Tower Theater

dallasmovietheaters on May 13, 2026 at 4:01 am

Berenson Brothers Circuit contracted with Architect Andrew M. Lockett, Jr. who designed the Tower Theatre in 1941. The streamline moderne venue opened with 1,100 seats on July 30, 1942 with Sabu in “The Jungle Book.” It featured a balcony for African American customers. Gretna Mayor Charles F. Gelbke welcomed the full house. It would later become a part of the United Theatres Circuit.

An April 18, 1968 grand reopening as the Tower Art Theatre came and went after the City Council misunderstood the programming endeavors as adult. So that opening didn’t take place until May of 1968. The Tower Art closed with Zita Marlowe in “Meeting on 69th Street” and “Eddy” on December 31, 1973.

It reopened on January 16, 1974 as a discount, double-feature $1 house with “Naked Angels” and “The Walking Major” open four days a week. That policy lasted one month closing February 14, 1974. Gay Times Inc. was next up to open the venue as an Adult film center on July 31, 1974 through December 8, 1974. The building was given to the City as it was trying to rid the city of pornography. And they had it bulldozed in 1977