Texas Theatre
231 W. Jefferson Boulevard,
Dallas,
TX
75208
231 W. Jefferson Boulevard,
Dallas,
TX
75208
22 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 50 of 81 comments
My father Reuben White was the projectionist at the Texas theater the day Oswald was arrested there.
A movie theater ad from 1950 for the Texas Theater in Oak Cliff.
The infamous Texas Theater in 1991. Couldn’t quite fit those movie titles onto the same line on the marquee:
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Is it me, or does that last picture in the link of Van Heflin with James MacArthur, look like George Kennedy?
Now THERE would have been a conspiracy theory.
Actors sharing names with presidents & generals on the day of the assassination? Oh the drama.
TCM’s daily blog focuses today on the Oswald-Texas connection.
Here’s the link:
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A 1939 movie ad promoting a double feature, “Honor of the West” and “Daredevils of the Red Cirlce” along with an episode of a Republic serial, “The Executioner” at the Texas Theater in Oak Cliff.
Thanks for the pic. Your recent marquee close-up looks like it was nicely restored.
I found it worth the time to re-read most of what is currently available on the official website at the top of the page. Including the “Blog” link.
Seems they intend to remove the stucco they claim was put on after Oswald’s capture. And return the facade to it’s original 1931 appearance. There are a few films scheduled, but it doesn’t really say they are AT the Texas Theatre.
here is a recent med format pic I took of the theater
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P.S. In comparing the various photos posted to CT, the extention tower coming off of the roof that supports the “T” & “E” sign portion, has been removed in stages.
First the old gazebo like structure from the very top was removed. Then the square box like support for the gazebo & the top two letters.
The 2007 photo shows that just a flat, upward support has been installed, so the top of the word TEXAS could be supported alone. I only looked back at these because the History.com piece had a full tower as support.
Just saw a 3 minute History.com piece about the Kennedy Assassination.
The old black & white footage used in the establishing shot of the Texas Theater (Oswald’s point of capture), showed “Richard Burton’s HAMLET” on the marquee. According to IMDB and a subsequent review, this version came out in 1964. And was “essentially a videotape of a Broadway performance”. Which Burton allegedly ordered all copies destoyed after a limited theatrical run. (So it’s apparently tough to find.)
Two things of note, whoever shot that B/W Texas Theater B-Roll way back when for whatever original Kennedy piece, obviously did it the following year.
Secondly, since Burton’s HAMLET was indeed a taped Broadway performance, it was likely re-dubbed to film in order to play at movie theaters. Since it’s unlikely however many theaters it ended up playing it’s limited run at, would pay the added cost to switch out projection equipment just to play one feature.
Especially since it was likely originally shot/stored on 2-inch videotape or whatever was the norm back then for the original remote shoot.
I seem to remember that prior to about 1990, the Texas Theater had an entirely different sign out front, and it looked like the whole front had some kind of siding on it. When Oliver Stone came to town to film JFK, he restored the facade to the way it looked in 1963. Does anyone remember what the theater looked like before he did that, or am I the only one?
This is great news! I grew up in Oak Cliff, and one of my math teachers was also a cashier at the Texas Theatre. I am very happy to see that it’s been restored/renovated/whatever!
A 1992 view of the Texas Theater here and here.
I remember the Texas Theater like it was yesterday. Back in the 80’s when they use to show movies like Vamp and Desperately Seeking Susan. I must have been 6 or 7 years old. But now as adult, and as someone who has lived in Dallas all my life, I’m not surprised that the Texas Theater renovation has yet to actually come full circle. Every blue moon the Texas Theaer is mentioned in the news. One would have thought that the building would be up and running by now. I hate to be critical but, Dallas has a bad rep for letting historical sites go down.
I read that Penitentary was a big hit at this theatre.
Saw Tora, Tora, Tora here when I was about 7. Great theater. It had some weird aisle on the side, where you could walk in from the back and walk to the front.
For an example of how a “Restoration” or “Renovation” CAN be done(Using funds from the public and private sectors) I would suggest a visit to The Old Red Museum of Dallas County History and Culture at 100 South Houston Street in Downtown Dallas . This is a combination of a restoration to 1892 architectural details and a museum containing the latest in “high tech” video programs, interactive computer displays, etc. Incidentally ,the bell and clock tower re-construction has been completed and both are now in working order and regularly strike the hours each hour.
http://oldred.org/
Here is a link to WFAATV in Dallas. It discusses the grand reopening of the theatre on November 17th. There is also a short video of the theatre both outside and inside the auditorium. The inside doesn’t look like much. Just a square box with white walls and a blue ceiling/
View link
Here is a link to the Texas Theatre website. The prospectus for the renovation states: “The theater’s proposed rehabilitation consists of first renovating the theater to a live performance venue and then restoring the theater’s interior and exterior to reflect the 1963 period of significance . The restoration includes an expansion to adjacent property to provide additional bathrooms, dressing rooms, balcony use and access, and classroom and office spaces.”
http://www.texas-theatre.org/projectOverview.asp
From the video it appears that the original atmospheric ornamentation is completely gone. If they are indeed restoring it to its 1963 condition I imagine much, if not all, of the interior decoration might have been moved prior to 1963 when many theatres did wholesale interior destruction to accommodate Cinemascope
The city of Dallas can’t even restore a pot hole. The rumor of a reopening is several years old.
Take a look a some of the previous comments. Money is going down a black hole somewhere.
Also take a look at the pictures, past and present. The TEXAS has become a mere shell of its former self.
This is a restoration???
The shots of the interior looked okay. Is there a problem anticipated with the re-opening?
Why does reopening the theater rate a yawn?
YAWN!!!
There was a story on the Los Angeles local news (Channel 9) tonight about the imminent re-opening of the Texas. A fete is planned for next month.
They actually did some work!! Great. Looks like the boxoffice is now gone. That’s no good.
In amongst all this hot air would you like an account of actually attending a movie at the Texas?
In 1978 Mark Lamberti (still of local DFW fame I believe) and I attended what I recall was a classic 70s double bill at the Texas: Joe Dante’s “Piranha” and Tobe Hooper’s “Eaten Alive”. It was a Saturday night, the place was packed, and we two were, shall we say, in a condition of “ethnic minority”.
Toward the finale of “Eaten Alive” Neville Brand’s ravenous pet alligator is developing a taste for his master, egged on, in no uncertain terms, by the Texas' audience. When a guy behind me stood up on his seat and started yelling “Get that honkey!” Mark leaned over and suggested a propitious early exit, to which sound advice I immediately concurred.
Such, such were the days!