Texas Theatre facts for kids
Texas Theatre during restorations in 2006
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 Texas Theatre
Location in Texas
Texas Theatre
Location in the United States
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| Address | 231 W. Jefferson Blvd. Dallas, Texas United States |
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| Coordinates | 32°44′36″N 96°49′32″W / 32.74333°N 96.82556°W |
| Owner | Oak Cliff Foundation |
| Operator | Aviation Cinemas |
| Type | movie palace |
| Acreage | 0.2793 acres (0.1130 ha) |
| Screens | 2 |
| Current use | Cinema |
| Construction | |
| Opened | April 21, 1931 |
| Architect | W. Scott Dunne |
| Builder | Oak Cliff Amusement Co. |
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Texas Theatre
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| Architectural style | Italian Renaissance |
| MPS | Oak Cliff MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 03000187 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | April 1, 2003 |
The Texas Theatre is a famous movie theater and a special landmark in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas. It became very important in history on November 22, 1963. This was the place where Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested. He was suspected of killing Dallas Police Officer J. D. Tippit and President John F. Kennedy. Today, the theater shows classic movies and hosts many cool events.
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History of the Texas Theatre
The Texas Theatre first opened its doors on April 21, 1931. It was the biggest movie theater in the Dallas suburbs. It was also part of a group of theaters funded by Howard Hughes. This theater was special because it was the first in Dallas to have air conditioning. It also had many other modern features for its time.
Lee Harvey Oswald's Arrest
The theater is most famous for being where Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested. This happened on November 22, 1963. Oswald was found inside the theater after the assassination of President Kennedy.
Warren "Butch" Burroughs, who worked at the theater, said Oswald came in around 1:00 or 1:07 PM. He also said he sold Oswald popcorn at 1:15 PM. Another person, Johnny Calvin Brewer, helped police find Oswald in the theater. Oswald had briefly watched two movies that day: Cry of Battle and War Is Hell.
To remember this historic event, the words "Lee Harvey Oswald, November 22, 1963" were written in gold paint on a chair. This chair was supposedly the one Oswald sat in. However, the actual chair was removed by the manager. Another chair was put in its place, which the FBI later took as evidence.
Saving the Theater from Closure
The Texas Theatre closed in 1989. The Texas Theatre Historical Society bought it the next year. This allowed director Oliver Stone to fix up the outside of the building for his 1991 movie, JFK.
But by 1992, the Society could no longer afford to keep the theater. It closed again. In 1993, Don Dubois helped save the theater from being torn down. However, two years later, a big fire almost destroyed it, causing another closure.
In 1996, Pedro Villa tried to save the theater from being replaced by a furniture warehouse. But he couldn't get enough money to fix it. The fire-damaged building stayed empty for three years. It was open to vandals and the weather.
Renovation and Reopening
In 2001, the Oak Cliff Foundation took over the theater. They started fixing it up after getting $1.6 million. Since then, they have raised another $2 million. This money helped them secure and restore the building after years of damage. The theater soon started showing movies and hosting special events again.
In September 2010, a company called Aviation Cinemas, Inc. began running the theater. They wanted to show independent and classic films. They also hoped to host live plays and concerts in the future.
In November 2017, a special historical marker was placed in front of the theater. It says: "On November 22, 1963, following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Lee Harvey Oswald was apprehended in the auditorium."
The theater was closed for most of 2020 because of the COVID pandemic. It was then remodeled and reopened in September 2021. Now it has two screens. The main theater can hold 670 people, and the balcony theater has 165 seats.
On November 22, 2023, the theater held several events to remember the "JFK 60 Day" anniversary.
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The seat Lee Harvey Oswald briefly occupied before his arrest
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Theatre interior in 2005
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A replica marquee, added c. 2006, and restored facade in 2008
See also
In Spanish: Teatro Texas para niños
