Karnes Theatre #2

The Karnes Theatre was a post-War cinema in downtown Karnes City, Texas. It was the second Karnes Theatre following the silent-era Joyland Theatre that became the Karnes Theatre “#1” in the sound era. Karnes #2 opened in 1946 and appears to have operated 15 years to closure in 1961.

Mr. and Mrs. Dave S. Smason were 1920’s theatre performers at the State-Lake Theatre in Chicago. Smason, a violinist, became the orchestra conductor at the Majestic in San Antonio. After going to do that same role at the Oriental in Chicago, the Smasons decided to return to Texas relocating in Karnes City and taking on Karnes Theatre #1 from Doyle F. Luckie in January of 1940.

The Smasons built the New Karnes Theatre launching it on August 26, 1946 with the Marx Bros. in “A Night in Casablanca” supported by Lee Dixon and The Nilsson Sisters in “Double Rhythm” and the “Speaking of Animals” series short, “The Lonesome Stranger.” Two days later, the “old” Karnes Theatre #1 was rebranded as the Vic Theatre showing Spanish language films and Hollywood hits on weekends.

The Smasons ran both operations until 1957. They sold the Karnes #2 to Jerry Ebeier of the Runge Theatre. The Vic appears to have closed shortly thereafter. Ebeier seems to have been the final operator of the Karnes Theatre which appears to have closed in the early 1960s. The closure left the town with only its long-running Midway Drive-In - which operated from January 1950-January 1975 on a 25-year leasing agreement - and the hard top Rialto Theatre just six miles away in Kenedy.

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