Ritz Theater

The Ritz Theater operated for five decades at 105 E. Main Street in downtown Richardson. As the city grew, the theater tried to adapt. In 1948, owner J.B. Roberts invested $42,000 in the theater to expand seating and modernize the theater. The theater closed briefly in 1961 the theater’s image including a name change. But the last ten years saw the theater struggling to stay relevant with audiences before subsiding in 1972.

The Ritz was first rebranded in 1961 as the Electra Theater showing double features of second-run content. In 1965, the Electra tried to become an art house and only allowed adult-aged patrons. The experiment had its moments so the theater decided to rebrand once again in 1966 becoming the Holiday Art Theatre (often just referred to in marketing as the “Holiday”) showing repertory films from the “vaults.” The Holiday closed and that was it for film exhibition for the former Ritz. It became home to the Richardson Community Theater retitled the theater as the Richardson Playhouse in 1969. For three years, the theater put on live stage plays. When that ended in 1972, the theater passed to owners who as of the 2010s still held the theater. Elements of the theater are still present in the building which has been totally retrofitted. The balcony is still present as is the screen and rigging. But the days of presentation are behind the Ritz/Electra/Holiday Art/Richardson Playhouse as the building was home to business including Fluid Power Supply into the 2010s used as a business office by Stone Associates.