Majestic Theatre (San Antonio) Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Majestic Theatre
Construction

Address	224 E. Houston Street San Antonio, Texas United States
Owner	City of San Antonio
Operator	Ambassador Theatre Group
Capacity	2,264
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 is a very old and big movie palace in San Antonio, Texas. It is known as an "atmospheric theatre." This means its inside looks like an outdoor scene, often with stars and clouds on the ceiling. The theatre can hold 2,264 people. It was designed by a famous architect named John Eberson in 1929. He built it for Karl Hoblitzelle's Interstate Theatres.

In 1975, the theatre was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This list helps protect important historical places. It was also named a Texas Historic Landmark in 1991. Then, in 1993, it became a National Historic Landmark. The theatre was home to the San Antonio Symphony for many years, from 1989 to 2014. For a long time, it was the biggest theatre in Texas. It was also the second largest movie theatre in the United States. The Majestic Theatre was the first theatre in Texas to have full air-conditioning.

History of the Majestic Theatre
Movie Premieres at the Majestic
Gallery
See also

History of the Majestic Theatre

The Majestic Theatre opened its doors on June 14, 1929. This opening was a big event for San Antonio. It showed how modern and growing the city was. The city even called the month of the opening "Prosperity Month." This celebrated the new growth Texas was experiencing.

A Grand Opening and Special Features

The Majestic was the second largest theatre in the nation. Only the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, was bigger. It was also the first theatre in Texas to be fully air-conditioned. This was a huge draw in the hot 1920s South. Advertisements promised "an acre of cool, comfortable seats." To make it even more exciting, snow was placed on the letters of the theatre's name. This made people want to wear fur coats to the June opening!

The theatre could hold 4,000 people at its opening. It was completely full for the first show. The entertainment included a musical film called Follies of 1929. There were also live performances by different artists. These included Don Galvan, "The Banjo Boy," and the "Seven Nelsons" acrobatic group. Jimmie Rodgers, known as the Father of Country Music, also performed. He received 18 curtain calls! Each week, the theatre offered a new film and new live performers.

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

Unique Design and Decorations

The Majestic Theatre had many special features. A huge cast-iron canopy covered the sidewalk outside. A tall, 76-foot sign stood above it. This sign had a peacock on top. The peacock looked like it was walking as a large ball spun beneath its feet.

Inside, the lobby looked like a cave. It had copper lanterns and beautiful ceiling murals. There was even an aquarium filled with colorful tropical fish. The theatre's main room, called the auditorium, was amazing. It had stuffed birds perched on balconies. Some birds even looked like they were flying in the air. There were also copies of famous Greek, Roman, and Renaissance sculptures.

Special cypress trees from Spain were placed in high spots. Carvings of mask-like faces decorated the stage and under the mezzanine balcony. The ceiling was painted blue with "cloud scape" designs. It looked like an evening sky. A special projector made clouds move across the ceiling. Small light bulbs looked like stars. These stars were placed exactly where real stars would be on the night the theatre opened. Experts from the National Geographic Society helped with their placement.

Recent Updates and Events

In January 2017, the Majestic Theatre got a new white peacock. The old one had become gray and worn out over the years. The new peacock was bought from a California taxidermist. There are 27 other stuffed birds in the theatre. This includes another peacock on the opposite side of the new one. When the Majestic opened in 1929, it was said to have "one of the largest collections of stuffed birds in Texas." Later in 2017, the theatre hosted parts of "Hand in Hand: A Benefit for Hurricane Relief."

Movie Premieres at the Majestic

The Majestic Theatre has hosted many exciting movie premieres. A premiere is the very first showing of a new movie.

The world premiere of West Point of the Air (1935) happened at the Majestic on March 22, 1935.
The world premiere of The Texans (1938) was held at the Majestic on July 16, 1938.
The world premiere of The Lusty Men (1952) took place in 1952. Stars like Robert Mitchum, Arthur Kennedy, and Arthur Hunnicutt attended.
The movie Selena (1997), starring Jennifer Lopez, was filmed inside the theatre.
The world premiere of To Hell and Back (1955) was held at the Majestic on August 17, 1955. In this movie, Texan Audie Murphy played himself. He was World War II's most decorated combat soldier. The premiere was held on the tenth anniversary of Murphy's army discharge. This happened at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio.
The world premiere of The Alamo (2004) was held at the Majestic on March 27, 2004. Many stars were there, including Dennis Quaid, Billy Bob Thornton, and Jason Patric. The movie's writer/director, John Lee Hancock, and producer, Mark Johnson, also attended.