Rebel Art Theatre

dallasmovietheaters on October 27, 2024 at 7:50 am

The Anderson Theatre was opened by former Sanger Theatre manager, C.B. Anderson, with Monte Blue in “Red Hot Tires” on November 14, 1925. supported by the Fox comedy short “Sweet Marie” and a Fox newsreel. Anderson headed to Texas four years later and the lease transferred to the Majestic Theatre Company which renamed it as the Majestic Theatre on August 30, 1929. It opened with talking pictures featuring Leonard and Dunn in “Melody Lane” supported by the short, “The Medicine Man.” Actor Jack Hoxie made a personal appearance there on October 16, 1929. The Majestic closed on October 29, 1929.

Prim S. Broadus took on the venue and, after a $10,000 refresh to the plans of architect Juan G. Landry, he relaunched it as Prim’s Rio Theater on July 4, 1932 with “Wise Girls.” Broadus closed two months later. A.H. Yeomans was next changing its name to the Rose Theatre on October 3, 1932 with Jack Holt in “The Sporting Age.” The Rose Theatre got new operators in Paramount-Richards Theatres Circuit briefly rebranding as the New Rose Theater after a makeover in 1940.

Paramount-Richards closed both the Rose and the Buck theaters on September 10, 1949. After a refresh and under new ownership, the theatre became the Ritz Theatre on March 1, 1950 with a double feature of “The Family Honeymoon” and “The Countess of Monte Cristo.”

Lloyd Royal of the Royal Circuit was bought out of his location a block away where he was operating the Rebel Theatre in December of 1958. So he moved the Rebel Theatre to the Ritz Theatre and reopened there after a refresh on Feb. 28, 1959 with the religious film, “I’ll Give My Life.”

The former Anderson turned Majestic turned Rio turned Rose turned New Rose turned back to Rose turned Ritz turned Rebel was purchased by Gulf States operating briefly as the Rebel Art Theatre showing adult/overseas titles. That rebranding occurred on September 1, 1967 with “I, A Woman.” Mayor Paul Grady instructed Police Chief Hugh Herring to either arrest or shut down the Rebel Art for obscenity. Gulf States bowed to the pressure reducing “adult” fare. They then opened the new-build Cinema Theatre elsewhere in town in early 1968. Within weeks, they subsequently closed the Rebel which closed March 1, 1968 permanently with “Enter Laughing.” The Rebel Art Theatre was later demolished. The Rebel’s former home at the Lomo was also demolished.

rivest266 on April 17, 2017 at 2:08 pm

February 28th, 1950 grand opening ad as Ritz in the photo section.