Wallace Theatre
Harper Street,
Tahoka,
TX
79373
Harper Street,
Tahoka,
TX
79373
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Wallace Theaters
Architects: Harvey C. Allen
Styles: Egyptian
Previous Names: English Theatre
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The English Theatre was opened on November 1, 1929 with “Lola Lane in "The Girl from Havana”. It occupied a tan and brown brick building which had an ornate Egyptian style facade. Its large vertical sign had been covered with another sign identifying it as the Wharton building when I photographed it about 30 years ago. It was taken over by Wallace Theaters on June 9, 1944 and renamed Wallace Theatre. In the late-1950’s it was taken over by an independent operator. It was closed on October 13, 1962. It was destroyed by fire on June 2, 1975.
Contributed by
Don Lewis
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Recent comments (view all 5 comments)
My photograph of the ENGLISH THEATER www.flickr.com/photos/lastpictureshow/234254515/
Here is a photo from July 2001:
http://tinyurl.com/yfxl7c
A 2001 photo of the English Theater building in Tahoka.
www.flickr.com/photos/lastpictureshow/2205827086
An early 1930s photo of the English Theater in Tahoka.
www.flickr.com/photos/lastpictureshow/2225273163
D.B. and Ada English had operated the former Star Theatre as the English Theatre from 1924 to 1929. 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 the former house was renamed as the Lavelta Theatre. The Egyptian-themed venue was designed by architect Harvey C. Allen. The theater opened on Harper Street on November 1, 1929 with Lola Lane as “The Girl From Havana.”
The Englishes erased the Egyptian styling in a 1934 refresh. Ten years later they sold the venue to Wallace B. Blankenship who ran twelve other South Plains theaters. Wallace Theatres was established on August 2, 1923 with his first location in Ropesville, Texas. He was known for the Wallace-branded theaters. He took down the English signage changing it immediately to the Wallace Theatre. And he took Ada English’s name off of the Ada Theatre and renamed it the Rose Theatre. Take that!
The renamings occurred on June 9, 1944 advertising with “Good Shows” at the Rose (that day, “Gildersleeve on Broadway”) and “Great Shows” with the the Wallace Theatre bowing with “Pride of the Plains.” Through a refresh, the theater ended with a streamline moderne interior.
Wallace Theatres Circuit then opened the T-Bar Drive-In on August 2, 1950. They dropped the English Theatre in the late 1950s and the Waldrips took on the venue which was scuffling in the TV era. The Waldrips closed the Wallace Theatre on October 13, 1962 and retained the Rose Theater. The theater’s lobby was used for bake sales and other elements and remained mostly vacant until a June 2, 1975 fire destroyed the building.
Bottom line… Status: Demolished