About this property
The Texas Theatre is a movie theater and Dallas landmark located in the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas, Texas. It became famous, on November 22, 1963, as the location of Lee Harvey Oswald's arrest over the suspicion he was the killer of Dallas police officer J. D. Tippit and President John F. Kennedy. Today, it hosts a mix of repertory cinema and special events. The Texas Theatre opened on April 21, 1931. The Texas Theatre was the largest suburban movie theater in Dallas and was part of a chain of theaters financed by Howard Hughes. It was the first theater in Dallas with air conditioning and featured many state-of-the-art luxuries. The theater is most famous for being the site of Lee Harvey Oswald's arrest on November 22, 1963. Warren "Butch" Burroughs, manager and concession stand attendee the afternoon of Oswald's arrest, said that Oswald came into the theater between 1:00 and 1:07 pm. Burroughs further claimed he sold Oswald popcorn at 1:15 p.m. Julie Postal, the ticket seller, who was posted out in front of the entrance, told the Warren Commission that Burroughs initially told her the same thing although, when she later discussed the event with him, she became skeptical about his version. Julia Postal, however, never saw Oswald enter the theater, relying on the account of Johnny Calvin Brewer, a manager at Hardy's Shoe Store's which, according to the official government report, happened at 1:35 p.m.. Texas Theatre patron Jack Davis also corroborated Burroughs' time, claiming he observed Oswald in the theater prior to 1:20 pm. The films presented that day were Cry of Battle and War Is Hell, which Oswald briefly viewed. As a commemoration of the historic capture, the words "Lee Harvey Oswald, November 22, 1963" were later inscribed in gold paint on the chair Oswald (supposedly) occupied — three rows from the rear, five seats from the aisle. However, the actual chair was removed by then manager "Butch" Burroughs, who took it home and replaced it with another which the FBI confiscated the next day for evidence thinking it was the original Oswald seat. The theater closed in 1989 and the Texas Theatre Historical Society (TTHS) purchased it the following year. This allowed Oliver Stone to remodel the exterior façade for his 1991 film, JFK. However, by 1992, the Society was no longer able to fund the property and the theater closed again. Former usher and sign changer Don Dubois of Texas Rosewin-Midway Properties saved the theater from the wrecking ball in 1993, but two years later, it was nearly destroyed by a five-alarm fire, forcing another closure. In 1996, Pedro Villa stepped in to rescue the theater from another plan which would have demolished the structure and replaced it with a furniture warehouse. However, he was unable to obtain financing to restore the theater and it defaulted to Texas Rosewin-Midway Properties. The fire-damaged building remained vacant for three years, open to vandals, stray animals, and the elements.
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was Texas Theatre listed on the National Register?
Texas Theatre was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 31, 2003.
What type of historic resource is Texas Theatre?
Texas Theatre is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Texas Theatre?
The period of significance for Texas Theatre is recorded as the modern era, specifically around 1963.
Can I research the history near Texas Theatre?
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