Palace Theatre
209 S. El Paso Street,
El Paso,
TX
79901
209 S. El Paso Street,
El Paso,
TX
79901
No one has favorited this theater yet
Showing 14 comments
Can be added to Interstate Theatres Circuit which converted it from a family theatre in 1966 to sub-run discount house to adult X-Rated cinema during the porno chic era by 1968. In 1975, it was rebranded as the Palace Adult Theatre through August 30, 1984 at the end of its lease ending with Pamela Mann in “Unthinkable” and Carol Connors in “Desires for Men.” In July of 1986, it became a live music venue through 1990 as the Palace Theatre. After a period of inactivity, it became a Latin America music club opening on August 2, 2000 as Xcape D' Club. In the 2010s, it was known as Tricky Falls, another live venue which closed in October of 2019. As of 2020, it was not operating.
November 6th, 1920 opening as Palace
Palace theatre opening Sat, Nov 6, 1920 – 14 · El Paso Times (El Paso, Texas) · Newspapers.com
This opened as the Alhambra on August 1st, 1914. Grand opening ad in the photo section.
Back in the early 50’s when I worked at the Plaza theatre, the projectonists were unionized. I knew one who was a projectionist at the Palace. His name was Joe Birdwell. Don’t know whatever happened to him.
Back in the 80’s when my 2nd home was The Capri Theatre, The Palace was down the street. However, I remember it being a porn theatre. In fact, the projectionist lived in my building in Sunset Heights at the time.
Since its renovation it’s been a series of open and closed clubs. Cynthia Farah Haines has a good write up on it in her book “Showtime! Frome Opera Houses to Picture Palaces in El Paso” (Texas Western Press, 2006).
From the 1920s a postcard view of El Paso Street along with the Palace Theater in El Paso.
Henry Trost, was the architect of the Palace Theatre. Between 1903 and his death on September 19, 1933, his firm designed hundreds of buildings in the El Paso area and in other Southwestern cities including Albuquerque, Phoenix, Tucson and San Angelo, Texas. He had a studio with living quarters for his students adjacent to his house in the Sunset Heights neighborhood of El Paso.
Next door to the Palace in the basement there used to be a bowling alley. I would go there to bowl “duck pins” which are smaller than regular bowling pins and the ball is smaller. They also sold sandwiches…hand-cut salami was my favorite. This was in the 50’s.
Club Blu closed a few months ago. I can’t brag about my prediction since it was obvious to anyone who knows the history of most downtown clubs. I drove by the old theater 4 days ago and took a picture. Unfortunately I have nowhere to post it, but it does look nice except for the big yellow sign advertising the vacant building as FOR LEASE.
I passed by the old Palace on Monday. It’s no longer called The Zone anymore. Now it’s some club called Blu. That’s the fourth club to open there in about ten years. I bet this one doesn’t last another year.
Club Xscape closed down a few months ago and the building was sold and it now ANOTHER club. It is now called The Zone. The building is in very good condition last I saw and looks to remain standing.
I was stationed at Fort Bliss in 1961 and 1962. There were two very nice post theaters (with 25 cents admission for recent films, four single feature program changes a week) but the bonehead commanding officer decreed that us GIs wear uniforms or coats and ties to attend them so most of us boycotted those post theaters and went downtown or to El Paso’s many drive in theaters for our movie fix. The Palace was pretty run down (only the Crawford was worse!) but it was clean and they had some interesting double feature programs for very low prices. I spent quite a few afternoons and evenings there. I remember seeing Hitchcock’s “Psycho” for the first time there as well as a reissue of “Red River”, “Around the World in 80 Days” (with Spanish subtitles) and a bunch of ancient grind house fodder like “Drums in the Deep South”, “Tulsa” and a Bowery Boys marathon (four features on one program). Often the programming was more interesting to me than that of the first run downtown houses (the Plaza, Capri and State). I’m glad the building at least is still standing.
The Palace Theater was actually the Palace nightclub in the 90s before it was reopened as Club Xscape sometime later. The balcony is still up and has been renovated. The dance area is where the stage and screen once were. Since a one-screen movie theater would never be able to stay in business these days I’m glad that the building is still in use and in good condition.
The Palace Theatre is located at 209 S. El Paso Street and when it was a movie theatre it seated 809 people.