The General Cinema Glendale I & II opened on July 26, 1967 with “Barefoot in the Park” and “A Man for All Seasons.” The venue was built in the South parking lot of the Glendale Mall which had opened theatre-less in 1958. General Cinema then built a separate theater called the Glendale III & IV in 1970.
The first auditorium of the I/II was split into two in 1978 and the venue was renamed the General Cinema Glendale I•II•III and the other was called the General Cinema Glendale IV & V. Then the folks twinned the other venue in 1981 becoming the General Cinema Glendale IV•V•VI.
In 1991, the folks ditched the Roman numerals in marketing. The Glendale 3 was demoted to discount, dollar run status under the temporary moniker of the Glendale Savings Cinema on July 2, 1993 with the name reverting to the Glendale 3 in October of 1993. The original venue made it to the end of its 30-year lease in 1997 but General Cinema was convinced to go month to month likely on a bargain rate. GCC posited a 12-screen megaplex for the center but its resources were limited so it concentrated on other properties closing on July 12, 1998 as as the General Cinema Glendale with the sequel 4-6 already ending operations on December 2, 1995 as the General Cinema Glendale 4-6.
The 1-3 got one more change when it was resumed by MCCI Theatres in a stunning comeback on November 25, 1998 - likely with a minimal leasing commitment. It was renamed as the Glendale Cinema 3 at that point. It closed as the Glendale Cinema (without the numeral) operating far, far longer than anyone could have ever expected. It closed after five full months of operation on May 2, 1999 with “Forces of Nature,” “The King & I,” “Shakespeare’s In Love,” and “Doug’s First Movie (but last at the Glendale Cinema)”. The building was razed to prevent any further cinematic operations with Kerasotes taking on the Glendale for its ShowPlace 12 theater.
Became the AMC Eastgate Mall 6 on April 5, 2002. AMC closed on January 8, 2004 at the end of a 30-year leasing agreement. Two months later, on March 26, 2004, all of the interior stores were told to scram as the Eastgate Consumer Mall was closing after 47 years of operation. Demolition did not occur for ten years causing urban blight in the neighborhood.
The second two-screen Galleria, Cinema III & IV, opened for General Cinema on June 17, 1977 with “Star Wars and “Cross of Iron.” (The original Cinema I & II had launched on November 18, 1970 and has its own entry.) “Star Wars'” gravitational pull drew throngs of patrons to the Galleria who could see it at the original, lower level “II” or the brand new, street level “IV.” I’m certain many saw it at both.
The two, two-screeners must have seemed outdated in the multiplex world of the 1980s and simply quaint in the megaplex realm of the 1990s. In response to the question above, the lower level / skating rink General Cinema Galleria I & II held on until its closure of October 16, 1994. The street level General Cinema Galleria III & IV closed three months later on January 15, 1995 with “Pulp Fiction” and Walt Disney’s “The Jungle Book.”
The recommended entry name for this one is General Cinema Galleria III & IV (also known as General Cinema Galleria - for the three month stretch from October 17, 1994 to January 15, 1995 after the departure of the original General Cinema Galleria I & II).
The General Cinema Glendale I & II had opened on July 26, 1967. GCC then built a separate theater across the street from the Glendale Mall called the General Cinema Glendale III & IV on September 24, 1970 with “Sunflower” and “Soldier Blue.”
In 1978, the original venue split one of its auditoriums and was renamed the General Cinema Glendale I•II•III and this venue was rebranded as the General Cinema Glendale IV & V. Then the folks twinned an auditorium here in 1981 transforming to the General Cinema Glendale IV•V•VI.
At some point, the GCC folks ditched the Roman numerals in marketing. The 4-6 was the first to exit ending advertised operations at the terminus of a 25-year leasing agreement on June 29, 1995. The Glendale 1-3 returned to first-run only bookings. But the 4-6 continued with bookings without advertising all the way to December 2, 1995 - likely incurring little to no leasing obligation. The Glendale 4-6 appears to have exited on December 2, 1995 with “White Man’s Burden.”
The Glendale Cinema 1-3 was resumed by MCCI Theatres in a stunning comeback on November 25, 1998 - likely with a minimal leasing commitment. It was renamed as the Glendale Cinema 3 at that point. It closed as the Glendale Cinema (without the numeral) operating far, far longer than anyone could have ever expected. It closed after five full months of operation on May 2, 1999 with “Forces of Nature,” “The King & I,” “Shakespeare’s In Love,” and “Doug’s First Movie (but last at the Glendale Cinema)”. The building was razed to prevent any further cinematic operations.
General Cinema closed the original Glendale Cinema 1-3 on July 12, 1996. It was relit as the MCCI Theatres' Glendale Cinema 3 / Glendale Cinema from November 25, 1998 to May 2, 1999.
The General Cinema Gulfgate I & II became a triplex as the General Cinema Gulfgate 3 on May 18, 1979 following a brief closure of that side of the house . When auditorium I was twinned in September of 1981 it re-emerged as the General Cinemas Gulfgate (4) on October 9, 1981.
Grove Theatre #1 opened on June 7, 1950 closing on May 29, 1959 following a theater-ending fire. The building was located on the square next to the corner building at 106 E Main Street. As of the 2020s, one wall remained from the former theater and a one-story structure took its place.
Grove Theatre #2 launched June 10, 1967 with “Texas Across the River” (ad in photos) in the northwest corner of Honey Grove’s square. Grove #2 turned to adult theater operation. It then got three new operators all trying to turn it back to a family movie theater from 1979 to 1981 with a final listed film on October 4, 1981 as Walt Disney’s “The Fox and the Hound.” The second Grove Theatre then went to live operation through March of 1982 and appears to have closed permanently. As this times out with the expiration of a 15-year leasing period, it may be accurate.
The Tiger Drive-In was named after the high school mascot and operated at 4515 College Avenue about one mile from the Snyder High School. It advertised consistently through the Halloween Weekend of 1980 closing its season on November 1, 1980 with “Friday, the 13th” and “Bloody Pit of Horror.” As that times out with the expiry of a 30-year leasing period, it is likely that it went out honorably with this double-bill.
Just to fill in some details of this entry that is completely blank other than name and theater size (which wasn’t anywhere near 570, btw)… The Star was opened in 1928 by Hardesty Brothers with Wesley Hardesty opening as manager. The 200-seat house was equipped with sound to be viable in a town with just 850 residents. To get sound films, the Brothers signed a deal to be franchisees of Tiffany Pictures assuring them of abundant shorts and B pictures in the early advent of sound period. Tiffany exited the deal in 1932 when Tiffany-Stahl ceased operations.
In March of 1936, the Star began a tradition of free screenings - a Depression-era strategy of having local merchants buy out the house and offer customers of the stores free tickets with or without purchase. With a ten-year lease likely coming due, a replacement venue with a few more seats was found. Contractor Homer Rantz figured out how to carve a new theater, the Rita, into the existing Overton Building which had previously been used for retail.
The Rita opened in 1937 ending the Star’s run. However, the tradition of the trade-out merchant screening deals were so popular that they were moved to the Rita and then to the largest venue in town, the Nu-Vue when it opened. The Nu-Vue ended the series following the 20th Anniversary, 1956 free screening.
The Lone Star was clearly scuffling in the TV age closing in 1954. It was re-opened by Leon Moerbe on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 1955. But the Lone Star was the turkey and basically, Moerbe said he operated for a week without any customer support. So the Lone Star then permanently exited the constellation on December 3, 1955 playing “Seminole Uprising.”
The theater was converted to offices much later. A restoration was completed and the theater opened for live stage plays and then closed once again in 2020.
The Drive-In closed following the August 19, 1967 showing of “The Naked Prey.” Delbert “E.E.” and Imogene Edmiston thanked folks for their patronage deciding against reopening for 1968. Just for the record, the screen tower was demolished on April 16, 1970.
Grand opening ad of the Roy Sept. 26, 1947 with Roy Rogers in “On the Old Spanish Trail” in photos. The town then had two open theaters with the 20-year old Roxy also continuing. The opening of the Sunset Drive-In in 1950 gave a third option to moviegoers. The Roy and Sunset theaters relied heavily on cotton-pickers for their business and skewed programming toward Spanish speaking audiences.
The Roy closed in November of 1960. The Roxy stopped advertising in 1963. The Roy then made an unimaginable comeback for a town of 1,700 folks. It relit as the Munday Theatre on May 13, 1977 for weekend-only operation with a Spanish language matinee and English language films with opening weekend titles of “Teenage Graffiti” and “Nobleza Ranchera.” The reopening went far longer than expected closing after seven weeks on July 2, 1977 with “el Balero de Raquel.” The building has deteriorated and awaits a harsh final date with mother nature in the future.
One more name to add in to this venue. G.A. Cole of Lamesa took on the venue on May 13, 1938 with “Melody of the Plains.” Their final listing was in December of 1938 - likely the end of the line. Reading their bookings, I’d say that they were not having much luck getting good film titles.
The Star Theatre launched December 18, 1914 presumably on a ten year leasing cycle. The Star completed that cycle and got new operators when D.B. and Ada English came to town to operate same in 1924 likely on a 20-year lease. English changed the name of the venue to the English Theatre.
But in the March of 1929, the Englishes knew they needed to transition to sound and decided the time was right for an elegant 500-seat “talkie” theater bearing their surname just to the north of the St. Clair Hotel. That became the English Theatre and this house was renamed as the Lavelta Theatre on November 1, 1929.
The Lavelta is used as a weekend only operation carrying silent films into late 1930. It becomes an events center until it has a fire in 1931 and is updated with non-charred stylings and sound in 1932. But that is short-lived and the theater moves to inactive.
In 1936, with business conditions improving, the Englishes create the Ada Theatre in a different location. Likely at the end of their original leasing contract, the Englishes then sell the English, Ada, and inactive Lavelta to Wallace and Rose Blankenship of Wallace Theatres Circuit. Wallace changes the name of the English to the Wallace, the Ida to the Rose, and decides to relight the inactive Lavelta Theatre. As a nod to the Englishes, he names the for mer Star/English/Lavelta as the Ida English Theatre. In most cities, that third wheel theater would mysteriously burn down… but not here.
That name, Ida English, doesn’t last long - likely too confusing - and the venue’s changed to its final operational name as the Lynn Theatre. The Lynn bowed on October 20, 1944 with “South of the Border.” The Lynn suffered three fires - an auditorium fire gutting the auditorium not long after it opened. That didn’t end things, though. It then suffered a projection booth fire on July 21, 1948. That didn’t end things, either. And then a third fire on November 29, 1949. That did end things for the Star/English/Lavelta/Ida English/ Lynn Theatre, but not the building which hung around on Main Street.
First of all - there was no Rose Theatre in 1930, period. D.B. English operated the town’s theaters - the Ada (named after Mrs. English) and the English - until June of 1944 when Wallace B. Blankenship purchased both venues. This venue had opened by the Englishes on September 23, 1936 in a converted retail space at 1730 Main Street. It was christened as the New Ada Theatre with the film, “Florida Special.”
Wallace removed English’s name from the big theater and it was renamed the Wallace Theatre on June 9, 1944. The Ada Theatre was renamed the Rose Theatre on June 9, 1944. Rose was the wife of Wallace Blankenship (which, if you think about it, makes sense why he’d rename it then and that but certainly not in 1930).
What doesn’t make sense from a homelife standpoint is that the lesser shows (billed as “Good Shows”) were played at the venue with the wife’s name - it all started with “Gildersleeve on Broadway” for the Rose on June 9, 1944 - while his theater billed “Great Shows” at the theater he named after himself beginning that day with “Pride of the Plains.”
The story now makes perfect sense. The Wallace Circuit bought the English venues. They turned the English into the Wallace. The wives' names switched on the second theater building from the Ada to the Rose. Tidy. Unfortunately - and it should best not be shared - but in the name of full disclosure, there was a third theater in the portfolio transferred to the Wallace Circuit.
The Englishes came to Tahoka in 1924 buying the Star Theatre. They changed it to the (original) English Theatre “#1”. They then built the larger, “new” English Theatre “#2” moving there for seven day a week operation. They renamed the former Star/English as the Lavelta Theatre basically running on weekends. The Wallaces now owned that inactive property, as well.
That third theater, which would have burned down mysteriously in any other town was renamed the Ada English Theatre aka the Ada to honor English’s wife after they had sold the theaters. With the Wallace Theatre carrying the “Great Shows,” the Rose Theatre carrying the “Good Shows,” clearly, the Ada English Theatre was designed to carry the “Rotten Shows”. The theatre was quickly renamed as the Lynn Theatre, quickly has a major fire gutting the building, and has its own Cinema Treasure entry.
Back to this entry of Rose, the Rose outlived the Wallace (both in human and theatrical timelines). The Rose Theatre stayed in bloom for its entire 30-year leasing period. It was then reopened by Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Roberts for its final stretch on January 23, 1967 with Jerry Lewis in “Way, Way Out.” It also programmed Spanish language fare on weekdays. Best guess is that the Rose wilted in 1968. It was repurposed for other purposes in the early 1970s and sits vacant in the 2020s.
The General Cinema Glendale I & II opened on July 26, 1967 with “Barefoot in the Park” and “A Man for All Seasons.” The venue was built in the South parking lot of the Glendale Mall which had opened theatre-less in 1958. General Cinema then built a separate theater called the Glendale III & IV in 1970.
The first auditorium of the I/II was split into two in 1978 and the venue was renamed the General Cinema Glendale I•II•III and the other was called the General Cinema Glendale IV & V. Then the folks twinned the other venue in 1981 becoming the General Cinema Glendale IV•V•VI.
In 1991, the folks ditched the Roman numerals in marketing. The Glendale 3 was demoted to discount, dollar run status under the temporary moniker of the Glendale Savings Cinema on July 2, 1993 with the name reverting to the Glendale 3 in October of 1993. The original venue made it to the end of its 30-year lease in 1997 but General Cinema was convinced to go month to month likely on a bargain rate. GCC posited a 12-screen megaplex for the center but its resources were limited so it concentrated on other properties closing on July 12, 1998 as as the General Cinema Glendale with the sequel 4-6 already ending operations on December 2, 1995 as the General Cinema Glendale 4-6.
The 1-3 got one more change when it was resumed by MCCI Theatres in a stunning comeback on November 25, 1998 - likely with a minimal leasing commitment. It was renamed as the Glendale Cinema 3 at that point. It closed as the Glendale Cinema (without the numeral) operating far, far longer than anyone could have ever expected. It closed after five full months of operation on May 2, 1999 with “Forces of Nature,” “The King & I,” “Shakespeare’s In Love,” and “Doug’s First Movie (but last at the Glendale Cinema)”. The building was razed to prevent any further cinematic operations with Kerasotes taking on the Glendale for its ShowPlace 12 theater.
Became the AMC Eastgate Mall 6 on April 5, 2002. AMC closed on January 8, 2004 at the end of a 30-year leasing agreement. Two months later, on March 26, 2004, all of the interior stores were told to scram as the Eastgate Consumer Mall was closing after 47 years of operation. Demolition did not occur for ten years causing urban blight in the neighborhood.
The second two-screen Galleria, Cinema III & IV, opened for General Cinema on June 17, 1977 with “Star Wars and “Cross of Iron.” (The original Cinema I & II had launched on November 18, 1970 and has its own entry.) “Star Wars'” gravitational pull drew throngs of patrons to the Galleria who could see it at the original, lower level “II” or the brand new, street level “IV.” I’m certain many saw it at both.
The two, two-screeners must have seemed outdated in the multiplex world of the 1980s and simply quaint in the megaplex realm of the 1990s. In response to the question above, the lower level / skating rink General Cinema Galleria I & II held on until its closure of October 16, 1994. The street level General Cinema Galleria III & IV closed three months later on January 15, 1995 with “Pulp Fiction” and Walt Disney’s “The Jungle Book.”
The recommended entry name for this one is General Cinema Galleria III & IV (also known as General Cinema Galleria - for the three month stretch from October 17, 1994 to January 15, 1995 after the departure of the original General Cinema Galleria I & II).
The General Cinema Glendale I & II had opened on July 26, 1967. GCC then built a separate theater across the street from the Glendale Mall called the General Cinema Glendale III & IV on September 24, 1970 with “Sunflower” and “Soldier Blue.”
In 1978, the original venue split one of its auditoriums and was renamed the General Cinema Glendale I•II•III and this venue was rebranded as the General Cinema Glendale IV & V. Then the folks twinned an auditorium here in 1981 transforming to the General Cinema Glendale IV•V•VI.
At some point, the GCC folks ditched the Roman numerals in marketing. The 4-6 was the first to exit ending advertised operations at the terminus of a 25-year leasing agreement on June 29, 1995. The Glendale 1-3 returned to first-run only bookings. But the 4-6 continued with bookings without advertising all the way to December 2, 1995 - likely incurring little to no leasing obligation. The Glendale 4-6 appears to have exited on December 2, 1995 with “White Man’s Burden.”
The Glendale Cinema 1-3 was resumed by MCCI Theatres in a stunning comeback on November 25, 1998 - likely with a minimal leasing commitment. It was renamed as the Glendale Cinema 3 at that point. It closed as the Glendale Cinema (without the numeral) operating far, far longer than anyone could have ever expected. It closed after five full months of operation on May 2, 1999 with “Forces of Nature,” “The King & I,” “Shakespeare’s In Love,” and “Doug’s First Movie (but last at the Glendale Cinema)”. The building was razed to prevent any further cinematic operations.
General Cinema closed the original Glendale Cinema 1-3 on July 12, 1996. It was relit as the MCCI Theatres' Glendale Cinema 3 / Glendale Cinema from November 25, 1998 to May 2, 1999.
The General Cinema Gulfgate I & II became a triplex as the General Cinema Gulfgate 3 on May 18, 1979 following a brief closure of that side of the house . When auditorium I was twinned in September of 1981 it re-emerged as the General Cinemas Gulfgate (4) on October 9, 1981.
My error: A bit of redundant repeatery the entry’s title should have been the General Cinema Galleria I & II (please delete the second “Cinema”)
Became the Hooky Delray Beach as part of the Hooky/EVO split in 2025
Became the Hooky Cary as part of the Hooky/EVO split in 2025.
Renamed as the Hooky Waxahachie as part of the EVO / Hooky split in 2025.
Grove Theatre #1 opened on June 7, 1950 closing on May 29, 1959 following a theater-ending fire. The building was located on the square next to the corner building at 106 E Main Street. As of the 2020s, one wall remained from the former theater and a one-story structure took its place.
Grove Theatre #2 launched June 10, 1967 with “Texas Across the River” (ad in photos) in the northwest corner of Honey Grove’s square. Grove #2 turned to adult theater operation. It then got three new operators all trying to turn it back to a family movie theater from 1979 to 1981 with a final listed film on October 4, 1981 as Walt Disney’s “The Fox and the Hound.” The second Grove Theatre then went to live operation through March of 1982 and appears to have closed permanently. As this times out with the expiration of a 15-year leasing period, it may be accurate.
The Tiger Drive-In was named after the high school mascot and operated at 4515 College Avenue about one mile from the Snyder High School. It advertised consistently through the Halloween Weekend of 1980 closing its season on November 1, 1980 with “Friday, the 13th” and “Bloody Pit of Horror.” As that times out with the expiry of a 30-year leasing period, it is likely that it went out honorably with this double-bill.
Announced closure on June 29, 2025 At the expiry of a 15-year leasing agreement
Just to fill in some details of this entry that is completely blank other than name and theater size (which wasn’t anywhere near 570, btw)… The Star was opened in 1928 by Hardesty Brothers with Wesley Hardesty opening as manager. The 200-seat house was equipped with sound to be viable in a town with just 850 residents. To get sound films, the Brothers signed a deal to be franchisees of Tiffany Pictures assuring them of abundant shorts and B pictures in the early advent of sound period. Tiffany exited the deal in 1932 when Tiffany-Stahl ceased operations.
In March of 1936, the Star began a tradition of free screenings - a Depression-era strategy of having local merchants buy out the house and offer customers of the stores free tickets with or without purchase. With a ten-year lease likely coming due, a replacement venue with a few more seats was found. Contractor Homer Rantz figured out how to carve a new theater, the Rita, into the existing Overton Building which had previously been used for retail.
The Rita opened in 1937 ending the Star’s run. However, the tradition of the trade-out merchant screening deals were so popular that they were moved to the Rita and then to the largest venue in town, the Nu-Vue when it opened. The Nu-Vue ended the series following the 20th Anniversary, 1956 free screening.
December 18, 1952
December 18, 1952
The Lone Star was clearly scuffling in the TV age closing in 1954. It was re-opened by Leon Moerbe on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 1955. But the Lone Star was the turkey and basically, Moerbe said he operated for a week without any customer support. So the Lone Star then permanently exited the constellation on December 3, 1955 playing “Seminole Uprising.”
The theater was converted to offices much later. A restoration was completed and the theater opened for live stage plays and then closed once again in 2020.
The Drive-In closed following the August 19, 1967 showing of “The Naked Prey.” Delbert “E.E.” and Imogene Edmiston thanked folks for their patronage deciding against reopening for 1968. Just for the record, the screen tower was demolished on April 16, 1970.
104 West Cash Street - still standing in the mid-2020s.
Grand opening ad of the Roy Sept. 26, 1947 with Roy Rogers in “On the Old Spanish Trail” in photos. The town then had two open theaters with the 20-year old Roxy also continuing. The opening of the Sunset Drive-In in 1950 gave a third option to moviegoers. The Roy and Sunset theaters relied heavily on cotton-pickers for their business and skewed programming toward Spanish speaking audiences.
The Roy closed in November of 1960. The Roxy stopped advertising in 1963. The Roy then made an unimaginable comeback for a town of 1,700 folks. It relit as the Munday Theatre on May 13, 1977 for weekend-only operation with a Spanish language matinee and English language films with opening weekend titles of “Teenage Graffiti” and “Nobleza Ranchera.” The reopening went far longer than expected closing after seven weeks on July 2, 1977 with “el Balero de Raquel.” The building has deteriorated and awaits a harsh final date with mother nature in the future.
Advertising stopped after the 1967 season.
One more name to add in to this venue. G.A. Cole of Lamesa took on the venue on May 13, 1938 with “Melody of the Plains.” Their final listing was in December of 1938 - likely the end of the line. Reading their bookings, I’d say that they were not having much luck getting good film titles.
Opened June 14, 1924 with “George Washington, Jr.”
The Palace opened Nov. 11, 1925 with “The Gold Rush.“ It upgraded to sound film beginning on October 24, 1929 with "The Rainbow Man.”
The Star Theatre launched December 18, 1914 presumably on a ten year leasing cycle. The Star completed that cycle and got new operators when D.B. and Ada English came to town to operate same in 1924 likely on a 20-year lease. English changed the name of the venue to the English Theatre.
But in the March of 1929, the Englishes knew they needed to transition to sound and decided the time was right for an elegant 500-seat “talkie” theater bearing their surname just to the north of the St. Clair Hotel. That became the English Theatre and this house was renamed as the Lavelta Theatre on November 1, 1929.
The Lavelta is used as a weekend only operation carrying silent films into late 1930. It becomes an events center until it has a fire in 1931 and is updated with non-charred stylings and sound in 1932. But that is short-lived and the theater moves to inactive.
In 1936, with business conditions improving, the Englishes create the Ada Theatre in a different location. Likely at the end of their original leasing contract, the Englishes then sell the English, Ada, and inactive Lavelta to Wallace and Rose Blankenship of Wallace Theatres Circuit. Wallace changes the name of the English to the Wallace, the Ida to the Rose, and decides to relight the inactive Lavelta Theatre. As a nod to the Englishes, he names the for mer Star/English/Lavelta as the Ida English Theatre. In most cities, that third wheel theater would mysteriously burn down… but not here.
That name, Ida English, doesn’t last long - likely too confusing - and the venue’s changed to its final operational name as the Lynn Theatre. The Lynn bowed on October 20, 1944 with “South of the Border.” The Lynn suffered three fires - an auditorium fire gutting the auditorium not long after it opened. That didn’t end things, though. It then suffered a projection booth fire on July 21, 1948. That didn’t end things, either. And then a third fire on November 29, 1949. That did end things for the Star/English/Lavelta/Ida English/ Lynn Theatre, but not the building which hung around on Main Street.
First of all - there was no Rose Theatre in 1930, period. D.B. English operated the town’s theaters - the Ada (named after Mrs. English) and the English - until June of 1944 when Wallace B. Blankenship purchased both venues. This venue had opened by the Englishes on September 23, 1936 in a converted retail space at 1730 Main Street. It was christened as the New Ada Theatre with the film, “Florida Special.”
Wallace removed English’s name from the big theater and it was renamed the Wallace Theatre on June 9, 1944. The Ada Theatre was renamed the Rose Theatre on June 9, 1944. Rose was the wife of Wallace Blankenship (which, if you think about it, makes sense why he’d rename it then and that but certainly not in 1930).
What doesn’t make sense from a homelife standpoint is that the lesser shows (billed as “Good Shows”) were played at the venue with the wife’s name - it all started with “Gildersleeve on Broadway” for the Rose on June 9, 1944 - while his theater billed “Great Shows” at the theater he named after himself beginning that day with “Pride of the Plains.”
The story now makes perfect sense. The Wallace Circuit bought the English venues. They turned the English into the Wallace. The wives' names switched on the second theater building from the Ada to the Rose. Tidy. Unfortunately - and it should best not be shared - but in the name of full disclosure, there was a third theater in the portfolio transferred to the Wallace Circuit.
The Englishes came to Tahoka in 1924 buying the Star Theatre. They changed it to the (original) English Theatre “#1”. They then built the larger, “new” English Theatre “#2” moving there for seven day a week operation. They renamed the former Star/English as the Lavelta Theatre basically running on weekends. The Wallaces now owned that inactive property, as well.
That third theater, which would have burned down mysteriously in any other town was renamed the Ada English Theatre aka the Ada to honor English’s wife after they had sold the theaters. With the Wallace Theatre carrying the “Great Shows,” the Rose Theatre carrying the “Good Shows,” clearly, the Ada English Theatre was designed to carry the “Rotten Shows”. The theatre was quickly renamed as the Lynn Theatre, quickly has a major fire gutting the building, and has its own Cinema Treasure entry.
Back to this entry of Rose, the Rose outlived the Wallace (both in human and theatrical timelines). The Rose Theatre stayed in bloom for its entire 30-year leasing period. It was then reopened by Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Roberts for its final stretch on January 23, 1967 with Jerry Lewis in “Way, Way Out.” It also programmed Spanish language fare on weekdays. Best guess is that the Rose wilted in 1968. It was repurposed for other purposes in the early 1970s and sits vacant in the 2020s.