Pines Theater
340 North 4th Street,
Silsbee,
TX
77656
340 North 4th Street,
Silsbee,
TX
77656
No one has favorited this theater yet
Built in 1948, the Pines Theater has been in continuous operation for the citizens of Silsbee, Texas. The theater shows first run movies at $1 during the week. The current manager began his career there as a projectionist when the theater originally opened.
Contributed by
Regina Lindsey
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater
Recent comments (view all 13 comments)
Regina, is the current manager you were referring to W.S. Rosser? If so, I believe he passed away, as I know two women are now in charge of the day to day operations.
Here is the website for this theater.
From Boxoffice magazine, October 1947:
SILSBEE, Tex.-The city commission and fire department condemned the building housing the Jefferson Amusement Co. theater here on September 24 and closed its doors, leaving Silsbee without a motion picture theater for the first time in more than 25 years. A new theater is planned by Jefferson Amusement when and if federal authorities grant permission for its construction.
I wonder what the name of the previous theater was. I don’t think the name would be Jefferson Amusement Co. theater.
Hello,
My name is Laurie LeBoeuf, and I am the current manager of the Pines Theatre, owned by Carmike Cinemas out of Georgia. I just wanted everyone to know how happy it makes me that my theatre should and is being recognized as a historical building. It was actually never recognized as one. I recently became the manager a little less than a year ago, and it has been my goal since then to try to repair the building as much as possible (which, I have discovered, is VERY difficult to do with older buildings) until I can get it in decent enough shape where I can present it to the historical society (and not feel ashamed). It has been through some rough times, and it breaks my heart to see what has happened to it over the past few years. Carmike Cinemas, because they have budgets for all of their theatres, cannot afford major renovations on my little one-screen and so repairs are slow and sometimes never approved. So it is my hope to get the approval of the historical society. Maybe then we can get the funding we deserve to revive the theatre back into its original glory.
Mr. Rosser, actually, is not deceased, as many people believe. He had a non-fatal heart attack while at work, but he recovered and has since retired and moved to another state. Not one manager since him has lived up to his name, but I am determined to stick around and become known as the “old lady”!
Anyway, thank everyone so, SO much for your appreciation of my diamond-in-the-rough! Feel free to come by and have a chat with me! I’d love to hear anyone’s ideas as to how I can get more significant renovations up and moving! :)
This is a 2009 close-up photo.
Carmike has invested in an DLP system for this small-town theatre.
The Pines Theatre was originally operated by the Jefferson Amusement Company, and replaced an earlier house at Silsbee the circuit had bought in 1937. This was a 300-seat theater called the Palace, which was condemned in 1947.
Another 2009 photo of the Pines Theatre.
View link
Lobby and Concession
View link
Hi! My name is Willie Royer. When the Pines Theatre was built, I was the first usher/ticket taker. I remember W S and the other projectionist Frenchy very well. Mr Seward [sp] was the manager. I worked there for about a year before moving back to Beaumont.