Stephen & Mary Birch Texas Theatre

Justwideman on August 15, 2021 at 6:57 am

Now seems to be called the “Stephan and Mary Birch Texas Theatre” (even on Google cards when I looked the address up) now, having a patron to keep this theatre operating for years to come. (new images added)

WoodyinNYC on May 13, 2013 at 9:27 am

Perhaps ‘plagiarism’ was a little rough. It looks like the site you refer us to, arti-fact.com, is not American, probably English as a second language. So they ‘borrowed’ a few sentences from Donald John Long’s original pwrite-up on this site, above. And that site links to this site, fair enough.

It’s hard for me (lacking techie skills) to put a date on the entry on that arti-fact.com site. The Google photo apparently is from 2013. Meanwhile this site has comments dating back to 2005.

Seems clear that http://cinematreasures.org/ has the original material, while arti-fact.com simply ‘copied’ words from here. And contributed not a single word of new information.

So let’s not think that citing other sites which repeat an error somehow proves it is not an error.

WoodyinNYC on May 12, 2013 at 7:28 pm

Does anyone have an original source for the claim that W. Scott Dunne was the architect of this theater? Does anyone know a library where Dunne’s papers are kept? I can’t find much of anything about him with a Google search.

Meanwhile the only primary source we have is the clipping from the Seguin Enterprise

Eickenroht’s papers are held in the library of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas:

http://www.drtl.org/MSInventories/Eickenroht.htm

The summary of the papers at that site includes this paragraph:

“Eickenroht returned to Texas and began practicing architecture in San Antonio in 1925. He worked for several firms, including that of Ralph H. Cameron, before opening his own office in the Maverick Building in 1927. From 1927 to 1934, he completed commissions for schools, theaters, libraries, and churches in Seguin and San Antonio. In 1929, Eickenroht became an elected member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA).”

I hope to see the papers myself one day, but until then, the evidence is that Eickenroht designed the Texas Theatre.

The W. Scott Dunne candidacy seems conjecture — ‘since he designed four or five other theaters named the Texas he must have designed this one too.’ It ain’t necessarily so.

Logan5 on March 13, 2012 at 12:23 pm

In “The Great Waldo Pepper” (1975) the Robert Redford character (Pepper) meets Mary Beth (Susan Sarandon) while watching Rudolph Valentino in “Son Of The Sheik” (1926) in the Texas Theatre. In the final cut we see the INTERIOR only. According to the December 6, 1973 edition of the Seguin Gazette, this scene was filmed on Monday December 3, 1973, while other filming was delayed due to inclement weather.

sarider on September 27, 2011 at 6:11 pm

The theater re-opened for events in March, 2011. On September 22, 2011 they had a “Marquee Partee” open house to celebrate the completion of newly installed neon lighting on the theater canopy and turned on the exterior lights for the first time. Photos of the exterior and interior from the event, as well as earlier (pre-restoration) photos can be seen here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/83379080@N00/sets/72157606862767276/

.

danpetitpas on October 1, 2008 at 12:13 pm

Here’s a news story posted 10/1/08 on My San Antonio News.

Old Seguin theater to be new again

Roger Croteau – Express-News

After 10 years of raising money, the Seguin Conservation Society officially broke ground Tuesday on a $2.5 million restoration of the historic Texas Theatre.

“It’s exciting for Seguin,” said Steve Tschoepe, chairman of the task force organizing the project. “Every time we open the doors, someone wanders in and tells us stories of when they were kids and they came here.”

Harold Brodt, 88, said he remembers when the Texas opened in 1931 because the owner, Alvin Mueller, was a neighbor of his and had him dress as a cowboy and ride to the town square as part of his grand opening promotion.

“Mr. Mueller said, ‘You never have to pay a nickel,‘” Brodt said. “So I lived at the picture shows.”

The Depression-era movie house sports a Spanish colonial motif and was noted for its star-studded ceiling, which will be part of the restoration.

The Texas is a star in its own right. A replica of the theater’s sign is displayed at the Bob Bullock Texas History Museum in Austin and the theater has appeared in several films, including “The Great Waldo Pepper” and “Raggedy Man.”

“It was never modernized,” said task force member Nancy Masterson. “These mica lamps are original. It was repainted from time to time, but always in the original colors.”

Dan Daniels said his family purchased the theater around 1934 and ran it until it closed in the mid-90s. He sold it to the conservation society in 1996.

“I’m excited to see it being restored,” he said. “It’s a shame there’s no way to make any money with a single-screen house anymore.”

As a result, plans call for the stage to be expanded and the theater to be used for plays, lectures and musical performances as well as movies.

But more money is needed to finish the project, said task force member Stan Ledbetter.

“It took us 10 years to raise $2 million and the budgeted amount is $2.5 million,” he said. “Construction is expected to take a year or less, so that gives us a year or less to raise $500,000.”

samram on July 7, 2008 at 2:40 pm

just did, it won’t be ready for awhile bummer ;( thanks for pointing me in the right direction though!

samram on July 7, 2008 at 2:27 pm

any idea if the theater is ready to rent for special events?

DanDaniels on February 11, 2005 at 9:43 pm

The Texas Theatre (please note the “re” spelling) was built by Alvin P. Mueller for his son who was an aviator and war hero. The son, however, had little interest in the theater business, and so it was run for a very short period by Interstate Theatres. It was soon purchased (in the mid 1930s) by my parents, H.A. “Windy” Daniels and Maxi Maxwell Daniels. They also bought the Palace Theatre (at 314 S. Austin Street in Seguin) and the Dixie Drive-In theatre on HWY 123 Business Route and Hwy 90. The Daniels owned movie theatres across South Texas. The company was, and is, known as Seguin Theatres, Inc. The Texas Theatre is not really western in design at all, but it has a Pre-columbian spanish motif present. The ceiling was blue with metal stars in the ceiling, and large pannels on the side walls of this very ornate theatre gave the impression of looking out large windows over a twilight lit country landscape. Red velvet curtains and gold-gilded lights adorned the theatre. The Ballad of the Sad Cafe with Vanessa Redgrave, The Raggedy Man with Sissy Spacek and Sam Shepherd, and The Great Waldo Pepper with Robert Redford all filmed scenes in the Texas Theatre in Seguin. The theatre was sold to the Seguin Conservation Society in about 2002 with the understanding and promise that the theatre would be fully restored. Just recently, the marquee was removed for repairs and restoration. The auditorium seats have been removed and the theater is nearly gutted for a complete restoration. However, it may be many years before the restoration is complete because the Conservation Society is still trying to raise sufficient funds for the project.
The theatre is a real Texas treasure, and it was the subject of a documentary produced by Chris Elley Productions and starring John Schneider of the “Dukes of Hazzard” fame.
I hope this information is helpful.
H.A. “Dan” Daniels, II
President/Owner/Exhibitor
Seguin Theatres, Inc.

atmos on December 14, 2004 at 1:42 am

The architect was W.Scott Dunne.