From Depression Era Movie House To Modern Music Club: Tally Ho Theater

LEESBURG, VA — Nowadays, the Tally Ho Theater is known for its concerts and comedy shows. But for 80 years, the theater lived a first life as a movie house showing first-run and arthouse films.

The theater's age likely isn't a surprise to anyone who has walked by it. Though the building is well-maintained, its classic marquee and Art Deco styling hint at its 1930s roots.

According to the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, the Tally Ho Theater was part of a chain owned by Ben Pitts, who would late serve as a state senator. From the 1930s to the 1970s, Pitts's chain included more than three dozen movie theaters.

"A 'name the theater' contest yielded its current moniker, the Tally Ho," the Town of Leesburg wrote on Facebook. "Mrs. James F. Dunlop had entered Tally-ho, a cry to urge on foxhounds, and received $5 in gold and free movies for a month as her prize."

Adjusted for inflation, Dunlop's $5 prize would be equivalent to just under $100 in 2023.

In 1931, Hollywood icon Clark Gable was still on the rise; he had yet to feature in a lead role in a film. "Sporting Blood," a movie about horse racing, was Gable's first starring role. It premiered at the Tally Ho on Sept. 21, 1931, Leesburg officials said.

The Tally Ho showed movies continuously through the rest of the century. After closing for renovations in 2000, the theater was split in half to show two screens before shutting down again in 2013.

Owner Don Devine and his son, Jack, were ready for something new. They tore down the wall that separated the theaters and ripped out the old seats. They reinvented the old movie house into a modern music venue.

"My dream is to make this place into the Birchmere or the 9:30 Club West," Don Devine told the Washington Post in 2013.

Devine's plan has worked. Earlier this year, Devine told Leesburg officials that most concerts at the venue sell out. Though the venue made its name showing movies, Leesburg residents are now more excited to see a local battle of the bands or an improv comedy night.

"I think people have finally stopped asking if we’re showing movies this weekend,” Jack Devine said in a post on the town's Facebook page.

Coming acts include Celtic music favorites Gaelic Storm and other shows, according to the theater's Facebook page.