Heights Theatre
339 W. 19th Street,
Houston,
TX
77008
339 W. 19th Street,
Houston,
TX
77008
No one has favorited this theater yet
Showing 1 - 25 of 28 comments found
The theater is now an art gallery and event space.
From the mid 1930s a postcard view of the Heights Theatre in Houston.
There is a 2006 photo of the restored 1935 Art Moderne facade, and a view dated 1935 showing the original mission style front, on this page at Houston Deco.
There is a video with some interior views on this page. Address should be changed to 339 W. 19th Street.
http://tinyurl.com/yjsecz6
The Heights opened on May 14, 1929. The premier feature was “Sunset Pass” with Jack Holt and Nora Lane.
Judging from the Art Moderne facade and the somewhat grungy looking side walls seen in those photos, I’d say the theater was probably just gutted by the 1969 fire rather than “burned to the ground” as the Times article had it.
The July 14, 1969, issue of Boxoffice Magazine reported on the fire investigation and said that the fire had definitely been set by an arsonist. The Boxoffice article said that the fire had “…destroyed the $90,000 theatre….” That vertical sign must be from the early 1950s at the latest, though.
1983 Photo
1984 Photo
This is a 2009 photo.
I guess they rebuilt it.
The Heights was last used as a live theater in 1999. Seating was reduced to 165. You can read more at this link.
The correct address for this building is 339 W 19th Street.
That is a good question. We would need an ad or an article dated after June of 1969 showing or mentioning a movie playing here.
I think so. I don’t know when this theater closed, which makes you wonder if the current building was ever used for films.
Burned to the ground? It must have been rebuilt.
Here is part of an LA Times story dated 6/7/69:
Houston-A theater playing the controversial Swedish film “I am Curious (Yellow)” burned to the ground here Wednesday. Officials of the Houston arson squad said the fire, which destroyed the Heights Theater, was probably set by a person or persons hidden in the theater.
“Someone probably burned the theater down in the name of decency”, said Mrs. John Scott, who along with her husband owns the theater. The film, which includes explicit sex scenes, has caused controversy in the city resulting in picketing by a church group and literature thrown on the Scotts' front porch.
“We ran family movies for nine years and almost went broke”, Mrs. Scott said angrily. She said that the theater has been showing adult movies for the past three years and has done much better financially.
Another photo can be seen here.
Here is a 1935 photo.
Heights Theater is for sale. Asking $1.3 million. Details.
Here is another photo. The space may currently be in use as a picture framing store called Dramatika.
http://tinyurl.com/5t5y7l
This is another recent photo of the Heights Theater.
There is a 1930 photo on this page:
http://tinyurl.com/2jb5yf
A recent close-up of the Heights theater can be seen here.
A recent night view of the Heights Theater can be seen here.
This is another photo of the former Heights Theater.
Here is a photo of Heights Theater Antiques, the store that now occupies this former theater.