Plaza Theater
3806 McKinney Avenue,
Dallas,
TX
75204
3806 McKinney Avenue,
Dallas,
TX
75204
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The 755-seat Plaza Theatre at 3806 McKinney at Haskell and McKinney was built in 1948 and appears to have first opened on January 22, 1949. It was operated by M.S. White, veteran of Dallas movie theater operation including such theaters as the White Theater and Dal-Sec Theater. Playing suburban fare to small audiences and unprofitability, White closed the theater following the August 31, 1953 double feature of “Desert Rats” and “Beast from 20,000 Fathoms.” Television was cited as one of the main culprits identified for the lack of business at the location.
The Plaza got second life when it was reopened Sept. 23, 1954 under the operation of the Lagow Theater’s Ruth Wafford and J.T. Orr. The opening attraction was “Knock on Wood.” Every Saturday children got free popcorn and every Thursday was gift night. In 1956, the theater would try to mix in more art films beginning with Orson Wells' “Othello” in May of 1956. The concept was 47 years too soon as Landmark’s Magnolia Theater would emulate the concept more successfully just blocks away from where The Plaza once stood. Advertisements ceased in May of 1959 as the theater limped to a close after just about ten years of operation.
Called a nonproductive property, tired, and abandoned, the Plaza got a $150,000 upgrade designed by Architect Joe Gordon in 1964 after being empty for years and became Haskell Plaza ending its future as a cinema treasure. It was bulldozed and as of the 2010s, it was a mixed use retail and loft building in the Uptown business district.
Oct 16, 1948 issue of Boxoffice states that the “new” Plaza, to be opened on McKinney near Haskell, has a target opening of December, 1948. Owner is listed as M.S. White, “well-known showman and businessman…”
http://www.boxoffice.com/the_vault/issue_page?issue_id=1948-10-16&page_no=89#page_start
fturner, I’m getting a Page Not Found result for all issuu.com links. My browser is Firefox – do you think that is the problem?
This is an article from Boxoffice magazine, October 5, 1956, on the reopening of the Plaza Theatre by Ruth Wofford and J. T. Orr:
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Bob, here is a photo of the Garland Plaza –
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Upshot of all this is: I don’t think we have a pic of the old Plaza Theater that used to be across the street from North Dallas High School.
The photo is of the Plaza Theater in Garland, I think.
The Plaza on McKinney near North Dallas High School closed in about 1961 and in 1964 was remodeled into the Haskell Plaza Office Building.
It seated 755 and was operated at one time by Mrs. Ruth Wafford and J. T. Orr. Mrs. Wafford also operated the Lagow Theater in Dallas.
LM -
I think your 1982 photo of the Plaza Theater might actually be the Fine Arts (formerly the Varsity) in Snider Plaza, across Hillcrest Ave. from SMU campus (see Randy Carlisle photo link below) I used to work just south of the Fine Arts when it was running quality films in the 1970’s.
I never saw the Plaza – perhaps, if your picture is correct, it was designed by the same architect/built by the same firm, and around the same time as the Varsity?
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Another movie theater ad from from 1949 for the Plaza Theater in Dallas.
An old movie theater ad from 1949 for the Plaza Theater.