Arcadia Theater
123 N. A Street,
Harlingen,
TX
78550
123 N. A Street,
Harlingen,
TX
78550
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Also known as the Rex
I watched the Arcadia burn down when I was about 11 or 12. My father woke me up one morning and said “The Arcadia Theater’s burning down! Let’s go watch!” I remember standing there watching, still dressed in my pajamas. There was a tall neon sign for the theater that gradually collapsed into the building as fire consumed the structure. It’s still a vivid memory, a really sad day. It was Harlingen’s movie palace, a lot fancier than the Rialto. Although I also have fond memories of the Rialto, which is still there on main street.
This was the first theater I saw movies in. In the mid-to-late 50’s, this was the top theater in Harlingen showing the biggest Hollywood movies. Our family was good friends with the city manager of Interstate Theatres, Mike Gilbert. So we regularly attended the Arcadia and the Rialto. When Mike left the business, he became the Postmaster of Harlingen. I remember the interior as a slightly Spanish decor with wooden floors; which probably made the fire that destroyed it a lot bigger!
Here is an August 1952 ad from the Valley Morning News:
http://tinyurl.com/2g6prz