Park Theatre

dallasmovietheaters on February 2, 2026 at 2:39 pm

The $70,000 Park Theatre opened by Gale Theatre operators David Eli “D.E.” and Dorothy V. Frank on Nov. 22, 1949 with “The Red Pony.” The town’s population had just reached the 898 mark. The streamline moderne exterior, quonset hut auditorium was common in post-War theaters due to building shortages and ease of construction. The Franks bought the structure from an Army surplus sale. The venue was bathed in turquoise and coral at its launch with birch paneling covering the quonset hut theatre. And it had a fireplace for a homey touch in the lobby.

The balcony had family friendly cry room and seating with cribs. A party room was included within the theater’s lobby. The Franks discontinued service on December 1, 1996 with “The Associate.” The Franks began a practice of annual reopening to commemorate the venue’s initial launch. On Oct. 4-5, 1999, that practice started with “South Pacific.“ (The event also officially paid tribute to the venue’s July 15, 1999 recognition by the State’s Register of Historic Sites.) The next year’s anniversary film was “It’s a Mad… World,” then “Some Like it Hot” in 2001, “Irma la Douce” in 2002, “A Song is Born” in 2003, and “The Misfits” in 2004 for the 55th Anniversary.

That tradition stopped and the theater was used for sporadic events in the 2010s. The venue is not open as of the 2020s.

Twistr54 on October 23, 2009 at 5:36 pm

I was there a few years back for a special anniversary for the theatre, showing The Misfits. Ill take a good guess and say the seating is approx 400, so the 432 seat count would be correct. Its long and narrow, but I dont think it has 898 seats.