Lindsey Theatre

The Lindsey family originally owned the Palace, the Lindsey, and others (including the State). When they remodeled the Palace and renamed it the Clifton, they were naming it after their son Clifton Lindsey! Interestingly, (to me anyway), their tombstones in the City of Lubbock Cemetery have their names written in cursive, their signatures! (Clifton and his parents)

Don, Lubbock was home from 1966 until 1973. Been in Fort Worth since then. Went to Coranado High, Class of ‘72. I really wished I had saved some stuff. I may still have my Video Independent Theater ID card somewhere. While in HS I wasn’t thinking those things would have meant anything to anyone but wished I would have taken pics. I can still see the layout of the theaters and projectionist booths in my head. :–)

The life and death of the Lindsey Theater in these six images [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] and nothing remainins except a parking lot…

New story in the Lubbock paper on old Lubbock theaters:

View link

another good pic, interior full of people, is in this collection:

View link

search “Lindsey”

Vintage 1935, 1939, & 1940 interior/exterior shots can be viewed by typing in word “lindsey”, search,
View link

The Lindsey Theatre was listed as seating 784 people.

In the lat 80’s or early 90’s they staged some live shows at the Lindsey. I was priviledged to see Don McClean do a solo show on the big stage in honor of Buddy Holly. It was a memorable evening.

Frankly, I must say the Lindsey was not pretty from the outside at all – other than the marquee made famous again as the cover a great Maines Brothers album. The inside was nice but it was not opulent in any manner nor a good example of Art Deco or moderinism. The lot is now an expansion the highrise next door and has a bank lobby and drive-thru for the bank. It is a rare example of an improvement to an area through demolition.

I wish I had some pictures of the Lindsey in it’s hay-day. My father Clell Spann worked there as an usher and I think also a projectionist, I believe in the early 50’s. He has talked about the Lindsey my whole life, and like alot of other original Lubbockites, was mad when it was demolished. He tells me stories of running films across the street to another theatre (I can’t remember the name of it) that was owned by the same people as Lindsey at the time. Everyone I have talked to in my life about the Lindsey, talk about what a beautiful theatre it was. How modern for it’s time it was. Most say it was the nicest theatre in town. Being only 31, I don’t remember seeing it open, however, I did have a rare priviledge one night in the mid 80s, when they were doing something to it, to see it and the marquee lit up (well, at least all the neon that still worked). I COULD tell it WAS an amazing theatre. I wish, Lubbock, had done like so many other cities, and saved this Landmark.

I have some Dramatic Photos of the Lindsey Theatre intact and as it was being demolished. I once worked as projectionist, and my mother worked as cashier at this beautiful theatre. Saw some GREAT movies here. “The Ten Commandments” (Heston) “Alamo” (John Wayne) presented in Cinemascope and 4 track magnetic stereo sound. People used to Dress-Up to go to the Lindsey. I will post the pix as soon as this website can accept them. Ned Fairbairn

Don,
Lubbock was just about the ugliest and most depressing town I visited on my road trips. It looked like the city had demolished the old downtown in the ‘50s, and then only had enough money to build one ugly skyscraper every two blocks. I couldn’t find anything that looked like a theater. I liked the old Post Office and the Kress store, and that was about it.