Crystal Theatre

Chester W. Niece established the Hubbard Amusement Company in 1913 and opening the Crystal Theatre as a movie theatre with live vaudeville as part of the mix. Worried about the impact of tent shows and other portable amusement centers in the 1910’s and 1920’s on his business, Niece convinced the local government to ban all tent shows, circuses and other amusements that might challenge his own amusement company in 1926.

Niece would then add sound to keep the Crystal Theatre viable while adding a second theatre in downtown Hubbard - the Uptown Theatre - in 1930 (which has its own page on Cinema Treasures). The Crystal Theatre would be given a major Streamline Moderne style makeover in 1939 and, after a brief closure, was renamed the New and Greater Crystal Theatre. During the War years, the Uptown Theatre was closed for periods with the Crystal Theatre in continuous operation.

In 1946, Johnnie Fadal, Junior, purchased both the Crystal Theatre and the Uptown Theatre with Fadal reopening the Uptown Theatre (which has its own page on Cinema Treasures). A year later, J. A. Guest built a new 600-seat Texan Theatre. With a population of only 1,768 residents, something had to give. Fadal, Jr. sold his two theatres to Guest. On November 18, 1951, the town was reduced to two theatres when the Texan Theatre burned down with the fire starting just minutes after the last show of the night.

Hubbard then went from two to one to zero theatres as both the Uptown Theatre and the Crystal Theatre also closed.

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