Heights Theatre
339 W. 19th Street,
Houston,
TX
77008
339 W. 19th Street,
Houston,
TX
77008
1 person
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opened on July 6th, 1966 as the Height Art adult cinema. Ad posted.
This theatre’s blade marquee shows up several times in a crime documentary on ID TV.
The status on this needs to be changed to open.
The Heights Theatre has been converted into an event center operated by Gallery M Squared. Here is a link to their web site. The Theater History section (hover cursor over “About” under the gallery name) has an early photo of the auditorium.
From the 1930s photo postcard of the Heights Theatre in Houston.
The theater is now an art gallery and event space.
There is a 2006 photo of the restored 1935 Art Moderne facade, and a view dated 1935 showing the original mission style front, on this page at Houston Deco.
There is a video with some interior views on this page. Address should be changed to 339 W. 19th Street.
http://tinyurl.com/yjsecz6
The Heights opened on May 14, 1929. The premier feature was “Sunset Pass” with Jack Holt and Nora Lane.
Judging from the Art Moderne facade and the somewhat grungy looking side walls seen in those photos, I’d say the theater was probably just gutted by the 1969 fire rather than “burned to the ground” as the Times article had it.
The July 14, 1969, issue of Boxoffice Magazine reported on the fire investigation and said that the fire had definitely been set by an arsonist. The Boxoffice article said that the fire had “…destroyed the $90,000 theatre….” That vertical sign must be from the early 1950s at the latest, though.
I guess they rebuilt it.
I think so. I don’t know when this theater closed, which makes you wonder if the current building was ever used for films.
Here is part of an LA Times story dated 6/7/69:
Houston-A theater playing the controversial Swedish film “I am Curious (Yellow)” burned to the ground here Wednesday. Officials of the Houston arson squad said the fire, which destroyed the Heights Theater, was probably set by a person or persons hidden in the theater.
“Someone probably burned the theater down in the name of decency”, said Mrs. John Scott, who along with her husband owns the theater. The film, which includes explicit sex scenes, has caused controversy in the city resulting in picketing by a church group and literature thrown on the Scotts' front porch.
“We ran family movies for nine years and almost went broke”, Mrs. Scott said angrily. She said that the theater has been showing adult movies for the past three years and has done much better financially.
Here is another photo. The space may currently be in use as a picture framing store called Dramatika.
http://tinyurl.com/5t5y7l
There is a 1930 photo on this page:
http://tinyurl.com/2jb5yf
This is a store also now. Would have been worth more today as a theatre! The Heights is booming and they lost alot of History before they decided to save and restore the area. Shame again…we lose a another GEM!
The Heights Theatre is located at 331 W. 19th Street and it seated 950 people once.