Pershing Theater

The former Pershing Theater is now used as housing. Read about it here.

A 1973 photo of the Persing Theater in El Paso.

www.flickr.com/photos/lastpictureshow/2255919080

Here is a June 1945 ad from the El Paso Herald-Post:
http://tinyurl.com/cauubd

The Pershing Theatre is in an area of El Paso called 5 Points where Avenues and Streets intersect. I was a regular at this movie house as well. However, I didn't start going 'til I was in my early teens. Way after they shut and torn down The Capri. We would train-hop from downtown El Paso all the way to The Pershing in 5 Points. The last movie I remember seeing there was Berry Gordy's The Last Dragon. Shortly after that they shut it down, but it stayed intact. Last I heard was a couple from New York bought it and restored it and also live in it. Very cool. I wish I could do that to The Capri.

Advertised as the Realart Theater in a 1923 Paramount ad, so that should be another AKA.

The above comment is not mine.

1980 Photo

1984 Photo

Cool pic, Lost. Matter of fact, it still looks like that. Last time I was back home, it was looking exactly like that pic. It was a cool little movie house. However, not as cool as The Capri.

I worked at the Pershing in 1952 as an usher and occasional doorman. The thing I most remembered was having to change the Marquee. I usually got off at 10 PM, but I was expected to wait until 9:30 to start the marquee and they did not pay overtime. I had get a long wooden step-ladder from the back of the theatre outside fire entrance and carry it to the front. The ladder had to be set up in the street because when they widened Pershing Dr. a few years previous, the street curb was extended toward the theatre. The marquee was not changed and was left extended over the street. Had a couple of close calls, but nobody ever hit me. Wind did blow the ladder over a few timtimes though.
ladder had to