Reel Theatre
211 W. Broadway,
Hobbs,
NM
88240
211 W. Broadway,
Hobbs,
NM
88240
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The Reel Theatre—or more particularly, attending the Reel—is recalled fondly in N. Scott Momaday’s “The Names”. He spent many a Saturday afternoon there as a youth in the early 40s seeing the likes of Ingrid Bergman, Lon Chaney, Jr. and Hedy Lamarr among others.
Boxoffice, June 3, 1950: “HOBBS, N. M. – The Reel Theatre here got big publicity for its showing of "Chain Lightning” recently, when a Piper Pacer airplane flew the film to the theatre, landing in the street just in front of the Reel. Through cooperation with the police and fire departments, the street had been cleared so that the plane could land."
A photo of promotional signs in front of the Reel Theater’s box office taken in the early 1940’s can be seen here.
Thanks for the update Mark!
-Don
The Reel was opened in 1937 at 211 W. Broadway. The opening movie was “May Time”* starring Nelson Eddy and Janette McDonald. It was operated by Griffith Theaters.
Newspaper advertisements from August 1945 and August 1946 indicate that The Reel was operated simultaneously by the same company with another theatre in Hobbs called The Scout.
The Reel was located in the 200 block of West Broadway.
The Reel Theater is listed in Film Daily Yearbooks;1941 & 1943 editions as having 460 seats. In the 1950 edition of F.D.Y. as seating capacity of 816 is given.