Comments about Texas Theater in Palestine, TX

Patsy on March 14, 2013 at 12:02 pm

Is the atmospheric feature still intact?

atmos on March 14, 2013 at 5:28 am

The atmospheric version of this theatre opened in 1930.

kencmcintyre on October 24, 2009 at 7:25 pm

Here is another view of the Texas:
http://tinyurl.com/yjzdo94

Patsy on October 12, 2009 at 7:15 pm

Close enough Lost! LOL! Thanks for always caring and being there when needed! And be sure to check out the Vitrolite facade on the Rialto in Cedarsburg WS with its amazing amount of black tile from top to bottom!

lostmemory on October 12, 2009 at 6:59 pm

How about a photo of the building next to the Texas Theater that had green Vitrolite installed? The photo is on this site. Is that close enough? LOL

Patsy on October 12, 2009 at 6:33 pm

I would love to see a photo of this theatre with its Vitrolite exterior!

Patsy on September 18, 2009 at 8:47 am

After comparing photos I guess the Vitrolite looking facade was removed to the present day look.

lostmemory on September 16, 2009 at 9:43 am

Here is a circa 1950 photo.

Joe Vogel on September 8, 2009 at 11:59 pm

Although the intro above says that the Texas opened in 1921, the April 15, 1930, issue of Motion Picture Times published an architect’s rendering of the theater, with a caption reading:

“This theatre, with a seating capacity of 1800, is to be built at Palestine for the R. and R. motion picture theatre interests. Designed by W. Scott Dunne, Dallas architect, the building will be one of the most modern with a balcony, lounge, rest, and smoking rooms on the mezzanine. The auditorium will be treated in an atmospheric motif in Italian style, with a forty-foot proscenium arch, flanked by tower motifs.”

This web page contains an essay about the Texas by Bob Bowman who says that the Texas opened in 1928, burned in 1929, was rebuilt in the late 1930s, burned again in 1939 and again reopened.

To add to the temporal confusion, the League of Historic American Theatres says the Texas was built in 1922. I suspect that if I searched the Internets I could find still other opening dates for the Texas. Somebody will probably have to search the archives of the local newspaper(s) in Palestine to get the actual history of this theater.

lostmemory on April 30, 2009 at 1:26 pm

1984 Photo

lostmemory on June 20, 2008 at 2:31 pm

Here is the Texas Theater in May of 2008.

lostmemory on May 15, 2008 at 11:07 am

This link claims that this was known as the Best Theater prior to being named the Texas Theater.

lostmemory on May 14, 2008 at 5:42 pm

This is an interior view circa 1940.