Santa Rosa Theatre At 5607 Telephone Rd.

[Ashikaga]

I attended the Hobby Area Chamber of Commerce meeting this morning. It was mentioned that the owner of the Santa Rosa theater property & the new retail/medical offices ajacent to it is still talking of saving the Santa Rosa. Possibly leaving the stage in place and using it as rental space for the community. We'll see if it happens.

Unfortunately the owner also said they might stucco it to resemble the retail space developed next to it. Uggh.

Last year GNU took a picture of the house that I lived at there in Houston and posted it on this forum. He told me that it was stucco. What exactly is "stucco"?

[Spencer Street]

Stucco

i did not know the difference between stucco, plaster and motar is based on use if you trust wikipedia...

[Ashikaga]

Stucco

i did not know the difference between stucco, plaster and motar is based on use if you trust wikipedia...

That shows what little I know about houses and architecture. I'm still wondering exactly what a "bungalow" is.

[Subdude]

The Bob Bailey photo archives site has pictures of the interior of the Santa Rosa, along with a lot of other theaters.

[gnu]

The Bob Bailey photo archives site has pictures of the interior of the Santa Rosa, along with a lot of other theaters.

and pics of the exterior from when it was under construction and just opened

[sevfiv]

Unfortunately the owner also said they might stucco it to resemble the retail space developed next to it. Uggh.

was the owner local? the only thing i could find was something called "MJD Corporation dba Stars Theatre" located in DelRay Beach, Florida...

i wonder if letter-writing would help to sway them away from stucco...

[Vertigo58]

My mother told me that she took me to the Santa Rosa Theatre to see a movie called "The Music Man" when it first came out. I looked up that movie on IMDB.COM and learned that it came out in 1962, which means that I was four year old at that time (I'm now 47).

A couple of months ago, someone there in Houston was kind enough to take a photo of it and post it. Yes, it's still standing. The letters "SANTA ROSA" have been removed.

Does anyone know if it will be demolished?

Chet Cuccia

So happy that someone else recalls the Santa Rosa. When I was about 9-10 years old we used to go there to see the latest Godzilla/Monster Zero movies. One of the last ones I saw was "Destroy All Monsters" quite the rage for the day! Thats all we talked about for days. When I got a little older we got so desperate we rode the bus to get there. We lived over towards 45/Telephone but determined we were! It was so cool seeing those giant monsters up on that huge screen smashing all the cities around them. Man did it look real! Kids would be crying as they left because the movie & sound was so real. Last time I remember seeing a double feature! It was only about 50 cents per kid and we thought that was too much? Let me know if they will ever auction off or sell any thing left inside. I can only bet that it has bad rain damage, etc. One thing I know I wouldnt want is the seats not after its been a porno palace. Still would love to go inside one last time before the wrecking ball comes. It would be some cool just to go up to the projector room! I remember they used to have raffles between movies. Once they raffled a bike, the crowd went wild! Some lucky kid got it. That was when the Dr Pepper soft drinks still had the little clock on the side. They also had a "cry" for loud babies like most theaters at that time. Try to alert people if you hear anything! Thanks

[northbeaumont]

So happy that someone else recalls the Santa Rosa. When I was about 9-10 years old we used to go there to see the latest Godzilla/Monster Zero movies. One of the last ones I saw was "Destroy All Monsters" quite the rage for the day! Thats all we talked about for days. When I got a little older we got so desperate we rode the bus to get there. We lived over towards 45/Telephone but determined we were! It was so cool seeing those giant monsters up on that huge screen smashing all the cities around them. Man did it look real! Kids would be crying as they left because the movie & sound was so real. Last time I remember seeing a double feature! It was only about 50 cents per kid and we thought that was too much? Let me know if they will ever auction off or sell any thing left inside. I can only bet that it has bad rain damage, etc. One thing I know I wouldnt want is the seats not after its been a porno palace. Still would love to go inside one last time before the wrecking ball comes. It would be some cool just to go up to the projector room! I remember they used to have raffles between movies. Once they raffled a bike, the crowd went wild! Some lucky kid got it. That was when the Dr Pepper soft drinks still had the little clock on the side. They also had a "cry" for loud babies like most theaters at that time. Try to alert people if you hear anything! Thanks

I'm laughing at what you said about the seats. My cousin referred me to this site. He said that he went to that theatre a long time ago.

[gnu]

Time ran out for the Santa Rosa.

It was being demolished today at lunchtime when I drove by.

Here are a couple of pics i got with my cell phone

front entrance/ticket window:

side:

[sevfiv]

just got back from the theater, or what little left there is

[djrage]

just got back from the theater, or what little left there is

I just passed by there and wondered if anyone knew. Sad. I hoped the wrecking ball would skip this theater. There are so many others that still stand, shuttered. Why not this one?

[musicman]

d_mn

[Vertigo58]

just got back from the theater, or what little left there is

Speechless

[northbeaumont]

Time ran out for the Santa Rosa.

It was being demolished today at lunchtime when I drove by.

Here are a couple of pics i got with my cell phone

front entrance/ticket window:

side:

Yes, it's a shame to look at these pictures. But it's being demolished in the name of "progress."

[sevfiv]

Yes, it's a shame to look at these pictures. But it's being demolished in the name of "progress."

actually, not sure what's going in its place - and the adjacent shopping center occupancy is pretty sad

[Vertigo58]

actually, not sure what's going in its place - and the adjacent shopping center occupancy is pretty sad

The immediate area is too well saturated with newly arrived immigrants. 5 & dime stores abound. Its poverty level income so expect the same as the dive next door. Let's just remember the fun we had while in it's hey day. Saw my best Godzilla, Ghidorah and martian movies there.

[gnu]

actually, not sure what's going in its place - and the adjacent shopping center occupancy is pretty sad

i'll bet NOTHING is going in its place. the owner probably took it down so he wouldn't have to pay for the taxes and upkeep.

I don't know the details, but i believe he offered it to several groups (neighborhood association, rotary, etc). of course, the deals might not have been favorable, but who knows.

Anyway...while we mourn its loss, less look back at it to its heydey in the forties...courtesy of the UT/CAH Bob Bailey photo collection: (the actual link doesn't seem to have been posted in this thread, although we discussed them earlier)

http://www.cah.utexas.edu/db/dmr/dmr_resul...d&folder=13

It looked much nicer in the forties than it did friday.

[sevfiv]

indeed - here are a few more

http://www.cah.utexas.edu/db/dmr/dmr_resul...p;Submit=Submit

[northbeaumont]

i'll bet NOTHING is going in its place. the owner probably took it down so he wouldn't have to pay for the taxes and upkeep.

I don't know the details, but i believe he offered it to several groups (neighborhood association, rotary, etc). of course, the deals might not have been favorable, but who knows.

Anyway...while we mourn its loss, less look back at it to its heydey in the forties...courtesy of the UT/CAH Bob Bailey photo collection: (the actual link doesn't seem to have been posted in this thread, although we discussed them earlier)

http://www.cah.utexas.edu/db/dmr/dmr_resul...d&folder=13

It looked much nicer in the forties than it did friday.

In another topic I saw some pictures of old theatres that were demolished long ago. You can now list the Santa Rosa along with those.

[gnu]

indeed - here are a few more

http://www.cah.utexas.edu/db/dmr/dmr_resul...p;Submit=Submit

duh! explicitly searching for 'santa rosa' works much better.

thanks!

[northbeaumont]

Yes, it's a shame to look at these pictures. But it's being demolished in the name of "progress."

Yes, I wonder what the inside looked like. Too bad you couldn't have taken pictures of the seats, screen, popcorn machine, etc.

[sevfiv]

Yes, I wonder what the inside looked like. Too bad you couldn't have taken pictures of the seats, screen, popcorn machine, etc.

i got a little peek (pretty much stripped, but a few pieces of ornamentation left) - will be posting something soon

[gnu]

interesting detail (from sev's link):

look at the second pic (#1772). there seems to be a structure on the left side of the building during construction.

then look at the third pic (#1773), the theater is complete but no building there.

all the completed pics do not show it. (btw,i know there is a building there in the present day)

but....

also notice the structure on the right side of the building. it is slightly different, the end of the front facade is taller.

and then look at the face of the theater itself above the marque. that detail is different!

and then check out the dates. second pic is dated 4/2/1947 but the theater was already complete by 11/29/1946 (see pic 9 #1775 - the night pic)

and look at pic 1. there is a curve in the road in front of the theater and there isnt a curve in telephone road right there.

did they change things before they were completed???

or are these photos MISLABELLED???? Maybe pics 1 and 2 are of a totally different theater!!!

[sevfiv]

^ weird! the line detail on the facade appears and disappears...different theaters? bad metadata? hmm

[northbeaumont]

^ weird! the line detail on the facade appears and disappears...different theaters? bad metadata? hmm

In the photos before the demolition, the marquis on the very front was removed and so were the letters "Santa Rosa." I wonder if they were taken and used for another theatre named the Santa Rosa? On CinemaTour.Com and CinemaTreasures.Org, it lists other theatres with that name.

[northbeaumont]

Thank you for telling me all of this. I'm now 47 years old. My mother told me that she took me to the Santa Rosa to see a movie called "The Music Man". I looked up that movie on IMDB.COM. It said that it came out back in 1962. That means that I was four years old when I was in the Santa Rosa. I was just telling everyone what I heard about the theatre being closed down for many years. You have enlightened me as to the true state of affairs.

My dad also remembers the Santa Rosa. He said that one time when we went there that he silently passed some gas during a movie. He said that he remembered hearing people coughing and shuffling their feet. A few months ago when I showed him that recent photo of the closed down Santa Rosa, he said that it clcsed down because of what he did in it. He told me that one picture is worth a thousand words.

Not only did it close down for many years for what he did in it, now they've torn it down. I wonder if his distinctive aroma came out as the first wall came crashing down?

[sevfiv]

did they change things before they were completed???

or are these photos MISLABELLED???? Maybe pics 1 and 2 are of a totally different theater!!!

solved the mystery (i think)

using my fairly poor memory, and taking a little browse through the bailey photos, i found that:

#1772 looks like the Garden Oaks theater

#1774 looks like the Broadway theater

of course, these were Interstate theaters, which looked similar and also had very similar interiors

[nativehou]

In the photos before the demolition, the marquis on the very front was removed and so were the letters "Santa Rosa." I wonder if they were taken and used for another theatre named the Santa Rosa? On CinemaTour.Com and CinemaTreasures.Org, it lists other theatres with that name.

I remember that after the theater originally closed, it sat vacant for a while before it turned into a porn theater. They re-used some of the letters and called it "Stars."

[gnu]

solved the mystery (i think)

using my fairly poor memory, and taking a little browse through the bailey photos, i found that:

#1772 looks like the Garden Oaks theater

#1774 looks like the Broadway theater

of course, these were Interstate theaters, which looked similar and also had very similar interiors

good detective work. i think you are right. they must have filed them incorrectly somewhere down the line.

[EastEnd Susan]

Not only did it close down for many years for what he did in it, now they've torn it down. I wonder if his distinctive aroma came out as the first wall came crashing down?

Its gone? Like all the way gone? I thought they were going to do something with it. What a complete bummer. My brother and I were going to take a few pics of the old theater where we spent much of our summers when we went to the old neighborhood May 4th. Now I guess it will be a pic of what? A vacant lot?