Majestic Theatre

Built in 1920 as the Connollee Theatre (named after one of Eastland’s founding fathers), this small theatre featured silent films and stage shows, as well as beauty contests and the occasional opera.

In the 1930’s, the Connollee Theatre began hosting live radio broadcasts every Saturday. Gene Autry and his horse Champion even appeared on stage at the Connellee Theatre once.

In 1947, Interstate Theatres Inc. bought the Connellee Theatre and completely remodeled it in the Art Moderne style, with touches of Western décor. It was reopened as the Majestic Theatre, and continued as a first run theatre until closing in 1986.

The following year, a group of Eastland citizens got together to renovate the theatre as the town’s civic center, and it reopened later that year, looking much as did in 1947.

It now features a varied mix of first run and classic films, concerts, and stage shows, as well as hosting meetings in its auditorium.

Recent comments (view all 13 comments)

Don Lewis on August 21, 2007 at 11:23 pm

The MAJESTIC revisited 8/2007.

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Don Lewis on January 27, 2008 at 12:26 pm

A 1986 photo of the Majestic in Eastland.

www.flickr.com/photos/lastpictureshow/2224116598

Don Lewis on January 21, 2009 at 11:01 am

The orignal home of the Majestic Theatre in Eastland was at 108 W. Commerce St. in this building.

Don Lewis on November 6, 2009 at 6:16 pm

A few views from 2009 of the Majestic glowing with neon; Frame 1, frame 2 and frame 3.

Don…

kencmcintyre on April 4, 2010 at 8:07 pm

Here is a recent photo:
http://tinyurl.com/yb48cw3

kencmcintyre on April 15, 2010 at 8:57 pm

Here is another photo:
http://tinyurl.com/y3ljsmh

Don Lewis on September 25, 2010 at 7:37 pm

From 1964 a movie ad from the MajesticTheatre in Eastland.

roburtone on September 17, 2011 at 9:56 pm

2011 night views:

Photo 1

Photo 2

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Joe Vogel on March 27, 2018 at 4:17 am

Although it gives the location of the new house as Main Street, this item from The Moving Picture World of July 5, 1919, is about the Connollee Theatre:

“A new theatre building is being erected at a cost of approximately $75,000, on Main street, Eastland, Texas. It will be known as the Connellee Theatre.”

The Connollee was either replaced or substantially rebuilt in 1925. A drawing of the new Connollee is in the lower left corner of this page of Exhibitors Herald of July 4, 1925. The caption notes that the project was designed by San Antonio architect Henry T. Phelps, though it misspells his surname.

MichaelKilgore on November 17, 2019 at 11:03 am

The Film Daily, March 13, 1931, “Eastland, Tex. – Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Belcher, formerly of Iowa Park, are again established in the theater business, having recently opened the old Connollee here.”