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.

Cinema Houston Blog: click here to read Twitter Updates follow Cinema Houston on Twitter Visit the Cinema Houston Facebook Page AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS Julia Ideson Award, 2008 Friends of the Texas Room Antoinette Forrester Downing Award, 2009 Society of Architectural Historians TOP PHOTO:The grand 1923 Majestic, designed by architect John Eberson for Karl Hoblitzelle's Interstate circuit, was the nation's first "atmospheric" theatre, which featured a ceiling filled with moving clouds and twinkling stars. It was razed in 1971. Photo courtesy Houston Metropolitan Research Center

NOW SHOWING AT YOUR FAVORITE BOOKSTORE by David Welling See larger image 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. Read more >>

"We sell tickets to theatres, not movies." – Marcus Loew HOME Lost Theatres The Palaces Majestic Metro River Oaks Theatre Alabama Bookstop Neighborhood Theatres Multicinemas Drive-ins Alvin Related Links About Cinema Houston Contact   Cinema Houston recipient of the 2009 SAH Downing Award Cinema Houston is the recipient of the 2009 Antoinette Forrester Downing Award, presented by the Society of Architectural Historians. The award was presented during its 62nd annual meeting in Pasadena California in the first week of April, 2009. The award was established for excellence in a published work devoted to historical topics in preservation. Named for Antoinette Forrester Downing, the award honors her scholarship and recognition of the value of local inventories and surveys. The Society of Architectural Historians website is www.sah.org. Cinema Houston wins the 2008 Julia Ideson Award On October 27, 2008, the Friends of the Texas Room awarded David Welling with the Julia Ideson Award for the book, Cinema Houston. The Julia Ideson Award recognizes projects that contribute to local and Texas history and culture which were completed using the resources of the Houston Public Library’s Texas Room/Houston Metropolitan Research Center. Of special significance is the fact that this is the inauguration year for the award, making Cinema Houston the first winner of what is to be an esteemed roster of recipients. The award is named in honor of Houston’s first City Librarian Julia Ideson, and will be presented each October by the Friends of the Texas Room. In mid-September, much of Houston was shut down due to the lingering after-effects from Hurricane Ike. Included in this were Houston's movie theatres. Some were closed for only a few days. Others took much longer to resume operations. Above is Cinemark's Tinseltown 290 marquee, in the week following the storm. Photo by David Welling For Houstonians in the inner loop, a drive to Tomball might be considered to be a lengthy journey just to see a movie, however the clarity of its all-digital projection system is a sight to behold. It is the first theatre in the area to be built by the Santikos Theatre chain of San Antonio. Its 19 screens includes an IMAX theatre. More inforation can be found at www.santikos.com.   Local news and links New Studio Movie Grill now open at City Centre in Town & Country The newest theatre to be opened by the Studio Movie Grill is in the City Centre development of Town & Country, off I-10 and the Beltway. Like the Alamo Drafthouse and Movie Tavern, Studio Movie Grill allows patrons to eat and drink while watching the newest movies in release. This area has previously been host to multicinemas operated by AMC and Loew's, both of which closed down in the 1990s. The website for Studio Movie Grill City Centre is www.studiomoviegrill.com. Hot Town! Cool City! Find out where it is showing. More > Next up at Aurora Upcoming events. More > Houston Chronicle on Cinema Houston The December 5 issue of the Houston Chronicle featured an article by Louis Parks on Cinema Houston and the movie theatres that he remembered. More > NEWS ARCHIVE Silents are alive in Houston! In the months leading up to Summer, KUHF and Discovery Green presented a series of silent films, free to the public, with live musical accompaniment. Among those shown were Fritz Lang's Metropolis and Girl Shy with Harold Lloyd. The events drew a receptive crowd and there are high hopes for the series to continue. To find out more about the varied events at Discovery Green, visit www.discoverygreen.com

© 2007 David Welling