By the way, this is the theatre where Buddy Holly saw “The Searchers” in 1956, the movie from which he borrowed John Wayne’s catchphrase “That’ll be the day!” to write his famous song of the same name.
The actual location of the State is next door to the building in the photo at the top of this page. Check the link to a google maps view of 1316 Texas Avenue on my flickr page, and compare it to lostmemory’s Photo 2 link above.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/60498020@N05/5935303723/in/photostream
Street view is wrong. This theatre was not located at the intersection of Gus Thomasson and Ferguson, as that would have put it smack in the middle of one of Casa View Shopping Center’s huge parking lots; it was actually located farther west on Gus Thomasson, at its intersection with Maylee Blvd. It occupied the present site of Larry Smith Elementary School.
@NYozoner: I should’ve said the south side of the highway, judging from your historical aerials link. GoogleMaps photo in the header should be re-oriented 180 degrees.
NYozoner, what used to be called Hwy 183 is now called Hwy 10, so saying the Mid-Cities Drive-In was located on the north side of Hwy 183 is correct – trying to google-map to Hwy 183 would now be a problem.
In transitioning to the new format, many comments have been deleted/lost.
At any rate, here’s a link to a shot on my flickr page that has a view of the old Fox in the extreme lower left, red neon sign turned on. Check the vintage of some of the cars on Elm.
Here is a photo of the Circle Theatre as it sits today, in the block of Storey LANE (NOT Storey Street) presently identified as the 2700 block, NOT the 2100 block.
Cool, Randy – like what you did with the flashlight. I wonder if the McClendons tore down that original screen tower (if it was built in ‘49, I can almost guarantee that 1964 shot isn’t the original screen tower) and build 4 new ones, or did they just keep the original Downs screen and put up 3 new ones?
It really wasn’t. No inspiring architecture, absolutely nothing to look at if the movie was bad (it usually wasn’t). It just had flawless projection, incredible sound, a fantastic concession stand/staff, high presentation standards, excellent comfort, and usually ran movies everyone wanted to see…oh, wait…I think that all means it WAS one heck of a theatre.
I’m sure other factors contributed to the theatre’s demise but light pollution, while it certainly degraded the picture, didn’t seem to be affecting ticket sales as long as I attended (up through end of 1978). If you couldn’t see the picture, and that was a definite problem on all 3 screens, you could usually find something else to do.
RE: Richard Keiffer’s 2005 comments, above. The Forest was neither the largest neighborhood house in Texas, nor was it the last theatre built by Interstate Theatres, in Texas OR in Dallas – don’t know your source but Interstate built many new theatres in Dallas and other locations after 1947, including the Medallion, Cameo, and Westwood, all in the late 1960’s. In fact, the Medallion was intended as the first of a new generation of prestige first-run venues intended to replace the old downtown venues (Majestic, Tower, and Palace) which were already slated for closing. There was to be a new single-screen Palace near LBJ and Montfort but the trend away from single-screens to multiscreens put the kabosh on those plans.
The Medallion was still a single screen as late as summer 1979 when it showcased the exclusive first run of “Alien.”
By the way, this is the theatre where Buddy Holly saw “The Searchers” in 1956, the movie from which he borrowed John Wayne’s catchphrase “That’ll be the day!” to write his famous song of the same name.
The actual location of the State is next door to the building in the photo at the top of this page. Check the link to a google maps view of 1316 Texas Avenue on my flickr page, and compare it to lostmemory’s Photo 2 link above. http://www.flickr.com/photos/60498020@N05/5935303723/in/photostream
Period artist’s rendering of Melrose Theatre: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30943004@N00/3999524734/in/set-72157622557757224/
Street view is wrong. This theatre was not located at the intersection of Gus Thomasson and Ferguson, as that would have put it smack in the middle of one of Casa View Shopping Center’s huge parking lots; it was actually located farther west on Gus Thomasson, at its intersection with Maylee Blvd. It occupied the present site of Larry Smith Elementary School.
@NYozoner: I should’ve said the south side of the highway, judging from your historical aerials link. GoogleMaps photo in the header should be re-oriented 180 degrees.
NYozoner, what used to be called Hwy 183 is now called Hwy 10, so saying the Mid-Cities Drive-In was located on the north side of Hwy 183 is correct – trying to google-map to Hwy 183 would now be a problem.
“Had I been actually driving, I’d have have been in a collision for sure.” Ha-ha, Joe, ya gotta love Google Maps!
It’s too bad there is now no “preview” function, as there was with the older format. Can we get that back?
Hey, Randy, how have you been? Done any shooting lately?
In transitioning to the new format, many comments have been deleted/lost.
At any rate, here’s a link to a shot on my flickr page that has a view of the old Fox in the extreme lower left, red neon sign turned on. Check the vintage of some of the cars on Elm.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/60498020@N05/?saved=1
Randy, that was the name of the club that occupied it right after the theatre closed. IIRC, late 70’s?
Here is a photo of the Circle Theatre as it sits today, in the block of Storey LANE (NOT Storey Street) presently identified as the 2700 block, NOT the 2100 block.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/63574356@N06/5785362657/in/photostream
Never mind my question, SiliconSam has already answered it, above!
Cool, Randy – like what you did with the flashlight. I wonder if the McClendons tore down that original screen tower (if it was built in ‘49, I can almost guarantee that 1964 shot isn’t the original screen tower) and build 4 new ones, or did they just keep the original Downs screen and put up 3 new ones?
Status of this theatre should be changed to “closed/demolished.”
Right you are; the greatest design feature of I&II, IMO, was no shared wall between auditoriums.
@MikeRogers:
It really wasn’t. No inspiring architecture, absolutely nothing to look at if the movie was bad (it usually wasn’t). It just had flawless projection, incredible sound, a fantastic concession stand/staff, high presentation standards, excellent comfort, and usually ran movies everyone wanted to see…oh, wait…I think that all means it WAS one heck of a theatre.
I’m sure other factors contributed to the theatre’s demise but light pollution, while it certainly degraded the picture, didn’t seem to be affecting ticket sales as long as I attended (up through end of 1978). If you couldn’t see the picture, and that was a definite problem on all 3 screens, you could usually find something else to do.
Many thanks, Chuck!
Never mind – I just checked and the Encore was at 4519 Maple. What did it become?
Also known as the Wade and, finally, the Strand.
Chuck, do you have any info on this theatre that might possibly identify it as having originally been the Encore Theatre?
RE: Richard Keiffer’s 2005 comments, above. The Forest was neither the largest neighborhood house in Texas, nor was it the last theatre built by Interstate Theatres, in Texas OR in Dallas – don’t know your source but Interstate built many new theatres in Dallas and other locations after 1947, including the Medallion, Cameo, and Westwood, all in the late 1960’s. In fact, the Medallion was intended as the first of a new generation of prestige first-run venues intended to replace the old downtown venues (Majestic, Tower, and Palace) which were already slated for closing. There was to be a new single-screen Palace near LBJ and Montfort but the trend away from single-screens to multiscreens put the kabosh on those plans.
Does anyone know why this theatre was torn down after only nine years' operation?