Lindsey Theatre #1

Clifton C. Lindsey opened this movie house in downtown Lubbock on March 15, 1916 with 500 seats. The neighboring Theatre Confectionery served as the venue’s de facto concession stand. Lindsey sold the house to Robb and Rowley’s R&R Circuit who, after a refresh, reopened it as the R&R Lindsey Theatre on June 5, 1921 with Gloria Swanson and Rudolph Valentino in “Beyond the Rocks”.

In 1924, Lindsey built a new theatre and reacquired the Lindsey not long thereafter. In 1929, Lindsey spent $50,000 on a sound upgrade that included a perforated screen, Vitaphone sound system, a new $4,000 Wicks pipe organ, and an expansion from 500 to 925 seats as the town of Lubbock had grown from around 3,000 when the town was built to just under 20,000 when the New Lindsey Theatre launched. The opening film on April 28, 1929 for the New Lindsey Theatre was May McAvoy with “The Terror” supported by the Al Jolson short “Zip Boom Bang” and a Wicks organ recital by Sam Reed. Air conditioning was also added for the first time.

In July of 1939, the Lindsey Theatre was targeted for elimination to be replaced with a completely new, 1,400 seat (in planning) theatre. The plans called for demolition of the aging Lindsey Theatre with the new venue in the same spot. The last known booking at the Lindsey Theatre was March 3, 1940 showing of “The Invisible Man Returns” starring Cedric Hardwicke.

1940 was a busy time for the Lindsey Circuit also had the new Tower Theatre in construction. The Tower Theatre would launch in August of 1940. The New Lindsey Theatre would open November 7, 1940 with Tyrone Power in “The Mark of Zorro” (it has its own page on Cinema Treasures).

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