Majestic Theatre

The Majestic Theatre was located at 908 Rusk Street and it seated 2081 people.

The people of Houston certainly had no foresight. They didn't even try to protect their hertiage. The Majestic, the Metropolitan and the Loew's State should all be Performing Arts Centers today instead of being demolished in the 1970's. Out with the old and in with the new. But you'll never see these grand palaces again. I'm glad to see the Rice Hotel is still alive.

My grandfather began his career in the Houston theatre business in 1908 as treasurer of Houston's first Majestic Theatre(on Congress Ave.)

During his 50-plus year career with Interstate, he managed the Majestic, the Kirby, and the Iris.

This theatre is generally believed to be architect John Eberson's first "Atmospheric" theatre. The atmospheric design fostered the illusion that the patron was seated in an outdoor setting such as an Italian garden. Eberson went on to build many other "Atmospheric" theatres. What a shame that the first example of this style no longer exists.

Here is a photograph of the exterior of the Majestic shortly after it opened.

My Father worked as an user in this theatre. He said up in the top of the theatre were Vaudeville style dressing rooms with some old props inside still. He had to wear a Tux and he escorted people to their seats.This Theatre was huge and it seem to take forever to walk someone down the Isle to the front(near the screen). They made popcorn upstairs and brought it down in huge plastic bags. It was then put in a bend so they could sell it in small boxes as people bought it. The reason is cause they didnt have the popper at the stands. He was young and did not question why but he feels it was to give a more classy appearance without a popper present. It also had a few box seating toward the front.Parked out front on the street, would have been his old 1950 chevy with grey primer(It was cheap) and Red Wheels. The Dash was painted red with strips made of black electric tape. Too Bad we dont have this place anymore.

I worked as an usher at the Majestic Theater in Houston from '61 to '63. One of the memories that I remember was on Saturday nights one of the ushers would have to carry a box of film for the sneak preview which was played only as the last show on Saturday night. We carried this film from the Met down on Main Street, several blocks away.
The parking area in front of the theater was a faviorite place for the guys to part the muscle cars from the '50s and '60s.
I remember that the assistent head-usher had his '59 Fury with dual carbs, ... well, that's another story.

Sometimes after closing, the ushers along with some of the consession workers would drive down to a local diner until the wee hours of the morning. These were good times.
Ron Barbee

Through cinema site research I had to add this one to my favorites as it was Eberson's FIRST atmospheric theatre! And it, too, was demolished. "...the ceiling was blue with stars moving overhead." I'm beginning to hate the word....demolished! I have Houston friends who I must ask about their memories of the Majestic. It sounds as if the Majestic was truly that....majestic! Are the Majestics in San Antonio and Dallas still standing?

Patsy,
Both the Majestic Theatres in Dallas and
San Antonio are still standing and are open as live venues.

Bryan: Well, that's great news! Thank goodness, but the folks of Houston sure lost a treasure when they brought their Majestic to the ground!

We used to live in Wichita Falls (early 70's) and traveled to Dallas on occasion, but since I wasn't into old movie palaces back then I missed the opportunity to see this atmospheric treasure!

I must agree with Ennis' comments above. How could Houston let all three of its movie palaces be demolished. Houston is now spending millions in an attempt to bring back downtown Houston to a major attraction, i.e. new baseball park, new, basketball arena, expanded convention facilities, lots of new restaurants, jazz clubs, new hotels, etc. Not to mention the new light rail runing down Main St.
It would be great to still have the Majestic, the Metropolitan and Loew's State to add to this mix. Well I digress....
.... but I still have many fond memories of attending these venues and standing in line waiting to enter these Grand Palaces!

The same here in Charlotte with the building up of center city with restaurants, clubs, sports arena, condo high-rises and the talk of a light rail system, but where is the Carolina Theater in all of this planning? The Carolina is still standing, but still unrestored! One of the major problems is the 'politics' involved, etc.

We have a problem in Houston. We demolish and then discover.."Oh my Gosh..that was a historic building".

fnydude: Sounds very familiar here in Charlotte as well! Recently purchased a book about the city and so many historical buildings have been demolished that were so very beautiful!

Not only was this Eberson's first atmospheric theater, it was THE first atmospheric theater in the world.

Does anyone know who/what "Holblitzelle" is/was? I found a reference to "Holblitzelle's Majestic Theatre in Houston" but that is the only information that I have.

In answer to TC's question. Karl Hoblitzelle was the CEO of Interstate Theaters Inc out of Dallas. He and his partner, Robert O'Donnell ran 85% of the theaters in the larger cities of Texas (Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Ft Worth, Austin etc) from the 1920's thru the 1960's. Interstate was the largest theater circuit in Texas during that time period and also one of the most powerful.

Now that I'm revisiting this theatre link I have since read that this DEMOLISHED theatre was the FIRST EBERSON ATMOSPHERIC!

I am looking for pictures of the interior of the Majestic Theater in Houston. I'm interested in pictures that include the Grand Drape.

Tick: Hope you find interior pix. What was the Grand Drape?

The "Grand Drape" would, I believe, be the curtain that hung in front of the screen and was raised before the show started. The fabric would have likely been a heavy velvet that was a certified dust catcher -- the drapes from the Loew's State in Houston certainly were when my mother purchased a chunk of them just before the theater was demolished. I came home from school and there was this itchy...pile of green velvet in one corner of the living room that Mom proceeded to use to make stuffed frogs from. The cats loved it.

Caro: Cute story yet sad that the drape doesn't still hang in its intented spot in history.

Patsy -- it is sad, because I never got to see a film at the old theaters that she loved going to when she was younger. By the time time I was interested in the theaters themselves, they were either closed or had become places women just didn't go. But she loved the State and the Majestic, so it was important to her get a piece of that part of her childhood when the opportunity presented itself. The frogs were either given as gifts to people who appreciated where the fabric had come from (and she kept the largest for herself) or sold as part of a special fundraiser for a local theater group. People paid good money to get a piece of the State. I still have the one she made me, which occupies one arm of my couch.

Really, it's her stories about taking the bus into downtown Houston to see films at the old theaters that first piqued my interest in more than the films herself.

Here is a photo of the Majestic from around 1950.

I have what I believe is the original grand drape from the Majestic, Fully intact and in good condition. To confirm that this "the" Grand from the Majestic, need a picture or a detailed description of it. Of course a picture would be best.

I think that Houston certainly lost a treasure in letting the BIG THREE downtown theaters go..especially the Majestic. My best friend and I use to love going to the movies downtown on Friday nights throughout the 1960s and I remember the splendor of all three movie houses. I thought the Majestic was the most mysterious place to be out of all of them..with the box seating and the way the balcony was set up...I felt as if I were in some ancient place had witnessed live operas and who knows what all. My best friend's mother worked at Foleys downtown and we would go downtown by bus so he could pick up his allownance and then it was off to the movies!! I saw every single one of the James Bond movies downtown and also the newer John Wayne movies and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
However, Houston destroyed so many historic buildings during the late 60's and 70's and early 80's that it really should've been considered a criminal act by greed real estate goons and there should have been indictments handed down. That is how strongly I feel about losing the ability of being able to go to the old Houston Downtown and to get that "feeling" you got while ejoying the sites and the sounds back then. Now that has been destroyed and carted off to the landfill. Shame on the city fathers who allowed this to happen.

Swampterman,

Do you recall what the grad drape looked like? If so can, can you describe it?

Since there is a certain interest here in "the first atmospheric theatre" it might be useful to have a look at the (still standing) Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, Italy. It was built in the 1580's to the designs of Andrea Palladio. It's a fully enclosed stage theatre built to look like a classical Roman, outdoor, amphitheatre with statues, sky, clouds and decorative proscenium. There is a permanent stage set with amazingly realistic forced-perspectives seen through the portals.

Here's a link:

http://www.cisapalladio.org/veneto/schedae.asp?Numeroscheda=66

This is one of the most famous historic theatres in Europe and John Eberson must have seen it, or at least photos and drawings of it. I've never heard anyone make the connection between the Teatro Olimpico and Eberson's atmospherics, but it does seem logical.

Cheers to all
your amateur architecture historian

Will; Just by coincidence here in the UK the Cinema Theatre Association held their annual 'members slide bash' last weekend and one of the presenters did a slide presntation & talk on Andrea Palladio's Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, Italy with the theme 'The Worlds First Atmospheric Theatre?'

Just discovered a site that has pictures of all of the old Movie Palaces in downtown Houston - including interior shots of the Majestic and a picture of the Grand Drape.
see: www.moviepalaces.com (Movie Palaces - A retrospect)

Sorry gang - the site is www.moviepalaces.net

Stan: Thanks for the movie palaces website as it is full of researched theatre information/data.

And photos!

I'm 54 & a Houston native. I used to ride the bus downtown, during the school breaks, in the early '60s, w/my buds. We'd go to the Metropolitan, Majestic & Loew's State to catch a flick. In the '70s, I went to the Delman, which was on Main @, I think, Wheeler, to catch mainstream flicks, &, later, I saw 'Superfly' there. It's gone now. There is one left downtown. It is called the Majestic Metro, @ 911 Preston. It's currently used as a banquet facility. During the '70s, it was solely showing blaxploitation flicks.
Yes, we have a prob in Houston. During the '70s, multiplexes burgeoned in the malls--in the burbs. No one had the vision to see a purpose for these grand buildings. I'll continue.

RIGHT now, there's trouble brewing. The Weingarten Realty Company, formerly my neighborhood grocery store chain, is considering razing the historic Art-Deco River Oaks Shopping Center---including the old Interstate River Oaks Theatre, which has been operated for the last 30 years, as 'specialty cinema', by, first Movies Inc, & then Landmark Cinema.
Apparently, someone offered them a bundle for the properties, which are currently profitable, but not AS profitable as the new offer by the developers, who want to put in a multi-story Barnes & Ignoble & as high rise where the theatre stands, while, insultingly, using the entrance to the theatre as the lobby to the dwellings. nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn who knows a thing about the theatre would live there.

Here is a movie ad dated april 12,1968 on planet of the apes from the interstate theater the majestic downtown houston texas to view go to http://static.flickr.com/94/243328151_4af8d40329.jpg

Here is another movie ad from the majestic theater june 1970 beneath the planet of the apes to view go to http://static.flickr.com/96/243328154_1849bb6c33.jpg

Bill Bremer, if this theatre was built in '23 & it was the 3rd 'Majestic' in town, & your gramps was treasurer of the first one--on Congress--where was the 2nd one? Any addresses or dates on the first 2? Why did they close?

Anyone save those interior photos to their harddrive? The moviepalaces.net website appears to be defunct.

I have what I believe is the original grand drape from the Majestic. It was made in the late 1920's and is about 40 x 50, fully intact and in good condition.
I plan on selling it in the near future but I want to confirm if this current ever hung in the Majestic.

To confirm that this "the" Grand from the Majestic, need a picture or a detailed description of it. Of course a picture would be best.

Does anyone remember a pipe organ which played during movies at the Majestic?

Hello from Milwaukee Wisconsin!

I'm sad to see that we have lost this great piece of cinema history. Here in Milwaukee we have just watched as the first atmospheric built in Wisconsin was torn down. I grew up about two blocks from it as a child and followed the building's history. Seeing the photo posted by Bryan Krefft, I am wondering if anyone knows of a listing of theaters designed by John Eberson? The Venetian was by the Firm of Peacock and Frank, and they were local to Milwaukee. But, there are a number of elements of the Venetian that seem similar to the Majestic.

BTW.. Had anyone else noticed that the Jim Carry Movie was of the same name (And centered in part around a Movie Palace)?

I never saw the vanished moviepalaces.net website, but there's now an impressive website about Houston's theatres called Cinema Houston. It's an on-line extension of a book of the same name by David Welling.

I lived in Houston from 1968 to 1976 and I did attend a couple of movies at the Majestic. I too am sorry to see it gone. I returned to San Antonio in Jan. 1976 and within two years I began to study and research the theatres of San Antonio. I have been doing so ever since. I just completed a website for San Antonio theatres with 192 theatres in the site on 132 pages. It is located at http://www.satheatres.com/

John Wayne's 3-D classic HONDO had its world premiere at this theater on 11/24/53. John Wayne and Ward Bond appeared in person. We are looking for any materials from this premiere: photos, ads, flyers, etc.

Better yet: were you there? We'd love to document your memories of this event!

Thank you very much.

Bob Furmanek
Vice President
3-D Film Preservation Fund
http://www.3dfilmpf.org/

Hey Tick from March 2007 above......

Do you still have the Majestic Grand Drape?
Look at this web site to see what it looked liked when the Majestic opened. http://www.cinemahouston.info/index.htm

A Kilgen theater organ opus 3129 size 2/16 was installed in the Majestic Theater in 1922.

The Orpheum in Kansas City is claimed to be an earlier Eberson atmospheric

Witchita, rather.

From the Wichita Orpheum Cinema Treasures page:

"In his book, "The Picture Palace", Dennis Sharp has classified the Orpheum's style as "pre-atmospheric". However, further research indicates that the Wichita structure is in fact an authentic atmospheric with all the accoutrements associated with the style."

I see. Further research has been done. I imagine that this research involved some brave soul actually going inside the Orpheum, looking at the ceiling, and saying "Yep, she's atmospheric alright! Just look at them characteristic accoutrements!" Oh, I see a nomenclature-related architectural history fight coming! Quick, somebody notify Charlie Rose!

But as much as I'd like to see this disagreement settled the old fashioned way (by mass gladiatorial combat between the respective populations of the cities of Houston and Wichita), I'm going to take a cue from Will Dunkin's comment of December 14, 2005, above and say that the title of "World's First Atmospheric Theatre" should go to Andrea Palladio's 1580 Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, Italy. The place is just loaded with accouterments, deny it who may!

That means the contretemps between fans of the Wichita Orpheum and the Houston Majestic (deceased) over which of the two theatres may or may not have been the second atmospheric ever built will have to be settled, as tradition in these situations (to wit, which gets to be considered the first also-ran) dictates, by a spittin' contest. My money's on Wichita, by the way, since Wichita had the 'nads not to let its historic Eberson (pre-or-full-on-atmospheric) theatre get knocked down. Ladies and gentlemen, start your saliva glands!

There was also JEO Pridmore's 1909 Cort Theatre in Chicago, which is also often cited (with some debate mainly regarding the level of ornateness and sky effects) as the first atmospheric in the US.

The second Houston Majestic sat mid-block on Texas Avenue just west of the Chronicle Building. Financed by Jesse Jones, it opened on February 21, 1910.

In 1923, after the Majestic on Rusk opened, it was renamed "The Palace" and became home to "The Palace Players", a "stock" theatre company (group of actors) performing stage plays.

The first Majestic (in 1905) was at 1306 Congress.

I probably posted this before, but to think that the very first Eberson "atmospheric" theatre ever built was then demolished by the City of Houston! Shame!

And I would love to see exterior and interior, particularly, photos of this FIRST EBERSON ATMOSPHERIC THEATRE!

This theatre closed on 26 September 1971 and was demolished in February 1972 according to the book "Cinema Houston ".

Death of the Majestic Theatre photo tour: Enter Here.

My grandfather was the manager of the Palace Theater in 1925. So I guess that was the second Majestic? He had worked his way up at the Majestic - started as an usher. Tragically, he was killed in a car accident in 1925 at the age of 33. I have a picture here of the lobby of the Majestic. I'll have to try to figure out how to link it here.

Hello Elanor. If you do not have any luck linking your photo we would really appreciate the opportunity to help out by posting it on our flickr site, linking it here and giving you full credit.

You can read about flickr here; www.flickr.com and you may contact contact me at vanishingtheaters@gmail.com with any questions.

Thanks

Don...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41067975@N02/3782008222/

My grandfather is the second from the right.