Interstate Circuit’s venerable Arcadia Theatre burned down in downtown Harlingen on June 2, 1970. On September 28, 1970, Interstate Circuit joined its sister chain, Texas Consolidated - both part of the mothership ABC network - which combined to form ABC Interstate Theatres, Inc. And ABC Interstate announced the replacement to the Arcadia in 1971 with groundbreaking taking place on November 11, 1971. It would be the first hardtop venue built in the Rio Valley in some 25 years. Its design called for a large tilt-up one piece wall brought in on a crane. (And 55 years later, that element was still in place and looking identical to its original installation.)
The ABC Cinema 1 & 2 continued Interstate’s suburban luxury business plan that constructed theaters built away from central business districts. This new breed of theaters featured large parking lots offering patrons free parking, wider aisle seating and wide format projection. This ABC duplex cost around $500,000 with 944-seats - a 398 seat auditorium and a larger 546 seat auditorium. The venue launched on May 24, 1972 with “The Godfather” and “The Groundstar Conspiracy.” The same interior plans were used to create the ABC Cinema 1 & 2 in Brownsville opening the next year, according to its developer, Fausto Yturria Jr.
To celebrate its fifth anniversary, the second auditorium was split into two theaters creating the ABC Cinema Triple. In November of 1978, Plitt Southern took over the ABC Interstate operations rebranding here as the Plitt Cinema Triple. In 1979, Plitt would add a triplex at the new Sunrise Mall in Brownsville. Plitt also took over United Artists’ Harlingen and Brownsville locations effective October 5, 1985 to get a stronghold in the Valley. Just two months later, Cineplex Odeon took over the Plitt Southern operations in December of 1985 with the Valley-area venues all still marketed under the Plitt nameplate.
Cinemark took on the Plitt Southern locations in 1987 including the Morgan Plaza Triple. Cinemark opened its Cinema 10 megaplex theatre as a first run house on September 18, 1992. Cinemark announced its new–build Cinemark 16 screen theatre to open in the fourth quarter of 1999. That plan would lead to the downgrading of Movies 10 to discount sub-run. Cinemark continued to operate here as the first run Cinemark Cinema Triple all the way November 30, 1999 with the Cinemark 16 closed behind, launching on December 17, 1999.
This venue opened as a silent era theatre likely as the Electric Theatre in 1914. That venue was then advertised as the Mercedes Moving Picture Theatre in 1915 and turned Western Queen Theatre in 1916. It is presumed, though perhaps incorrectly, that it then became the Empire Theatre. Its first ad under that name is February 5, 1917 with “The Thunderbolt.” (The ad cadence suggests that timing is correct from 1914 to 1917; but it is unclear if this is the same building. However, because the Empire received significant an interior upgrade in 1921, it is likely the same facility.)
Paramount/Publix took on the Empire Theatre and refreshed it with sound at a relaunch as the Capitol Theatre on August 29, 1930 with the Marx Brothers in “Animal Crackers.” Publix entered into financial chicanery and gamesmanship with the theater sold to Paschall-Texas Theatres Circuit. In 1937, the Capitol was given a major streamline moderne makeover and renamed as the State Theatre on March 27, 1937 with Joe E. Brown in “When’s Your Birthday.” The State Theatre closed July 29, 1964 with a double feature of “The Incredible Mr. Limpet” and “Hatari.”
Look who’s talking… it’s Paramount-Publix’s Capitol Theatre, a revamping of the Empire Theatre, with the August 29, 1930 grand relaunch with sound and the Marx Brothers in “Animal Crackers.”
Located between Weslaco and Mercedes, the new Wes-Mer Drive-In Theatre launched on July 6, 1950 with Linda Darnell in “Everybody Does It.” The Archer family’s Archer Theatres inc. - operators of the Sky-Vue ozoner in Elsa were on hand for the launch. 430 cars for the original tower and don’t worry about mosquitos because the entire facility was liberally doused with DDT by a crop duster prior to the first show!
Interstate Theatres Corp. launched the new Rex Theatre on December 15, 1940 with Cesar Romero in “The Gay Caballero.” Leo Bray bought the long-standing State Theatre from Interstate in July of 1952 and a decision was made by Interstate to close the Rex and sell the building.
The Gallery closed on March 16, 2020 temporarily for the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened briefly on June 19, 2020 closing temporarily. It reopened August 21, 2020 for three months. Due to Governor’s orders, all hardtop cinemas closed again on November 26, 2020. The Gallery reopened on July 20, 2021 resuming operations.
Interstate opened here on August 17, 1949 with “The Stratton Story.” The venue made it to the end of its 25-year leasing agreement closing with a ‘Farewell Day’ on May 1, 1974 with “Silence” and “Seal Island.” As ABC Interstate, the circuit replaced it with its new-build ABC Cinema 1 & 2 opening the next day. Two original Majestic-ers made the move to the new venue in Carmen Abete and Raul Davilla.
The building was best known as home of the Rockingham Motor Company for some 50 years. A theater space was carved into the building in 1998 named after the car dealership opening as the Rockingham Theatre. The Arts Council of the Valley (ACV) formed renaming it as the Court Square Theatre in 1999.
The 216-seat theatre housed live events, art films, and repertory films. On December 17, 2025 after the venue had screened, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” as part of a Chirstmas film series, the ACV Board of Directors - led by Mr. Potter - voted to cease operations of the theater at the end of the calendar year. Harry Bailey burst into that meeting and said, “I got nothing.” The Court Square Theatre ended after a 25-year run on December 31, 2025.
This is the Amigoland on the Rio Grande project as conceptualized in 1966-1972. It was designed as a Disneyland-esque marriage of harmony and history at the Texas / Mexico border in a different era and through a different lens. It was also in response to the Six Flags Over Texas project in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
At upper left, the Amigoland entry signage is conceptualized and the working logo is provided. To the right and also shown in the bottom right corner is the original footprint (1966-1969) for the Amigoland project. In 1970, the project plans were enlarged significantly to include the Melvin Simon Mall and readied for condominiums and hotels (ad in light blue at right) as drawn up with contractors assigned. Look at another posted photo for the revised plan and including the cinema functions.
The original Amigoland on the Rio Grande had 8 “worlds” - later reduced to 7 planned worlds. Aztecland was one of the seven worlds and its is shown in bottom left after Bovay Engineers of Houston entered the project providing that drawing. Another drawing is found on the right edge.
Some accounts say that Amigoland project morphed into the Amigoland Mall which is inaccurate. Satellite views from that era show that the area was readied and, very technically, the building showing at top right and at left under the logo is the office and welcome center for the Amigoland Amusement Park. A spiral staircase took visitors to the top of that circular building and had the proposed seven worlds of Amigoland on display.
The amusement park was scheduled to open in 1971 with the Amigoland Mall and its UA Cinema Twin opening in 1972. Four high rise condos by Condo-Rio were to be built and planned for launch in December 1974. The Amusement Park stalled not long after the visitor building was constructed. The Mall opened partially in November of 1973 with the UA Cinema 1&2 opening on February 20, 1974 and the Amigoland Mall celebrating its official grand opening the next day. The Amigoland logo was trademarked in 1974. Amigoland on the Rio Grande had spurts of activity in 1974, 1977 and 1981 that brought no noticeable improvements.
Amigoland, Inc., the company behind the theme park, dissolved and the trademark fell into public domain after non-usage and non-renewal. Amigoland, Inc.’s final stand was in a legal notice listing condemning the non-Mall properties which were to be associated with Amigoland on the Rio Grande in January of 2010 - a move which appears to more or less have liberated the 40-year old, unimproved property elements for future use.
These elements are related to the Amigoland Mall and its cinema.
In the upper left corner is the poster frames for the Cinemark Amigoland Cinema 1&2 in early August of 1994 with “The Crow” and “The Shadow” playing along on a discount, sub-run policy. The venue would close at year’s end. Below that it’s the opening ad as the UA Cinema 1 &2 February 20, 1974 with Steve McQueen in “Papillon” and Dean Jones in “Mr. Superinvisible".
At the top middle is the original directory for the Amigoland Mall with the theatre in purple between Montgomery Ward and Dillard’s.
The grand opening ad is (at bottom) for the entire mall was on February 21, 1974 (the day after the Cinema opened and three months after J.C. Penney’s had opened).
Next to that is the Amigoland on the Rio Grande revised footprint including the amusement park, the condos, the hotel/motel and everything else that didn’t get completed other than the visitor center.
At bottom right is the first ad for Plitt Theatres which took over for UA in Harlingen and Brownsville on October 4, 1985. A coupon got you into the Amigoland cinema for free that day. And above that ad is a 1994 ad as the Cinemark which had taken over the Plitt locations in Harlingen and Brownsville.
Addition (sorry - forgot to add):
Its opening film - “Apartment for Peggy”
For the 1956 season, the Archers replaced the original tower with a widescreen aspect ratio formatted tower to present CinemaScope film titles.
Interstate Circuit’s venerable Arcadia Theatre burned down in downtown Harlingen on June 2, 1970. On September 28, 1970, Interstate Circuit joined its sister chain, Texas Consolidated - both part of the mothership ABC network - which combined to form ABC Interstate Theatres, Inc. And ABC Interstate announced the replacement to the Arcadia in 1971 with groundbreaking taking place on November 11, 1971. It would be the first hardtop venue built in the Rio Valley in some 25 years. Its design called for a large tilt-up one piece wall brought in on a crane. (And 55 years later, that element was still in place and looking identical to its original installation.)
The ABC Cinema 1 & 2 continued Interstate’s suburban luxury business plan that constructed theaters built away from central business districts. This new breed of theaters featured large parking lots offering patrons free parking, wider aisle seating and wide format projection. This ABC duplex cost around $500,000 with 944-seats - a 398 seat auditorium and a larger 546 seat auditorium. The venue launched on May 24, 1972 with “The Godfather” and “The Groundstar Conspiracy.” The same interior plans were used to create the ABC Cinema 1 & 2 in Brownsville opening the next year, according to its developer, Fausto Yturria Jr.
To celebrate its fifth anniversary, the second auditorium was split into two theaters creating the ABC Cinema Triple. In November of 1978, Plitt Southern took over the ABC Interstate operations rebranding here as the Plitt Cinema Triple. In 1979, Plitt would add a triplex at the new Sunrise Mall in Brownsville. Plitt also took over United Artists’ Harlingen and Brownsville locations effective October 5, 1985 to get a stronghold in the Valley. Just two months later, Cineplex Odeon took over the Plitt Southern operations in December of 1985 with the Valley-area venues all still marketed under the Plitt nameplate.
Cinemark took on the Plitt Southern locations in 1987 including the Morgan Plaza Triple. Cinemark opened its Cinema 10 megaplex theatre as a first run house on September 18, 1992. Cinemark announced its new–build Cinemark 16 screen theatre to open in the fourth quarter of 1999. That plan would lead to the downgrading of Movies 10 to discount sub-run. Cinemark continued to operate here as the first run Cinemark Cinema Triple all the way November 30, 1999 with the Cinemark 16 closed behind, launching on December 17, 1999.
This venue opened as a silent era theatre likely as the Electric Theatre in 1914. That venue was then advertised as the Mercedes Moving Picture Theatre in 1915 and turned Western Queen Theatre in 1916. It is presumed, though perhaps incorrectly, that it then became the Empire Theatre. Its first ad under that name is February 5, 1917 with “The Thunderbolt.” (The ad cadence suggests that timing is correct from 1914 to 1917; but it is unclear if this is the same building. However, because the Empire received significant an interior upgrade in 1921, it is likely the same facility.)
Paramount/Publix took on the Empire Theatre and refreshed it with sound at a relaunch as the Capitol Theatre on August 29, 1930 with the Marx Brothers in “Animal Crackers.” Publix entered into financial chicanery and gamesmanship with the theater sold to Paschall-Texas Theatres Circuit. In 1937, the Capitol was given a major streamline moderne makeover and renamed as the State Theatre on March 27, 1937 with Joe E. Brown in “When’s Your Birthday.” The State Theatre closed July 29, 1964 with a double feature of “The Incredible Mr. Limpet” and “Hatari.”
Look who’s talking… it’s Paramount-Publix’s Capitol Theatre, a revamping of the Empire Theatre, with the August 29, 1930 grand relaunch with sound and the Marx Brothers in “Animal Crackers.”
The Rio appears to have opened on June 20, 1935. It was converted from English-language Hollywood hits to Spanish-language films in the 1940s.
Located between Weslaco and Mercedes, the new Wes-Mer Drive-In Theatre launched on July 6, 1950 with Linda Darnell in “Everybody Does It.” The Archer family’s Archer Theatres inc. - operators of the Sky-Vue ozoner in Elsa were on hand for the launch. 430 cars for the original tower and don’t worry about mosquitos because the entire facility was liberally doused with DDT by a crop duster prior to the first show!
Interstate Theatres Corp. launched the new Rex Theatre on December 15, 1940 with Cesar Romero in “The Gay Caballero.” Leo Bray bought the long-standing State Theatre from Interstate in July of 1952 and a decision was made by Interstate to close the Rex and sell the building.
The Fox Theater in Central City announced its last day of operations will be January 15, 2026.
Reopened in 2026 after being gutted for retailer Rural King.
Renamed as the Golden Ticket Cinemas St. Clairsville + ELITE
The Gallery closed on March 16, 2020 temporarily for the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened briefly on June 19, 2020 closing temporarily. It reopened August 21, 2020 for three months. Due to Governor’s orders, all hardtop cinemas closed again on November 26, 2020. The Gallery reopened on July 20, 2021 resuming operations.
Closed permanently by B&B on January 4, 2026. Demolition was set to commence soon thereafter.
Interstate opened here on August 17, 1949 with “The Stratton Story.” The venue made it to the end of its 25-year leasing agreement closing with a ‘Farewell Day’ on May 1, 1974 with “Silence” and “Seal Island.” As ABC Interstate, the circuit replaced it with its new-build ABC Cinema 1 & 2 opening the next day. Two original Majestic-ers made the move to the new venue in Carmen Abete and Raul Davilla.
Apex steered the venue to its 30-year leasing expiry and closure December 31, 2025.
The building was best known as home of the Rockingham Motor Company for some 50 years. A theater space was carved into the building in 1998 named after the car dealership opening as the Rockingham Theatre. The Arts Council of the Valley (ACV) formed renaming it as the Court Square Theatre in 1999.
The 216-seat theatre housed live events, art films, and repertory films. On December 17, 2025 after the venue had screened, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” as part of a Chirstmas film series, the ACV Board of Directors - led by Mr. Potter - voted to cease operations of the theater at the end of the calendar year. Harry Bailey burst into that meeting and said, “I got nothing.” The Court Square Theatre ended after a 25-year run on December 31, 2025.
The theatre auditorium was completely demolished in 2025. I would opt for demolished unless facade is good enough for the site.
This is the Amigoland on the Rio Grande project as conceptualized in 1966-1972. It was designed as a Disneyland-esque marriage of harmony and history at the Texas / Mexico border in a different era and through a different lens. It was also in response to the Six Flags Over Texas project in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
At upper left, the Amigoland entry signage is conceptualized and the working logo is provided. To the right and also shown in the bottom right corner is the original footprint (1966-1969) for the Amigoland project. In 1970, the project plans were enlarged significantly to include the Melvin Simon Mall and readied for condominiums and hotels (ad in light blue at right) as drawn up with contractors assigned. Look at another posted photo for the revised plan and including the cinema functions.
The original Amigoland on the Rio Grande had 8 “worlds” - later reduced to 7 planned worlds. Aztecland was one of the seven worlds and its is shown in bottom left after Bovay Engineers of Houston entered the project providing that drawing. Another drawing is found on the right edge.
Some accounts say that Amigoland project morphed into the Amigoland Mall which is inaccurate. Satellite views from that era show that the area was readied and, very technically, the building showing at top right and at left under the logo is the office and welcome center for the Amigoland Amusement Park. A spiral staircase took visitors to the top of that circular building and had the proposed seven worlds of Amigoland on display.
The amusement park was scheduled to open in 1971 with the Amigoland Mall and its UA Cinema Twin opening in 1972. Four high rise condos by Condo-Rio were to be built and planned for launch in December 1974. The Amusement Park stalled not long after the visitor building was constructed. The Mall opened partially in November of 1973 with the UA Cinema 1&2 opening on February 20, 1974 and the Amigoland Mall celebrating its official grand opening the next day. The Amigoland logo was trademarked in 1974. Amigoland on the Rio Grande had spurts of activity in 1974, 1977 and 1981 that brought no noticeable improvements.
Amigoland, Inc., the company behind the theme park, dissolved and the trademark fell into public domain after non-usage and non-renewal. Amigoland, Inc.’s final stand was in a legal notice listing condemning the non-Mall properties which were to be associated with Amigoland on the Rio Grande in January of 2010 - a move which appears to more or less have liberated the 40-year old, unimproved property elements for future use.
Closed Nov. 30, 2025 with “Elf”
These elements are related to the Amigoland Mall and its cinema.
In the upper left corner is the poster frames for the Cinemark Amigoland Cinema 1&2 in early August of 1994 with “The Crow” and “The Shadow” playing along on a discount, sub-run policy. The venue would close at year’s end. Below that it’s the opening ad as the UA Cinema 1 &2 February 20, 1974 with Steve McQueen in “Papillon” and Dean Jones in “Mr. Superinvisible".
At the top middle is the original directory for the Amigoland Mall with the theatre in purple between Montgomery Ward and Dillard’s.
The grand opening ad is (at bottom) for the entire mall was on February 21, 1974 (the day after the Cinema opened and three months after J.C. Penney’s had opened).
Next to that is the Amigoland on the Rio Grande revised footprint including the amusement park, the condos, the hotel/motel and everything else that didn’t get completed other than the visitor center.
At bottom right is the first ad for Plitt Theatres which took over for UA in Harlingen and Brownsville on October 4, 1985. A coupon got you into the Amigoland cinema for free that day. And above that ad is a 1994 ad as the Cinemark which had taken over the Plitt locations in Harlingen and Brownsville.
This is a live events space that does revival screenings only. It is none of the above functions - not second run, not indy, not foreign.
This is a first run cinema. This is definitely not a second run cinema.
They play current Japanese features. It doesn’t appear to be a second run cinema.
They are running first run and sporadic revival. This is definitely not a second run cinema.
This is a live event house and is not a second run cinema.
Google lists it as closed and it’s not one of the cinemas listed on the PlayArte website.