Majestic Theatre
908 Rusk Street,
Houston,
TX
77002
908 Rusk Street,
Houston,
TX
77002
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Showing 1 - 25 of 62 comments found
ictjennifer: Yes the Wichita Orpheum was Eberson’s first attempt at ‘atmospheric’ design. However, the Majestic in Houston became his first full blown ‘atmospheric’ movie theatre. This building became the standard and the begining of Eberson’s other ‘atmospheric’ theatres. What a shame this historic movie palace meet with the wrecking ball. Let’s hope the people of Wichita preserve the Orpheum gem!
Actually, the Wichita Orpheum Theatre built in 1922 by John Eberson was the first atmospheric theatre built in the United States.
“Racial Film Opens Strong at Houston Majestic"
About the showings of Home of the Brave, in Boxoffice magazine, July 16, 1949:
View link
According to opening day ads, “The Counter Jumper” with Larry Semon and Lucille Carlisle was the first film slated to play here.
View link
My grandfather is the second from the right.
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Don…
My grandfather was the manager of the Palace Theater in 1925. So I guess that was the second Majestic? He had worked his way up at the Majestic – started as an usher. Tragically, he was killed in a car accident in 1925 at the age of 33. I have a picture here of the lobby of the Majestic. I’ll have to try to figure out how to link it here.
Death of the Majestic Theatre photo tour: Enter Here.
This theatre closed on 26 September 1971 and was demolished in February 1972 according to the book “Cinema Houston ”.
And I would love to see exterior and interior, particularly, photos of this FIRST EBERSON ATMOSPHERIC THEATRE!
I probably posted this before, but to think that the very first Eberson “atmospheric” theatre ever built was then demolished by the City of Houston! Shame!
The second Houston Majestic sat mid-block on Texas Avenue just west of the Chronicle Building. Financed by Jesse Jones, it opened on February 21, 1910.
In 1923, after the Majestic on Rusk opened, it was renamed “The Palace” and became home to “The Palace Players”, a “stock” theatre company (group of actors) performing stage plays.
The first Majestic (in 1905) was at 1306 Congress.
There was also JEO Pridmore’s 1909 Cort Theatre in Chicago, which is also often cited (with some debate mainly regarding the level of ornateness and sky effects) as the first atmospheric in the US.
From the Wichita Orpheum Cinema Treasures page:
I see. Further research has been done. I imagine that this research involved some brave soul actually going inside the Orpheum, looking at the ceiling, and saying "Yep, she’s atmospheric alright! Just look at them characteristic accoutrements!” Oh, I see a nomenclature-related architectural history fight coming! Quick, somebody notify Charlie Rose!But as much as I’d like to see this disagreement settled the old fashioned way (by mass gladiatorial combat between the respective populations of the cities of Houston and Wichita), I’m going to take a cue from Will Dunkin’s comment of December 14, 2005, above and say that the title of “World’s First Atmospheric Theatre” should go to Andrea Palladio’s 1580 Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, Italy. The place is just loaded with accouterments, deny it who may!
That means the contretemps between fans of the Wichita Orpheum and the Houston Majestic (deceased) over which of the two theatres may or may not have been the second atmospheric ever built will have to be settled, as tradition in these situations (to wit, which gets to be considered the first also-ran) dictates, by a spittin' contest. My money’s on Wichita, by the way, since Wichita had the ‘nads not to let its historic Eberson (pre-or-full-on-atmospheric) theatre get knocked down. Ladies and gentlemen, start your saliva glands!
Witchita, rather.
The Orpheum in Kansas City is claimed to be an earlier Eberson atmospheric
A Kilgen theater organ opus 3129 size 2/16 was installed in the Majestic Theater in 1922.
Hey Tick from March 2007 above……
Do you still have the Majestic Grand Drape?
Look at this web site to see what it looked liked when the Majestic opened. http://www.cinemahouston.info/index.htm
John Wayne’s 3-D classic HONDO had its world premiere at this theater on 11/24/53. John Wayne and Ward Bond appeared in person. We are looking for any materials from this premiere: photos, ads, flyers, etc.
Better yet: were you there? We’d love to document your memories of this event!
Thank you very much.
Bob Furmanek
Vice President
3-D Film Preservation Fund
http://www.3dfilmpf.org/
I lived in Houston from 1968 to 1976 and I did attend a couple of movies at the Majestic. I too am sorry to see it gone. I returned to San Antonio in Jan. 1976 and within two years I began to study and research the theatres of San Antonio. I have been doing so ever since. I just completed a website for San Antonio theatres with 192 theatres in the site on 132 pages. It is located at http://www.satheatres.com/
I never saw the vanished moviepalaces.net website, but there’s now an impressive website about Houston’s theatres called Cinema Houston. It’s an on-line extension of a book of the same name by David Welling.
Hello from Milwaukee Wisconsin!
I’m sad to see that we have lost this great piece of cinema history. Here in Milwaukee we have just watched as the first atmospheric built in Wisconsin was torn down. I grew up about two blocks from it as a child and followed the building’s history. Seeing the photo posted by Bryan Krefft, I am wondering if anyone knows of a listing of theaters designed by John Eberson? The Venetian was by the Firm of Peacock and Frank, and they were local to Milwaukee. But, there are a number of elements of the Venetian that seem similar to the Majestic.
BTW.. Had anyone else noticed that the Jim Carry Movie was of the same name (And centered in part around a Movie Palace)?
Does anyone remember a pipe organ which played during movies at the Majestic?
I have what I believe is the original grand drape from the Majestic. It was made in the late 1920’s and is about 40 x 50, fully intact and in good condition.
I plan on selling it in the near future but I want to confirm if this current ever hung in the Majestic.
To confirm that this “the” Grand from the Majestic, need a picture or a detailed description of it. Of course a picture would be best.
Anyone save those interior photos to their harddrive? The moviepalaces.net website appears to be defunct.