Mexia Theater
111 E. Palestine Street,
Mexia,
TX
76667
111 E. Palestine Street,
Mexia,
TX
76667
1 person
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Architects: Raymond F. Smith
Functions: Church
Styles: Streamline Moderne
Nearby Theaters
Opened in November 1949, the Mexia Theater may truly be one of a kind. It is located in and named after the city of Mexia, Texas. It has a unique and colorful vertical sign that features a Mexican in a giant sombrero taking a siesta and is in great shape. I have probably worn a little paint off from taking so many pictures.
It is safe for now, owned by a Pentecostal preacher and his wife. He was unable to give me any history, but graciously showed me around on a recent Sunday. He has had offers on the sign, but says it is not for sale. Mexia is located on Highway 84, between Interstates 45 and 35.
Contributed by
Don Lewis
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Recent comments (view all 10 comments)
direct link to the photo:
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My image of the MEXIA.
www.flickr.com/photos/lastpictureshow/197671877
Here are some more pics!
http://www.cinematour.com/tour/us/8948.html
A close up of a siesta at the MEXIA.
www.flickr.com/photos/lastpictureshow/404639530
Are the seats available?
Well, I couldn’t help notice this theatre in Mexia TX listed under recent comments and realize this is the same Mexia TX that one Anna Nicole Smith was from!
To see vintage images type in word “theatre”,
View link
A 1997 photo of the Mexia in Mexia.
www.flickr.com/photos/lastpictureshow/2221522670
To add to Patsy’s comment above from March 5, 2007, I watched an episode of “20/20” reviewing the life of Anna Nicole Smith broadcast on August 13th, 2021 in which her childhood friend explains to Anna Nicole’s daughter that there was little to do while growing up in Mexia and that “There’s no movie theaters”. I looked up the town on Cinema Treasures to see if there had ever been any and it appears all four were gone before her time, (though as I post this comment this page does not indicate when the Mexia Theater closed).
The episode includes Jim’s Crispy Fried Chicken as a place she had worked at as a teen and I see from Google Maps at least that is still open. : )
Wow, mine is the first comment on this page since 2008. Also it was fun responding to a comment that was left 15 years ago, and by someone who is still active on Cinema Treasures today. : )
The Mexia Theatre was in the planning stage as early as 1947, with the plans being drawn by Dallas theater architect Raymond Smith, but construction was delayed by postwar materials shortages. Boxoffice of June 28, 1948, said that construction was slated to begin as soon as long-delayed structural steel became available. Apparently there was further delay, as the recent opening of the Mexia Theatre was noted in the November 19, 1949 issue of Boxoffice. The Mexia was built for Maurice Easterling, then owner of the National and Palace Theatres in Mexia. The house opened with 680 seats.