A night at the Majestic, March 1913

The first fifty years or so of the twentieth century were the heyday of Dallas's "Theater Row." If you're not familiar with that term, it refers to the now long gone entertainment district that once comprised approximately four blocks of Elm Street, just to the west of pre-Central Expressway Deep Ellum. For several decades, this stretch of Elm between Akard and Harwood was lined with theaters showcasing the latest in modern entertainment. Before the ascent of Hollywood, a theatergoer might find a vaudeville show or Nickelodeon-style film to his or her liking. By mid-century, it might instead be a big budget Cinerama feature showing inside one of multiple big picture palaces. The brightness of the marquees and street lamps illuminating the night sky gave Theater Row the nickname of Dallas's "Great White Way."

As the decades wore on, most of the theaters along the Great White Way ceased operations, their decline attributed to competition from more suburban picture houses which managed to lure audiences away from Dallas's crowded downtown core. By the 1970s, all were closed and facing the specter of demolition, but the Majestic managed to survive into the twenty-first century owing to a city bond and the efforts of a group of dedicated, preservation-minded Dallasites. Over the more than four decades following the theater's reopening in 1983, one might enjoy a lavish production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Phantom of the Opera," or indulge in some debauchery via the Rocky Horror Picture Show, or attend a musical concert by the Righteous Brothers, or even chuckle at the antics of a touring comedy outfit on its way through town. But for today, let's go back to the early days of Theater Row and have a look at what one might have enjoyed on a cool evening in 1913. I recently acquired a Majestic Theatre playbill for the week of March 24th of that year, and I've reproduced it below in its entirety. The Majestic we know and love today is actually the second theater on Elm to bear the name, opening in 1921 as a vaudeville house just slightly east of the original's location at 1901 Elm. My playbill was given out to accompany performances held at that earlier incarnation, and its cover design recalls the ersatz "Oriental" motif embraced by the theater prior to its destruction by fire four years later. So gather up one dollar for a box seat and dress for a night out, and join me in your imagination for an evening at the Majestic 112 years ago.