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 Texas : Architecture / Images : Theatres

Texas Theatres

"What's a Rialto, Anyway?"
Theatres have just won the dubious distinction of being America's most endangered buildings. Their spaciousness makes conversions difficult and their thin brick walls also make them easy to tear down. While they are still here -- here's a gallery of theatres that once dominated the town square and had the largest electric bills in town. Here are the Arcadias, Rialtos, Majestics, Paramounts, Texans, and Pioneers.

Browse Texas Theatres List >
  • Billy Smith Texas Theater Photo Collection

    Wes Reeves' Theatre Photos:
  • Seven Panhandle Theatres
    		• Recent Featured Articles:
  • The Rebirth of the Pines 11-7-09
    Lufkin's beautiful renovation of the 1925 moderne, single-screen Pines Theater
    		•
  • Billy B. Smith Theater Photo Collection; Series Ten Ten Texas Theaters 12-10-07
  • Dallas Theaters | Fort Worth Theaters 10-10-07
  • Canyon Theatre, Leakey Leakey's Last Picture Show by Linda Kirkpatrick 4-7-07
  • Palestine’s Texas Theater by Bob Bowman 2-4-07
  • Stately Memories by Billy B. Smith 1-1-07
  • I was A Teenage Projectionist 1-10-07

    • Texas Theatres List (Featured Articles & Images)

  • Abilene - Majestic Theater 1-26-07
  • Alamo Heights - Broadway Theatre 3-10-08
  • Alice - Rialto Theatre
  • Alpine - Granada Theatre
  • Amarillo - Paramount Theatre
  • Anson - 1907 Opera House
  • Archer City - The Royal Theater featured in The Last Picture Show
  • Austin - Paramount Feature
  • Ballinger - Texas Theatre 5-18-07
  • Beaumont - Jefferson Theatre Marquee
  • Beaumont - Jefferson Theatre
  • Beeville - Rialto Theatre 4-1-07
  • Beeville - Rio Theatre
  • Big Spring - Ritz Theatre 5-18-07
  • Blanco 9-14-07
  • Bronte - Texas Theatre
  • Brownfield Theatres 1-20-08
  • Brownsville - Majestic Theatre 6-18-07
  • Bryan - Palace Theatre
  • Bryan - Queen Theatre
  • Calvert - Eloia Theatre
  • Canadian - Palace Theatre
  • Childress - Palace Theatre
  • Cisco - Palace Theatre
  • Clarendon - Mulkey Theatre
  • Claude - Gem Theatre 1-17-08
  • Cleburne - Esquire Theatre
  • Clifton - Cliftex Theatre 9-27-09
  • Conroe - Crighton Theatre
  • Copperas Cove - Cove Theatre 1-26-07
  • Crockett - Ritz Theatre
  • Crystal City
  • Dalhart - La Rita Theatre
  • DeKalb - State Theatre 2-28-08
  • Denison - Rialto Theatre
  • Dimmitt - Carlisle Theatre 5-28-07
  • Eagle Pass - Aztec Theatre
  • Earth - Earth Theatre 9-2-09
  • Ed Couch - Rio Theatre
  • Eden - Rivas Cinema Theatre - Photo essay by Jason Penney
  • Edna - Edna Theatre
  • Electra - The Grand Theatre Feature
  • Falfurrias - Almeda Theatre
  • Falfurrias - Pioneer Theatre
  • Fayetteville - Dawn Theater
  • Flatonia - Lyric Theater
  • Fort Clark - Post Theater
  • Gainesville- State Theatre 6-27-09
  • Ganado - Ganado Cinema
  • Garland - Plaza Theatre 1-31-08
  • George West - Theater name unknown
  • Gladwater - Cozy Theatre 5-18-07
  • Goliad - Frels Theatre
  • Graham - Theatres 9-6-08
  • Greenville - Texan Theatre
  • Hallettsville
  • Harlingen - Grande Theatre
  • Harlingen - Rialto Theatre
  • Hearne - Chatmas Theatre
  • Hillsboro - Texas Theatre 7-7-08
  • Hondo - Raye Theater *
  • Houston - Globe Theater
  • Humble - Jewel Theater
  • Huntsville - Town Theatre
  • Jacksonville - Palace Theater, 1932
  • Junction - Texan Theatre
  • Karnes City - Rialto Theatre
  • Kerrville - Arcadia Theatre
  • Kilgore - Crim Theatre and Texan Theatre
  • Kingsville - Texas Theatre
  • La Grange - Cozy Theater Feature
  • Leakey - Canyon Theatre Feature 2-18-07
  • Liberty - Liberty Opry on the Square, former Park Theater
  • Liberty - Former theater
  • Littlefield - Palace Theatre 1-14-08
  • Livingston - Fain Theatre
  • Lufkin - The Rebirth of the Pines Feature 11-7-09
  • Lumberton - Palace Theatre
  • Marfa - Palace Theatre
  • Marlin - Palace Theatre
  • Marlin - Strand Theatre
  • Marshall - Paramount Theatre
  • Mason - Odeon
  • McAllen - El Rey 3-17-08
  • McGregor - Library Theatre
  • McGregor - Texas Theatre
  • McKinney - The Ritz
  • McLean - The Avalon Theater
  • Memphis 1-15-08
  • Merkel - Queen Theater
  • Mexia - Mexia Theater
  • Midland - Yucca Theatre Feature
  • Mineola - Select Theatre Feature
  • Mineral Wells - Grand Theatre
  • Muleshoe - Wallace Theatre
  • Navasota - Millers Theatre
  • New Braunfels - Brauntex Theatre
  • Oak Cliff - Texas Theatre
  • Odessa - Ector Theater
  • Overton
  • Paducah - Zana Theatre
  • Palestine - Gem Theatre Feature
  • Palestine - Texas Theater (No Photos) 2-4-07
  • Paris - Plaza Theatre
  • Pasadena - The Capitan Theatre
  • Pecos 11-1-08
  • Perryton - Ellis Theatre 8-14-08
  • Plainview - Granada Theatre by Dwight Young Feature
    Donna Reed and The Granada Theatre (no image)
  • Point 4-14-08
  • Porterville - Temple Theater
  • Premont - The Rig Theatre
  • Ranger - Lone Star Theatre 10-25-07
  • Raymondville - Texas Theatre 4-10-08
  • Rio Grande City - Garmon Theater
  • Roby - Roby Theatre 1-22-08
  • Rosenburg - Cole Theatre 1-18-07
  • Sanderson - Princess Theater *
  • Santa Rosa - Rio Theatre 4-24-08
  • Sealy - Texas Theatre
  • Seguin - Palace Theatre
  • Seguin - Texas Theatre
  • Sierra Blanca - State Theatre
  • Snyder - Ritz Theatre
  • Spearman - Lyric Theatre
  • Spur - Palace Theatre
  • Stamford - Grand Theatre 5-12-08
  • Stanton - Texas Theatre
  • Sulphur Springs - Mission
  • Sweetwater - Texas Theatre
  • Taylor - Theater name unknown
  • Temple - The Arcadia Theatre
  • Temple - The Texas Theatre
  • Terlingua - Starlight Theatre
  • Three Rivers - Rialto Theatre
  • Timpson - Fox Theatre
  • Tulia - Royal Theatre
  • Tyler - Arcadia, Liberty and Tyler Theaters 3-3-08
  • Victoria - Theatre Victoria 4-9-08
  • Waco Hippodrome Theater 12-9-06
  • Wallis 7-10-08
  • Waxahachie - Texas Theater
  • Wellington - The Ritz Theatre
  • West Columbia - Capitol Theatre 8-26-07
  • Wills Point - The Majestic Theatre
  • Wink - The Rig Theatre (Historic photos)
    More to come

    Opera Houses and Theatres for the Performing Arts

  • Amarillo - Grand Opera House
  • Austin - The Millett Opera House c. 1878 Feature
  • Beaumont - Julie Rogers Theater for the Performing Arts
  • Beaumont - Kyle Opera House
  • Granbury - Granbury Opera House by Joan Upton Hall Feature
  • Shiner - Opera House 8-26-08
  • Uvalde - The Uvalde Grand Opera House c. 1891
    More to come
    Haunted Theatres in Texas
  • Schulenburg - The Cozy Theater Feature
  • Granbury - Granbury Opera House by Joan Upton Hall Feature
    Texas Drive-ins - Images
  • Granbury - Brazos Drive-in Theater
  • McCamey
  • Menard - Mission Drive-In
  • Quanah 9-25-09
  • Rio Grande City - H & H Drive-in
  • Rule 3-30-09
    More to come
    • Theatre Related Stories
  • If It was a Fable, Let It Continue by Britt Towery 7-12-09
    There was a certain pride of station when I wore the maroon uniform of a Lyric Theater usher. That was a time when theater ushers actually helped people find a seat during the film...
  • Champ Did His Experiment at the State Theater and in the Name of The Enforcer by Bill Cherry
    There was a period where the use of the name Nelson was often meant to bring respect and fear. At least there was one Nelson - Charles was his name - whom everyone seemed to know was harmless... Most others, though, had the reputation among us teenagers for being The Enforcers...
  • Remembrances: The Queen Theatre in Merkel, Texas or Reflections through a Dr. Pepper bottle by Roger T. Moore
  • The Joy Theater of Shreveport by Billy B. Smith
    I saw a photograph of it in a history book about my hometown: the old Joy Theater on Texas Street. It is long gone now, as many movie theaters from the 1950s are, but seeing the photo brought back fond memories of my youth. The Joy was somewhat scandalous because of both the types of movies it showed and because of the kinds of patrons it attracted...
  • Tennessee Williams' Texas Director by Bob Bowman
    Without the interest of an East Texas woman, American theater icon Tennessee Williams might still be writing high school plays in a small town.
  • Hollywood Soot by Audrey A. Herbrich
    Photos by Boyd Photography, La Grange
    The Cozy Theater "had always been a town staple, not unlike cotton of the 40s, Chicken Ranch hookers of the 60s, or oil of the 80s. It was a prime hot spot. First dates, first kisses, first tastes of Cokes not from cans—all in the Cozy..."
  • Texas Guinan
    "I would rather have a square inch of New York than all the rest of the world." - Texas Guinan
  • Cowboy Gene by Mike Cox ("Texas Tales")
    Gene Autry the Singing Cowboy and the Palace Theater in Childress
  • The Movies in 1930s Marlin A memoir by George Lester
  • Profile of an Actor: Maurice Barrymore
  • Quite an Experience by Louise George ("History by George")
    A theater burned in Mena
    • We will add Texas theatres as time permits.

    *Our thanks to Lew Shrier & Dorothy Jordan for identifying theatres previously listed as unknown.

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    This page last modified: November 7, 2009