It really wasn’t. No inspiring architecture, absolutely nothing to look at if the movie was bad (it usually wasn’t). It just had flawless projection, incredible sound, a fantastic concession stand/staff, high presentation standards, excellent comfort, and usually ran movies everyone wanted to see…oh, wait…I think that all means it WAS one heck of a theatre.
I’m sure other factors contributed to the theatre’s demise but light pollution, while it certainly degraded the picture, didn’t seem to be affecting ticket sales as long as I attended (up through end of 1978). If you couldn’t see the picture, and that was a definite problem on all 3 screens, you could usually find something else to do.
RE: Richard Keiffer’s 2005 comments, above. The Forest was neither the largest neighborhood house in Texas, nor was it the last theatre built by Interstate Theatres, in Texas OR in Dallas – don’t know your source but Interstate built many new theatres in Dallas and other locations after 1947, including the Medallion, Cameo, and Westwood, all in the late 1960’s. In fact, the Medallion was intended as the first of a new generation of prestige first-run venues intended to replace the old downtown venues (Majestic, Tower, and Palace) which were already slated for closing. There was to be a new single-screen Palace near LBJ and Montfort but the trend away from single-screens to multiscreens put the kabosh on those plans.
I believe this theatre originally opened as the Parkway Theatre in 1921, part of vaudevillian Eddie Foy’s chain of neighborhood theatres. Foy also opened the Oak Lawn, which was later renamed the Lawn, as well as several other Dallas area venues.
ken mc’s photo is interesting because it shows how the Starlite was modified for the projection of cinemascope movies – simply stretched the screen tower out from the left edge, as evidenced from the different shade of shingles (probably asphalt) used for the extension. Other styles of screen towers didn’t lend themselves to such a straightforward modification. Some had to have a second screen mounted on struts extending out from the original square one; this allowed for installation of a curved screen, something the Starlite and others of this style obviously didn’t have.
This was NOT the Guild; the Guild was another theater, built in 1950 about a block away, which opened as the (new) Columbia, soon renamed Avenue, still later renamed Guild. It was the newer theater that switched to XXX fare (as the Guild) in the 1970’s.
By that time, THIS Columbia had long since 1)been re-named Rita and then 2)been shuttered as a film house.
The AKA needs to be changed from Guild to Columbia, this theater’s original name – it was NEVER the Guild.
I’m sure most Dallas theater enthusiasts know this, but the neon artist’s palette that used to be above the Esquire’s marquee now hangs on the outside wall at a building in Las Colinas near Irving, just outside Dallas. Here’s a link to a picture of it on flickr.
Status can be changed to “Closed/Demolished” since I can remember many good meals at the Kip’s Big Boy built on the site as soon as the drive-in was torn down in the early 60’s.
Mixed feelings on that one, Adam – in my heart I know it could never again compete as a movie theater unless the Alamo Drafthouse thing had worked out – but a grocery store? At least the address will be occupied and the deterioration will cease. Hope the new tenants keep the tower.
Joe Vogel – in perusing the online listings of documents comprising the Interstate Theatres Collection housed at the Dallas Public Library, I came across further evidence that the Esquire and the Melrose were one and the same: Box 92, documents 1-5 refer to “CPA Applications” and “Renovations” at the “Melrose/Esquire” in 1945, 1946, and from Jan-Feb through to July-November 1947.
Obviously the theatre was not closed for two years, but must have been periodically shuttered as Interstate’s complete remodeling plan was carried out step-by-step. When re-opened as the Esquire, the venue bore no resemblance to the former Melrose.
Joe Vogel – in perusing the online listings of documents comprising the Interstate Theatres Collection housed at the Dallas Public Library, I came across further evidence that the Esquire and the Melrose were one and the same: Box 92, documents 1-5 refer to “CPA Applications” and “Renovations” at the “Melrose/Esquire” in 1945, 1946, and from Jan-Feb through to July-November 1947.
Obviously the theatre was not closed for two years, but must have been periodically shuttered as Interstate’s complete remodeling plan was carried out step-by-step. When re-opened as the Esquire, the venue bore no resemblance to the former Melrose.
I remember “Story of Ruth” and “Rio Conchos” at the Casa Linda in Dallas, early 60’s. Although you might think they would appeal to totally different audiences (Biblical story vs Western), both were Stuart Whitman vehicles and both were Twentieth Century-Fox pictures. Oftentimes, the packaging was done by the distributors' zone offices and depended on what they could get their hands on (or had lying around waiting for shipment back to the home office) that they could rent out for a week and turn a buck on while they waited for enough other in-use titles to be returned to make a shipment worthwhile from a cost perspective.
kathy, if you can get a copy of Jeanette Crumpler’s book about Dallas’s downtown movie theaters, “Street of Dreams,” there is an interior shot showing the screen/stage area on page 94.
The Old Mill Theater on Elm Street downtown reopened after an extensive remodeling as the Rialto in 1935, according to Jeanette Crumpler’s book “Street of Dreams.” Guess by then the name had become available.
Only time I was in the Arcadia was to see a reissue of South Pacific sometime in the late 1970’s. Unfortunately, I don’t remember what the place looked like inside; I was a regular at the Granada up the street because at the time it was a revival house for classic films.
…well, Chuck, I followed a link posted in an entry in the dhs forum earlier tonite and now THAT’s not working, either. It seems now you have to have a paid subscription.
Anyway, the Maple at 5206 Maple Avenue (they always advertised as “2 blocks east of Inwood) apparently came under management in the late 1950’s that determined showing double-feature reissues was the best course of action. They rarely, if ever, used the clip art provided by the movie companies for newspaper display ads, instead preferring to use art of their own devising, surprisingly effective in setting their ads off from the mass of other movie ads on the page.
@MikeRogers:
It really wasn’t. No inspiring architecture, absolutely nothing to look at if the movie was bad (it usually wasn’t). It just had flawless projection, incredible sound, a fantastic concession stand/staff, high presentation standards, excellent comfort, and usually ran movies everyone wanted to see…oh, wait…I think that all means it WAS one heck of a theatre.
I’m sure other factors contributed to the theatre’s demise but light pollution, while it certainly degraded the picture, didn’t seem to be affecting ticket sales as long as I attended (up through end of 1978). If you couldn’t see the picture, and that was a definite problem on all 3 screens, you could usually find something else to do.
Many thanks, Chuck!
Never mind – I just checked and the Encore was at 4519 Maple. What did it become?
Chuck, do you have any info on this theatre that might possibly identify it as having originally been the Encore Theatre?
RE: Richard Keiffer’s 2005 comments, above. The Forest was neither the largest neighborhood house in Texas, nor was it the last theatre built by Interstate Theatres, in Texas OR in Dallas – don’t know your source but Interstate built many new theatres in Dallas and other locations after 1947, including the Medallion, Cameo, and Westwood, all in the late 1960’s. In fact, the Medallion was intended as the first of a new generation of prestige first-run venues intended to replace the old downtown venues (Majestic, Tower, and Palace) which were already slated for closing. There was to be a new single-screen Palace near LBJ and Montfort but the trend away from single-screens to multiscreens put the kabosh on those plans.
Does anyone know why this theatre was torn down after only nine years' operation?
Now, Chuck, doesn’t that look like an old theatre building? Ha-ha, this is so much fun!
Chuck – any idea where that older Circle Theatre was located?
I believe this theatre originally opened as the Parkway Theatre in 1921, part of vaudevillian Eddie Foy’s chain of neighborhood theatres. Foy also opened the Oak Lawn, which was later renamed the Lawn, as well as several other Dallas area venues.
This was never known as the Denton Drive-In; from its opening in 1950 to its closing, it was ALWAYS the Denton Road Drive-In.
ken mc’s photo is interesting because it shows how the Starlite was modified for the projection of cinemascope movies – simply stretched the screen tower out from the left edge, as evidenced from the different shade of shingles (probably asphalt) used for the extension. Other styles of screen towers didn’t lend themselves to such a straightforward modification. Some had to have a second screen mounted on struts extending out from the original square one; this allowed for installation of a curved screen, something the Starlite and others of this style obviously didn’t have.
This was NOT the Guild; the Guild was another theater, built in 1950 about a block away, which opened as the (new) Columbia, soon renamed Avenue, still later renamed Guild. It was the newer theater that switched to XXX fare (as the Guild) in the 1970’s.
By that time, THIS Columbia had long since 1)been re-named Rita and then 2)been shuttered as a film house.
The AKA needs to be changed from Guild to Columbia, this theater’s original name – it was NEVER the Guild.
I’m sure most Dallas theater enthusiasts know this, but the neon artist’s palette that used to be above the Esquire’s marquee now hangs on the outside wall at a building in Las Colinas near Irving, just outside Dallas. Here’s a link to a picture of it on flickr.
View link
Status can be changed to “Closed/Demolished” since I can remember many good meals at the Kip’s Big Boy built on the site as soon as the drive-in was torn down in the early 60’s.
Mixed feelings on that one, Adam – in my heart I know it could never again compete as a movie theater unless the Alamo Drafthouse thing had worked out – but a grocery store? At least the address will be occupied and the deterioration will cease. Hope the new tenants keep the tower.
Joe Vogel – in perusing the online listings of documents comprising the Interstate Theatres Collection housed at the Dallas Public Library, I came across further evidence that the Esquire and the Melrose were one and the same: Box 92, documents 1-5 refer to “CPA Applications” and “Renovations” at the “Melrose/Esquire” in 1945, 1946, and from Jan-Feb through to July-November 1947.
Obviously the theatre was not closed for two years, but must have been periodically shuttered as Interstate’s complete remodeling plan was carried out step-by-step. When re-opened as the Esquire, the venue bore no resemblance to the former Melrose.
Joe Vogel – in perusing the online listings of documents comprising the Interstate Theatres Collection housed at the Dallas Public Library, I came across further evidence that the Esquire and the Melrose were one and the same: Box 92, documents 1-5 refer to “CPA Applications” and “Renovations” at the “Melrose/Esquire” in 1945, 1946, and from Jan-Feb through to July-November 1947.
Obviously the theatre was not closed for two years, but must have been periodically shuttered as Interstate’s complete remodeling plan was carried out step-by-step. When re-opened as the Esquire, the venue bore no resemblance to the former Melrose.
I remember “Story of Ruth” and “Rio Conchos” at the Casa Linda in Dallas, early 60’s. Although you might think they would appeal to totally different audiences (Biblical story vs Western), both were Stuart Whitman vehicles and both were Twentieth Century-Fox pictures. Oftentimes, the packaging was done by the distributors' zone offices and depended on what they could get their hands on (or had lying around waiting for shipment back to the home office) that they could rent out for a week and turn a buck on while they waited for enough other in-use titles to be returned to make a shipment worthwhile from a cost perspective.
kathy, if you can get a copy of Jeanette Crumpler’s book about Dallas’s downtown movie theaters, “Street of Dreams,” there is an interior shot showing the screen/stage area on page 94.
Wonder why TeCo makes no reference in its website to its occupancy of a historic neighborhood theater?
Yes, that certainly looks like a Casa Linda-style tower-and-ball!
The Old Mill Theater on Elm Street downtown reopened after an extensive remodeling as the Rialto in 1935, according to Jeanette Crumpler’s book “Street of Dreams.” Guess by then the name had become available.
Only time I was in the Arcadia was to see a reissue of South Pacific sometime in the late 1970’s. Unfortunately, I don’t remember what the place looked like inside; I was a regular at the Granada up the street because at the time it was a revival house for classic films.
Harumph! Let’s try that again…
…well, Chuck, I followed a link posted in an entry in the dhs forum earlier tonite and now THAT’s not working, either. It seems now you have to have a paid subscription.
Anyway, the Maple at 5206 Maple Avenue (they always advertised as “2 blocks east of Inwood) apparently came under management in the late 1950’s that determined showing double-feature reissues was the best course of action. They rarely, if ever, used the clip art provided by the movie companies for newspaper display ads, instead preferring to use art of their own devising, surprisingly effective in setting their ads off from the mass of other movie ads on the page.