Majestic Theater (Dallas)

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Majestic Theater
National Register of Historic Places
Dallas Majestic Theater front.jpg
location 1925 Elm Street
Dallas , Texas
Coordinates 32 ° 46 '57.2 "  N , 96 ° 47' 41.8"  W Coordinates: 32 ° 46 '57.2 "  N , 96 ° 47' 41.8"  W.
Built 1920
architect John Eberson
Architectural style Neo-renaissance
NRHP number [1] 77001437
The NRHP added November 14, 1977

The Majestic Theater is a historic theater building in downtown Dallas , Texas. The theater, which opened in 1921, was the largest of nine theaters and cinemas on the former entertainment mile "Theater Row". After the demolition of the other buildings, it has been the last vestige of this era of Dallas theatrical history since the 1970s. It has been named a "Dallas Landmark" by the city of Dallas, is entered on the National Register of Historic Places and is a constituent element ( Contributing Property ) of the Harwood Historic District .

history

Vaudeville and cinema

Orchestra pit and auditorium 2009
Auditorium 2009

Built in 1905 by Karl Hoblitzelle's vaudeville theater chain Interstate Amusement Company , the Majestic Theater on the corner of Commerce Street and St. Paul Street in Dallas burned down in 1916. Initially, the previous Opera House (corner of Main Street and St. Paul Street) was continued as the Majestic Theater. In 1920 Hoblitzelle commissioned a new theater from the renowned Chicago theater architect John Eberson , which was then built by 1921. The construction cost was $ 2 million. The theater, built in the neo-renaissance style, opened on April 11, 1921.

The foyers and the auditorium were designed in neo-baroque classicist forms. Corinthian columns, ancient Kymatia , baroque cartouches and garlands determined the appearance. The foyer rooms were with a black and white floor of Vermont marble, two marble staircases, an ornate elevator , chandeliers equipped, mirror with brass frame and a marble fountain. A food stall was added in the late 1940s.

The ceiling of the auditorium was designed as a “sky” with floating clouds and stars made to twinkle by a mechanical device. The parquet and the two tiers were furnished with a total of 2,800 wooden chairs with wicker seats. The stage opening was framed by monumental Corinthian columns, in front of which an orchestra pit spread out. A theater organ from George Kilgen & Son (op. 3054) was also installed. There were 12 artists' changing rooms behind the stage.

In addition to the theater on the top four floors, the building also contained approximately 1,900 square feet of office space for the headquarters of the Interstate Amusement Company.

Numerous vaudeville stars from the magician Houdini to Mae West and Bob Hope could be seen in the Majestic . From 1922 films were also shown. Stars like James Stewart , Gregory Peck and John Wayne attended film premieres . The big bands of Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington played in the theater. From 1932 the theater was only used as a cinema.

Closure and new beginning

On July 16, 1973 the cinema was closed after a final screening of the James Bond film Live and Let Die . In the same year, the closed theater was still used as a location for Brian De Palma's film Phantom of the Paradise .

In January 1976 the Hobilitzelle Foundation sold the building to the City of Dallas. The theater was then restored so that it could be used again for theater performances and concerts in the future. The number of seats, which has meanwhile increased to 2,400, was reduced to 1,570 in order to enlarge the orchestra pit and to be able to accommodate modern lighting and sound technology in the second tier; boxes were also installed in the first tier. In 1977, the Majestic Theater was the first building in Dallas to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places .

The Majestic Theater reopened on January 28, 1983. Since then it has been used regularly as a show theater for musicals, plays, dance theater and concerts, but also for performances by comedians, beauty contests and corporate events.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ National Register Information System . In: National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service . Retrieved July 9, 2010.
  2. Archived copy ( memento of the original from July 16, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.symmonline.com
  3. a b c Handbook of Texas
  4. ^ Architecture Magazine, September 1922
  5. http://cinematreasures.org/theater/227/

Web links

Commons : Majestic Theater  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files