Alabama Theatre

I found this theater by accident. It looks great inside and out. They incorporated the bookstore into the theater and not the other way around. The balcony is open! There is a cafe and study areas upstairs. The paint has been either very well maintained or redone. They have added some neon which looks great in the theater. Finding this theater really made my day.

The Alabama Theatre seated 1130 people.

Between 1958 to 1961, I worked as an usher and the ass't manager to Howard Skelton at the Alabama. The theater was owned by Interstate Theaters Inc which was the dominate theater circuit in Texas at that time. The Alabama, like the Village, Garden Oaks, Santa Rosa and others was a sub run 28 day theater. All first run films would play downtown Houston at either the Metropolitan, Majestic or the Loew's State. After their run was finished, there was a 28 day window before the picture would open in these sub run theaters. The playtime was usually a week. I was there when the Alabama played some real classics. (THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI, RIO BRAVO, THE GUNS OF NAVARONE, THE LONG HOT SUMMER, THE F.B.I STORY, A SUMMER PLACE, etc..) The daily program would consist of a newsreel, a cartoon, previews of coming attractions and the feature. Each Saturday morning, the Alabama would have a special kid show featuring 5 cartoons, a serial, previews and a kid film of somekind. Every Halloween and Friday the 13th, we'd show a double feature Horror combo. The teenagers loved them....By 1960, Interstate needed another 70mm Roadshow House in Houston, so the Alabama was chosen. They put a lot of money into the theater. (New Seats, 60ft Screen, drapes, boxoffice, candy counter, bathrooms, 70mm projector and sound, etc.) We were suppose to open THE ALAMO in September 1960, but it ended up opening at the Tower. So, the Alabama stayed a sub run theater until EL CID opened in December 1961. It also played LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, and of course, THE SOUND OF MUSIC. By that point I was long gone. But I remember those days very fondly. I also was able to work the Garden Oaks, River Oaks, Tower and even a couple of weeks in the city offices with Al Lever. It's a sad state that all these theaters, with the exception of the River Oaks, are all gone. The Alabama had class, charm, warmth and it's own identity.......Now you might wonder what happened to me. Well, I'm a theater owner with a small circuit of theaters in Southern California.

This Theatre should set an example to corperate america what to do with vacant movie palaces. Instead of tearing them, down, reinvent them with a concept like a bookstore, cafe, dinner theatre, etc.

This is now a book store. Stop by sometime and you will still see the screen and restored inside. Still a beautiful place.

Jake: I totally agree! My hometown art deco theatre was demolished in the early 90's and I will never forgive the powers to be who allowed that to happen!

Films that had exclusive first-runs at the Alabama included "The Sound of Music," "The Poseidon Adventure," "The Towering Inferno," and "Grease."

We have friends in the Houston area so if our travels takes us back to "NASA World" we'll stop by this bookstore and look around!

I read that The Sound of Music was at this theatre. It was also at the Carolina Theatre in Charlotte (read about that one if you haven't yet). TSOM ran for many weeks and broke record attendances!

Of course, I meant exclusive in Houston!

I visited this theater in 1999 and I was amazed when I walked inside. The bookstore has preserved the lobby as a checkout area, the theater auditorium is perfectly preserved and even with the books on shelves it still retains it's theater-like ambiance. The coffee shop was ingenious to install on the balcony and the music playing in the store was appropriately subdued. I also loved the actual screen which now houses the single row of magazine racks on the stage. It was my hangout during the summer of that year.

For similar restorations, look at the LOMA theater in San Diego and the FOX STUDIO CITY Theater in Studio City, California.

This is a fine Gem in Houston. One of the only ones left! I went to see The Empire Strikes Back there. Lucky me..yes indeed!
Go see this place and buy a Book!

This art deco bookstore/former theatre would be fascinating to see so will have to ask my Houston friends to go if they haven't yet!

And it sounds like even though it has been changed into a bookstore the theatre exterior and interior 'look and feel' are still there!

Patsy, One of my favorite things about this theater is that the cashiers are in the old lobby, but the old stairways are still beautiful on either side going up, and they put small book rooms with the art, music and architecture books in them, so some of the best books in the entire building are off the stairways going up to the balcony.

Christian: Thanks for this theatre description as it really sounds like a wonderful place to visit though it isn't a theatre anymore. I've informed my Houston friend in case he hasn't been there!

Patsy: Once again you have hit the nail on the head. This theatre does sound great. I have given up on the theatre business two weeks ago. I am going back into music. I was Bo Diddley & Bo Jr`s Drummer for a long time. Since I moved to Nashville, TN. I have run into some Great musicians From the past. One of them being Virgil Gibson who was the lead singer of the former world famous Platters. He and I have hooked up and are forming the band Coat Of Colors. We want to do a five state tour, take a break, and do five more states. My plan is every city we go to, I want to look up old theatres and see if they have tours, or what they are doing with the buildings. Take pictures, ect. ect. Thanks to everyone out there for all your great info. Thank God for Cinema Treasures.

Love And Ood Bless All.
Dave Grau (Mungo)
Norelco

This was one of the theaters I enjoyed attending as a child and I was very pleasantly surprised when on a return trip to Houston my mother insisted on taking me down there. I think the way they went with the flow of the building enhances the experience and while it would have been nice if the Alabama had been able to remain a theater, I much prefer this to having it simply torn down.

Caro: DITTO! "......while it would have been nice if the Alabama had been able to remain a theater, I much prefer this to having it simply torn down."

I assume the marquee is still there to add to the theatre 'feel' though a bookstore now? I'm sure they use the marquee as a marketing/advertising 'tool'! I know I would to advertise current best sellers, etc. that are in the store/theater!

Patsy, YES, the marquee is fully intact, just as they are at the Bookstar in San Diego at the old Loma theater and in Studio City, California. The marquees are all in great shape, if not restored at all 3 theaters.

Christian: Thanks for the marquee information.

When I visited Houston several years back, I noticed that the smaller marquee on the Alabama tower is gone. I believe it's been gone for years and years. You can still see the tracks on the tower where the marquee use to be. When I worked there, back in the 1950's, I use to have to change that thing every week rain or shine. A lot of fond memories.

eadkins: You're talking about the tower out in front of the shopping center, right? In the latter days of the Alabama as a theater, a large truck ran into the smaller marquee, severely damaging it. As the theater was running down, they just removed it and never bothered to replace it. That happened in the late 70s, before I moved out of town, though I don't remember the exact date.

Patsy: According to my mother, who still patronizes the Alabama regularly, they use the marquee to announce books and events. During "Read a Banned Book Week", they apparently list banned books they suggest people should read.

Up until the mid 90's the Alabama still had all of its balcony seats. Before they added those balcony bookshelves and coffee shop there were some glass doors that were locked and led onto the balcony. You could look through and see the seats! Would've been cool to have kept those seats and turned the place into a hybrid bookstore/movie theatre!

belmontdrew: I totally agree with...."Would've been cool to have kept those seats and turned the place into a hybrid bookstore/movie theatre!"

"By 1960, Interstate needed another 70mm Roadshow House in Houston, so the Alabama was chosen. It played LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, and of course, THE SOUND OF MUSIC." (Ennis C. Adkins)

"I read that The Sound of Music was at this theatre. TSOM ran for many weeks and broke record attendances!" (Patsy)
***************************************************

The Alabama's roadshow engagement of "The Sound Of Music" lasted for 90 weeks (Mar. 31, 1965 - Dec. 18, 1966).

http://www.fromscripttodvd.com/sound_of_music_40th_tribute.htm

Does anyone know the name of the bookstore or if they have a website?

It's called "Book Stop" and is actually a division of Barnes & Noble bookstores. Any specialty locations such as this get the "Bookstop" name.

I had the pleasure of visiting this former theater last month while in Houston. I commend the company for the restoration and preservation of this great building.

I found a link to this location, which includes an updated picture of the marquee... the original Alabama sign by the road still reads Alabama...the marquee was changed to bookstop.

http://storelocator.barnesandnoble.com/storedetail.do?store=1804

I saw the Rocky Horror Picture Show here back in 78-79? Great job that Book Stop has done in maintaining the original feel of the theatre. Everytime I walk in there I smell popcorn!

This is the same kind of conversion that happened to the former Runnymede theatre in Toronto. It is now a Chapters book store and the interior is very much the former theatre. The former balcony has been re-built and now there are escalators instead of the former 2 staircases on either side of the lobby. The children's department is now located up there. There was a small Starbucks cafe up there as well with tables at the edge overlooking the rest of the store but that has now been removed. The sloping main floor is still there and there are a series of steps gradually down the middle of the store to take you to where the screen was. The screen is gone and now you can go up onto the stage area where the magazine section is located. It is interesting to look up to the ceiling of the backstage area and see where the curtains and screen would have been. An excellent restoration of a beautiful theatre. Too bad more theatres could have been converted this way to at least keep the interiors as they were as movie theatres.

ROCKY HORROR FANS!
We are having a 30th anniversary show SEPTEMBER 23 & 34, 2005 at the RIVER OAKS THEATRE (2009 W. Gray) - just down the road. We will have a special "alumni" seating area for the Alabama alumni! Come see your old friends!!

http://www.houstonrhps.com
and
http://www.houstonrhps.com/alumni.html
I would LOVE to get some OLD pictures inside the Alabama posted!

In the late 60's, they had closed circuit telecasts of the Indy 500 at the Alabama (also downtown at Majestic or Metropolitan). Very popular event since Houston's favorite, AJ Foyt, was often a winner in those days.

Glad that the Book stop has saved the place.

Has anyone seen the Granada Theater on the corner of Jensen and Tidwell in N.E.Houston? And does anyone have any info on this closed theater that has a resemblance to the Garden Oaks Theater.

Photo of the Alabama Theatre.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/96445164@N00/73008022/in/photostream/
Photo shows Alien playing in 70MM

This is a larger version of the vintage photo at the top of the page.

Hello Houston,
I lived in Houston for about 20 years. While there, I enjoyed learning about old buildings and Houston history. For example,
if you stand in fromt of the Rice Hotel, facing the intersection of
Texas and Main and look across the diagonal side of the intersection, there is a small building on the corner that for many years was a McCrory's. I don't know what it is now, but from 1911-1929, it was The Isis Theater. The Houston Chronicle once ran
a small story about the building in the mid 90s when a new buyer
was supposed to purchase the place. The paper ran a cool file photo
of the theater as it looked in the 1920s.

Night view of the Alabama Theatre/
http://www.moviepalaces.net/alabama-night1.GIF

Here is a photo of the book store that is now located in this former theater.

This theater is in danger of demolition!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/riveroaks/

Please read the following for more details.

What a shame if they get their way on this.

PETITIONS ARE WORTHLESS
...and the petition you posted is for the River Oaks (this page is for the Alabama)
If you want to save these theatres, it's going to cost you a few more seconds than adding your name to a list online. GET OFF YOUR BUTT AND ACTUALLY HELP.
The Greater Houston Preservation Alliance suggests that everyone that
has a concern to write a letter to the following person at Weingarten
Realty, and copy the Mayor and Council Member Ada Edwards with the
concerns. They recommend that the letter should include points such as
the historical significance of the buildings, cultural significance of
the theatre, that it meets the needs of the community it serves, and
that there are few places in Houston where one can walk from their
homes to enjoy shopping, dining, and entertainment.

This is the contact information:

Mr. Drew Alexander, CEO Weingarten Realty
PO Box 924133
Houston TX 77292-4133

cc Mayor Bill White City of Houston
PO Box 1562
Houston TX 77251

cc Council Member Ada Edwards City of Houston, District D
900 Bagby, First Floor
Houston TX 77002

Actually, robnrva, don't credit Barnes & Ignoble with this. The Bookstop Corp converted The Alabama Theatre into the Bookstop. B& N bought The Bookstop Corp & simply retained the marquee---probably considering it cost-prohibitive to alter it. I'm SURE they have historical respect for it.

I find it interesting that Weingarten Real Estate brags about the historic nature of River Oaks, and its significant architecture, on the shopping center's Web site, and then proposes tearing part of it, and the theaters, down. After all, they openly state that it's a historic landmark.

"Aside from being one of Houston's premiere shopping, dining and entertainment experiences, River Oaks Shopping Center is also a historical landmark!

River Oaks Shopping Center is the oldest shopping center in Texas and the second oldest shopping center in the nation (Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri is the nation's oldest).

Hugh Potter, the center's designer, began building River Oaks Shopping Center in 1937.

River Oaks Shopping Center is one of Houston's premier examples of Modern architectural design. When you visit, take notice of its pair of curved sections facing Shepherd Drive, followed by the long horizontal units on either side of West Gray. These features are representative of typical Modern design. In addition, many classic '30's and '40's motifs and materials- rounded corners, "porthole" windows and light fixtures, black glass and stucco- can also be seen among the center's Modern design details."

http://www.riveroaksshoppingcenter.com/aboutcenter.htm

I mean, jeez, talk about wanting to have it both ways.

The former Isis & McCrory's is now the Mercury Room--an upscale night club, which still contains tidbits from the Isis.
About the River Oaks issue, preservationists DID attaend the City Council meeting, on 8/2. So did State Representative Sheila Jackson Lee. She spoke out in favor of preservation. Houston Chronicle, of 8/3, ran an article stating that, "with the Landmark River Oaks Theatre threatened, more are joining the drive to change preservation laws."

This is a NY Times article about saving Houston landmarks. It mentions both the Alabama and River Oaks Theater. Both buildings could be in danger:

"The longtime owner of the properties, Weingarten Realty Investors, one of the nation’s largest real estate investment trusts, told a number of tenants recently that it had plans to redevelop the properties in 2008, and that some demolition would be necessary. But the company, based in Houston, has declined to be more specific, turning away questions with a prepared statement saying in part, “We do not comment on market rumors.”

Here are some great shots of the Alabama when it was in it’s prime. Let’s hope that Houston does not lose this or the River Oaks.

This is another article about closing the Bookstop store dated August 16, 2006. Here is the text in case the link expires:

"Barnes & Noble announces plans to close Alabama Bookstop

In today's Wall Street Journal, Thaddeus Herrick reports on the continued concern about the fate of several landmarks in Houston. This time, though, there is a solid statement about the developments:

David Deason, vice president for development at Barnes & Noble, said the New York-based company intends to close the Bookstop in favor of a "state of the art" facility. But Mr. Deason said the fate of the landmarks is in the hands of Weingarten.

The statement in itself may not be so threatening; the Alabama Theater could just acquire a new tenant. If we know Weingarten, though (and we think we do), the Alabama Theater is not a priority for preservation. This new "state of the art" book store would fit the plans previously discussed about the new anchor for the River Oaks shopping center redevelopment.

Also quoted was Weingarten's Director of Leasing, Patty Bender. She stated that "the company doesn't yet have a 'definite plan' for the shopping center but that the Alabama Theater could pose a 'challenging situation' should Barnes & Noble pull out." While a "challenging situation" can allude to many different scenarios, we are thinking she meant "now that Bookstop will be vacating, we can demolish the theater like we've wanted to do for the past decade or so, and that might upset a few folks." Please surprise us, Weingarten, because you've already upset way more then a few without even directly making that statement".

A recent night view of the former Alabama Theater building can be seen here.

Yep. Gorgeous. A friend of mine manages the cafe.

Two more images of the former ALABAMA.
www.flickr.com/photos/lastpictureshow/429248424
www.flickr.com/photos/lastpictureshow/429248429

Another example of a theater's convesion to a bookstore respectfully is the Varsity in Palo Alto (CA), converted to a Border's.

YouTube has a lovely tribute to this theater with a song by Death Cab For Cutie called "I WILL FOLLOW YOU INTO THE DARK", which seems appropriate for people or places, seems none of us will last forever. Good luck on keeping the theater building alive!

is this a photo of the bookstore that was in the auditorium? is it still open?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/j-a-x/221049330/

Current interior and exterior photos of the Alabama and a historic exterior are online at www.houstondeco.org

The theater's architect was W. Scott Dunne.

I remember the Granada Theater very well. I spent many Saturdays in that theater. It cost $.25 to sit all day long and watch several movies and cartoons. I don't believe it exists any longer. We occasionally went to the North Houston theater also. My cousins lived in Ella Lee Forest so when I was visiting them we would go to the Garden Oaks theater. Yep, I remember them both very well.

Landmark designation report from May 2007:
http://tinyurl.com/5ssjg3

Paul Smith's photo of the Houston Granada here and its twin the Capitan in Pasadena.

1981 Photo

1983 Photo

The Alabama Theatre was designed by the Dallas firm of Pettigrew & Worley. An article featuring photos of both the Alabama and the River Oaks Theatre, designed by the same firm, was published in the April 27, 1940, issue of Boxoffice Magazine.

The Houston Chronicle Thursday August 6, 2009
3 STAR EDITION/THISWEEK; Pg. 3 RIVER OAKS Bookstop to close, reopen at West Gray Historic preservationists concerned about Alabama Theater By ROBIN FOSTER, CHRONICLE CORRESPONDENT Barnes & Noble Booksellers will close its Bookstop location in the revered Alabama Theater, 2922 SouthShepherd, on Sept. 15 and reopen Sept. 16 in a new store tailor-made for a larger audience just up the street in the River Oaks Shopping Center at West Gray Avenue. The new store brings more books, music and DVD sections, an expanded children's area and a full-service Barnes & Noble
Café to the well-heeled neighborhoods that surround it. Manager
Jacques Oppinger, a native of the Inner Loop community, envisions a
shared customer base and media tie-ins with the neighboring and equally
revered River Oaks Theater. Plans for the Alabama But the announcement
inevitably leaves Houston's preservationists, who rallied to save the
River Oaks Theater from demolition as part of that shopping center's
redevelopment, wondering what sort of transformation might befall the
Alabama Theater. A new tenant has not been found, said Brooke Harvey,
leasing director for Weingarten Realty Investors, which owns the River
Oaks and Alabama Shepherd shopping centers where both of the old marquee
theaters are located. Until then, he can't speculate about how the
cavernous, Art Deco interior, which retains its balcony and terraced
first floor, might be used going forward. "We love the building. We're
just leasing it as is," Harvey said. "We have no plans to make any
changes. You just won't be buying books in there." No more
redevelopment There are no plans for further redevelopment at River
Oaks, either, beyond marketing the new space anchored by the new Barnes
& Noble and a couple other vacancies, he said. "We're very healthy
there and very excited about what's going on there," Harvey said. "If
you disregard the new development section, almost every space in the
shopping center is taken." With more than 13,700 square feet, the old
Alabama Theater is considered retail anchor space in its strip center,
which is also home to a PetsMart, Whole Earth Provision Co. and Zake
Japanese Cuisine. Based on his 20 years in the business, Harvey said
it's doubtful the space will reopen before 2010 because of the time
involved for a tenant to redo a new store's interior, bring in needed
fixtures and inventory. No one would want to open right at Christmas,
he said. It was those types of what-if's that concerned
preservationists three years ago, when redevelopment of the River Oaks
Shopping Center was proposed, said filmmaker Jeffrey Mills. Mills, who
owns IO Communications in Bellaire, is making a documentary film about
the Interstate Theater chain, which from 1906 to 1976 operated movie
houses throughout the Southwest, including at least a dozen in Houston.
"The last one operating is the River Oaks, and the last large theater
still standing is the Alabama," Mills said. Interstate, which was once
part of Paramount and later ABC, opened the two movie houses a month
apart in 1939. The Alabama Theater operated until 1983. Mills recalls
the "Save Our Shrines" rally held in 2006 to curtail redevelopment and
save the River Oaks Theater, now part of the Landmark chain. "The
preservationists felt that the more threatened one was the Alabama,"
Mills said. "Its conversion to a bookstore didn't really alter the
interior of the building, but any other tenant would probably gut it."
Oppinger, who grew up in the area and saw movies at both historic movie
houses, understands the sentiment. But Barnes & Noble has outgrown the
Bookstop store, which it acquired in the early 1990s, he said.
"Operationally, it doesn't bear much resemblance to what we usually
have," he said. "The decision is less about sales than about offering
more at the new store. "We're able to add a full range of services
that we couldn't retrofit into an old building like this." For now,
the marquee out front advertises a clearance sale, which will be ongoing
until the store closes, Oppinger said. Surprisingly, most of the
store's unsold volumes won't be moved, but will be returned to the
publisher.

Here is a recent photo. Bookstop is having a clearance sale. Maybe they have the Cinema Treasures book on sale. LOL

Sept 15th--it closed.

Weingarten's Realty, the owner, issued a statement, meant to reassure the public, saying they have no intentions, of tearing down the theatre.

Interpreted, this means, they haven't yet received an offer, which would make tearing it down, profitable for Weingarten's Realty.

This does not assure us that they have intentions to NOT tear it down--or that they'd turn down any such offers.

We need stronger preservation laws here.

Oppinger, the Barnes & Noble manage said:

"The decision is less about sales than about offering
more at the new store. We're able to add a full range of services
that we couldn't retrofit into an old building like this."

That means it's still about sales. Perhaps not the sale of books, but the sale of services.

The Alabama Theatre's grand opening was at 7:15 p.m. on November 2, 1939. The premier feature was “Man About Town” with Jack Benny and Dorothy Lamour. The building contractor was George P. O’Rourke Construction Co.