Texas Theatre
120 N. 8th Street,
Ballinger,
TX
76821
120 N. 8th Street,
Ballinger,
TX
76821
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Ballinger’s first Texas Theatre was built in 1936, opening on June 26, 1936 with Wheeler & Wolsey in “Silly Billies”. On January 30, 1939 it was destroyed by a fire, but rebuilt within the original shell and reopened on May 5, 1939 with Bob Burns in “I’m from Missouri”. A second devastating fire on January 8, 1962, led to the permanent closure of the house.
The older and smaller Palace Theatre across the street was subsequently reopened and renamed the Texas Theatre, a name it retains today. The walls and facade of the original Texas Theatre, the front somewhat altered, remain standing, the roofless space now occupied by a parking lot.
Contributed by
Joe Vogel
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The new Texas Theatre launches in downtown Ballinger on June 26, 1936 with Wheeler and Woolsey in “Silly Billies.“ The theatre suffered a fire originating in the neighboring Texas Grill on January 30, 1939 that gutted the interior and decimated the Cactus Drug Store. The Texas was restored and reequipped as the new, new Texas Theatre relaunching on May 5, 1939 with Bob Burns in “I’m From Missouri.” And more good news was that the Texas Grill was also reopened!
Unfortunately, on January 8, 1962, another fire at the Texas Grill occurred and again gutted the theater and decimated the neighboring business, a beauty parlor. The Texas Theatre would reopen June 14, 1962 in a new location and – fortunately – the Texas Grill did not relocated next door. The new Texas Theatre would continue into the 2020s.
The Portal to Texas History has a copy of The Ballinger Ledger for June 25, 1936 with a section about the new Texas Theatre, scheduled to open the following day. Down the page is a brief biographical sketch of co-owner W. D. Scales with quite a bit of information that appears to contradict much of the history of the town’s theaters that we have at Cinema Treasures. I’m trying to find more information, but so far haven’t had much luck.
Link here