Palace Theatre
1625 Elm Street,
Dallas,
TX
75201
1625 Elm Street,
Dallas,
TX
75201
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Here’s a link to a discussion thread on the dallasmetropolis forum in which forum member Dismuke has posted scans of his program from opening night at the Palace, June 11, 1921. The Artwork depicting the theatre’s interior and architectural features will probably prove to be the first time since your last visit to the theatre that you have seen these views.
http://forum.dallasmetropolis.com/showthread.php/634-Palace-Theatre-(Old-Dallas-Theatres)
From the 1930s a postcard view of the Palace Theatre on Theater Row in Dallas.
My dad built houses in the 70’s and had a man that would supply him with salvaged brick from time to time. When the Palace was torn down the man called my dad and told him about the brick. My dad purchased the brick and it was used for a house in Rockwall, TX on Lakeshore Dr. I know which house it is and have stopped by and mentioned it to the owners. They are not the original owners but said that the lady that bought the house new said it was from a building in Dallas but they didn’t know if it was true. I told them it was and it was actually from the Palace Theatre.
Photographs of the Palace Theater in the Dallas Public Library’s Dallas/Texas History collection:
View link
Saw many films here as well as at the Tower, Capri, and Majestic. My first memory of going to the Palace was when I was 12 in 1966 and I accompanied projectionist Ruben White to work here – I had never seen such a huge or ornate theater and I was absolutely overwhelmed by the visual impact of the auditorium. Then he took me up to the spacious balcony and up that damned little iron ladder to that cramped little fire trap of a projection room! I couldn’t believe that such a lovely theater would have such a small space for the vital machinery that gave the whole place its reason to be! Two huge Norelcos just about took up the whole space! What wonderful memories.
From 1933, a postcard view of the Palace Theatre in Dallas along with the Mirror, Capitol and Old Mill.
My Father, Robert Cobb, studied under Weldon Flanagan and played at the Palace from time to time. He still fondly describes the organ and was devistated when the theater was destroyed.
Wasn’t the Palace the first Cinemascope theater in Dallas? I saw THE ROBE at the Metropolitan in Houston and I remember seeing a sign in it’s lobby stating that the Palace and Metropolitan were the first two theaters to show Cinemascope in Texas. This was early 1954.
A old movie theater ad from 1949 for the Palace Theater.
Vintage postcard views of the Palace Theater’s sign here and here.
A bit more info on the Palace Theatre in Dallas, TX. It was built by the Fred A. Jones & Company of Dallas and Volmer-Burdal Company of New York. Thomas W. Lamb was the designer along with C. E. Hill & Company of Dallas.
Jeanette Crumpler
www.tomatolady.net
Postcard, circa 1950s:
http://tinyurl.com/a5gwt4
View link
This is an interesting article from 1944 telling about the Dr. I Q broadcast that will be done for 6 weeks from the Palace Theatre. James McClain (Dr. I Q) wanted a house to rent for the 6 weeks that the broadcast would be taking place. It seems Dr. I Q although it originated in Houston would go to various theatres including the Palace in Dallas to do a six week broadcast.
Interesting.
Regards,
Jeanette Crumpler
www.tomatolady.net
More on the Palace Theatre in Dallas, TX. I have written many times about the Palace Theatre and its theatre organs. My own personal experience was in 1948 when I heard and saw Weldon Flanagan was playing it.
The first organist on the small 3/11 Wurlitzer Opus 235, 411 that was installed in 1921 was Carl Weismann. Then in 1930 it was repossessed and moved to the Fair Park Band Shell outdoors. This didn’t work out so it was sold in 1932 to the Ambassador Hotel Coconut Grove room in Los Angeles, CA. Finally it was sold to WHEC in 1934 in Rochester NY. And later to an individual in Colorado.
The Palace Theatre changed hands in Dallas more than once after having been built by Earl Hulsey of Southern Enterprises, then later Karl Hoblitzelle sold it to RKO and finally Publix Paramount, but then Hoblitzelle was asked to buy it back as part of Interstate which he did. In 1930 a huge Publix Wurlitzer 4/20 was installed in the theatre even though sound had already come in. (after the console was displayed in a music store window for a year). Dozens of organists played the organ including Mr. LePere, Dwight Brown, Harold Ramsay (who in the 1930s played on a regular basis)and later followed by C. Sharpe Minor, Billy Muth, Leonard Holland, Johnnie Winters, Charles Evans and finally in the late 1940s Weldon Flanagan who became the permanent Palace Organist from then until 1969 when the Palace closed and was demolished in 1970. Weldon was given the organ because he had literally restored it and kept it going for twenty years. There will be an article in the January 2009 issue of the Theatre Organ Journal of the American Theatre Organ Society about Weldon and the Palace organ as well as some great pictures. The article will also tell the final fate of the organ. My latest book, “The Theatre Organ Murders” also tells the whole story of the theatre and the organs.
Regards,
Jeanette Crumpler www.organmurders.com
I just bought a lot of sheet music at an estate sale in Long Beach California with most of the music having a Raymond Le Pere stamp on them. Some of them are autographed as well.
Mr. Parks. Thank you for the information on the Palace organ. My father, Raymond Le Pere, played that mighty Wurlitzer in the 20’s, 30’s until WWII when he was drafted.He had a radio program on WFAA 5 days a week on that marvelous instrument.On Saturdays he played the Kiddie Klub from the Melba. He returned to the Palace on Sundays for a Hymn program. As a child I would accompany his for the weekend show where he would play the intermission music between movies. I would sit on the bench with him as we came up from the pit. What a thrill.As Bob Hope would say, “thanks for the memories” Raymond Le Pere
I saw Bob Hope and Jackie Gleason in some kind of personal appearance here when I was about 8 years old. It was a promotion for some movie they were in and now I don’t even remember the movie! Even though it was shown right after their appearance. Anyway, my parents got a kick out of it. Shame this true palace was demolished…
The Dallas Palace organ now sounds forth in the restored California Theatre (1927) in San Jose. The console, however, is from the Uptown in Chicago.
A Wurlitzer theater organ opus 411 style 235 was installed in the Palace Theater on 4/25/1921. Status: sold.
Was this the same Palace that collapsed in 1986?
http://tinyurl.com/2dgwqn
I worked here most of the summer of 1965. That year, the Palace was the site of the premiere of the new Beatles movie “Help!”. Never saw so many pretty girls in one place in one summer before in all my life during the 2-3 weeks it ran (it was held over)—even though the screams got a little loud sometimes and I sorta got tired of the movie itself after seeing it about 100 times..!!(LOL..!!) As part of its promotion, they also had live bands playing in the foyer just outside the entrance to the theatre and I worked the door enough to just finally quit trying to answer the phone when people called in for showtimes and ticket-prices, etc.—you just couldn’t hear anyone..!! :)
One of my treasured childhood memories was my parents taking me to the Palace to see “The Music Man”. I remember the goosebumps when that organ rose from the pit with the melody “76 Trombones” filling that wonderful theatre. That was real showmanship and a memory that brings a smile to my face.
There are few,if any cities that have been so devastated as Dallas.The utter detruction of so many theaters was a tragedy.Having one left is better the zilch,I guess.Some still are not listed here.