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Motion pictures were shown in Egyptian temples, exotic Spanish gardens, and downtown picture palaces fit for a king. Art deco theatres could be found in neighborhoods across the city, and kiddie shows were standard fare for a Saturday morning. Summer evenings could be spent at the drive-in, of which there were nearly two dozen to choose from. Most all of these theatres are gone, with only a precious few intact such as the Alabama, River Oaks, Capitan, and Ritz/Majestic Metro. From the early nickelodeons and movie palaces to the modern megaplex cinema, these are the venues where Houstonians sought out their movie entertainment.

 

"We sell tickets to theatres, not movies." – Marcus Loew

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Lost Theatres

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Alabama Bookstop





NOW SHOWING AT YOUR FAVORITE BOOKSTORE

by David Welling


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Cinema Houston celebrates a vibrant century of movie theatres and moviegoing in Texas's largest city. Illustrated with more than two hundred historical photographs, newspaper clippings, and advertisements, it traces the history of Houston movie theatres from their early twentieth-century beginnings to the present. While preserving the glories of Houston's lost movie palaces, Cinema Houston also vividly re-creates the moviegoing experience, chronicling midnight movie madness, summer nights at the drive-in, and all those tasty snacks at the concession stand.

 

AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

Julia Ideson Award
2008
Friends of the Texas Room

Antoinette Forrester
Downing Award, 2009
Society of Architectural Historians

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Neighborhood Theatres
Neighborhood Theatres

Multicinemas
Multicinemas

Drive-Ins
Drive-ins

Alvin

Alvin

Related Links

Silent Film Sites

About Cinema Houston

© 2017 David Welling