁Sam ▁A . ▁S cri b ner , ▁author ized ▁the ▁removal ▁of ▁t ights ▁and ▁display ▁of ▁table aux ▁of ▁bare - bre asted ▁women . ▁Columbia ▁continued ▁to ▁lose ▁customers ▁to ▁other ▁types ▁of ▁entertain ment ▁and ▁to ▁more ▁explicit ▁stock ▁bur les que ▁the aters . ▁The ▁Columbia ▁Theatre ▁closed ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 7 . ▁ ▁Later ▁history ▁ ▁The ▁the ater ▁was ▁sold ▁to ▁Walter ▁Re ade ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 8 ▁for ▁conversion ▁into ▁a ▁cinema . ▁The ▁architect ▁Thomas ▁W . ▁Lamb ▁replaced ▁the ▁two ▁original ▁bal con ies ▁with ▁a ▁single ▁bal con y , ▁and ▁renov ated ▁the ▁aud itor ium ▁in ▁Art ▁Dec o ▁style . ▁In ▁October ▁ 1 9 3 0 ▁the ▁cinema ▁opened ▁as