A Westside Story
Cinematic Gems of San Antonio's Westside
Narrative Film: Spotlighting Westside Cinema (1920-1960)
Once upon a time in San Antonio's Westside....
the middle and working class Mexican-American community lived insulated from the rest of the city. Segregated from the rest of downtown, with the San Pedro Creek acting as a natural divider, Barrio Laredito served as the community's downtown enclave. Rooted in their traditions, the people kept their Mexican identity alive through language, religion, and customs. As the community grew in the beginning of the 20th century, so did the Westside, as it sprawled further west. City labor or agricultural work employed the community, but cultural celebrations and entertainment enriched the lives of the community. A Westside Story explores one facet of community entertainment: the moviegoing experience.
The Inception of Cinema and its Roots in Vaudeville
The 20th century introduced new forms of entertainment that revolutionized how communities would gather. Hispanic theater in the Southwest has traditions going back to the 16th century, most of them by traveling troupes as they shared traditional folklore. It wasn't until the mid 19th century, however, that brick and mortar theaters housed these acts. Tandas de variedad became a popular staple that entertained the community for most of the day on weekends. Similar to vaudeville, tandas de variedad were life performances that included singers, comedians, magicians, and acrobats. New technology soon added to the spectacle, as the invention of motion pictures took the world by storm. Everyone wanted to watch "actualities," real life footage, such as a train, heading straight towards the camera. Vaudevilles scheduled screenings of actualities between live performances and the crowds would arrive in droves. What began as a novelty quickly dominated the entertainment industry.
The Rise of the Movie Palace
In the 1920s, movie palaces started to replace Nickelodeons in urban areas, treating motion pictures as the pinnacle of entertainment. With ornate designs, movie palaces catered to the American middle class. Attending the pictures was an experience that treated audiences like royalty. Downtown San Antonio housed several movie palaces. The Texas Theatre, the Aztec Theatre, the Majestic Theatre, and the Empire all provided white San Antonians with lavish settings to attend the pictures.
Downtown Movie Palaces and Segregation
Despite movie palaces being marketed as democratized movie-going experiences, people of color were segregated into specific seating and/or midnight showings. Most movie palaces didn’t allow people of color to use the main entrance. For example, African Americans were required to use a side entrance and were relegated to sitting on the balcony. Mexican-Americans attended the exhibition of Mexican films during midnight showings. Various theaters began to populate the Westside, however, and Mexican-Americans enjoyed motion pictures within their community.
The Golden Age of Westside Movie Theaters
Movie theaters on the Westside of San Antonio began modestly, but Mexican-Americans bolstered their success by attending not only Hollywood movies, but Mexican films as well. The silent film period provided Mexican-Americans with several stars they could admire. Dolores del Rio, Ramon Navarro, and Lupe Velez all found stardom during this period. But as "talkies" took over, and the implementation of the Hays Code, which prohibited miscegenation on screen, actors of color were relegated to marginalized roles steeped in racial caricatures. During this time, the Mexican movie industry came into its own and found immense popularity in cities like San Antonio. The Mexican-American community saw their culture and identity reflected positively in these movies that their popularity superseded Hollywood productions. Downtown movie palaces took note and booked high profile premieres of Mexican movies, but the middle and working class community were well served by the expanding movie exhibition enterprise of the Westside. What began with modest theaters, like the Zaragoza, culminated in the Westside's own lavish movie palace, the Teatro Alameda. In their heyday, these theaters inspired, awed, and entertained audiences with tanda de variedades and motion pictures so that the Westside community can see themselves represented.
Image of Teatro Nacional. Courtesy of UTSA digital collections. Circa 1940.
Methodology
We first created a “theatre tour itinerary” to conduct a walking tour for our research. The itinerary included a list of fourteen theaters all located in the Westside of San Antonio. Upon our arrival of each location, we took a picture to recognize the differences between the past and present, celebrating the cultural significance the exhibition of cinema had for Mexican American audiences.
In mapping out these locations and placing the photos side-by-side, we bring attention to how much has changed over the years, creating a visualization of how prevalent Spanish speaking movie houses were in San Antonio. In addition, we have included a brief description of each theater's history, ownership, and a variety of interesting facts. While some locations such as The Alameda and Empire Theatre still stand, many of the theaters from our list are no longer in existence due to either being demolished or other businesses being currently housed.
To help gather research for each theatre, we used a variety of sources including: UTSA Archive Collection, city directories and newspapers, the Cinema Treasures website, the Kills Almond and Associates Records, and the San Antonio Ephemera Collection.
When creating this site, the Westside Story team chose to look specifically at the Westside community. This isn't a comprehensive list of all the theaters on the Westside. There are many more to unearth, which we would like to discover in due time. Also, there are other locations in San Antonio that exhibited Mexican films, and our intentions aren't to ignore their contributions to the success of Mexican cinema in San Antonio. All the theaters downtown, like the Aztec, the Majestic, and the Empire, all showed Mexican cinema at one point.
The Towne Twin Drive In on the northeast of San Antonio also exhibited Mexican films. We chose to focus on the Westside because this area of San Antonio was the home to middle to working class Mexican-Americans, where they were free to celebrate their culture and identity without the restrictions of segregation and larger social mores of the times.
Image of moviegoers at the Alameda Theatre box office. Courtesy of Esperanza Peace and Justice Center. Circa 1940.
How to Navigate the Map
The interactive map design features geographic points with accompanying images of theater buildings and sites as it appeared before and how it appears today.
- Each point on the map identifies a specific theater by geographic location providing a virtual tour for each theater.
- If using a touchscreen touch the left side of the screen beginning with point 1 to reveal historic content. If not using a touchscreen, simply use your scroll bar to reveal point 1 with content and images.
- Each point will display an image of the theater. The bottom of each image includes an icon to swipe right for additional images.
01 / 10
1
Teatro Nacional
Located at W. Commerce Street and N. Santa Rosa Street, the Teatro Nacional opened on November 2, 1917. Designed to serve the Spanish-speaking population of San Antonio, Teatro Nacional presented Mexican and other Spanish language movies as well as American films. The Nacional consistently booked some of the best-known Mexican bands and singers, vaudeville acts, and Mexican films. The Nacional was closed for three months reopening in December 1939. Today, the building still stands as a Goodwill Donation Store.
Image (1): Teatro Nacional. Courtesy of Edgar Velazquez Reynald. 2020.
Image (2): Teatro Nacional. Courtesy of Cinema Treasures. Circa 1950's.
2
Teatro Alameda
Opened on March 10, 1949, the Alameda Theater was the largest movie palace ever dedicated to Spanish language films and the performing arts. The theater is housed within the historic International Building, which was also home to the Mexican Consulate and the first Mexican Chamber of Commerce in the U.S. According to the San Antonio Express-News, Gaetano “Tano” Lucchese developed the Alameda in the late 1940s. The theater was the winner of the most outstanding theater in the country in 1949. Today, the Alameda Theatre is under reconstruction.
Image (1): Alameda Theater. Courtesy of Edgar Velazquez Reynald. 2020.
Image (2): Alameda Theater. Courtesy of Cinema Treasures. Circa 1950's.
3
Los Follies
Opened in 1948, Los Follies provided audiences with movie spectacles under the stars. The Spanish language movie theater had seating, but no roof. Owned by Paul Garza, who also owned other Spanish language movie theaters on San Antonio's Westside, such as El Teatro Progreso and El Teatro Obrero, Los Follies was most likely named after the Teatro Follies in Mexico City. Los Follies double-billed second run Mexican and Hollywood movies together. By the time movies arrived to Los Follies, they had played extensively in other theaters. Los Follies was a short lived enterprise. Garza fell under financial trouble and closed it down sometime in the 1950's. The location that once housed Los Follies is now a parking lot for a law firm.
Image (1): Los Follies. Courtesy of Edgar Velazquez Reynald. 2020.
4
Circle 81 Drive-In
Circle 81 Drive-In was located at 103 New Laredo Highway and opened in 1960. The drive-in had one screen and a 450-car capacity. According to visitors, the drive-in had a playground at the bottom of the screen where children could play while the adults enjoyed a picture show. Located at the entrance of the drive-in existed a very large double-sided marquee with a vertical sign above the marquee which read CIRCLE. An issue of Box Office from March 28, 1960 states that the Circle 81 Drive-In would be showing Spanish-language films six days a week. The Circle 81 Drive-In was closed in the late 1960’s and demolished. The SAS shoe factor and general store now exists on the Circle 81 Drive-In property.
Image (1): Circle 81 Drive-In. Courtesy of Edgar Velazquez Reynald. 2020.
Image (2): Circle 81 Drive-In. Courtesy of Cinema Treasures. Circa 1958.
5
El Capitan Drive-In
El Capitan Drive-In was located at 600 W. Old US Highway 90 and was originally named The Bluebonnet Drive-In. It opened on October 28, 1950 debuting a double feature showing Yvonne DeCarlo’s “The Gal who Took the West” and “Johnny Stool Pigeon” with Howard Duff. The owner-operator of the Fiesta Drive-In, Sylvan K. Barry, also operated The Bluebonnet Drive-In. In 1953, The Bluebonnet Drive-In was renamed El Capitan Drive-In. Barry thought the change in name would resonate with more Westside families. There were also Mexican movies showed at El Capitan. Barry installed bench seating, at both, the Fiesta Drive-In and El Capitan Drive-In. The 250 seats accommodated walk-in patrons who did not have the luxury of a vehicle in the 1950's. El Capitan Drive-In had one screen and a 570 car capacity. It was closed in 1978 when Barry got out of the drive-in business and sold the property. A couple of abandoned buildings that maybe used to be Mexican restaurants now exist on the property.
Image (1): El Capitan Drive-In site. Courtesy of Edgar Velazquez Reynald. 2020.
Image (2): El Capitan Drive-In. Courtesy of Cinema Treasures. Circa 1960.
Image (3): El Capitan Drive-In aerial image. Courtesy of Cinema Treasures. 1963.
6
El Charro Drive-In
El Charro Drive-In was located at 830 Merida Street and was opened in 1955. It was one of the smaller drive-ins in San Antonio with only one screen, and it accommodated 400 cars. This drive-in showed Mexican movies. It was closed in 1979 and demolished. The site now belongs to a housing project.
Image (1): Charro Drive-In. Courtesy of Edgar Velazquez Reynald. 2020.
Image (2): El Charro Drive-In aerial image. Courtesy of Cinema Treasures. Circa 1958.
7
Teatro Maya
Owned by Gaetano Lucchese, El Teatro Maya was one of many open-air theaters on San Antonio's Westside. It opened in 1946, but permanently closed in August 1950. Unlike Lucchese's other theaters, El Teatro Maya couldn't garner much support from the community, despite exhibiting popular Mexican films and low admission pricing. The space is now part of a small strip housing local businesses.
Image (1): Teatro Maya. Courtesy of Edgar Velazquez Reynald. 2020.
Image (2): Teatro Maya grand opening ad. Courtesy of Cinema Treasures. Circa 1950's.
8
Fiesta Drive-In
The Fiesta Drive-In was located at 4803 W. Commerce St and opened on February 23, 1950 debuting a showing of “The Flame and the Arrow” with Burt Lancaster. The drive-in had one screen and accommodated 780 cars. The Fiesta Drive-In was operated by Sylvan K. Barry, who also operated El Capitan Drive-In. Since many of the Westside families did not have vehicles in the 1950's, Barry decided to place benches near the front screen and near the snack bar. The benches comprised of 270 seats. It was closed in 1969 and Barry lost the Fiesta lease in 1970. It was demolished and the site is now a shopping center where a Ross clothing store currently exists.
Image (1): Fiesta Drive-In. Courtesy of Edgar Velazquez Reynald. 2020.
Image (2): Fiesta Drive-In Grand Opening ad. Courtesy of Cinema Treasures. September 23, 1950.
9
Teatro Progreso
Built in 1931, the Teatro Progreso was coined as "El Templo del Arte." Owned by Juan and Paul Garza, the Progreso housed 550 seats, which accommodated the working class community of the Westside. The Garza's owned several theaters on the Westside and specifically tailored to the residents of lower income. Similar to most of their other venues, the Progreso ran films previously screened at other theaters first. The Progreso mostly ran fifth or sixth-run Hollywood movies with a Mexican movie exhibited every so often. The Garza venues were considered "stomp and whistle" venues, in which the audiences loudly interacted with the pictures. The Garza's gave back to the community, giving the proceeds of exhibiting Mexican films to the unemployed. In the 1940's, El Teatro Progreso had to compete with new theaters, like the Teatro Guadalupe, which premiere and screen new movies. El Teatro Progreso currently still stands, but doesn't exhibit movies at this time.
Image (1): Teatro Progreso. Courtesy of Edgar Velazquez Reynald. 2020.
10
Guadalupe Theater
One of the few remaining movie theaters on the Westside, El Teatro Guadalupe became "El cine de barrio más elegante de la colonia mexicana." The owner, Gaetano Lucchese chose the very heart of the Westside community to build the Guadalupe. After having renovated the Teatro Nacional for him, Lucchese contracted N. Straus Nayfach to design the Guadalupe with Spanish missions and Streamline Moderne influences. El Teatro Guadalupe hosted several U.S. premieres of Mexican films during the height of the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema.
Image (1): Teatro Guadalupe. Courtesy of Edgar Velazquez Reynald. 2020.
Image (2): Teatro Guadalupe. Courtesy of Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center. Circa 1950's.
Edward Arias Oral History
Edward Arias recollects growing up in San Antonio's Westside providing memories of attending movies at Los Follies Theater off Pecos St. We would like to give thanks to Mr. Arias for sharing his story with us.
Edward Arias Oral History by Erica Esparza, Edgar Velazquez Reynald, Adam Nerio
Contact Us
If you, or a loved one, would be interested in sharing stories of attending these, or any other theaters in the Westside, please email us at sawestsidetheaters@gmail.com for further information.
Special Thanks
Special Thanks to the Office of Historic Preservation, in particular, Dr. Jenny Hay for all her feedback. Special Thanks to Dr. Wieck and the St. Mary's University Public History Program for all the resources provided.
