Worth Theatre
306 W. 7th Street,
Fort Worth,
TX
76102
306 W. 7th Street,
Fort Worth,
TX
76102
6 people
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Showing 23 comments
This opened on November 27th, 1927. Grand opening ad in the photo section.
This May 30, 1964 news story from WBAP-TV shows the exterior and interior of the theatre when it hosted live television coverage of the Indianapolis 500! https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1062738/
I have a friend that her father passed away recently he purchased some egyptian style statues out of what we think was the Worth Theatre ….. just needing some info and find out if there is any kind of historical significance they are and egyptian statue and 2 lions !
At the University of North Texas, we are preserving the local television news station of Fort Worth (WBAP/KXAS/NBC), and I found this great footage of Elvis fans lined up outside of the Worth… https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc938275/
Didn’t think so….
Mr Radominski do you want to sell the scones badly enough to post some photos & contact info?
I have two beautiful sconces from the theatre that I purchased in mid 1980s. They are bronze parrots with stained glass. I need to sell as I am moving out of country. I can vaguely see them on old photos. I have them in my living room and they are quite beautiful. They are definitely Art Deco-Egyptian.
Photo & copy added: Interior of the Worth Theater, shortly before it was demolished, 1972. Fort Worth Star-Telegram photo. (In Photos Section)
1963 photo added courtesy of the Special Collections, UTA Library.
I attended and work at Worth Theater from 1968-71, I worked as a usher at the ripe age of 15 in 1969, I saw Hell Angels 69 there, love it, it had the best sound acoustics that you could ask far, between work and sports and I lived in the Projects over by Leonards Subway, attended Trimble Tech High and could use the 50 cents and hour job, it was simply a beautiful place, shame they demo it, thanks for the memory’s Jerry Cravy
My first job was at the Worth Theater in March 1964. The pay was .50 cents per hour. Some movies I remember were “Behold, a Pale Horse”, “Fail Safe”, “Send Me No Flowers”, “A Shot In The Dark”. There were many great movies I can’t recall now.
John B. Miller, sorry I can’t remember you, but Gary Eason hired me. It is difficult to remember many names of other ushers. A major friend was Jerry Wright and Rudy Manus who I later served with in the Navy. Wayne Robinson was a Diamond Hill Jarvis classmate who worked there and I believe the Assistant Manager was George Saunders.
The Manager was a much older man and I believe his last name was Jones. There was also a very elderly black man who did cleanup work.
During the summer, Bob Hope and Henry Mancini stayed at the Hotel next door. I remember we heard they would be meeting their limousine on 7th Street, in front of the Hotel/Theater. We waited and they both greeted us and shook hands. We told them we were all in “show business” too.
I always fondly recall this theater as my friends and I would go there in the late 60s. Rarely would there be many others there. I remember how beautiful the interior was done in an Egyptian motif. I searched and searched over the years for photos so I could see it again to no avail. I did however recently find this web page http://hometownbyhandlebar.com/?p=11815 which has newspaper articles, including photos, covering the opening, acts/movies through the years, and the eventual destruction of the wonderful theater. I hope this makes all smile as much as it did me! Still looking for better interior photographs but for now this helps.
Is this the theater that ran “Fate Is the Hunter” with Glenn Ford
in 1964?
I saw that movie in one of the downtown theaters in 64.
My Grandfather, Ray Jones Sr., was the manager of the Worth. When it was demolished my father rescued two chairs. I refinished those chairs and they are now in the media room of my home in Nashville, TN. Above the chairs I placed pictures of the Worth Theater, my Grandfather, and some of the movie stars he had at the theater while their movies were playing.
I do not have any pictures of the interior of the theater but I would very much like to add some to the display. If anyone has any please contact me.
Kevin Jones
This was the palatial theatre in downtown Fort Worth in the 50’s and 60’s after the closing of the Majestic. It was the home of the James Bond movies.
Does anyone know where the Rialto Theater in Ft. Worth was located? Any pictures? My great grandmother use to work there.
A postcard view of the Worth and Hollywood theatres in downtown Fort Worth.
I remembered his name as Sam Jones,but I think you are right.I remember the asst. manager was named Songer and I think his first name was Gary.The head of the ushers was Gary Eason….It was a great job for a 15 yr old kid.
John,
Was Ray Jones the manager when you were working at the Worth?
Hello,I was an usher at the Worth Theatre in 1964.I’d like to reminisce with anyone who has memories of the theatre..John
I envy you Tom. Access to all the spaces you mentioned would have been great. I remember the move of the organ being mentioned locally on the news but never heard it used.
Casa Mana is an interesting building itself. Being a Buckminster Fuller geodesic dome it was perfect for theater in the round. I believe it’s round stage has since been altered to a more traditional form though. Last time I was there my children were small and we saw a live production of “Little Shop of Horrors”.
My cousin was the manager of The Worth in the 50’s and 60’s. My family from Shreveport use to visit his family about once a year, and it was a great treat to go visit him at the Worth. He would allow us to have free access to the whole place from the projection booth to the stage. I even remember going into the catwalks above the ceiling and in the crawl space under the floor. I once asked if I could play the organ, and he told me that all the wires to it had been cut becasue they were afraid of a fire.
It was a truly grand place. I especially remember the rose windwow mentioned in the comment above. Unfortunately I never took any pictures.
In 1965 as a married young adult I was in Fr. Worth and again visited with him in the theater. Hush,Hush, Sweet Charlotte was playing. By this time, he had had the organ restored and it was played at intermission. So after visiting the theater for many years, I finally got to hear the organ.
That was the last time I saw the cousin and the Worth. I understand that the organ was installed in the Casa Manna Playhouse.
Tom Caldwell
Attended this one in late sixties as a high school student. My buddies and I would drive into downtown which was virtually deserted even then. Unfortunately the theater was the same way. Gorgeous thick red carpet with elaborate designs covered the floors. Opulent sculptured walls were dramatically lit including a cathedral like rose window backlit in the ceiling. Sculpted Egyptian figures larger than life adorned the walls. We always sat in the balcony. Once up the stairs there was a long waiting/smoking area/corridor just outside the seating of the balcony. I remember tvs hung hospital like up and down the space and every weekend while we were there it seems that “Wagon Train” (not old then) was on all the sets. Wish I had taken photographs of this theater. If anybody has any or knows where I could find some it would be greatly appreciated.
We used to go to the Hollywood (in the picture above) as well but neither it nor any other theater in the area could compare with the Worth.
We graduated in 1969 and all went our separate ways. I went off to college and never got the chance to see the Worth again. It was a truly amazing space for movies and I can only imagine what live performances of vaudeville must have been like.
Movie theaters and drive-ins populate my memories and mark milestones of my life. Too bad so many of them no longer exist. Even the most meager of the lot had more character than the multiplexes of today. I suppose however even these will be looked back upon with fondness someday.
Someone dim the house lights and pass the popcorn.
Ken Raney