Loews buddied up with Deauville Development Corp. on a four-mall leasing deal to lock in what could be big profits ahead. Generally, the average U.S. shopping mall could report strong initial success based on 20-year, 25-year, or 30-year leases that ensured financial stability for the first generation of such retail centers. In the second leasing cycle, however, the average mall stumbled when they couldn’t re-sign tenants or signed ones who couldn’t survive in the “.com” era and reached greyfield status (less than 50% occupancy on the path to what is referred to a “dead mall"). But by that point, a mall cinema’s lifecycle was concluded with the dollars in the bank.
In 1984, Loews was hoping for similar luck when it signed on to leases at all four announced, suburban Houston Deauville Malls or Deauville Fashion Malls or Deauville Fashion Outlet Malls - whatever they finally called them - in the Houston area. This entry is for the Loews' Deauville Southwest Fashion Outlet Mall location. And the symbiotic relationship predicted for the pair didn’t materialize.
Loews had contracts with Deauville North (where Loews opened the Spring Ten on December 7, 1984), Deauville Gulf (where Loews opened the Bay Area 6 the same day), and Deauville Kingwood (Loews Kingwood 8 started with Christmas 1985 announced opening date that was delayed and still waiting). Give Deauville Corp. credit because they reached greyfield here at the Southwest location within two years, giving the property back to the bank in October of 1986, and the place was auctioned off by the bank not too long after. At 50% occupancy two years in, the Mall was a “dead mall” by January of 1987. A name change to Meadows Center Mall took place in 1987 continuing until 1991 - more exercise - fashion had left the building - than it was marketing by its new holding company.
It wasn’t Loews fault here, per se. They built a nice six-plex with 70mm capability to the plans of Charles Thompson & Associates. They had strong enough clearances to compete in the marketplace. And Deauville Development Corp., itself, gave Loews a nice onramp promotional plug. High profile “Let’s Make a Deal” host Monty Hall appeared at the Mall at its grand opening in early September of 1984. So how did Deauville not have people dressed as they are come from all over the world to its mall(s)? Well, everything seem to lead to this D’ohville zonk.
The first problem came in the third season for the property. The Deauville Fashion Malls were hoping to get a bounce from Sunday sales where restrictive Blue Laws were not widely enforced outside of Houston. That was great in the first season of the new Mall – but then the Texas Blue Laws were rescinded state-wide the very next year, it allowed shopping freedom all over the metroplex. Virtually all retail malls would be open seven days a week.
Second, Houston was undergoing a major economic crisis in 1984/5 due mostly to the downturn in the oil and gas industries. Its banking industry was also taking a major hit at the onset of the savings and loan crisis of the era. Because Deauville Corp. was heavily invested in apartments and this nearby mall, the apartments were in downturn resulting in lesser foot traffic in the mall and less income coming toward Deauville’s coffers from apartment lessees. In other words, they were overextended in a bad economy and - this problem was made worse with the banking industry in crisis. Not fashionable.
The third problem was that the Deauville Fashion Mall had relied on long-term leases with retailers of fairly questionable pedigrees. The major anchor tenants signed up by Deauville included the Woolworth subsidiary J. Brannam (Just Brand Name) Clothing; Service Merchandise’s Houseworks as the home goods retailer; Kmart’s Designer Depot; Woolworth’s Kids Mart for children’s clothing; Kmart’s Home•Pro Warehouse (soon to be Builder’s Square) for hardware; and Federated Group’s Federated Home Electronics Superstore. Sadly, Woolworth’s, Service Merchandise, Federated Group, and Kmart were heading toward economic buzzsaws. The Mall had only achieved 75% capacity. With sales and foot traffic in steep decline in 1985 and 1986, Deauville was not even at its second birthday and the situation was dire.
The fourth problem was an insane overbuilding of off-price malls. The original iteration of outlet malls were a bit lower cost to startup and were built between major cities to early success. But when major metro areas built scads of off-price centers all over the metroplexes, the model wasn’t sustainable and the carcasses of outlet/off-price malls were found nationwide. With $100 million sunk into the four Deauville Malls, the company was actually going to reach receivership before any of the marginal retail chains folded… but not by many months.
Long story long, Loews was associated with the Deauville Fashion Mall that went into greyfield status after just two years and ended up in receivership in October of 1986. Not totally unheard of but way, way unusual. So how did this impact good old Loews Southwest 6? Consider that Loews missed the only good quarter for the Mall in Fall of 1984 finally opening on March 22, 1985 with three of six theaters ready playing “Baby,” “Last Dragon” and “Friday, The 13th: Part V.” Kmart shuttered Designer Depot in Texas in 1986, J. Brannam was closed by Woolworth in 1986, Siegels’ Fashion and T.J. Mandy left the Mall 1986. Food court vendors fled. Welcome Loews to a dead mall walking.
It went from bad to worse in an almost poignant moment when the Loews movie ad was in one column of the local newspaper and the auction notice for virtually the entire rest of the mall was in the neighboring column to the left. Even the auction went poorly with large amounts of unsold items taken to local thrift stores. And this location’s longevity was better than the Deauville Fashion Mall – Kingwood which was built and not opened.
So how did Loews Southwest 6 survive? It got good news when Sam’s Wholesale and Garden Ridge moved into the shopping area leading to some foot traffic. The venue transferred over to the Sony brand in 1994 when that transition occurred and was now listed as the Sony Theatres Southwest (no number). In April of 1998, a merger with Cineplex Odeon led to the ownership moniker of Loews Cineplex and the venue became the Loews Southwest (numberless).
In the Fall of 1998, Loews Cineplex Theatres downgraded the Southwest to sub-run, discount $2 films. The facility also reduced to four auditoriums in its final stretch run in 1999. It’s assumed the 70mm projection was moved elsewhere. Loews Southwest closed on December 4, 1999 with four films: “Three to Tango,” “Fight Club,” “Blue Streak,” and “Runaway Bride.” Since the date times out to the 15th anniversary / start dates of Deauville North’s Loews Spring 10 and of Deauville Gulf’s Bay Area 6, it’s presumed that Loews was able to exercise a 15-year opt out with the holding company or bank to finally end its Deauville Southwest misadventure.
Loews Cineplex filed bankruptcy in November of 2001. They were able to immediately close 46 underperforming and/or aging facilities. In the bankruptcy filing, the Loews Deauville Southwest Cinemas, the Loews Deauville North Cinemas, the Loews Deauville Gulf Cinemas, and the unopened Loews Kingwood Cinemas are all listed which may – or may not be – indicative of their ability to escape any further leasing liabilities and certainly an effort to limit claims against the four Deauville properties. The former mall’s unused space stayed in time capsule mode in great shape for more than four decades.
Architect Arthur Steinberg’s sketch of the Briargrove Plaza that housed the venue is in photos. He was the architect of the theater for Transcontinental who stayed with the venue from opening as Briargrove 3 Cinemas as a first-run house on June 10, 1977 all the way to March 16, 1978 with the triplex closing. Just an 8-month run for Trans-C.
Plitt Southern picked up the venue relaunching it on September 8, 1978 (ad in photos) with “Saturday Night Fever,” “The End” and “Gumball Rally.” This was likely on a new, 20-year leasing agreement. However, Plitt left the venue just two years later on September 10, 1980.
Cinemark took it on changing it from first-run to a sub-run, discount dollar house on September 12, 1980 and a new name as the Briargrove 3 Theatre.
On October 17, 1980, it became home to Dollar Cinemas as the Dollar Cinemas - Briargrove 3 and soon Dollar Cinema - Briargrove 3 where it found its audience chugging all the way to May 17, 1998. Premiere Cinema Corporation took on most of the Dollar Cinema locations late that month but either not taking on or not continuing the Briargrove 3. Silver Cinemas also came into the marketplace looking for aging triples and multiplexes in the megalplex age and they also decided against operating the Briargrove 3.
In that era, it would be fairly difficult to operate without advertising at all so it likely closed permanently on May 17, 1998. The 1998 closing also times out with a 20-year leasing arrangement from the Plitt era so would highly recommend that as the end date here. The space was converted for retail purposes thereafter.
The Windsor Shopping Center was a 12-store, $8 million plaza that had opened theatre-less in 1959. A&P and Ben Franklin appeared to be the main draws. That changed when the center opened a spot for a Jefferson Amusement widescreen theatre - the first Cinerama theater in the state. It was known as the Windsor Cinerama Theatre - a name it retained from it launch December 21, 1962 into March of 1976 before becoming the Windsor Theatre for three years (though the Cinerama sign was still in place even past the theater’s days).
An unfortunate twinning transformed the venue to the Windsor 1 & 2 Theatre on May 11, 1979 with “Murder by Decree” and “The Dark.” The twinning took seat count down to 976 seats.
The name was fine-tuned to the Windsor Twin Theatre beginning on August 17, 1979. Jimmy Duncan’s Cineplex Corp. of Houston took on three Tercar locations on December 1, 1982 with the Windsor, Gaylynn, and Memorial Twin. At that point the name was ‘smithed to the Cineplex Windsor II Theatres.
Cineplex went bankrupt and Lee Roy Mitchell’s Cinemark Circuit took on its theatre portfolio on January 30, 1987. Cinemark called it the Windsor II Theatres. The dog days were dead ahead when the Windsor moved it from first-run for the first time in more than 25 years of operation to a flop-house, double-feature, $1 discount runs with a two-for-one admission policy in September 9, 1988 trying to wring out every nickel it could.
Cinemark ran with that not finding enough nickels closing on the Martin Luther King Day holiday on January 16, 1989. A picture of that closure is in photos. It was turned into a night club in 1990. The venue appears to have been demolished following its night club days in 2009 in favor of a Golf Galaxy retail store.
The Spectrum was Cineplex Odeon’s three-story destination theatre experience. Unlike its more benign cookie cutter multiplexes, the Spectrum had marble floors, skylit ceiling, commissioned art including John Noestheden’s relief sculpture, “ “Glenelg Concerto,” and vista overview points at its second and third levels. Three 70mm auditoriums and Houston’s first two THX certified auditoriums aided in the presentation. Arriving at the Spectrum provided equal expressions of opulence and garishness. Perfect for the late 1980s and an era of excess upon its June 24, 1988 launch.
Ten years later in 1998, Cineplex Odeon merged with Loews creating Loews Cineplex. It was at the height of megaplex development in the cinema exhibition industry. The odd duck Cineplex Odeon Spectrum and the sister River Oaks 12 were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Loews Cineplex declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy on February 15, 2001. It would vanquish 56 theaters nationwide to get rid of aging properties and bad longterm leasing deals.
Before the ink was dry on the bankruptcy deal, they called the Spectrum and told them to lock up that night following its final showtimes of February 15, 2001 despite bookings for that weekend. Three other area venues also shuttered in the reorganization but they got two more weeks of showtimes. Included in that was the River Oaks 12. The Spectrum was soon demolished in favor of an apartment complex.
The West Oaks Mall project was announced in late 1980 with AMC signed on to build an 8-plex or possibly 10-plex theater at launch. But during construction of Federated Realty - operators of Foley’s Department Stores - the Foley’s was on board first and there was no sign of an AMC venue. But in the second phase of West Oaks Mall, the food court and a 7-plex Plitt Theatre were in the offing. The Plitt West Oaks 7 opened adjacent to the food court on March 2, 1984. Cineplex Odeon bought out the Plitt chain a year later. Lord & Taylor and Saks Fifth Avenue left the building as West Oaks fought against a Houston-centric recession.
Loews and Cineplex Odeon combined April 16, 1998 and the venue would become the Loews West Oak Mall 7. Loews Cineplex declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy on February 15, 2001. It would vanquish 56 theaters nationwide. Its West Oaks 7 was one of those venues as Loews moved on following the March 1, 2001 showtimes. Three other area venues also shuttered in the reorganization.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas relaunched here on May 9, 2003. It began an expansion in 2012 in Houston while Edwards was building a 12-screen megaplex exterior to the Mall in the demolished Mervyn’s anchor spot which opened on August 24th, 2012. Alamo moved on from West Oaks and the space converted to a short-lived Toby Keith’s Bar location.
Loews Cineplex declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy on February 15, 2001. It would vanquish 56 theaters nationwide. Congratulations River Oaks Plaza 12 - you are one of those venues as Loews moved on following the March 1, 2001 showtimes. Three other area venues also shuttered in the reorganization. This one was demolished.
Loews Cineplex declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy on February 15, 2001. It would vanquish 56 theaters nationwide. Loews Memorial City 8 was one of those venues as Loews moved on following the February 28, 2001 showtimes. Three other area venues also shuttered in the reorganization.
The General Cinemas Greenspoint Mall 5 closed October 27, 1996 at they expiry of its 20-year leasing agreement with “D3,” “Extreme Measures,” “The Rich Man’s Wife,” “First Kid,” and “Bulletproof.” Ads for the next week read, “Closed: Thank you for your patronage.” The theater was sealed off and remained in a time capsule until the Greenspoint Mall’s closure (June of 2024( demolition (schedule for 2025).
The North Houston Theatre launched January 30, 1947 by Long Theatres of Baytown as their 61st venue. It closed at the end of its 30-year leasing agreement on December 13, 1976 with “Fists of Fury” and “Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold.”
Oddly enough, the GCC Greenspoint V box office was still in place with ticketing dispensers - in July of 2025 - along with the theater behind it as Greenspoint was awaiting demolition.
Final showtimes were at the end of leasing contract at the 15-year mark on July 30, 1990 with “The Hunt for Red October” on Screen 2 and the double-feature of unrated “XXX” features in “The Love Shack” and “The Wrong Woman.” Also known as Theatre Deauville and originally operated by Nineteen Sixty, Inc. which operated four automated cinemas in suburban Houston in the 1970s before moving on from each.
Fans of the Kingwood Plaza already know that this cinema was part of the Phase 3 expansion that also included three restaurants and a Wackers' Variety Store. Robert Rousch’s Nineteen Sixty Corp. which had the Deauville Twin and partial operational control of the Champions Village and Lamar Plaza cinemas, was the developer and original operator here.
The 750 seat (identical 375 seat twins) venue’s December 23, 1977 grand opening ad in photos as the Kingwood Twin Cinema with “The Gauntlet” and “Greyeagle.” Simplex projection with Dolby sound aided in the presentations.
AMC took over the venue as the AMC Kingwood 2. It closed February 20, 1986 with “Rocky IV” and “White Knights.”
AMC took this venue on beginning with showtimes on December 11, 1998 from General Cinemas renaming it as the AMC Willowbrook Mall 6. General Cinema ceded control of the Baybrook Mall 6, Deebrook Mall, and Willowbrook Mall after its December 10, 1998 showtimes as it was in full-scale economic meltdown. AMC continued to operate its external 8-already-turned-10-plex screen facility across from the Willowbrook Mall, as well.
On November 18, 1999, AMC closed the exterior 10-screen not running evening shows as it was readying for the grand opening of its megaplex, the AMC Willowbrook 24 the next day. Also on November 19, 1999, AMC downgraded the six-plex facility to a sub-run discount house with all seats at $1.50 (and later $2). The AMC Willowbrook Mall 6 closed on July 27, 2000 permanently. Its proper name in the database should be the AMC Willowbrook Mall 6.
The Tidwell exited the ozoner world on April 16, 1979 with a triple feature of “Young Frankenstein,” “The Driver” and “Bad Georgia Road.” Swift Transportation used it for vehicle storage and logistics for the until 1989 likely taking it to the end of its lease. The entire facility was replaced by the Swiss Village on the Park Apartments with 163 units in the early 1990s.
In development in late 1970, the East Park Shopping Center was created mainly for anchor tenants W.T. Grant (which would have a store complete with an interior Brandon House restaurant and an exterior auto center) and J. Weingarten Supermarket #101 and its first “superstore” concept with clothing and other home goods. Weingarten was the landlord. Others in the center including Eckerd Drug Store, Alaskan Clothing Store (a local chain open since 1912), and a twin screen cinema designed by James A. Bishop & Associates, Inc. Architects for Tercar Theatres.
When the center opened on October 14, 1971, it had been fused into a single word, Eastpark Shopping Center. A shot in the dark guess here in looking at plans and pictures is that the attractor sign for the plaza came with a single word, “Eastpark,” and all of the leases were likely signed with “East Park.” But “Eastpark” was the name on the big sign so they rolled with it. The Twin Theatre got the name “East Park” in its grand opening ad as did all of the stores that had opened the previous Fall… but was “Eastpark” was in the cinema’s display ads from day 2 to its first, quick closure a year and a half later.
The Eastpark Twin Theatre I & II opened on February 16, 1972 with “Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight” and “Wild Rovers” on Screen I and “Sometimes a Great Notion” on Screen II. Tercar discontinued operations on November 4, 1973 with “Horror High” and “Point of Terror” on Screen I and “One Little Indian” and “Walt Disney’s The Lady and the Tramp” on Screen II.
Tecar celebrated a grand (re-)opening on April 11, 1974 with a new programming policy of Blaxploitation films at night and kids matinees. It began with “Five on the Black Hand Side” on Screen I and “Sugar Hill” and “Scream, Blacula, Scream” on Screen II. Again, they opted for “East Park” in their grand opening ad and “Eastpark” in all subsequent ads. This policy was less successful with Tercar leaving for good on June 13, 1974 with Billy Dee Williams in “The Take” and “J.W. Coop” on Screen I and “The Dynamite Brothers” and “The Black Six” on Screen II. My guess is that Tercar said if they aren’t even coming to see that, we’re done. Less than a year later, the center also lost its main anchor when W.T. Grant’s pulled out of Houston and Eastpark on March 30, 1975 with the rest of the chain closing down soon after.
The theater that nobody remembered came back in 1979 when Entertainment Products, Inc. signed on as the new operator. It was going to be a bumpy ride. The venue’s projection was automated opening on July 27, 1979 as the Lakewood 2 with “The Wanderers” on Screen I and a John Travolta Double-Feature on Screen II with “Saturday Night Fever” and “Grease.” They tried Blaxploitation, they tried dollar, sub-run discount fare, and then - on December 7, 1979, they tried adult fare on Screen II.
“Love Airlines” and “Fulfillment” proved fulfilling as the seven-year old venue finally had an audience. And the off-kilter Screen I / Screen II mismatches were underway. For instance, on January 4, 1980, the family friendly “The Fish That Ate Pittsburgh” was on Screen II for a dollar and at full price on Screen II was the classic “Deep Throat” and “Devil in Miss Jones.” I don’t see any issues there. Devolving into a grindhouse, the theater had a double feature on November 30, 1981 of Seka in “On White Satin” and “Hot Lunch” on Screen I and they had stopped advertising Screen II because nobody was interested in those films anyway. There were a couple more listings in December that didn’t run as there was likely a mutual agreement that no more rent was forthcoming from Entertainment Products, Inc. - or any other cinema exhibitor - after November 30, 1981. The automated equipment ground to a halt at 11:46p following “Hot Lunch.” There was no dessert.
No expert, but believe the address is now considered 9658 East Mesa Drive. Also believe that its spot was demolished and is an outdoor playground with virtually all of the rest of the center intact although split use between retail and by KIPP Northeast College Prep High School.
Cartoon Carousel of America, Inc. opened the first of what was supposed to have been a franchised operation of multiple Cartoon Carousels - automated, supervised kids-centric theaters where parties could be had and kids could be dropped off. It was located behind the highly-popular Sharpstown Mall.
Cartoon Carousel’s long delayed opening happened on April 2, 1977. Their motto to potential franchisees was, “As long as there are kids, you can be making money!” Apparently, kids must have not been in or near Sharpstown or South Houston as this Carousel stopped suddenly, just shy of the venue’s second month party on June 26, 1977.
Dismay occurred for the neighborhood when the venue transitioned under new operators from kid-friendly to the porno chic Cinema Carousel on October 30, 1977. Its policy was double-feature X-rated fare where you could drop off adults beginning with Linda Wong in “Easy Alice” and Sandy Dempsey in “Shot on Location.”
The venue’s programming continued its trajectory on June 15, 1984 when - under a new operator - began showing unrated XXX double features in the home video era. It appears to have closed May 18, 1987 presumably at the opt-out point, half way through a 20-year leasing agreement. It was converted for other retail purposes.
Final day was Sunday, August 3, 2025 at the end of its 20-year leasing agreement. Though Regency ran it as a discount almost its entire run, the last stretch from June 3, 2023 to August 3, 2025 was on a first-run policy as sub-run discount houses were all but extinct by 2023.
The Roosevelt Shopping Center opened theatre-less on September 9, 1933. An independent theater proposed the addition of a theater at the far end of the complex but zoning issues hampered the project. The delay in zoning allowed A.H. Blank and Tri-Cities Theatres to become a partner and operator of the proposed Roosevelt Theater project with Blank adding air conditioning and other elements including its steel frame tripling the project’s budget which ultimately paid out nicely. The Roosevelt Theater’s architecture matched the Spanish Colonial theme of its center upon opening on Christmas Day 1934 with “Mrs. Wiggs and the Cabbage Patch.”
The local Drama Association was ready to move from the Kendall Playhouse and purchased the building. They would move in once the December 1954 leases with Tri-Cities expired. Fortunately, the Roosevelt Theatre played Francis, the Talking Mule in “Francis Goes to West Point” on July 9, 1952. Francis got to the military academy and said, “The Roosevelt closed permanently after that showing. I didn’t think my film was that bad.” Co-star Donald O'Connor assured the animal thespian that it was, indeed, that bad.
Tri-Cities let Des Moines Community Drama take over the venue 18 months early and only after it removed the screen, projectors, and other movie related equipment from the building. The venue reopened for live plays January 11, 1953 as the Des Moines Community Playhouse. It continues as the Playhouse Theatre in contemporary times. Des Moines movie fans have yet to forgive Francis, however.
The Majestic Theatre was a high profile vaudeville house opened to house the Orpheum circuit performers at 206-210 8th Street. High dollars were associated in the puffery for the building to create excitement and for a chance to claim it as the most expensive theater built in the city of Des Moines to date. $175k, $150k. $125k. $100k. But the City listed the project at an austere $50k - not the most expensive theater in the city at that time. The building carried a 15-year lease but would be subleased out seasonally year over year - another clue that this was a lower cost shed than a grand theatrical palace.
So it began as the Majestic Theatre on November 17, 1907. Year one, season one - first day’s performance had the Kinodrome short films and Orpheum vaudeville attractions. Its first two years were as the Majestic Theatre with a mix of Orpheum and Orpheum-like performers. Things would change as one might expect in such a fluid subleasing situation. So be patient.
Its third year (9th season) began on November 14, 1909 as the Des Moines Orpheum Theatre. It would be actual Orpheum Orpheum every day. The venue booked W.C. Fields, Mae West, Sarah Bernhardt, Jack Benny, Eddie Cantor, the Foys, and many others. So the Majestic sign was removed on favor of an Orpheum Theatre sign making the Majestic sign available. It was one of the best built elements of the former Majestic so Elbert and Getchell purchased the Majestic sign and be-bopped it over to the Empire Theatre at 313-315 8th Street for the New Majestic beginning August 21, 1910 with “popular vaudeville” (aka cheaper).
During World War I, profits had definitely swung to cinematic exhibition and live stage programming in mid-sized cities and lower dropped considerably as opera houses and vaudeville theaters struggled for survival. In Des Moines, alone, the Berchel and Princess had gone dark, Foster’s Opera House/Theatre was demolished; the Majestic was showing many more films than ever before, and the Orpheum Circuit was fighting for survival closing here for a brief period in 1919.
The reorganized Orpheum took on the Des Moines Orpheum in late 1919 reopening for its season. It was a major vote of confidence for the house. That confidence lasted until the end of the venue’s 15 year leasing agreement in 1922. The Orpheum decided to move to new digs over at the Sherman / Pantages / Empress / Hippodrome wannabe at 412 8th Street. So it was time for a new name here and that became the Iowa Theatre (not the one you’re thinking of, likely) on September 24th, 1922 with third-tier vaudeville on the building’s second and final 15-year leasing cycle. The Iowa’s live presentation was - as you might expect - not a programmatic winner. So there was only one direction for the Majestic/Orpheum/Iowa to go: burley house! And so it began as the renamed Garrick Theatre on August 24, 1924 and The Kandy Girls dancing across the burlesque stage.
For its 20th birthday (77th season), it got a new partner and name. The burlesque house was picked up by the “Tiffany” of the burley circuit - The Mutual Burlesque Association (MBA) and known as the “Mutual Wheel” as it bicycled adult acts across the country. The venue was renamed as the Mutual Garrick Theatre in late 1927. Rube Bernstein’s Bathing Beauties opened the season with Erin Jackson - known as one of the main Mutual beauties on the “wheel.” In other words, a vote of confidence for the theater. Omer Kenyon was the programmer but it wasn’t a big hit. The Mutual Garrick was done after a single year.
So for its 21st birthday (81st season), it was the first of many indy operators trying to wring a nickel out of the old dog and under its new and final operational name - The President Theatre. It opened its season with a live play in 1928, “Why Men Leave.” Generally, this presidential dog was not up for the hunt. But at least its direction was familiar. After failing as a legit stage, it tried to be an event hall including wrestling, and it would finally end up as a second- and sometimes third-tier burley house - the kind with a “k” or burlesk theater - complete with a police raid and some local controversy. But there were some good shows toward its final days. In February of 1937, “Sliding” Billy Watson brought his “Beef Trust” show entitled, “Krausemeyer’s Alley” headlined by Bobbie Lee and with Babe Davis and Nadine Marsh performing the way they performed. And its final Burlesk presentation was on November 15-21, 1937 with “Running Wild” starring the “Creole Fashion Plate” herself, Karyl Norman. Not a bad swan song.
The venue’s 30th Anniversary had been reached and - having already reached the lower tier burley house stage - there would be no re-upping by anyone for a third 15-year cycle as there was nowhere to go but down. Literally. The last contract was signed by the Cohen Brothers - demolition experts. They had a salvage sale in early 1938. Orpheum Booker / Manager Clyde Fairless retrieved the booking ledger (!) listing all of the house’s live performances. He reviewed the ledger tracing the building’s demise in the reduction of booked acts year over year as the theater devolved to closure. The Majestic/Des Moines Orpheum/Iowa/Garrick/Mutual Garrick/President Theatre had few distinctions especially as not being the city’s most expensive theater built. But at least in 1938 it could claim to be the first Des Moines Theatre razed for a car parking garage.
Sadly… that distinction is also not the Majestic-President’s as the Berchel Theatre was torn down in 1931 for - yes - a parking lot. But at least it was the second theater razed for a parking lot and the first theater to be torn down and replaced by a parking lot with six operational names. That’s something, I guess.
Factually - it wasn’t really ever a silent movie house, per se, although short silent films were a part of vaudeville presentations here. Also, it wasn’t known as the Orpheum in 1908. And, it wasn’t closed in 1929.
Had a demitasse with Transcontinental Theatres as the cinema barista in the 1970s (as previously operated by).
Loews buddied up with Deauville Development Corp. on a four-mall leasing deal to lock in what could be big profits ahead. Generally, the average U.S. shopping mall could report strong initial success based on 20-year, 25-year, or 30-year leases that ensured financial stability for the first generation of such retail centers. In the second leasing cycle, however, the average mall stumbled when they couldn’t re-sign tenants or signed ones who couldn’t survive in the “.com” era and reached greyfield status (less than 50% occupancy on the path to what is referred to a “dead mall"). But by that point, a mall cinema’s lifecycle was concluded with the dollars in the bank.
In 1984, Loews was hoping for similar luck when it signed on to leases at all four announced, suburban Houston Deauville Malls or Deauville Fashion Malls or Deauville Fashion Outlet Malls - whatever they finally called them - in the Houston area. This entry is for the Loews' Deauville Southwest Fashion Outlet Mall location. And the symbiotic relationship predicted for the pair didn’t materialize.
Loews had contracts with Deauville North (where Loews opened the Spring Ten on December 7, 1984), Deauville Gulf (where Loews opened the Bay Area 6 the same day), and Deauville Kingwood (Loews Kingwood 8 started with Christmas 1985 announced opening date that was delayed and still waiting). Give Deauville Corp. credit because they reached greyfield here at the Southwest location within two years, giving the property back to the bank in October of 1986, and the place was auctioned off by the bank not too long after. At 50% occupancy two years in, the Mall was a “dead mall” by January of 1987. A name change to Meadows Center Mall took place in 1987 continuing until 1991 - more exercise - fashion had left the building - than it was marketing by its new holding company.
It wasn’t Loews fault here, per se. They built a nice six-plex with 70mm capability to the plans of Charles Thompson & Associates. They had strong enough clearances to compete in the marketplace. And Deauville Development Corp., itself, gave Loews a nice onramp promotional plug. High profile “Let’s Make a Deal” host Monty Hall appeared at the Mall at its grand opening in early September of 1984. So how did Deauville not have people dressed as they are come from all over the world to its mall(s)? Well, everything seem to lead to this D’ohville zonk.
The first problem came in the third season for the property. The Deauville Fashion Malls were hoping to get a bounce from Sunday sales where restrictive Blue Laws were not widely enforced outside of Houston. That was great in the first season of the new Mall – but then the Texas Blue Laws were rescinded state-wide the very next year, it allowed shopping freedom all over the metroplex. Virtually all retail malls would be open seven days a week.
Second, Houston was undergoing a major economic crisis in 1984/5 due mostly to the downturn in the oil and gas industries. Its banking industry was also taking a major hit at the onset of the savings and loan crisis of the era. Because Deauville Corp. was heavily invested in apartments and this nearby mall, the apartments were in downturn resulting in lesser foot traffic in the mall and less income coming toward Deauville’s coffers from apartment lessees. In other words, they were overextended in a bad economy and - this problem was made worse with the banking industry in crisis. Not fashionable.
The third problem was that the Deauville Fashion Mall had relied on long-term leases with retailers of fairly questionable pedigrees. The major anchor tenants signed up by Deauville included the Woolworth subsidiary J. Brannam (Just Brand Name) Clothing; Service Merchandise’s Houseworks as the home goods retailer; Kmart’s Designer Depot; Woolworth’s Kids Mart for children’s clothing; Kmart’s Home•Pro Warehouse (soon to be Builder’s Square) for hardware; and Federated Group’s Federated Home Electronics Superstore. Sadly, Woolworth’s, Service Merchandise, Federated Group, and Kmart were heading toward economic buzzsaws. The Mall had only achieved 75% capacity. With sales and foot traffic in steep decline in 1985 and 1986, Deauville was not even at its second birthday and the situation was dire.
The fourth problem was an insane overbuilding of off-price malls. The original iteration of outlet malls were a bit lower cost to startup and were built between major cities to early success. But when major metro areas built scads of off-price centers all over the metroplexes, the model wasn’t sustainable and the carcasses of outlet/off-price malls were found nationwide. With $100 million sunk into the four Deauville Malls, the company was actually going to reach receivership before any of the marginal retail chains folded… but not by many months.
Long story long, Loews was associated with the Deauville Fashion Mall that went into greyfield status after just two years and ended up in receivership in October of 1986. Not totally unheard of but way, way unusual. So how did this impact good old Loews Southwest 6? Consider that Loews missed the only good quarter for the Mall in Fall of 1984 finally opening on March 22, 1985 with three of six theaters ready playing “Baby,” “Last Dragon” and “Friday, The 13th: Part V.” Kmart shuttered Designer Depot in Texas in 1986, J. Brannam was closed by Woolworth in 1986, Siegels’ Fashion and T.J. Mandy left the Mall 1986. Food court vendors fled. Welcome Loews to a dead mall walking.
It went from bad to worse in an almost poignant moment when the Loews movie ad was in one column of the local newspaper and the auction notice for virtually the entire rest of the mall was in the neighboring column to the left. Even the auction went poorly with large amounts of unsold items taken to local thrift stores. And this location’s longevity was better than the Deauville Fashion Mall – Kingwood which was built and not opened.
So how did Loews Southwest 6 survive? It got good news when Sam’s Wholesale and Garden Ridge moved into the shopping area leading to some foot traffic. The venue transferred over to the Sony brand in 1994 when that transition occurred and was now listed as the Sony Theatres Southwest (no number). In April of 1998, a merger with Cineplex Odeon led to the ownership moniker of Loews Cineplex and the venue became the Loews Southwest (numberless).
In the Fall of 1998, Loews Cineplex Theatres downgraded the Southwest to sub-run, discount $2 films. The facility also reduced to four auditoriums in its final stretch run in 1999. It’s assumed the 70mm projection was moved elsewhere. Loews Southwest closed on December 4, 1999 with four films: “Three to Tango,” “Fight Club,” “Blue Streak,” and “Runaway Bride.” Since the date times out to the 15th anniversary / start dates of Deauville North’s Loews Spring 10 and of Deauville Gulf’s Bay Area 6, it’s presumed that Loews was able to exercise a 15-year opt out with the holding company or bank to finally end its Deauville Southwest misadventure.
Loews Cineplex filed bankruptcy in November of 2001. They were able to immediately close 46 underperforming and/or aging facilities. In the bankruptcy filing, the Loews Deauville Southwest Cinemas, the Loews Deauville North Cinemas, the Loews Deauville Gulf Cinemas, and the unopened Loews Kingwood Cinemas are all listed which may – or may not be – indicative of their ability to escape any further leasing liabilities and certainly an effort to limit claims against the four Deauville properties. The former mall’s unused space stayed in time capsule mode in great shape for more than four decades.
Architect Arthur Steinberg’s sketch of the Briargrove Plaza that housed the venue is in photos. He was the architect of the theater for Transcontinental who stayed with the venue from opening as Briargrove 3 Cinemas as a first-run house on June 10, 1977 all the way to March 16, 1978 with the triplex closing. Just an 8-month run for Trans-C.
Plitt Southern picked up the venue relaunching it on September 8, 1978 (ad in photos) with “Saturday Night Fever,” “The End” and “Gumball Rally.” This was likely on a new, 20-year leasing agreement. However, Plitt left the venue just two years later on September 10, 1980.
Cinemark took it on changing it from first-run to a sub-run, discount dollar house on September 12, 1980 and a new name as the Briargrove 3 Theatre.
On October 17, 1980, it became home to Dollar Cinemas as the Dollar Cinemas - Briargrove 3 and soon Dollar Cinema - Briargrove 3 where it found its audience chugging all the way to May 17, 1998. Premiere Cinema Corporation took on most of the Dollar Cinema locations late that month but either not taking on or not continuing the Briargrove 3. Silver Cinemas also came into the marketplace looking for aging triples and multiplexes in the megalplex age and they also decided against operating the Briargrove 3.
In that era, it would be fairly difficult to operate without advertising at all so it likely closed permanently on May 17, 1998. The 1998 closing also times out with a 20-year leasing arrangement from the Plitt era so would highly recommend that as the end date here. The space was converted for retail purposes thereafter.
The Windsor Shopping Center was a 12-store, $8 million plaza that had opened theatre-less in 1959. A&P and Ben Franklin appeared to be the main draws. That changed when the center opened a spot for a Jefferson Amusement widescreen theatre - the first Cinerama theater in the state. It was known as the Windsor Cinerama Theatre - a name it retained from it launch December 21, 1962 into March of 1976 before becoming the Windsor Theatre for three years (though the Cinerama sign was still in place even past the theater’s days).
An unfortunate twinning transformed the venue to the Windsor 1 & 2 Theatre on May 11, 1979 with “Murder by Decree” and “The Dark.” The twinning took seat count down to 976 seats.
The name was fine-tuned to the Windsor Twin Theatre beginning on August 17, 1979. Jimmy Duncan’s Cineplex Corp. of Houston took on three Tercar locations on December 1, 1982 with the Windsor, Gaylynn, and Memorial Twin. At that point the name was ‘smithed to the Cineplex Windsor II Theatres.
Cineplex went bankrupt and Lee Roy Mitchell’s Cinemark Circuit took on its theatre portfolio on January 30, 1987. Cinemark called it the Windsor II Theatres. The dog days were dead ahead when the Windsor moved it from first-run for the first time in more than 25 years of operation to a flop-house, double-feature, $1 discount runs with a two-for-one admission policy in September 9, 1988 trying to wring out every nickel it could.
Cinemark ran with that not finding enough nickels closing on the Martin Luther King Day holiday on January 16, 1989. A picture of that closure is in photos. It was turned into a night club in 1990. The venue appears to have been demolished following its night club days in 2009 in favor of a Golf Galaxy retail store.
The Spectrum was Cineplex Odeon’s three-story destination theatre experience. Unlike its more benign cookie cutter multiplexes, the Spectrum had marble floors, skylit ceiling, commissioned art including John Noestheden’s relief sculpture, “ “Glenelg Concerto,” and vista overview points at its second and third levels. Three 70mm auditoriums and Houston’s first two THX certified auditoriums aided in the presentation. Arriving at the Spectrum provided equal expressions of opulence and garishness. Perfect for the late 1980s and an era of excess upon its June 24, 1988 launch.
Ten years later in 1998, Cineplex Odeon merged with Loews creating Loews Cineplex. It was at the height of megaplex development in the cinema exhibition industry. The odd duck Cineplex Odeon Spectrum and the sister River Oaks 12 were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Loews Cineplex declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy on February 15, 2001. It would vanquish 56 theaters nationwide to get rid of aging properties and bad longterm leasing deals.
Before the ink was dry on the bankruptcy deal, they called the Spectrum and told them to lock up that night following its final showtimes of February 15, 2001 despite bookings for that weekend. Three other area venues also shuttered in the reorganization but they got two more weeks of showtimes. Included in that was the River Oaks 12. The Spectrum was soon demolished in favor of an apartment complex.
The West Oaks Mall project was announced in late 1980 with AMC signed on to build an 8-plex or possibly 10-plex theater at launch. But during construction of Federated Realty - operators of Foley’s Department Stores - the Foley’s was on board first and there was no sign of an AMC venue. But in the second phase of West Oaks Mall, the food court and a 7-plex Plitt Theatre were in the offing. The Plitt West Oaks 7 opened adjacent to the food court on March 2, 1984. Cineplex Odeon bought out the Plitt chain a year later. Lord & Taylor and Saks Fifth Avenue left the building as West Oaks fought against a Houston-centric recession.
Loews and Cineplex Odeon combined April 16, 1998 and the venue would become the Loews West Oak Mall 7. Loews Cineplex declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy on February 15, 2001. It would vanquish 56 theaters nationwide. Its West Oaks 7 was one of those venues as Loews moved on following the March 1, 2001 showtimes. Three other area venues also shuttered in the reorganization.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas relaunched here on May 9, 2003. It began an expansion in 2012 in Houston while Edwards was building a 12-screen megaplex exterior to the Mall in the demolished Mervyn’s anchor spot which opened on August 24th, 2012. Alamo moved on from West Oaks and the space converted to a short-lived Toby Keith’s Bar location.
Loews Cineplex declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy on February 15, 2001. It would vanquish 56 theaters nationwide. Congratulations River Oaks Plaza 12 - you are one of those venues as Loews moved on following the March 1, 2001 showtimes. Three other area venues also shuttered in the reorganization. This one was demolished.
Loews Cineplex declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy on February 15, 2001. It would vanquish 56 theaters nationwide. Loews Memorial City 8 was one of those venues as Loews moved on following the February 28, 2001 showtimes. Three other area venues also shuttered in the reorganization.
Report from employees says the theater will close after showtimes of August 31, 2025 at expiry of lease.
By the way - there was no screen 16, 17 or 18. I’m serious.
“…and don’t call me Shirley”
The General Cinemas Greenspoint Mall 5 closed October 27, 1996 at they expiry of its 20-year leasing agreement with “D3,” “Extreme Measures,” “The Rich Man’s Wife,” “First Kid,” and “Bulletproof.” Ads for the next week read, “Closed: Thank you for your patronage.” The theater was sealed off and remained in a time capsule until the Greenspoint Mall’s closure (June of 2024( demolition (schedule for 2025).
The North Houston Theatre launched January 30, 1947 by Long Theatres of Baytown as their 61st venue. It closed at the end of its 30-year leasing agreement on December 13, 1976 with “Fists of Fury” and “Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold.”
Oddly enough, the GCC Greenspoint V box office was still in place with ticketing dispensers - in July of 2025 - along with the theater behind it as Greenspoint was awaiting demolition.
Final showtimes were at the end of leasing contract at the 15-year mark on July 30, 1990 with “The Hunt for Red October” on Screen 2 and the double-feature of unrated “XXX” features in “The Love Shack” and “The Wrong Woman.” Also known as Theatre Deauville and originally operated by Nineteen Sixty, Inc. which operated four automated cinemas in suburban Houston in the 1970s before moving on from each.
Fans of the Kingwood Plaza already know that this cinema was part of the Phase 3 expansion that also included three restaurants and a Wackers' Variety Store. Robert Rousch’s Nineteen Sixty Corp. which had the Deauville Twin and partial operational control of the Champions Village and Lamar Plaza cinemas, was the developer and original operator here.
The 750 seat (identical 375 seat twins) venue’s December 23, 1977 grand opening ad in photos as the Kingwood Twin Cinema with “The Gauntlet” and “Greyeagle.” Simplex projection with Dolby sound aided in the presentations.
AMC took over the venue as the AMC Kingwood 2. It closed February 20, 1986 with “Rocky IV” and “White Knights.”
AMC took this venue on beginning with showtimes on December 11, 1998 from General Cinemas renaming it as the AMC Willowbrook Mall 6. General Cinema ceded control of the Baybrook Mall 6, Deebrook Mall, and Willowbrook Mall after its December 10, 1998 showtimes as it was in full-scale economic meltdown. AMC continued to operate its external 8-already-turned-10-plex screen facility across from the Willowbrook Mall, as well.
On November 18, 1999, AMC closed the exterior 10-screen not running evening shows as it was readying for the grand opening of its megaplex, the AMC Willowbrook 24 the next day. Also on November 19, 1999, AMC downgraded the six-plex facility to a sub-run discount house with all seats at $1.50 (and later $2). The AMC Willowbrook Mall 6 closed on July 27, 2000 permanently. Its proper name in the database should be the AMC Willowbrook Mall 6.
The Tidwell exited the ozoner world on April 16, 1979 with a triple feature of “Young Frankenstein,” “The Driver” and “Bad Georgia Road.” Swift Transportation used it for vehicle storage and logistics for the until 1989 likely taking it to the end of its lease. The entire facility was replaced by the Swiss Village on the Park Apartments with 163 units in the early 1990s.
In development in late 1970, the East Park Shopping Center was created mainly for anchor tenants W.T. Grant (which would have a store complete with an interior Brandon House restaurant and an exterior auto center) and J. Weingarten Supermarket #101 and its first “superstore” concept with clothing and other home goods. Weingarten was the landlord. Others in the center including Eckerd Drug Store, Alaskan Clothing Store (a local chain open since 1912), and a twin screen cinema designed by James A. Bishop & Associates, Inc. Architects for Tercar Theatres.
When the center opened on October 14, 1971, it had been fused into a single word, Eastpark Shopping Center. A shot in the dark guess here in looking at plans and pictures is that the attractor sign for the plaza came with a single word, “Eastpark,” and all of the leases were likely signed with “East Park.” But “Eastpark” was the name on the big sign so they rolled with it. The Twin Theatre got the name “East Park” in its grand opening ad as did all of the stores that had opened the previous Fall… but was “Eastpark” was in the cinema’s display ads from day 2 to its first, quick closure a year and a half later.
The Eastpark Twin Theatre I & II opened on February 16, 1972 with “Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight” and “Wild Rovers” on Screen I and “Sometimes a Great Notion” on Screen II. Tercar discontinued operations on November 4, 1973 with “Horror High” and “Point of Terror” on Screen I and “One Little Indian” and “Walt Disney’s The Lady and the Tramp” on Screen II.
Tecar celebrated a grand (re-)opening on April 11, 1974 with a new programming policy of Blaxploitation films at night and kids matinees. It began with “Five on the Black Hand Side” on Screen I and “Sugar Hill” and “Scream, Blacula, Scream” on Screen II. Again, they opted for “East Park” in their grand opening ad and “Eastpark” in all subsequent ads. This policy was less successful with Tercar leaving for good on June 13, 1974 with Billy Dee Williams in “The Take” and “J.W. Coop” on Screen I and “The Dynamite Brothers” and “The Black Six” on Screen II. My guess is that Tercar said if they aren’t even coming to see that, we’re done. Less than a year later, the center also lost its main anchor when W.T. Grant’s pulled out of Houston and Eastpark on March 30, 1975 with the rest of the chain closing down soon after.
The theater that nobody remembered came back in 1979 when Entertainment Products, Inc. signed on as the new operator. It was going to be a bumpy ride. The venue’s projection was automated opening on July 27, 1979 as the Lakewood 2 with “The Wanderers” on Screen I and a John Travolta Double-Feature on Screen II with “Saturday Night Fever” and “Grease.” They tried Blaxploitation, they tried dollar, sub-run discount fare, and then - on December 7, 1979, they tried adult fare on Screen II.
“Love Airlines” and “Fulfillment” proved fulfilling as the seven-year old venue finally had an audience. And the off-kilter Screen I / Screen II mismatches were underway. For instance, on January 4, 1980, the family friendly “The Fish That Ate Pittsburgh” was on Screen II for a dollar and at full price on Screen II was the classic “Deep Throat” and “Devil in Miss Jones.” I don’t see any issues there. Devolving into a grindhouse, the theater had a double feature on November 30, 1981 of Seka in “On White Satin” and “Hot Lunch” on Screen I and they had stopped advertising Screen II because nobody was interested in those films anyway. There were a couple more listings in December that didn’t run as there was likely a mutual agreement that no more rent was forthcoming from Entertainment Products, Inc. - or any other cinema exhibitor - after November 30, 1981. The automated equipment ground to a halt at 11:46p following “Hot Lunch.” There was no dessert.
No expert, but believe the address is now considered 9658 East Mesa Drive. Also believe that its spot was demolished and is an outdoor playground with virtually all of the rest of the center intact although split use between retail and by KIPP Northeast College Prep High School.
Cartoon Carousel of America, Inc. opened the first of what was supposed to have been a franchised operation of multiple Cartoon Carousels - automated, supervised kids-centric theaters where parties could be had and kids could be dropped off. It was located behind the highly-popular Sharpstown Mall.
Cartoon Carousel’s long delayed opening happened on April 2, 1977. Their motto to potential franchisees was, “As long as there are kids, you can be making money!” Apparently, kids must have not been in or near Sharpstown or South Houston as this Carousel stopped suddenly, just shy of the venue’s second month party on June 26, 1977.
Dismay occurred for the neighborhood when the venue transitioned under new operators from kid-friendly to the porno chic Cinema Carousel on October 30, 1977. Its policy was double-feature X-rated fare where you could drop off adults beginning with Linda Wong in “Easy Alice” and Sandy Dempsey in “Shot on Location.”
The venue’s programming continued its trajectory on June 15, 1984 when - under a new operator - began showing unrated XXX double features in the home video era. It appears to have closed May 18, 1987 presumably at the opt-out point, half way through a 20-year leasing agreement. It was converted for other retail purposes.
Seating capacity : 2 @ 400 each (70mm capability at launch) and 4@ 200 each for a total of 1,600 seats.
Final day was Sunday, August 3, 2025 at the end of its 20-year leasing agreement. Though Regency ran it as a discount almost its entire run, the last stretch from June 3, 2023 to August 3, 2025 was on a first-run policy as sub-run discount houses were all but extinct by 2023.
The Roosevelt Shopping Center opened theatre-less on September 9, 1933. An independent theater proposed the addition of a theater at the far end of the complex but zoning issues hampered the project. The delay in zoning allowed A.H. Blank and Tri-Cities Theatres to become a partner and operator of the proposed Roosevelt Theater project with Blank adding air conditioning and other elements including its steel frame tripling the project’s budget which ultimately paid out nicely. The Roosevelt Theater’s architecture matched the Spanish Colonial theme of its center upon opening on Christmas Day 1934 with “Mrs. Wiggs and the Cabbage Patch.”
The local Drama Association was ready to move from the Kendall Playhouse and purchased the building. They would move in once the December 1954 leases with Tri-Cities expired. Fortunately, the Roosevelt Theatre played Francis, the Talking Mule in “Francis Goes to West Point” on July 9, 1952. Francis got to the military academy and said, “The Roosevelt closed permanently after that showing. I didn’t think my film was that bad.” Co-star Donald O'Connor assured the animal thespian that it was, indeed, that bad.
Tri-Cities let Des Moines Community Drama take over the venue 18 months early and only after it removed the screen, projectors, and other movie related equipment from the building. The venue reopened for live plays January 11, 1953 as the Des Moines Community Playhouse. It continues as the Playhouse Theatre in contemporary times. Des Moines movie fans have yet to forgive Francis, however.
Address - 610 Mulberry
End of the line - August 7, 2025 as the venue reached the expiry of its 30-year leasing agreement.
The Majestic Theatre was a high profile vaudeville house opened to house the Orpheum circuit performers at 206-210 8th Street. High dollars were associated in the puffery for the building to create excitement and for a chance to claim it as the most expensive theater built in the city of Des Moines to date. $175k, $150k. $125k. $100k. But the City listed the project at an austere $50k - not the most expensive theater in the city at that time. The building carried a 15-year lease but would be subleased out seasonally year over year - another clue that this was a lower cost shed than a grand theatrical palace.
So it began as the Majestic Theatre on November 17, 1907. Year one, season one - first day’s performance had the Kinodrome short films and Orpheum vaudeville attractions. Its first two years were as the Majestic Theatre with a mix of Orpheum and Orpheum-like performers. Things would change as one might expect in such a fluid subleasing situation. So be patient.
Its third year (9th season) began on November 14, 1909 as the Des Moines Orpheum Theatre. It would be actual Orpheum Orpheum every day. The venue booked W.C. Fields, Mae West, Sarah Bernhardt, Jack Benny, Eddie Cantor, the Foys, and many others. So the Majestic sign was removed on favor of an Orpheum Theatre sign making the Majestic sign available. It was one of the best built elements of the former Majestic so Elbert and Getchell purchased the Majestic sign and be-bopped it over to the Empire Theatre at 313-315 8th Street for the New Majestic beginning August 21, 1910 with “popular vaudeville” (aka cheaper).
During World War I, profits had definitely swung to cinematic exhibition and live stage programming in mid-sized cities and lower dropped considerably as opera houses and vaudeville theaters struggled for survival. In Des Moines, alone, the Berchel and Princess had gone dark, Foster’s Opera House/Theatre was demolished; the Majestic was showing many more films than ever before, and the Orpheum Circuit was fighting for survival closing here for a brief period in 1919.
The reorganized Orpheum took on the Des Moines Orpheum in late 1919 reopening for its season. It was a major vote of confidence for the house. That confidence lasted until the end of the venue’s 15 year leasing agreement in 1922. The Orpheum decided to move to new digs over at the Sherman / Pantages / Empress / Hippodrome wannabe at 412 8th Street. So it was time for a new name here and that became the Iowa Theatre (not the one you’re thinking of, likely) on September 24th, 1922 with third-tier vaudeville on the building’s second and final 15-year leasing cycle. The Iowa’s live presentation was - as you might expect - not a programmatic winner. So there was only one direction for the Majestic/Orpheum/Iowa to go: burley house! And so it began as the renamed Garrick Theatre on August 24, 1924 and The Kandy Girls dancing across the burlesque stage.
For its 20th birthday (77th season), it got a new partner and name. The burlesque house was picked up by the “Tiffany” of the burley circuit - The Mutual Burlesque Association (MBA) and known as the “Mutual Wheel” as it bicycled adult acts across the country. The venue was renamed as the Mutual Garrick Theatre in late 1927. Rube Bernstein’s Bathing Beauties opened the season with Erin Jackson - known as one of the main Mutual beauties on the “wheel.” In other words, a vote of confidence for the theater. Omer Kenyon was the programmer but it wasn’t a big hit. The Mutual Garrick was done after a single year.
So for its 21st birthday (81st season), it was the first of many indy operators trying to wring a nickel out of the old dog and under its new and final operational name - The President Theatre. It opened its season with a live play in 1928, “Why Men Leave.” Generally, this presidential dog was not up for the hunt. But at least its direction was familiar. After failing as a legit stage, it tried to be an event hall including wrestling, and it would finally end up as a second- and sometimes third-tier burley house - the kind with a “k” or burlesk theater - complete with a police raid and some local controversy. But there were some good shows toward its final days. In February of 1937, “Sliding” Billy Watson brought his “Beef Trust” show entitled, “Krausemeyer’s Alley” headlined by Bobbie Lee and with Babe Davis and Nadine Marsh performing the way they performed. And its final Burlesk presentation was on November 15-21, 1937 with “Running Wild” starring the “Creole Fashion Plate” herself, Karyl Norman. Not a bad swan song.
The venue’s 30th Anniversary had been reached and - having already reached the lower tier burley house stage - there would be no re-upping by anyone for a third 15-year cycle as there was nowhere to go but down. Literally. The last contract was signed by the Cohen Brothers - demolition experts. They had a salvage sale in early 1938. Orpheum Booker / Manager Clyde Fairless retrieved the booking ledger (!) listing all of the house’s live performances. He reviewed the ledger tracing the building’s demise in the reduction of booked acts year over year as the theater devolved to closure. The Majestic/Des Moines Orpheum/Iowa/Garrick/Mutual Garrick/President Theatre had few distinctions especially as not being the city’s most expensive theater built. But at least in 1938 it could claim to be the first Des Moines Theatre razed for a car parking garage.
Sadly… that distinction is also not the Majestic-President’s as the Berchel Theatre was torn down in 1931 for - yes - a parking lot. But at least it was the second theater razed for a parking lot and the first theater to be torn down and replaced by a parking lot with six operational names. That’s something, I guess.
Factually - it wasn’t really ever a silent movie house, per se, although short silent films were a part of vaudeville presentations here. Also, it wasn’t known as the Orpheum in 1908. And, it wasn’t closed in 1929.