Majestic Theatre (San Antonio) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Majestic Theatre

Address	224 E. Houston Street San Antonio, Texas United States
Owner	City of San Antonio
Operator	Ambassador Theatre Group
Capacity	2,264
Construction
Opened	June 14, 1929
Reopened	1989
Tenants
Las Casas Foundation
Website
Majestic Theatre
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
Majestic Theatre, San Antonio Location in Texas Show map of Texas Majestic Theatre, San Antonio Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	San Antonio, Texas  United States
Built	1929
Architect	Eberson, John
Architectural style	Skyscraper, Mission/Spanish Revival
NRHP reference No.	75001952
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	October 1, 1975

The Majestic Theatre in San Antonio, Texas is a very old and big theatre. It's known as an "atmospheric theatre" because it looks like you're sitting outdoors under the stars! This theatre can seat 2,264 people. It was designed by a famous architect named John Eberson in 1929.

The Majestic Theatre is a very important building. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Later, it became a Texas Historic Landmark in 1991. It was also named a National Historic Landmark in 1993. For many years, it was the biggest theatre in Texas. It was also the second largest movie theatre in the United States. Plus, it was the first theatre in Texas to have full air-conditioning!

History of the Majestic Theatre

The land where the theatre stands was rented by Karl Hoblitzelle. He wanted to build a grand theatre there. There was a rule that the land couldn't be used for entertainment until April 5, 1928. Luckily, the theatre opened after this date.

The Majestic Theatre opened on June 14, 1929. This opening was a big deal for San Antonio. The city even called that month "Prosperity Month." The theatre was huge, almost as big as the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. It was also the first theatre in Texas to have air conditioning. This was a huge attraction back then!

Advertisements for the theatre talked about "an acre of cool, comfortable seats." To show how cool it was, they even put fake snow on the theatre's name! People were so excited that some women wore fur coats to the opening, even in June. The theatre could hold 4,000 people and was completely full on opening day.

The first show included a musical film called Follies of 1929. There were also live performers. These included a Mexican singer named Don Galvan and an acrobat group called the "Seven Nelsons." Even Jimmie Rodgers, known as the Father of Country Music, performed. He got 18 curtain calls! Each week, the theatre showed a new movie and new live acts.

In 1930, the Great Depression caused the theatre to close for a few weeks. But it soon reopened. People wanted to watch movies to escape their worries. The Majestic Theatre continued to offer movies and live shows through the 1940s and 1950s.

Unique Features of the Theatre

The Majestic Theatre has many special features. Outside, there's a huge cast-iron canopy over the sidewalk. A tall, 76-foot sign stands above it. On top of the sign, there used to be a peacock statue. It looked like it was walking on a spinning ball.

The lobby inside looks like a cave. It has copper lanterns and beautiful ceiling murals. There was even an aquarium with tropical fish! Inside the main theatre room, called the auditorium, you can see stuffed birds. Some are on balconies, and some look like they are flying. There are also copies of famous Greek, Roman, and Renaissance sculptures. You can even see specially treated cypress trees from Spain.

The theatre's ceiling is painted blue with clouds. It looks like an evening sky. A special projector makes clouds move across the ceiling. Small light bulbs act like stars. These "stars" are placed exactly where real stars were on the night the theatre opened. Experts from the National Geographic Society helped with this!

In 2017, the old peacock statue was replaced. It had become old and gray. A new peacock was bought from a California taxidermist. There are 27 other stuffed birds in the theatre. At its opening in 1929, the Majestic was said to have one of the biggest collections of stuffed birds in Texas. Later in 2017, the theatre helped host a benefit concert for hurricane relief.

Famous Movie Premieres

The Majestic Theatre has hosted many exciting movie premieres. A premiere is the very first time a movie is shown to the public.

• West Point of the Air (1935) had its world premiere here on March 22, 1935.
• The Texans (1938) also had its world premiere at the Majestic on July 16, 1938.
• The Lusty Men (1952) premiered in 1952. Stars like Robert Mitchum and Arthur Kennedy attended.
• Parts of the movie Selena (1997), starring Jennifer Lopez, were filmed inside the theatre.
• The world premiere of To Hell and Back (1955) was held on August 17, 1955. This movie starred Texan Audie Murphy, who played himself. He was a very decorated soldier from World War II. The premiere was on the tenth anniversary of his army discharge.
• The Alamo (2004) had its world premiere at the Majestic on March 27, 2004. Many famous actors like Dennis Quaid and Billy Bob Thornton were there. The director, John Lee Hancock, who is from Texas, also attended.

Gallery

See also

In Spanish: Teatro Majestic (San Antonio) para niños