Texas Theatre

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker says about the Texas Theatre in Dallas. Now, some buildings hold history. And some buildings get history thrust upon them — whether they asked for it or not.

The Texas Theatre is very much the second kind. It was constructed in 1931, designed by an architect named W. Scott Dunne, and right out of the gate it was something special.

When it was built, this was the largest suburban theater in Texas. Let that sink in for a second. Not downtown.

Suburban. And it wasn't just big — it was built in what's called an atmospheric style, a genre designed specifically to enhance the fantasy and exoticism of the movies. Somebody understood the assignment.

The two-story building sat at the commercial heart of Oak Cliff, originally owned by a man named C. R. McHenry, and the whole place was conceived as a kind of dream you could walk into.

The exterior evoked an Italian medieval structure, with Venetian influences worked into the decorative brickwork and stone. And inside — oh, inside was something else entirely. A full Venetian court theme, complete with sound effects, clouds drifting overhead, and a night sky of one hundred and eighteen twinkling stars right there in the auditorium ceiling.

One hundred and eighteen. Somebody counted. The original movie equipment was Motiograph Deluxe sound equipment, described as an extreme rarity at the time.

And the cooling and ventilating system — almost entirely invisible to the audience — ran on two blowers powered by ten horsepower motors. In warm weather, the air was cooled through water. You're sitting under a fake Italian night sky, one hundred and eighteen stars above you, a Venetian court all around you, and cool air flowing in like you can't even tell where it's coming from.

That is the full package. Of course, nothing stays pristine forever. A renovation prior to 1956 added stucco right over that beautiful decorative brick and stone façade.

Then in April 1965, the theater was remodeled extensively — exterior and interior. The uppermost section of the façade was removed. The theater's vibrant designs were sealed under stucco.

Bit by bit, all that Venetian splendor got buried. But here's the thing about the Texas Theatre. Long before any of that fading and remodeling, something happened inside its auditorium that put this building on every map in the world.

November 22, 1963. President John F. Kennedy had just been assassinated.

And it was here — inside this theater, in Oak Cliff — that Lee Harvey Oswald was apprehended in the auditorium. Just like that, the Texas Theatre was propelled into the international spotlight. A suburban picture house with a fake starry sky became, in a single afternoon, one of the most historically significant addresses in America.

The years kept moving. United Artists closed the theater in 1989. Then in 1991, the building was used in the filming of the movie JFK.

In 2001, the Oak Cliff Foundation bought it. By 2003, this Dallas landmark was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. And in 2010, Aviation Cinemas reopened the theater.

One hundred and eighteen stars still waiting overhead. The building's still there at the heart of Oak Cliff — atmospheric as ever.

What the marker says

Constructed in 1931, the Texas Theatre was designed by architect W. Scott Dunne. The "Texas," the largest suburban theater in Texas when it was built, is an "atmospheric" theater, a genre designed to enhance the fantasy and exoticism of the movies. The two-story building, originally owned by C. R. McHenry, is located at the commercial heart of the community of Oak Cliff. The original appearance of the theater evoked an Italian medieval structure with Venetian influences expressed in the decorative brickwork and stone. The interior of the theater was designed with a Venetian court theme, complete with sound effects, clouds and a night sky of 118 twinkling stars in the auditorium. The original movie equipment was Motiograph Deluxe sound equipment, an extreme rarity at the time. The cooling and ventilating system was almost entirely invisible to the audience and consisted of two blowers powered by ten horsepower motors. In warm weather, the air was cooled through water. A renovation prior to 1956 resulted in the addition of stucco over the brick and stone fa��ade. On November 22, 1963, following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Lee Harvey Oswald was apprehended in the auditorium, propelling the Texas Theatre into the international spotlight. In April 1965, the theater was remodeled extensively on the exterior and interior. The uppermost section of the fa��ade was removed and the theater's vibrant designs were sealed under stucco. United Artists closed the theater in 1989. In 1991 it was used in the filming of the movie, "JFK." In 2001, the Oak Cliff Foundation bought the theater. This Dallas landmark was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2003. Aviation Cinemas reopened the theater in 2010. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2013