Here’s a link to a discussion thread on the dallasmetropolis forum in which forum member Dismuke has posted scans of his program from opening night at the Palace, June 11, 1921. The Artwork depicting the theatre’s interior and architectural features will probably prove to be the first time since your last visit to the theatre that you have seen these views.
BJohnston, I can’t be sure, but I just know I remember seeing the Midway advertised in the movie listings of the Dallas papers well into my teen years, which began in 1967. Could it have re-opened after 1956 under new ownership, perhaps?
lrostochil’s two links are indeed of the King’s demolition, not the Linda Kay’s. The King was originally opened as the Cinderella, so the crown thing still applies (I think).
I’d say those memories of mine are from the late 60’s – mid-70’s, Randy. I remember being able to see the screen from R.L. Thornton, with little-to-no bushes or trees to obscure the view, but at that distance it wasn’t crystal clear. I figuew you had to know what you were looking for (I did)! As you note, Linda Kay was a completely different story – VERY clear!
Description is all wrong – the UA Cine 150 (name reverting to UA Cine when twinned in the early 1970’s) was NEVER in a shopping mall – it was free-standing until the day it was demolished. The “150” in its original name designated its capability of projecting Dimension 150 prints – only two pictures were ever photographed in this process, which was simply Todd A-O with a new name and a better lens, and these were “The Bible” (1966) and “Patton” (1970). Ironically, both opened their exclusives downtown at the Tower! Oh, well…
Map view couldn’t be more wrong, as it is nowhere near Dallas’s old Theatre Row. Address should be amended to “1608 Elm Street.” Building is still there and its appearance is remarkably like it was when it housed the Crystal.
We lost some of the comments when we switched over to the new format – one of them being that the Casa View originally opened in (IIRC) 1954 as the White Rock Drive-In. Still called White Rock as late as 1959. Exactly when name changed, I don’t know but from the time my family first started attending (ca. 1961), it was already the Casa View.
By the way, this is the theatre where Buddy Holly saw “The Searchers” in 1956, the movie from which he borrowed John Wayne’s catchphrase “That’ll be the day!” to write his famous song of the same name.
The actual location of the State is next door to the building in the photo at the top of this page. Check the link to a google maps view of 1316 Texas Avenue on my flickr page, and compare it to lostmemory’s Photo 2 link above.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/60498020@N05/5935303723/in/photostream
Street view is wrong. This theatre was not located at the intersection of Gus Thomasson and Ferguson, as that would have put it smack in the middle of one of Casa View Shopping Center’s huge parking lots; it was actually located farther west on Gus Thomasson, at its intersection with Maylee Blvd. It occupied the present site of Larry Smith Elementary School.
@NYozoner: I should’ve said the south side of the highway, judging from your historical aerials link. GoogleMaps photo in the header should be re-oriented 180 degrees.
NYozoner, what used to be called Hwy 183 is now called Hwy 10, so saying the Mid-Cities Drive-In was located on the north side of Hwy 183 is correct – trying to google-map to Hwy 183 would now be a problem.
In transitioning to the new format, many comments have been deleted/lost.
At any rate, here’s a link to a shot on my flickr page that has a view of the old Fox in the extreme lower left, red neon sign turned on. Check the vintage of some of the cars on Elm.
Here is a photo of the Circle Theatre as it sits today, in the block of Storey LANE (NOT Storey Street) presently identified as the 2700 block, NOT the 2100 block.
Cool, Randy – like what you did with the flashlight. I wonder if the McClendons tore down that original screen tower (if it was built in ‘49, I can almost guarantee that 1964 shot isn’t the original screen tower) and build 4 new ones, or did they just keep the original Downs screen and put up 3 new ones?
Here’s a link to a discussion thread on the dallasmetropolis forum in which forum member Dismuke has posted scans of his program from opening night at the Palace, June 11, 1921. The Artwork depicting the theatre’s interior and architectural features will probably prove to be the first time since your last visit to the theatre that you have seen these views.
http://forum.dallasmetropolis.com/showthread.php/634-Palace-Theatre-(Old-Dallas-Theatres)
BJohnston, I can’t be sure, but I just know I remember seeing the Midway advertised in the movie listings of the Dallas papers well into my teen years, which began in 1967. Could it have re-opened after 1956 under new ownership, perhaps?
lrostochil’s two links are indeed of the King’s demolition, not the Linda Kay’s. The King was originally opened as the Cinderella, so the crown thing still applies (I think).
I’d say those memories of mine are from the late 60’s – mid-70’s, Randy. I remember being able to see the screen from R.L. Thornton, with little-to-no bushes or trees to obscure the view, but at that distance it wasn’t crystal clear. I figuew you had to know what you were looking for (I did)! As you note, Linda Kay was a completely different story – VERY clear!
Thanks, Chuck – I still haven’t figured out how to do that – how DO you do it?
Could this be it (see link)? http://www.flickr.com/photos/66262530@N08/6027614302/in/photostream
Description is all wrong – the UA Cine 150 (name reverting to UA Cine when twinned in the early 1970’s) was NEVER in a shopping mall – it was free-standing until the day it was demolished. The “150” in its original name designated its capability of projecting Dimension 150 prints – only two pictures were ever photographed in this process, which was simply Todd A-O with a new name and a better lens, and these were “The Bible” (1966) and “Patton” (1970). Ironically, both opened their exclusives downtown at the Tower! Oh, well…
Map view couldn’t be more wrong, as it is nowhere near Dallas’s old Theatre Row. Address should be amended to “1608 Elm Street.” Building is still there and its appearance is remarkably like it was when it housed the Crystal.
We lost some of the comments when we switched over to the new format – one of them being that the Casa View originally opened in (IIRC) 1954 as the White Rock Drive-In. Still called White Rock as late as 1959. Exactly when name changed, I don’t know but from the time my family first started attending (ca. 1961), it was already the Casa View.
The Medallion was still a single screen as late as summer 1979 when it showcased the exclusive first run of “Alien.”
By the way, this is the theatre where Buddy Holly saw “The Searchers” in 1956, the movie from which he borrowed John Wayne’s catchphrase “That’ll be the day!” to write his famous song of the same name.
The actual location of the State is next door to the building in the photo at the top of this page. Check the link to a google maps view of 1316 Texas Avenue on my flickr page, and compare it to lostmemory’s Photo 2 link above. http://www.flickr.com/photos/60498020@N05/5935303723/in/photostream
Period artist’s rendering of Melrose Theatre: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30943004@N00/3999524734/in/set-72157622557757224/
Street view is wrong. This theatre was not located at the intersection of Gus Thomasson and Ferguson, as that would have put it smack in the middle of one of Casa View Shopping Center’s huge parking lots; it was actually located farther west on Gus Thomasson, at its intersection with Maylee Blvd. It occupied the present site of Larry Smith Elementary School.
@NYozoner: I should’ve said the south side of the highway, judging from your historical aerials link. GoogleMaps photo in the header should be re-oriented 180 degrees.
NYozoner, what used to be called Hwy 183 is now called Hwy 10, so saying the Mid-Cities Drive-In was located on the north side of Hwy 183 is correct – trying to google-map to Hwy 183 would now be a problem.
“Had I been actually driving, I’d have have been in a collision for sure.” Ha-ha, Joe, ya gotta love Google Maps!
It’s too bad there is now no “preview” function, as there was with the older format. Can we get that back?
Hey, Randy, how have you been? Done any shooting lately?
In transitioning to the new format, many comments have been deleted/lost.
At any rate, here’s a link to a shot on my flickr page that has a view of the old Fox in the extreme lower left, red neon sign turned on. Check the vintage of some of the cars on Elm.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/60498020@N05/?saved=1
Randy, that was the name of the club that occupied it right after the theatre closed. IIRC, late 70’s?
Here is a photo of the Circle Theatre as it sits today, in the block of Storey LANE (NOT Storey Street) presently identified as the 2700 block, NOT the 2100 block.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/63574356@N06/5785362657/in/photostream
Never mind my question, SiliconSam has already answered it, above!
Cool, Randy – like what you did with the flashlight. I wonder if the McClendons tore down that original screen tower (if it was built in ‘49, I can almost guarantee that 1964 shot isn’t the original screen tower) and build 4 new ones, or did they just keep the original Downs screen and put up 3 new ones?
Status of this theatre should be changed to “closed/demolished.”