Santa Rosa Theatre

5607 Telephone Road,
Houston, TX 77087

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rivest266
rivest266 on November 24, 2020 at 2:15 pm

Grand opening ad posted.

sepiatone
sepiatone on November 16, 2009 at 9:37 pm

The Santa Rosa opened on December 20, 1946. The premier feature was “Canyon Passage” with Dana Andrews and Brian Donlevy.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on October 12, 2009 at 6:50 pm

I’m sure that’s the same building in the 1983 photo ken mc linked to above. It looks like they painted everything but that strip of pink around the base of the box office. It also looks like they used letters from the name Santa Rosa to make the name Stars on the vertical sign.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on July 28, 2009 at 1:47 am

The Santa Rosa was one of several post-war Houston theaters designed for the Interstate Circuit by H.F. Pettigrew and John A. Worley of the Dallas firm of Pettigrew & Worley.

accentoneclectic
accentoneclectic on April 8, 2009 at 6:51 pm

Google Maps is interesting on the Santa Rosa. The aerial view shows the spot vacant, with only the old sidewalk markings remaining at the old entrance, but the street view still shows the elevation of the front of the theater.

Next time I’m in the area I need to take a photo of the sidewalk there. This was another building that I told myself for years that I needed to photograph, but never got around to it.

kathy2trips
kathy2trips on May 15, 2007 at 1:40 pm

Dang! Another one bites the dust! Let us know what goes up in its place. Probably a generic something….McDonalds or Walgreens.

Bet you can count the number of vintage theaters left in Houston on one hand, now.

This city sucks when it comes to historical preservation. It’s been proven that preservation is income-generating, particularly in a town like this, where old, quality structures are rare. This mentality is totally frustrating.

cornkit
cornkit on April 14, 2007 at 5:42 am

the santa rosa is no more – demolition started on April 14, 2007

kathy2trips
kathy2trips on October 31, 2006 at 10:07 pm

Oops! Forgot to mention that the images for the Santa Rosa under construction are dated April 2, 1947.
Check out this image View link
It looks like it was built in the middle of nowhere!

kathy2trips
kathy2trips on October 31, 2006 at 9:42 pm

I really hope that’s not true. Richard Nickel said it best: “Architecture has two natural enemies: water and stupid men”.

Here is a link to a photo of the Santa Rosa (probably as it looked new): View link and as it looked under construction: View link

These photos are from a great site featuring the Bob Bailey Photographic Studios archives 1932-1998. Also in his archives are photos of great theaters from Houston’s past not listed on this site, such as the Queen and the Rainbow.

cornkit
cornkit on July 13, 2006 at 12:41 pm

the shopping center adjacent to the theater has been completed (and pitifully unoccupied). according to the construction crew, the theater may have a new life as a community center, but nothing has happened yet. there is also a nasty rumor that the santa rosa may be stucco’d like the shopping center…:(

StanG515
StanG515 on January 12, 2006 at 7:13 pm

Great photos ‘Lost Memory’… thanks for the memories.
I worked there as an usher in 1955-1956.
This was a first class neighborhood theatre, operated by
Interstate Theatres Inc. They were famous for operating deluxe theatres throughout the Houston area. i.e. Wayside, Broadway, Eastwood, Garden Oakes, Fulton, North Main, Village, River Oakes,Alabama, and Tower, to name a few that I can remember.

cornkit
cornkit on August 11, 2005 at 6:16 pm

The Santa Rosa theater was built in 1930 per HCAD records, and is owned by the MGJ Corporation (DBA Stars Theater) from Florida. Today, it is slated to become a medical center.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe on March 18, 2005 at 6:23 am

The Film Daily Yearbook, 1950 gives a seating capacity of 962.