Broadway Theatre
4940 Broadway,
San Antonio,
TX
78209
4940 Broadway,
San Antonio,
TX
78209
4 people
favorited this theater
Showing 9 comments
Closed in 1977.
This opened on June 30th, 1939. Grand opening ad posted.
Here is the article to which Joe referred:
http://tinyurl.com/y9vxmqz
The Broadway opened in 1939, and was one of many theaters designed for the Interstate Circuit during that period by the Dallas firm of Pettigrew & Worley. H.F. Pettigrew and John A. Worley were members of the Advisory Board of Boxoffice Magazine’s Modern Theatre Planning Institute. The Broadway was featured in an illustrated article in Boxoffice’s issue of November 11, 1939.
Why does it say 1982?
A friend of mine has one of the Todd A-O projectors from the Broadway. They were the very finest projectors ever made. Every gear and bearing are the originals.
The Broadway had Todd A-O projectors installed for the first run of “Around The World In 80 Days”. Todd A-O was 70mm projection that ran 30 frames per second as opposed to the normal 24 frames per second. One of the original Brenkert BX-80 setups was left installed to run cartoons and 35mm coming attractions before the great 70mm show. The Broadway ran some of the biggest movies through the 1970s including “The Exorcist” and “Jaws”. There would be lines around the theatre for people to buy tickets for the blockbusters! There was a green curtain in front of the Broadway’s big screen. The houselights were simple stainless steel chandeliers that projected the light upward to the ceiling. There were lights on the side walls too. The Broadway also had a satellite snack bar on the mezzanine to the balcony.
As I remember, this was a subrun theater in San Antonio til 1956, when Interstate Theaters Inc renovated the house and made it the reserved seat 70 MM venue for San Antonio. Didn’t it open OKLAHOMA and AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS? I saw 80 DAYS there and what a presentation. I also think it opened BEN HUR.
This movie house was converted into a spec office building in the late 80’s. Although the building has been converted and large windows penetrate the old theater walls, the marquee and Broadway sign remain without the neon lighting.