Plains Theatre

dallasmovietheaters on June 2, 2025 at 7:24 pm

In March of 1946, The Texas Tech trio of alums, Wendell O. Bearden and Preston E. Smith and Irma Mae Smith, continued their journey into Lubbock film exhibition. They decided to plunk down $10,000 to convert the former Hays Grocery turned Cafe into the Plains Theatre. The venue opened on July 27th, 1946 becoming their third theater after the original Arcadia (1939) and Tech Theatres (1936). Smith put his name in the ad in promoting the opening films, “Outlaws of the Stampede Pass” and “Wild Horse Stampede” supported by two cartoons. The group would soon open the New Arcadia turning the original Arcadia into the Chief. And they would open the Sunset and Red Raider Drive-Ins.

By the drive-in’s opening, Preston Smith was on his way from Texas House member, to State Senator, to Lieutenant Governor all the way to the Governor. The Plains carried on from 1946 to 1948 with Smith testifying in an antitrust hearing that he was unable to secure downtown Hollywood features at the Plains. Hiram Parks would come in from Brownfield, Texas and found gold in playing virtually nothing but Spanish language films. Parks knew that clearing Spanish films was a snap compared to Hollywood films. Parks then built the Teatro el Capitán which opened next door in 1950 also very successfully screening playing Spanish language films.

The two theaters went unadvertised and virtually uncovered by the English language newspapers simply referred to - at times - as the “two Spanish language theaters.” As for the transition to adult fare, it certainly is possible but not covered by the local press. The building housing the former Plains was still hanging around in the mid-2020s though was biing used by a bails bondsman. The El Capitan’s footprint became a parking lot.