This project was announced in 1970 by Robert H. Park, President of Tercar Theatres. Jerry Wilson of Wilson Architects was on the job creating 2-325 and 1-290 seat auditoriums in the 940-seat capacity triplex. It was a completely automated projection booth. The Park III Theatre was named after Terry Park, daughter of Bob Park and Carolyn Josey. The Circuit had a number of locations and was simultaneously building the Southgate Red and Blue Twin. The venue opened with Screens I and III on April 7, 1971 with “Little Murders” and there’s an opening picture in photos. Screen II opened May 12, 1971.
It began ramping down in March of 1978 reducing from three to a single screen. Its last showtimes appear to be May 13, 1978 with a double feature of “The Sting” and “Almost Summer” capped off by the KLOL midnight show of “Slaughter Houses.” A year later, an Eckerd’s Drug Store had invaded its former space.
Jimmy O. Duncan’s Cineplex (Texas) opened the 1,100-seat Southmore Cinema 4 on December 19, 1975. On June 17, 1977, it was the Southmore 6 with seat count remaining consistent. But during the recession in Houston, Cineplex filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October of 1986. In December, Plano-based Cinemark took on the entire Cineplex portfolio including the Southmore.
Cinemark operated eventually running it as a discount, sub-run venue until August 31 1997 closing at the expiry of its 20-year lease. Dollar Cinema Inc. would take it on beginning November 7, 1997 finding few shekels closing in March of 1998. On July 3, 1998, Premiere Cinemas was next which ran it under the Southmore Dollar Cinema 6 nameplate into 2000.
The venue took time off and became Cinema Latino - a 6-screen, 1,100 seat venue back to first run product with Spanish language films on June 10, 2005. The Cinema Latino - Pasadena was closed on March 16, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sonora Entertainment Group had been set to rebrand the venue as a Sonora Cinema location as it had with Sonora Cinemas Phoenix (formerly Cinema Latino de Phoenix) and the Sonora Cinemas Aurora, Colorado (formerly Cinema Latino). But the Pasadena rebranding work - announced for a March 13, 2020 start - wouldn’t happen first due to COVID and followed by Sonora Entertainment filing for voluntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy dissolution on August 6, 2020.
America Cinemas, which took over the Sharpstown cinema location in 2017, then also opted to reopen here on July 30, 2021. By the mid-2020s, if one wanted the look and feel of a mid-1970s shopping center multiplex in the Houston area, this was about as authentic an experience as you could have asked for outside of its digital projection.
It became the Oak Village Cinema in 1992. It switched briefly to Spanish language films. It had a brief run in 1996 as the Majogui Theatre. It returned to the Oak Village Cinema nameplate as a discount house in December of 1996. Cinema Services appears to have tried first-run beginning in 1997 and the last film listed there is “Halloween H20: 20 Years Later” on November 22, 1998. One of the next ads was for a gym at that address.
ABC Interstate twinned the Clear Lake beginning on May 1, 1977 with “Freaky Friday” and “The Enforcer.” Plitt Theatres drained the Clear Lake 2 Theatre on October 4, 1984 with “The Evil That Men Do” and “River Rat.”
This is another Cinema Treasure attributed error in some AI searches. The Sumner Redstone’s Whitestone Multiplex Cinemas 10 opened on October 28, 1983 well ahead of this venue. And by 1985, there was already the 12-screen Studio 28 - Grand Rapids - which had already surpassed 10-plexes elsewhere in the U.S.
A Bronx cheer here.
Could you maybe consider changing the last three sentences after EFW was DOA to:
After EFW bailed on October 25, 2002, Nova Cinemas was the last player operating from Nov. 15, 2002 to January 1, 2004. There were no further takers. The theatre - less than nine years old - was bulldozed for another big box retailer.
I put a picture with the Nova logo perhaps to encourage the change back.
Transwestern Property built the Point NASA Shopping Center at Interstate 45 and NASA Road 1 in 1986. General Cinema was on board as an original tenant with its new 1,450 seat General Cinema Point NASA 6. Free popcorn was offered on opening day, August 29, 1986 which must have thrilled mascot Popcorn Bob. General Cinema closed here on Labor Day, September 4, 2000, and Popcorn Bob cried. But Star Cinema Grill (& Lone Star Drafthouse) reopened here as a drink and dine-in theater on April 15, 2005 cheering Bob up considerably. (The “& Lone Star Drafthouse” was truncated after July 15, 2007.) Star closed late in 2015 moving the operation to the Baybrook Mall.
But Star came back installing luxury lounger seating and a locally-sourced menu including 60% South Texas beers as the more intimate and chic District Theatres. Auditorium seating count was reduced to 45 for the smallest house and 175 for the largest auditorium. Reviews were stellar and Point NASA had never looked better. District Theatres closed here on March 16, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Star reopened its District on August 28, 2000 only to close again February 4, 2021 due to lack of good films and directing folks to its Baybrook Mall location.
On June 18, 2021, Star reopened the District. Less than three months later was the 21st Anniversary of General Cinema’s closure of the Point NASA Cinema 6 turned District 6. To commemorate that solemn moment, District Theatres observed a moment of silence following evening showtimes of September 4, 2021. Unfortunately, that moment of silence has continued to the present day. Popcorn Bob is still sobbing quietly.
In the grand scheme of things, it really doesn’t matter at this point. The site moderator is free to post whichever or go with the 1980s if that’s preferred. No great shakes. But if you want the actual changeover date from Transcontinental to AMC for whatever reason - please know that it was October 4, 1978 - confirmed. The first display ad blurb with logo Oct. 20th. In my opinion, I would leave the above unchanged as it’s solid… albeit a bit too long.
Sears' Homart Development announced the Deerbrook Mall project way back in 1978. An outparcel cinema was conceptualized in 1980 drawings. But here was a long enough lag in Homart’s development of Deerbook Mall for a lot of activity to take place. And that’s what occurred. AMC came to the area and developed its own cinema in the shadow of the Deerbrook Mall project called the AMC Humble 6 which it opened in May of 1981. Trammell Crow came along and was inspired by the Deerbrook Mall’s promise and created The Commons at Deerbrook basically adjoining the edge of the yet-to-be-opened Mall’s edge.
General Cinema signed on for the Trammel-Crowe Cinema although it is believed that Plitt may have actually been the original intended client. The architect for the General Cinema Deerbrook Commons I-VI cinema was Watkins Carter. So AMC seeing all of this and the Mall taking shape, changed the name of its Humble 6 to the AMC Deerbrook 6 in October 1983. After all, why not take advantage of all of the pre-release marketing and hype?
The Deerbrook Mall launched theatre-less on July 18, 1984. followed by The Commons' General Cinema Deerbrook Commons I-VI opening here a month later on August 16, 1984. Homart appears to have been hurt by all of this and pressed a renewed outparcel plan for an exterior theater. AMC contracted for the outparcel 6-screener in January of 1985 signing on to plans shown as the AMC Deerbrook Plaza 6 with a Christmas 1985 intended launch likely to dissuade Loews or some other circuit from coming into the zone. It was already competitive enough and, fortunately for both GCC and AMC, that game of Risk move didn’t materialize.
But Homart didn’t give up and - ten years later - finally got its cinema deal for a theater. And it was a biggee in the megaplex era - the AMC Deerbrook 24 was announced in 1994. General Cinema was flat-footed with way too many aging multiplexes and just watched AMC, Regal, Cinemark, Edwards and everyone else destroy it. The AMC Deerbrook 24 replaced the Humble / Deerbook 6 opened officially on May 24, 1996 after sneak peaks and other looks. General Cinema was in deep trouble.
General Cinema closed the Copperfield and West Oaks Central 7 in October of 1998. The white flag was up on December 10, 1998 with GCC moving on from the Baybrook Mall and Willowbrook and AMC taking on the Deerbrook Commons. The move left GCC with just two GCCs in the aging ‘plexes: Meyerland and Nasa Point. It was game, set and match. AMC appears to have moved on from the Deerbrook Commons on March 2, 2003 with the venue inching toward its 20-year leasing expiry.
With cinema dining experiences in vogue as alternatives to the 24- and 30-screen megaplexes, Movie Tavern came in and gave this space a $2 million makeover relaunching as the Humble Movie Tavern on June 16, 2006. It was renamed as the Movie Tavern Deerbrook in 2007, the Movie Tavern Humble in 2011, back to Movie Tavern Deerbrook in 2012.
On November 5, 2018, Marcus Theatres acquired the Movie Tavern circuit. Marcus closed the Movie Tavern Deerbrook on March 16, 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic. Some concessions were sold early in the pandemic. And on June 11, 2020, a social media post by Movie Tavern Deerbrook announced a vague plan for a reopening would be forthcoming. But in 2025, we are still awaiting that reopening as the MT-D final showtimes were with reduced seating on March 16, 2020.
Announced in late 1985, the General Cinema Copperfield 6 was created in the height of the multiplex era of cinema exhibition. Between 1981-built Copperfield Village Shopping Center and the 1986-built Copperfield Crossing center, builder Friendswood Development (an Exxon subsidiary) had 400,000 in retail space created in North Houston.
The architect was James A. Bishop & Associates with General Cinema getting a 1,700 seat ‘plex with stereo sound and self-rising seating. Handy Dan, Safeway and Wal-Mart were the big names. So you already know that General Cinema wouldn’t come close to completing its 30-year leasing contract or even 15-years toward that. But this time they were beaten to the door by Safeway which opened for a four-week grand opening in January of 1987, four more weeks of regular business and they were gone. Bolted. They left even prior to General Cinema Copperfield 6’s May 15, 1987 debut.
And another large anchor left when Handy Dan threw in the hammer closing all of its Texas stores in 1989. General Cinema looked good until the megaplex era came and the company had no more game. This Copperfield’s vanishing act happened after October 19, 1998 showings of “Blade,” “Rounders, "There’s… Mary,” “Air Bud:GR,” “What Dreams May Come,” and “Ever After.”
For its first encore, General Cinema made the West Oaks Central 7 two weeks later on October 29, 1998. And for its big finish that year, it the made the Willowbrook, Deerbrook Commons and Baybrook Mall disappear following December 10, 1998 leaving Houston with just two GCCs in the Meyerland and Nasa Point. A stunning reversal.
Golden Ticket Theaters closed here on August 14, 2025 as the North End of the Mall would be demolished in favor of a grocery store tenant and the remainder of the mall turned into an outdoor strip.
Loews buddied up with Deauville Development Corp. on a four-mall leasing deal to lock in what could be big profits ahead. Generally, the average U.S. shopping mall could report strong initial success based on 20-year, 25-year, or 30-year leases that ensured financial stability for the first generation of such retail centers. In the second leasing cycle, however, the average mall stumbled when they couldn’t re-sign tenants or signed ones who couldn’t survive in the “.com” era and reached greyfield status (less than 50% occupancy on the path to what is referred to a “dead mall"). But by that point, a mall cinema’s lifecycle was concluded with the dollars in the bank.
In 1984, Loews was hoping for similar luck when it signed on to leases at all four announced, suburban Houston Deauville Malls or Deauville Fashion Malls or Deauville Fashion Outlet Malls - whatever they finally called them - in the Houston area. This entry is for the Loews' Deauville Southwest Fashion Outlet Mall location. And the symbiotic relationship predicted for the pair didn’t materialize.
Loews had contracts with Deauville North (where Loews opened the Spring Ten on December 7, 1984), Deauville Gulf (where Loews opened the Bay Area 6 the same day), and Deauville Kingwood (Loews Kingwood 8 started with Christmas 1985 announced opening date that was delayed and still waiting). Give Deauville Corp. credit because they reached greyfield here at the Southwest location within two years, giving the property back to the bank in October of 1986, and the place was auctioned off by the bank not too long after. At 50% occupancy two years in, the Mall was a “dead mall” by January of 1987. A name change to Meadows Center Mall took place in 1987 continuing until 1991 - more exercise - fashion had left the building - than it was marketing by its new holding company.
It wasn’t Loews fault here, per se. They built a nice six-plex with 70mm capability to the plans of Charles Thompson & Associates. They had strong enough clearances to compete in the marketplace. And Deauville Development Corp., itself, gave Loews a nice onramp promotional plug. High profile “Let’s Make a Deal” host Monty Hall appeared at the Mall at its grand opening in early September of 1984. So how did Deauville not have people dressed as they are come from all over the world to its mall(s)? Well, everything seem to lead to this D’ohville zonk.
The first problem came in the third season for the property. The Deauville Fashion Malls were hoping to get a bounce from Sunday sales where restrictive Blue Laws were not widely enforced outside of Houston. That was great in the first season of the new Mall – but then the Texas Blue Laws were rescinded state-wide the very next year, it allowed shopping freedom all over the metroplex. Virtually all retail malls would be open seven days a week.
Second, Houston was undergoing a major economic crisis in 1984/5 due mostly to the downturn in the oil and gas industries. Its banking industry was also taking a major hit at the onset of the savings and loan crisis of the era. Because Deauville Corp. was heavily invested in apartments and this nearby mall, the apartments were in downturn resulting in lesser foot traffic in the mall and less income coming toward Deauville’s coffers from apartment lessees. In other words, they were overextended in a bad economy and - this problem was made worse with the banking industry in crisis. Not fashionable.
The third problem was that the Deauville Fashion Mall had relied on long-term leases with retailers of fairly questionable pedigrees. The major anchor tenants signed up by Deauville included the Woolworth subsidiary J. Brannam (Just Brand Name) Clothing; Service Merchandise’s Houseworks as the home goods retailer; Kmart’s Designer Depot; Woolworth’s Kids Mart for children’s clothing; Kmart’s Home•Pro Warehouse (soon to be Builder’s Square) for hardware; and Federated Group’s Federated Home Electronics Superstore. Sadly, Woolworth’s, Service Merchandise, Federated Group, and Kmart were heading toward economic buzzsaws. The Mall had only achieved 75% capacity. With sales and foot traffic in steep decline in 1985 and 1986, Deauville was not even at its second birthday and the situation was dire.
The fourth problem was an insane overbuilding of off-price malls. The original iteration of outlet malls were a bit lower cost to startup and were built between major cities to early success. But when major metro areas built scads of off-price centers all over the metroplexes, the model wasn’t sustainable and the carcasses of outlet/off-price malls were found nationwide. With $100 million sunk into the four Deauville Malls, the company was actually going to reach receivership before any of the marginal retail chains folded… but not by many months.
Long story long, Loews was associated with the Deauville Fashion Mall that went into greyfield status after just two years and ended up in receivership in October of 1986. Not totally unheard of but way, way unusual. So how did this impact good old Loews Southwest 6? Consider that Loews missed the only good quarter for the Mall in Fall of 1984 finally opening on March 22, 1985 with three of six theaters ready playing “Baby,” “Last Dragon” and “Friday, The 13th: Part V.” Kmart shuttered Designer Depot in Texas in 1986, J. Brannam was closed by Woolworth in 1986, Siegels’ Fashion and T.J. Mandy left the Mall 1986. Food court vendors fled. Welcome Loews to a dead mall walking.
It went from bad to worse in an almost poignant moment when the Loews movie ad was in one column of the local newspaper and the auction notice for virtually the entire rest of the mall was in the neighboring column to the left. Even the auction went poorly with large amounts of unsold items taken to local thrift stores. And this location’s longevity was better than the Deauville Fashion Mall – Kingwood which was built and not opened.
So how did Loews Southwest 6 survive? It got good news when Sam’s Wholesale and Garden Ridge moved into the shopping area leading to some foot traffic. The venue transferred over to the Sony brand in 1994 when that transition occurred and was now listed as the Sony Theatres Southwest (no number). In April of 1998, a merger with Cineplex Odeon led to the ownership moniker of Loews Cineplex and the venue became the Loews Southwest (numberless).
In the Fall of 1998, Loews Cineplex Theatres downgraded the Southwest to sub-run, discount $2 films. The facility also reduced to four auditoriums in its final stretch run in 1999. It’s assumed the 70mm projection was moved elsewhere. Loews Southwest closed on December 4, 1999 with four films: “Three to Tango,” “Fight Club,” “Blue Streak,” and “Runaway Bride.” Since the date times out to the 15th anniversary / start dates of Deauville North’s Loews Spring 10 and of Deauville Gulf’s Bay Area 6, it’s presumed that Loews was able to exercise a 15-year opt out with the holding company or bank to finally end its Deauville Southwest misadventure.
Loews Cineplex filed bankruptcy in November of 2001. They were able to immediately close 46 underperforming and/or aging facilities. In the bankruptcy filing, the Loews Deauville Southwest Cinemas, the Loews Deauville North Cinemas, the Loews Deauville Gulf Cinemas, and the unopened Loews Kingwood Cinemas are all listed which may – or may not be – indicative of their ability to escape any further leasing liabilities and certainly an effort to limit claims against the four Deauville properties. The former mall’s unused space stayed in time capsule mode in great shape for more than four decades.
Architect Arthur Steinberg’s sketch of the Briargrove Plaza that housed the venue is in photos. He was the architect of the theater for Transcontinental who stayed with the venue from opening as Briargrove 3 Cinemas as a first-run house on June 10, 1977 all the way to March 16, 1978 with the triplex closing. Just an 8-month run for Trans-C.
Plitt Southern picked up the venue relaunching it on September 8, 1978 (ad in photos) with “Saturday Night Fever,” “The End” and “Gumball Rally.” This was likely on a new, 20-year leasing agreement. However, Plitt left the venue just two years later on September 10, 1980.
Cinemark took it on changing it from first-run to a sub-run, discount dollar house on September 12, 1980 and a new name as the Briargrove 3 Theatre.
On October 17, 1980, it became home to Dollar Cinemas as the Dollar Cinemas - Briargrove 3 and soon Dollar Cinema - Briargrove 3 where it found its audience chugging all the way to May 17, 1998. Premiere Cinema Corporation took on most of the Dollar Cinema locations late that month but either not taking on or not continuing the Briargrove 3. Silver Cinemas also came into the marketplace looking for aging triples and multiplexes in the megalplex age and they also decided against operating the Briargrove 3.
In that era, it would be fairly difficult to operate without advertising at all so it likely closed permanently on May 17, 1998. The 1998 closing also times out with a 20-year leasing arrangement from the Plitt era so would highly recommend that as the end date here. The space was converted for retail purposes thereafter.
The Windsor Shopping Center was a 12-store, $8 million plaza that had opened theatre-less in 1959. A&P and Ben Franklin appeared to be the main draws. That changed when the center opened a spot for a Jefferson Amusement widescreen theatre - the first Cinerama theater in the state. It was known as the Windsor Cinerama Theatre - a name it retained from it launch December 21, 1962 into March of 1976 before becoming the Windsor Theatre for three years (though the Cinerama sign was still in place even past the theater’s days).
An unfortunate twinning transformed the venue to the Windsor 1 & 2 Theatre on May 11, 1979 with “Murder by Decree” and “The Dark.” The twinning took seat count down to 976 seats.
The name was fine-tuned to the Windsor Twin Theatre beginning on August 17, 1979. Jimmy Duncan’s Cineplex Corp. of Houston took on three Tercar locations on December 1, 1982 with the Windsor, Gaylynn, and Memorial Twin. At that point the name was ‘smithed to the Cineplex Windsor II Theatres.
Cineplex went bankrupt and Lee Roy Mitchell’s Cinemark Circuit took on its theatre portfolio on January 30, 1987. Cinemark called it the Windsor II Theatres. The dog days were dead ahead when the Windsor moved it from first-run for the first time in more than 25 years of operation to a flop-house, double-feature, $1 discount runs with a two-for-one admission policy in September 9, 1988 trying to wring out every nickel it could.
Cinemark ran with that not finding enough nickels closing on the Martin Luther King Day holiday on January 16, 1989. A picture of that closure is in photos. It was turned into a night club in 1990. The venue appears to have been demolished following its night club days in 2009 in favor of a Golf Galaxy retail store.
The Spectrum was Cineplex Odeon’s three-story destination theatre experience. Unlike its more benign cookie cutter multiplexes, the Spectrum had marble floors, skylit ceiling, commissioned art including John Noestheden’s relief sculpture, “ “Glenelg Concerto,” and vista overview points at its second and third levels. Three 70mm auditoriums and Houston’s first two THX certified auditoriums aided in the presentation. Arriving at the Spectrum provided equal expressions of opulence and garishness. Perfect for the late 1980s and an era of excess upon its June 24, 1988 launch.
Ten years later in 1998, Cineplex Odeon merged with Loews creating Loews Cineplex. It was at the height of megaplex development in the cinema exhibition industry. The odd duck Cineplex Odeon Spectrum and the sister River Oaks 12 were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Loews Cineplex declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy on February 15, 2001. It would vanquish 56 theaters nationwide to get rid of aging properties and bad longterm leasing deals.
Before the ink was dry on the bankruptcy deal, they called the Spectrum and told them to lock up that night following its final showtimes of February 15, 2001 despite bookings for that weekend. Three other area venues also shuttered in the reorganization but they got two more weeks of showtimes. Included in that was the River Oaks 12. The Spectrum was soon demolished in favor of an apartment complex.
The West Oaks Mall project was announced in late 1980 with AMC signed on to build an 8-plex or possibly 10-plex theater at launch. But during construction of Federated Realty - operators of Foley’s Department Stores - the Foley’s was on board first and there was no sign of an AMC venue. But in the second phase of West Oaks Mall, the food court and a 7-plex Plitt Theatre were in the offing. The Plitt West Oaks 7 opened adjacent to the food court on March 2, 1984. Cineplex Odeon bought out the Plitt chain a year later. Lord & Taylor and Saks Fifth Avenue left the building as West Oaks fought against a Houston-centric recession.
Loews and Cineplex Odeon combined April 16, 1998 and the venue would become the Loews West Oak Mall 7. Loews Cineplex declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy on February 15, 2001. It would vanquish 56 theaters nationwide. Its West Oaks 7 was one of those venues as Loews moved on following the March 1, 2001 showtimes. Three other area venues also shuttered in the reorganization.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas relaunched here on May 9, 2003. It began an expansion in 2012 in Houston while Edwards was building a 12-screen megaplex exterior to the Mall in the demolished Mervyn’s anchor spot which opened on August 24th, 2012. Alamo moved on from West Oaks and the space converted to a short-lived Toby Keith’s Bar location.
Loews Cineplex declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy on February 15, 2001. It would vanquish 56 theaters nationwide. Congratulations River Oaks Plaza 12 - you are one of those venues as Loews moved on following the March 1, 2001 showtimes. Three other area venues also shuttered in the reorganization. This one was demolished.
Loews Cineplex declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy on February 15, 2001. It would vanquish 56 theaters nationwide. Loews Memorial City 8 was one of those venues as Loews moved on following the February 28, 2001 showtimes. Three other area venues also shuttered in the reorganization.
The General Cinemas Greenspoint Mall 5 closed October 27, 1996 at they expiry of its 20-year leasing agreement with “D3,” “Extreme Measures,” “The Rich Man’s Wife,” “First Kid,” and “Bulletproof.” Ads for the next week read, “Closed: Thank you for your patronage.” The theater was sealed off and remained in a time capsule until the Greenspoint Mall’s closure (June of 2024( demolition (schedule for 2025).
January 14, 1981 Tower D-I goes down for a Kroger store
This project was announced in 1970 by Robert H. Park, President of Tercar Theatres. Jerry Wilson of Wilson Architects was on the job creating 2-325 and 1-290 seat auditoriums in the 940-seat capacity triplex. It was a completely automated projection booth. The Park III Theatre was named after Terry Park, daughter of Bob Park and Carolyn Josey. The Circuit had a number of locations and was simultaneously building the Southgate Red and Blue Twin. The venue opened with Screens I and III on April 7, 1971 with “Little Murders” and there’s an opening picture in photos. Screen II opened May 12, 1971.
It began ramping down in March of 1978 reducing from three to a single screen. Its last showtimes appear to be May 13, 1978 with a double feature of “The Sting” and “Almost Summer” capped off by the KLOL midnight show of “Slaughter Houses.” A year later, an Eckerd’s Drug Store had invaded its former space.
Jimmy O. Duncan’s Cineplex (Texas) opened the 1,100-seat Southmore Cinema 4 on December 19, 1975. On June 17, 1977, it was the Southmore 6 with seat count remaining consistent. But during the recession in Houston, Cineplex filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October of 1986. In December, Plano-based Cinemark took on the entire Cineplex portfolio including the Southmore.
Cinemark operated eventually running it as a discount, sub-run venue until August 31 1997 closing at the expiry of its 20-year lease. Dollar Cinema Inc. would take it on beginning November 7, 1997 finding few shekels closing in March of 1998. On July 3, 1998, Premiere Cinemas was next which ran it under the Southmore Dollar Cinema 6 nameplate into 2000.
The venue took time off and became Cinema Latino - a 6-screen, 1,100 seat venue back to first run product with Spanish language films on June 10, 2005. The Cinema Latino - Pasadena was closed on March 16, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sonora Entertainment Group had been set to rebrand the venue as a Sonora Cinema location as it had with Sonora Cinemas Phoenix (formerly Cinema Latino de Phoenix) and the Sonora Cinemas Aurora, Colorado (formerly Cinema Latino). But the Pasadena rebranding work - announced for a March 13, 2020 start - wouldn’t happen first due to COVID and followed by Sonora Entertainment filing for voluntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy dissolution on August 6, 2020.
America Cinemas, which took over the Sharpstown cinema location in 2017, then also opted to reopen here on July 30, 2021. By the mid-2020s, if one wanted the look and feel of a mid-1970s shopping center multiplex in the Houston area, this was about as authentic an experience as you could have asked for outside of its digital projection.
It became the Oak Village Cinema in 1992. It switched briefly to Spanish language films. It had a brief run in 1996 as the Majogui Theatre. It returned to the Oak Village Cinema nameplate as a discount house in December of 1996. Cinema Services appears to have tried first-run beginning in 1997 and the last film listed there is “Halloween H20: 20 Years Later” on November 22, 1998. One of the next ads was for a gym at that address.
ABC Interstate twinned the Clear Lake beginning on May 1, 1977 with “Freaky Friday” and “The Enforcer.” Plitt Theatres drained the Clear Lake 2 Theatre on October 4, 1984 with “The Evil That Men Do” and “River Rat.”
This is another Cinema Treasure attributed error in some AI searches. The Sumner Redstone’s Whitestone Multiplex Cinemas 10 opened on October 28, 1983 well ahead of this venue. And by 1985, there was already the 12-screen Studio 28 - Grand Rapids - which had already surpassed 10-plexes elsewhere in the U.S. A Bronx cheer here.
Could you maybe consider changing the last three sentences after EFW was DOA to:
After EFW bailed on October 25, 2002, Nova Cinemas was the last player operating from Nov. 15, 2002 to January 1, 2004. There were no further takers. The theatre - less than nine years old - was bulldozed for another big box retailer.
I put a picture with the Nova logo perhaps to encourage the change back.
Transwestern Property built the Point NASA Shopping Center at Interstate 45 and NASA Road 1 in 1986. General Cinema was on board as an original tenant with its new 1,450 seat General Cinema Point NASA 6. Free popcorn was offered on opening day, August 29, 1986 which must have thrilled mascot Popcorn Bob. General Cinema closed here on Labor Day, September 4, 2000, and Popcorn Bob cried. But Star Cinema Grill (& Lone Star Drafthouse) reopened here as a drink and dine-in theater on April 15, 2005 cheering Bob up considerably. (The “& Lone Star Drafthouse” was truncated after July 15, 2007.) Star closed late in 2015 moving the operation to the Baybrook Mall.
But Star came back installing luxury lounger seating and a locally-sourced menu including 60% South Texas beers as the more intimate and chic District Theatres. Auditorium seating count was reduced to 45 for the smallest house and 175 for the largest auditorium. Reviews were stellar and Point NASA had never looked better. District Theatres closed here on March 16, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Star reopened its District on August 28, 2000 only to close again February 4, 2021 due to lack of good films and directing folks to its Baybrook Mall location.
On June 18, 2021, Star reopened the District. Less than three months later was the 21st Anniversary of General Cinema’s closure of the Point NASA Cinema 6 turned District 6. To commemorate that solemn moment, District Theatres observed a moment of silence following evening showtimes of September 4, 2021. Unfortunately, that moment of silence has continued to the present day. Popcorn Bob is still sobbing quietly.
In the grand scheme of things, it really doesn’t matter at this point. The site moderator is free to post whichever or go with the 1980s if that’s preferred. No great shakes. But if you want the actual changeover date from Transcontinental to AMC for whatever reason - please know that it was October 4, 1978 - confirmed. The first display ad blurb with logo Oct. 20th. In my opinion, I would leave the above unchanged as it’s solid… albeit a bit too long.
Sears' Homart Development announced the Deerbrook Mall project way back in 1978. An outparcel cinema was conceptualized in 1980 drawings. But here was a long enough lag in Homart’s development of Deerbook Mall for a lot of activity to take place. And that’s what occurred. AMC came to the area and developed its own cinema in the shadow of the Deerbrook Mall project called the AMC Humble 6 which it opened in May of 1981. Trammell Crow came along and was inspired by the Deerbrook Mall’s promise and created The Commons at Deerbrook basically adjoining the edge of the yet-to-be-opened Mall’s edge.
General Cinema signed on for the Trammel-Crowe Cinema although it is believed that Plitt may have actually been the original intended client. The architect for the General Cinema Deerbrook Commons I-VI cinema was Watkins Carter. So AMC seeing all of this and the Mall taking shape, changed the name of its Humble 6 to the AMC Deerbrook 6 in October 1983. After all, why not take advantage of all of the pre-release marketing and hype?
The Deerbrook Mall launched theatre-less on July 18, 1984. followed by The Commons' General Cinema Deerbrook Commons I-VI opening here a month later on August 16, 1984. Homart appears to have been hurt by all of this and pressed a renewed outparcel plan for an exterior theater. AMC contracted for the outparcel 6-screener in January of 1985 signing on to plans shown as the AMC Deerbrook Plaza 6 with a Christmas 1985 intended launch likely to dissuade Loews or some other circuit from coming into the zone. It was already competitive enough and, fortunately for both GCC and AMC, that game of Risk move didn’t materialize.
But Homart didn’t give up and - ten years later - finally got its cinema deal for a theater. And it was a biggee in the megaplex era - the AMC Deerbrook 24 was announced in 1994. General Cinema was flat-footed with way too many aging multiplexes and just watched AMC, Regal, Cinemark, Edwards and everyone else destroy it. The AMC Deerbrook 24 replaced the Humble / Deerbook 6 opened officially on May 24, 1996 after sneak peaks and other looks. General Cinema was in deep trouble.
General Cinema closed the Copperfield and West Oaks Central 7 in October of 1998. The white flag was up on December 10, 1998 with GCC moving on from the Baybrook Mall and Willowbrook and AMC taking on the Deerbrook Commons. The move left GCC with just two GCCs in the aging ‘plexes: Meyerland and Nasa Point. It was game, set and match. AMC appears to have moved on from the Deerbrook Commons on March 2, 2003 with the venue inching toward its 20-year leasing expiry.
With cinema dining experiences in vogue as alternatives to the 24- and 30-screen megaplexes, Movie Tavern came in and gave this space a $2 million makeover relaunching as the Humble Movie Tavern on June 16, 2006. It was renamed as the Movie Tavern Deerbrook in 2007, the Movie Tavern Humble in 2011, back to Movie Tavern Deerbrook in 2012.
On November 5, 2018, Marcus Theatres acquired the Movie Tavern circuit. Marcus closed the Movie Tavern Deerbrook on March 16, 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic. Some concessions were sold early in the pandemic. And on June 11, 2020, a social media post by Movie Tavern Deerbrook announced a vague plan for a reopening would be forthcoming. But in 2025, we are still awaiting that reopening as the MT-D final showtimes were with reduced seating on March 16, 2020.
Closed September 9, 1990 with “Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection,” “Young Guns II,” “Class of 1999 (1 of 2)” and “My Blue Heaven (only).”
Announced in late 1985, the General Cinema Copperfield 6 was created in the height of the multiplex era of cinema exhibition. Between 1981-built Copperfield Village Shopping Center and the 1986-built Copperfield Crossing center, builder Friendswood Development (an Exxon subsidiary) had 400,000 in retail space created in North Houston.
The architect was James A. Bishop & Associates with General Cinema getting a 1,700 seat ‘plex with stereo sound and self-rising seating. Handy Dan, Safeway and Wal-Mart were the big names. So you already know that General Cinema wouldn’t come close to completing its 30-year leasing contract or even 15-years toward that. But this time they were beaten to the door by Safeway which opened for a four-week grand opening in January of 1987, four more weeks of regular business and they were gone. Bolted. They left even prior to General Cinema Copperfield 6’s May 15, 1987 debut.
And another large anchor left when Handy Dan threw in the hammer closing all of its Texas stores in 1989. General Cinema looked good until the megaplex era came and the company had no more game. This Copperfield’s vanishing act happened after October 19, 1998 showings of “Blade,” “Rounders, "There’s… Mary,” “Air Bud:GR,” “What Dreams May Come,” and “Ever After.”
For its first encore, General Cinema made the West Oaks Central 7 two weeks later on October 29, 1998. And for its big finish that year, it the made the Willowbrook, Deerbrook Commons and Baybrook Mall disappear following December 10, 1998 leaving Houston with just two GCCs in the Meyerland and Nasa Point. A stunning reversal.
Golden Ticket Theaters closed here on August 14, 2025 as the North End of the Mall would be demolished in favor of a grocery store tenant and the remainder of the mall turned into an outdoor strip.
AMC is closing here on August 14, 2025.
Had a demitasse with Transcontinental Theatres as the cinema barista in the 1970s (as previously operated by).
Loews buddied up with Deauville Development Corp. on a four-mall leasing deal to lock in what could be big profits ahead. Generally, the average U.S. shopping mall could report strong initial success based on 20-year, 25-year, or 30-year leases that ensured financial stability for the first generation of such retail centers. In the second leasing cycle, however, the average mall stumbled when they couldn’t re-sign tenants or signed ones who couldn’t survive in the “.com” era and reached greyfield status (less than 50% occupancy on the path to what is referred to a “dead mall"). But by that point, a mall cinema’s lifecycle was concluded with the dollars in the bank.
In 1984, Loews was hoping for similar luck when it signed on to leases at all four announced, suburban Houston Deauville Malls or Deauville Fashion Malls or Deauville Fashion Outlet Malls - whatever they finally called them - in the Houston area. This entry is for the Loews' Deauville Southwest Fashion Outlet Mall location. And the symbiotic relationship predicted for the pair didn’t materialize.
Loews had contracts with Deauville North (where Loews opened the Spring Ten on December 7, 1984), Deauville Gulf (where Loews opened the Bay Area 6 the same day), and Deauville Kingwood (Loews Kingwood 8 started with Christmas 1985 announced opening date that was delayed and still waiting). Give Deauville Corp. credit because they reached greyfield here at the Southwest location within two years, giving the property back to the bank in October of 1986, and the place was auctioned off by the bank not too long after. At 50% occupancy two years in, the Mall was a “dead mall” by January of 1987. A name change to Meadows Center Mall took place in 1987 continuing until 1991 - more exercise - fashion had left the building - than it was marketing by its new holding company.
It wasn’t Loews fault here, per se. They built a nice six-plex with 70mm capability to the plans of Charles Thompson & Associates. They had strong enough clearances to compete in the marketplace. And Deauville Development Corp., itself, gave Loews a nice onramp promotional plug. High profile “Let’s Make a Deal” host Monty Hall appeared at the Mall at its grand opening in early September of 1984. So how did Deauville not have people dressed as they are come from all over the world to its mall(s)? Well, everything seem to lead to this D’ohville zonk.
The first problem came in the third season for the property. The Deauville Fashion Malls were hoping to get a bounce from Sunday sales where restrictive Blue Laws were not widely enforced outside of Houston. That was great in the first season of the new Mall – but then the Texas Blue Laws were rescinded state-wide the very next year, it allowed shopping freedom all over the metroplex. Virtually all retail malls would be open seven days a week.
Second, Houston was undergoing a major economic crisis in 1984/5 due mostly to the downturn in the oil and gas industries. Its banking industry was also taking a major hit at the onset of the savings and loan crisis of the era. Because Deauville Corp. was heavily invested in apartments and this nearby mall, the apartments were in downturn resulting in lesser foot traffic in the mall and less income coming toward Deauville’s coffers from apartment lessees. In other words, they were overextended in a bad economy and - this problem was made worse with the banking industry in crisis. Not fashionable.
The third problem was that the Deauville Fashion Mall had relied on long-term leases with retailers of fairly questionable pedigrees. The major anchor tenants signed up by Deauville included the Woolworth subsidiary J. Brannam (Just Brand Name) Clothing; Service Merchandise’s Houseworks as the home goods retailer; Kmart’s Designer Depot; Woolworth’s Kids Mart for children’s clothing; Kmart’s Home•Pro Warehouse (soon to be Builder’s Square) for hardware; and Federated Group’s Federated Home Electronics Superstore. Sadly, Woolworth’s, Service Merchandise, Federated Group, and Kmart were heading toward economic buzzsaws. The Mall had only achieved 75% capacity. With sales and foot traffic in steep decline in 1985 and 1986, Deauville was not even at its second birthday and the situation was dire.
The fourth problem was an insane overbuilding of off-price malls. The original iteration of outlet malls were a bit lower cost to startup and were built between major cities to early success. But when major metro areas built scads of off-price centers all over the metroplexes, the model wasn’t sustainable and the carcasses of outlet/off-price malls were found nationwide. With $100 million sunk into the four Deauville Malls, the company was actually going to reach receivership before any of the marginal retail chains folded… but not by many months.
Long story long, Loews was associated with the Deauville Fashion Mall that went into greyfield status after just two years and ended up in receivership in October of 1986. Not totally unheard of but way, way unusual. So how did this impact good old Loews Southwest 6? Consider that Loews missed the only good quarter for the Mall in Fall of 1984 finally opening on March 22, 1985 with three of six theaters ready playing “Baby,” “Last Dragon” and “Friday, The 13th: Part V.” Kmart shuttered Designer Depot in Texas in 1986, J. Brannam was closed by Woolworth in 1986, Siegels’ Fashion and T.J. Mandy left the Mall 1986. Food court vendors fled. Welcome Loews to a dead mall walking.
It went from bad to worse in an almost poignant moment when the Loews movie ad was in one column of the local newspaper and the auction notice for virtually the entire rest of the mall was in the neighboring column to the left. Even the auction went poorly with large amounts of unsold items taken to local thrift stores. And this location’s longevity was better than the Deauville Fashion Mall – Kingwood which was built and not opened.
So how did Loews Southwest 6 survive? It got good news when Sam’s Wholesale and Garden Ridge moved into the shopping area leading to some foot traffic. The venue transferred over to the Sony brand in 1994 when that transition occurred and was now listed as the Sony Theatres Southwest (no number). In April of 1998, a merger with Cineplex Odeon led to the ownership moniker of Loews Cineplex and the venue became the Loews Southwest (numberless).
In the Fall of 1998, Loews Cineplex Theatres downgraded the Southwest to sub-run, discount $2 films. The facility also reduced to four auditoriums in its final stretch run in 1999. It’s assumed the 70mm projection was moved elsewhere. Loews Southwest closed on December 4, 1999 with four films: “Three to Tango,” “Fight Club,” “Blue Streak,” and “Runaway Bride.” Since the date times out to the 15th anniversary / start dates of Deauville North’s Loews Spring 10 and of Deauville Gulf’s Bay Area 6, it’s presumed that Loews was able to exercise a 15-year opt out with the holding company or bank to finally end its Deauville Southwest misadventure.
Loews Cineplex filed bankruptcy in November of 2001. They were able to immediately close 46 underperforming and/or aging facilities. In the bankruptcy filing, the Loews Deauville Southwest Cinemas, the Loews Deauville North Cinemas, the Loews Deauville Gulf Cinemas, and the unopened Loews Kingwood Cinemas are all listed which may – or may not be – indicative of their ability to escape any further leasing liabilities and certainly an effort to limit claims against the four Deauville properties. The former mall’s unused space stayed in time capsule mode in great shape for more than four decades.
Architect Arthur Steinberg’s sketch of the Briargrove Plaza that housed the venue is in photos. He was the architect of the theater for Transcontinental who stayed with the venue from opening as Briargrove 3 Cinemas as a first-run house on June 10, 1977 all the way to March 16, 1978 with the triplex closing. Just an 8-month run for Trans-C.
Plitt Southern picked up the venue relaunching it on September 8, 1978 (ad in photos) with “Saturday Night Fever,” “The End” and “Gumball Rally.” This was likely on a new, 20-year leasing agreement. However, Plitt left the venue just two years later on September 10, 1980.
Cinemark took it on changing it from first-run to a sub-run, discount dollar house on September 12, 1980 and a new name as the Briargrove 3 Theatre.
On October 17, 1980, it became home to Dollar Cinemas as the Dollar Cinemas - Briargrove 3 and soon Dollar Cinema - Briargrove 3 where it found its audience chugging all the way to May 17, 1998. Premiere Cinema Corporation took on most of the Dollar Cinema locations late that month but either not taking on or not continuing the Briargrove 3. Silver Cinemas also came into the marketplace looking for aging triples and multiplexes in the megalplex age and they also decided against operating the Briargrove 3.
In that era, it would be fairly difficult to operate without advertising at all so it likely closed permanently on May 17, 1998. The 1998 closing also times out with a 20-year leasing arrangement from the Plitt era so would highly recommend that as the end date here. The space was converted for retail purposes thereafter.
The Windsor Shopping Center was a 12-store, $8 million plaza that had opened theatre-less in 1959. A&P and Ben Franklin appeared to be the main draws. That changed when the center opened a spot for a Jefferson Amusement widescreen theatre - the first Cinerama theater in the state. It was known as the Windsor Cinerama Theatre - a name it retained from it launch December 21, 1962 into March of 1976 before becoming the Windsor Theatre for three years (though the Cinerama sign was still in place even past the theater’s days).
An unfortunate twinning transformed the venue to the Windsor 1 & 2 Theatre on May 11, 1979 with “Murder by Decree” and “The Dark.” The twinning took seat count down to 976 seats.
The name was fine-tuned to the Windsor Twin Theatre beginning on August 17, 1979. Jimmy Duncan’s Cineplex Corp. of Houston took on three Tercar locations on December 1, 1982 with the Windsor, Gaylynn, and Memorial Twin. At that point the name was ‘smithed to the Cineplex Windsor II Theatres.
Cineplex went bankrupt and Lee Roy Mitchell’s Cinemark Circuit took on its theatre portfolio on January 30, 1987. Cinemark called it the Windsor II Theatres. The dog days were dead ahead when the Windsor moved it from first-run for the first time in more than 25 years of operation to a flop-house, double-feature, $1 discount runs with a two-for-one admission policy in September 9, 1988 trying to wring out every nickel it could.
Cinemark ran with that not finding enough nickels closing on the Martin Luther King Day holiday on January 16, 1989. A picture of that closure is in photos. It was turned into a night club in 1990. The venue appears to have been demolished following its night club days in 2009 in favor of a Golf Galaxy retail store.
The Spectrum was Cineplex Odeon’s three-story destination theatre experience. Unlike its more benign cookie cutter multiplexes, the Spectrum had marble floors, skylit ceiling, commissioned art including John Noestheden’s relief sculpture, “ “Glenelg Concerto,” and vista overview points at its second and third levels. Three 70mm auditoriums and Houston’s first two THX certified auditoriums aided in the presentation. Arriving at the Spectrum provided equal expressions of opulence and garishness. Perfect for the late 1980s and an era of excess upon its June 24, 1988 launch.
Ten years later in 1998, Cineplex Odeon merged with Loews creating Loews Cineplex. It was at the height of megaplex development in the cinema exhibition industry. The odd duck Cineplex Odeon Spectrum and the sister River Oaks 12 were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Loews Cineplex declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy on February 15, 2001. It would vanquish 56 theaters nationwide to get rid of aging properties and bad longterm leasing deals.
Before the ink was dry on the bankruptcy deal, they called the Spectrum and told them to lock up that night following its final showtimes of February 15, 2001 despite bookings for that weekend. Three other area venues also shuttered in the reorganization but they got two more weeks of showtimes. Included in that was the River Oaks 12. The Spectrum was soon demolished in favor of an apartment complex.
The West Oaks Mall project was announced in late 1980 with AMC signed on to build an 8-plex or possibly 10-plex theater at launch. But during construction of Federated Realty - operators of Foley’s Department Stores - the Foley’s was on board first and there was no sign of an AMC venue. But in the second phase of West Oaks Mall, the food court and a 7-plex Plitt Theatre were in the offing. The Plitt West Oaks 7 opened adjacent to the food court on March 2, 1984. Cineplex Odeon bought out the Plitt chain a year later. Lord & Taylor and Saks Fifth Avenue left the building as West Oaks fought against a Houston-centric recession.
Loews and Cineplex Odeon combined April 16, 1998 and the venue would become the Loews West Oak Mall 7. Loews Cineplex declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy on February 15, 2001. It would vanquish 56 theaters nationwide. Its West Oaks 7 was one of those venues as Loews moved on following the March 1, 2001 showtimes. Three other area venues also shuttered in the reorganization.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas relaunched here on May 9, 2003. It began an expansion in 2012 in Houston while Edwards was building a 12-screen megaplex exterior to the Mall in the demolished Mervyn’s anchor spot which opened on August 24th, 2012. Alamo moved on from West Oaks and the space converted to a short-lived Toby Keith’s Bar location.
Loews Cineplex declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy on February 15, 2001. It would vanquish 56 theaters nationwide. Congratulations River Oaks Plaza 12 - you are one of those venues as Loews moved on following the March 1, 2001 showtimes. Three other area venues also shuttered in the reorganization. This one was demolished.
Loews Cineplex declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy on February 15, 2001. It would vanquish 56 theaters nationwide. Loews Memorial City 8 was one of those venues as Loews moved on following the February 28, 2001 showtimes. Three other area venues also shuttered in the reorganization.
Report from employees says the theater will close after showtimes of August 31, 2025 at expiry of lease.
By the way - there was no screen 16, 17 or 18. I’m serious.
“…and don’t call me Shirley”
The General Cinemas Greenspoint Mall 5 closed October 27, 1996 at they expiry of its 20-year leasing agreement with “D3,” “Extreme Measures,” “The Rich Man’s Wife,” “First Kid,” and “Bulletproof.” Ads for the next week read, “Closed: Thank you for your patronage.” The theater was sealed off and remained in a time capsule until the Greenspoint Mall’s closure (June of 2024( demolition (schedule for 2025).