Cinema Houston: From
Nickelodeon to Megaplex
(University of Texas Press, 2007)
Over the last century, Houston
has had over 250 theatres and more than 25 drive-ins,
half of those constructed before 1950. Today, only a
handful of those original theatres stand. Only one has
survived intact from the twenties, most being either
torn down or converted in the name of progress. All
of the drive-ins from the last century are gone. Many
people can still remember the hours spent inside the
opulent Majestic, Metropolitan or Loews State
before they were razed in the seventies, and the mere
mention of the names bring back a virtual flood of nostalgia.
The younger audiences, brought up in less awesome venues
still carry equally powerful memories of the grand Windsor
and Gaylynn, as well as the downsized multi-cinemas
and the new breed of megaplexes. Cinema
Houston is a concise history of the theatres
in Houston, including hundreds of photos, clippings
and advertisements of the period.
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The 1923 Majestic
Karl Hoblitzelles third
and final Majestic is rightly considered to be the greatest
movie theatre ever built in Houston. Much of this is due
to the design by architect John Eberson, and would stand
as the prototype for all of his future atmospheric theatres.
Most notable in these theatres was the Mediterranean blue
ceiling, inset with twinkling lights and clouds that floated
lazily over the heads of the audience.
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The Tower Theatre
Opened by Karl Hoblitzelles
Interstate Theatre chain on Valentiess Day, 1936,
the Tower lasted the decades, first as a movie theate,
then as a venue for live performances, before being overhauled
into a video store. Photo by David Welling
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The 1910 Majestic
Upon the opening of Hoblitzelles
second Houston Majestic, a Houston Chronicle reporter
described the building to be compared favorably
with the gilded palaces of ancient kings. Houstonians
simply called it the Theatre Beautiful.
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The River Oaks
Theatre
In the late seventies and early
eighties, the River Oaks Theatre was a movie-lovers
dream come true, with double features of classic films
every night. Their schedule was a standard adornment to
many refrigerators.
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The
Capitan Theatre
Phil Isleys Capitan Theatre
in Pasadena opened its doors to the public in 1949. It
eventually resorted to running X-rated fare before closing
down. It is currently undergoing a restoration for use
as a civic center. This picture is from the relighting
ceremony in 2000. Photo by David Welling
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Main
Street theatre row
Over a 10-month period, from December
of 1926 to October of 1927, Houston experienced a theatre
building boom, centered within a few blocks of main street.
The architect connected with these three giants was Alfred
C. Finn. These three were the Loews State, the Kirby,
and the Egyptian-themed Metropolitan.
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Visit
the Cinema Houston website
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