Euless Wilshire Village Showcase Cinema II

The impending opening of the DFW Airport led to commercial growth spurt in the Mid-Cities area between Dallas and Fort Worth in 1973. Herman Smith built the Wilshire Village Shopping Center along Highway 183 in Euless in 1973 with a Bonanza Sirloin Pit Restaurant, Skating Rink and United General Theatre all planned.

United General was a competitor to Jerry Lewis Cinema in which franchisees could provide $15,000 to open an automated mini-cinema which could have 16mm projection to lower costs of operation. A United General franchise had opened about thirty miles away called the Burleson Wilshire Village Shopping Center Cinema II in 1972. And Euless would get both doomed chains as Jerry Lewis opened a Twin Cinema on Highway 183 in 1971 just about six miles away from the Wilshire Village Shopping Center.

From the time of announcement to opening which were just months apart in 1972, United General and Jerry Lewis' circuit were both in free fall. But that didn’t dissuade the festivities when the Euless Wilshire Village Showcase Cinema launched with a private screening on December 19, 1972. It had its public grand opening the next day with “MAS*H” and a double feature of “The Daring Dobermans” and “The Doberman Gang”.

The theatre was independently-operated until Cinemark Theatres took on the operation in August of 1978. Earlier in the year, the former Jerry Lewis Shady Oaks Twin appears to have closed for good.

In 1980, the Euless Showcase was dropped by Cinemark. It was picked up by William B. Boren’s fledgling circuit consisting of the Eastgate Cinema in Garland, the Westgate Cinema in McKinney, Cineworld 4 in Fort Worth, the Lancaster Showcase Cinema, and two theaters in Blackwell, Oklahoma. The Euless Showcase was downgraded from first-run cinema to a sub-run, discount dollar house by the circuit in 1980.

The Boren Circuit disbanded in June of 1984 and the Euless Cinema’s showcase days were numbered as mid-cities multiplexes decimated single and twin-screen operations.

Get Movie Tickets & Showtimes

Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.