Iris Theater

Houston, TX

612 Travis Street

, Houston, TX 77002 United States

(map)

Status:	Closed
Screens:	Single Screen
Style:	Unknown

Function:	Unknown
Seats:	934
Chain:	Unknown

Architect:	Unknown
Firm:	Unknown

I was eating at a local restaurant that had a photograph that included this old theater. The owners didn't know where the photo was from, they had aquired it when a Souper Salads was remodeled. They thought it might be from Houston, as another photograph was from there.

After much searching, using clues from the photograph, I finally tracked down the same photo on the website for the "Center for American History"!
The theater was razed (when?) and the address now contains the Chase Center, and Chase Tower.

The Iris Theater was home to the first Reuter Theater Organ in 1925. It was the first truly orchestral instrument made by Reuter as a 2/5 unit organ for the Iris Theatre. Actor Jack Valenti was from Houston and one of his first jobs was showing people to their seats in this theater. The theater was also home to a radio station "WEAY" in 1924.

During the 1940's the Iris Theater was listed with a seating capacity of 1,114. It was still operating into the 1950's with a listed seating capacity of 934.

Contributed by M. J. Fly

YOUR COMMENTS

Hello. Did you happen to bookmark the spot where you found the IRIS photograph in the Center for American History?

Thanks..........

Don

posted by Don Lewis on Aug 8, 2007 at 2:14pm

hello...I purchased a building that once was the IRIS movie theatre many years ago..I have converted it into a banquet hall. but I want to put back some of the old movie theatre look. There are no pictures of the interior of my IRIS. So if anyone has any old pictures of their IRIS theatre please send me a copy. What I want to do is perhaps take some of each of the pictures of the IRIS and reconstruct the look of the old time theatre. I even want to put back a front markee of the IRIS...Thanks for any help...Joe Hig
theirisroom@aol.com

posted by joe higginbothan on Sep 10, 2007 at 7:56pm

There is a nice photo of the Iris on this page:
http://tinyurl.com/2tadbk

posted by ken mc on Dec 6, 2007 at 6:14pm

Interesting article here:
http://tinyurl.com/5qox47

posted by ken mc on Jul 9, 2008 at 2:01pm

Three additional photos can seen here.

posted by Lost Memory on Aug 1, 2008 at 9:40am

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