Inwood Theatre
5458 W. Lovers Lane,
Dallas,
TX
75209
5458 W. Lovers Lane,
Dallas,
TX
75209
18 people
favorited this theater
The Inwood Theatre opened on May 16, 1947 with Red Skelton’s “The Show Off”, and was an immediate success, the most modern and well-appointed theatre in Dallas at the time.
It cost its original owners, the Interstate Amusement Company over $200,000 to build, and featured an opulent Art Moderne decor, including stenciled glass panels with carvings of realistic fish and marine life which were backlit by neon. Also, terrazzo marble and stainless steel decorated the lobby. The mezzanine level featured a vast mural of nude water nymphs. There was originally even a shell-shaped payphone in the lobby.
After declining in the 1960’s and 1970’s, the Inwood Theatre suffered a devastating fire in 1980. Though heavily damaged, the theater reopened a year later as a twin, and the following year, a third auditorium was created from the old balcony area. In 1983, the Inwood Lounge, in the lobby of the theater, opened, and was soon one of Dallas' most popular gathering places and filled before and after screenings.
The Landmark Theatres chain purchased the Inwood Theatre in 1984 and it went from first-run features to art and foreign films. Landmark Theatres spent over $50,000 restoring the theatre to its late-1940’s appearance, including restoring the theater’s murals and adding a new lighting layout to highlight both the murals and the lobby’s etched glass.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 23 comments)
My December image of the IINWOOD THEATER at night.
www.flickr.com/photos/lastpictureshow/2100256256
A 1993 photo of the Inwood in Dallas.
www.flickr.com/photos/lastpictureshow/2220728899
An old movie theater ad from 1949 for the Inwood Theatre.
Saw the original roadshows of Sound of Music and Hawaii here, as well as Dallas 1st run exclusive of Jaws – and many more, too numerous to list – beautiful theater.
The essential classic theatre…this place is priceless. Just Go!
A few photos I took of the Inwood Theatre from 2007.. Enjoy..
Randy A Carlisle – Historical Photographer
Grand opening ad uploaded here.
It was 50 years ago today that “The Sound of Music” premiered at the Inwood. With a reserved-seat run of 91 weeks, it’s almost certainly the long-run record holder for this venue. (Anyone know of something that ran longer?)
“The Sound of Music” also was, I believe, the first of two consecutive long-running Julie Andrews movies to play this venue between 1965-67. That 26-month period must’ve been bliss or hell for local moviegoers depending on whether or not they were a fan of Julie!
Also, on a related note, I would like to mention my new 50th anniversary retrospective for “The Sound of Music” can be read here. It includes a film historian Q&A and a list of the film’s roadshow engagements. I hope fans of the movie and/or theater buffs enjoy the article.
1954 photo added via Gianni Corso.
The Inwood hired Architexas, a historic preservation architectural specialist in Dallas in 1983, to bring the theatre its bar and multi-screen operation.