Arcadia Theatre
312 W. Main Street,
Ranger,
TX
76470
312 W. Main Street,
Ranger,
TX
76470
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Built on the site of the Lamb Theatre (it has its own page on Cinema Treasures). The Arcadia Theatre was opened on August 24, 1928. It was equipped with a Reuter organ. By 1941 it was operated by Paramount Pictures Inc. through their subsidiary Hoblitzelle & O'Donnell. On March 15, 1952 it was destroyed by fire. Owner B.E. Garner hoped it would be ‘speedily rebuilt’, but that never happened, and the remains were demolished. It was replaced by a parking lot. The site remains a vacant plot in 2024.
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Recent comments (view all 6 comments)
This informative site has a photo and information on the Arcadia. I could do without the music, though.
http://tinyurl.com/jrh3x
A view of the Arcadia Theater in Ranger Texas.
From 1935, a view of two men working on the Arcadia sign in Ranger.
The September 8, 1928, issue of Motion Picture Times said that the Arcadia Theatre in Ranger had opened on August 24. The article featured one photo, and said that the new house, operated by Dent Theatres, had a Reuter organ.
Motion Picture Herald, March 29, 1952: “Fire destroyed the 900-seat Arcadia theatre, Ranger, Texas, shortly before it was to open its doors. B. E. Garner, owner, said it apparently began in an air-conditioning unit and swept along the ceiling to the front of the building. Mr. Garner said the $150,000 building was a total loss.”
B.E. Garner announced that the Arcadia Theatre, destroyed by fire on Saturday afternoon, March 15, 1952 would be rebuilt as quickly as possible. Garner expressed appreciation to the Ranger Fire department upon viewing the extent of the damage. Fire departments from Eastland, Cisco, and Breckenridge responded to the fire call. Ranger Daily Times, March 18, 1952.
W.B. Palmer was the building engineer for the Arcadia Theatre. He also constructed the Ranger Post Office in the 1920s. The Arcadia Theatre was constructed where the Lamb Theatre was located, 512 Main Street. The Campbell Theatre Company were the contractors with Whitehall Construction Company breaking ground for the new theatre in January 1928. the Theatre was built at a cost of $125,000 and was the largest movie house between Fort Worth and El Paso.