Delman Theater At 4412 South Main St.

[Subdude]

That's a funny story.

Does anyone remember the Delman theater at Main and Wheeler? It burnt down a couple of years ago. It was boarded up but I think for a while you could get in the front area at least. It looked and smelled so bad it wasn't worth it though.

[Fringe]

The building at Main and Richmond has long been torn down but wife and I were having a discussion recently about old theaters and remember going there in the 70's and 80's. Cannot recall the name of the place though.  

[FilioScotia]

It was the Delman Theater. 

[Dave W]

Yes, I remember it, it was the Delman Theater.

[Fringe]

Thanks. Just could not recall the name. I remember it was pretty small and nothing great but it was convenient at the time. 

[readam]

Then you could go to the Prince's or One's a Meal after the show at the Delman

[ArchFan]

In some period during my childhood, I recall the Delman showing only Disney films.  Later (much later) I think it showed porn.

[Ross]

In some period during my childhood, I recall the Delman showing only Disney films.  Later (much later) I think it showed porn.

 

I don't think that was the Delman. There was another theater that showed Deep Throat for years, but I can't place exactly where it was. I could be really wrong here, though.

[IHB2]

Had my 65 yellow GTO stolen from the Delman parking lot. On the plus side my date was impressed with the excitement of it all. Don't remember porn at the Delman, although the Bellaire Theatre showed porn for a few years in the 70s. From the mid-70s Cinema West on Richmond Ave pretty much had the porn franchise nailed down on the southwest side.

[devonhart]

A photo from when it was in it's prime.

 

[etheriemma]

The photo above came from the CinemaTreasure.org web site.  Go to the link below to read more about the Delman Theater and its history.

 

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/3294

[ArchFan]

In my fuzzy memory, I remember the Delman as a small theatre, but the pic shows it had an even smaller street presence that I thought!  The photo supply store to the left seems vaguely familiar, but since memory can play tricks, it may well pre-date my time on this planet.

 

Didn't know about the Delman Theatre in Dallas.  Does the building still exist?

[Earlydays]

Didn't know about the Delman Theatre in Dallas.  Does the building still exist?

 

The Dallas one no longer exists...

[sevfiv]

I have a few pictures from several years ago, but isn't this the Delman terrazzo?

 

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=main+at+wheeler&hl=en&ll=29.734057,-95.38329&spn=0.000688,0.000871&sll=29.817178,-95.401291&sspn=0.994883,1.783905&t=h&hnear=Main+St+%26+Wheeler+Ave,+Houston,+Harris,+Texas+77002&z=21

[Fringe]

Probably was. Definitely the right location. 

[57Tbird]

I have a few pictures from several years ago, but isn't this the Delman terrazzo?

 

Looks like it. Here's another picture from the late 30's.  You can see some of it here.  I lived about 5 blocks from the Delman when I was a kid in the mid-40's.  I walked to the kid shows there on Saturday mornings.  I sure don't remember it being that close to Richmond, as shown in the Google Maps shot.  I remember a Walgreens, I think it was, and maybe another place between the Delman location and Richmond.  I think Richmond was only two lanes then. Maybe it was widened toward the Delman location.

 

[icepickphil]

I can recall going to see the Disney film "The Love Bug" at the Delman. It was a small neighborhood theatre. That was in the late 1960s.

IHB2, I remember Cinema West being located at the corner of Yorktown and W. Alabama (just south of Westheimer) in the early and mid-70s. Was it located on Richmond at some point also.

I was downtown at the Continental Club on new year's eve 2001 to see some live music and backstage they had the original marquee from Cinema West just lying around leaning against a wall! I have no idea why it was there but it was very cool to see. The theatre had a distinctive logo.

[Lloyd-TX]

My parents used to take the three of us kiddos out to eat at Weldon's Cafeteria or One's-a-meal, and then to the Delman for a movie. What a treat back in the 60's! Ah, the memories . . .

[ArchFan]

I don't recall eating at Weldon's or Ones-a-meal, but I do recall our mom taking us to Dobb's House where I would always have a burger.  Those were nothing fancy, but seemed to have a nice charcoal-grilled flavor.  Later, I recall that city council gave Dobb's House a monopoly on food service at the Houston airports.  That decision kinda reeked of political connection and/or kickbacks.  I don't know what's involved in gettting rights to operate restaurants at our airports now, but at least the food choices are a lot better and more diverse.

[Michelle C]

The Delman was later remodeled. and you went in from the side where the strip center was located. The terrazzo that Sevfiv mentioned was not part of the Delman but rather from a store in the strip center to the right of the Delman.

 

Here is a pic of the first remodel of the Delman. I think it went through a second remodel later.

 

[tomcat]

Last movie I saw there was Pappion, with Steve McQueen & Duston Hoffman. Probably around 71. Quite a bit earlier I remeber Weldons Cafetira

We would go there on Sunday after church. They had a organ grinder with a monkey who would greet you outside while you waited in line and the monkey would grab money out of yoir hand and tip his red top hat that was abput 64. The porn theater was on the same side of Main between Weldons & the Delman somewhiere on the early 70's

[57Tbird]

I'm a former Rice student, and I get a monthly email newsletter from Rice.  This one had an interesting story on the old South Main Sears location I thought was interesting.

 

https://youtu.be/szKHIXtj8_I

 

[HardcoreHoustonian]

If the street address was 4400 Main, it was a live music venue in the 1980's. I saw a couple of shows in there '86 & '87 when it was called the Maceba Theatre.

[Sheilamarie]

The Delman Theater was on Main at Richmond. In the same block was a One’s a Meal, Poll Parrot shoe store, a toy store and a drugstore. 

[EspersonBuildings]

I remember going to Sears across the street (mostly for the popcorn)! and seeing the Delman and One's A Meal.  This was during the mid 1970's.  ArchFan, the I think the porn you are recalling was shown down the street at what is today The Playhouse Theater.  This theater has quite a history:

 

 http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/HistoricPres/landmarks/10L228_Playhouse_Theater_4816_Main_St.pdf

 

Anyway next door to this was Wadells Furniture (I think today the entire structure no longer exists).  My parents bought our bedroom furniture there around 1975.  I realize this thread is kind of old but I always find interesting threads here (especially in Historic Houston)