Credits roll for last time at River Oaks Theatre
Barring a twist ending, nostalgic crowds file in for location’s final screening
The first film ever shown at the River Oaks Theatre was “Bachelor Mother” in 1939 starring Ginger Rogers and David Niven. The last film, it seems, will be the Oscar-nominated “Nomadland” starring Frances McDormand. When credits rolled after the 7:30 p.m. showing on Thursday, the theater was expected to lower its curtain for good.
“It’s such a shame,” a bystander said as she and her dog passed under the theater’s iconic, black and white awning.
As Houston’s last remaining vintage movie theater, the River Oaks has held court on West Gray since 1939. After Landmark Theatres was founded in 1974, the River Oaks became one of its first acquisitions just two years later.
For the past 30 days, Weingarten Realty, which owns and operates the River Oaks Shopping Center, and Landmark
Theatres have been locked in a public dispute over the theater’s lease, which expires on March 31. Negotiations stalled then resumed — so far, they’ve been unable to reach an agreement. And time has all but run out.
The River Oaks has been in jeopardy before. In July 2006, the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance declared that three art deco buildings owned by Weingarten Realty were “endangered”: the River Oaks Theatre, River Oaks Shopping Center and the Alabama Theatre, which is now a Trader Joe’s grocery store.
That year, more than 23,000 people signed an online petition to spare the buildings. And philanthropist Carolyn Farb helped organize a “Save Our Shrines” protest on the street in front of the River Oaks Theatre.
This time feels completely different, said Liz Allen. With more than 13 years of experience inside the box office, she’s the theater’s longest-running employee.
Most of the theater’s final showings sold out quickly. When Allen started her shift at 3 p.m. Thursday, there were only 10 tickets for “The Father” at 7 p.m. — those seats were purchased within minutes.
“People have been very disappointed, they wanted to see one last show,” Allen said. “And some people bought tickets just to take photos in the lobby. They didn’t know I would’ve just let them in.”
“This is the place you go to see movies you can’t see anywhere else,” said Sharon Samson.
She and two friends, Mary Wood and Marsha Dougherty, caught the afternoon showing of “The Father” after Wood scored tickets online. The trio drove into town from Cypress, as they’ve done for the past 20 years, to see a movie at the River Oaks. Their plan was to make a night of it and dine at the nearby Epicure Café after the show.
The sidewalk became a magnet for selfies ever since management wrote, “Thank you for 45 years of support, farewell,” on the marquee the previous week. Several well-wishers dressed the part to say goodbye. At least one gentleman wore a gold sequin blazer.
A fitting adieu considering the River Oaks’ glitzy past. In the 1920s, Karl Hoblitzelle co-founded the Interstate Theaters Company, a chain of vaudevillestyle houses, and opened Majestic theaters in Dallas, San Antonio, Austin and Houston. The other Texas cities have successfully protected historic theaters from neighborhood-oriented development by repurposing them as live entertainment venues.
The difference, said David Bush, executive director of Preservation Houston, is zoning.
“Another former Interstate theater that’s being worked on right now is the old Tower Theatre on Westheimer. It used to be El Real (Tex-Mex), and it’s becoming Acme Oyster House,” said Jim Parsons, Preservation Houston programs director. “It lost its interior a long time ago, but it still has that great exterior that is a landmark in the neighborhood. I think it’s kind of interesting that one company created so many buildings that we still think of as landmarks.”
A spokesperson for Weingarten told the Chronicle they were “grateful for Landmark’s long tenure at River Oaks Shopping Center, and we appreciate the strong ties so many Houstonians have to the theater. Contrary to reports, there are no plans to redevelop the theater at this time. We look forward to finding the next great operator for the theater space.”
In February, Landmark Theatres’ president and chief operating officer, Paul Serwitz, confirmed the company had not paid rent since spring 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The River Oaks was closed just shy of six months, from March 16 through Sept. 9.
“With the closure, we had no business to operate. There was no other revenue stream,” Serwitz said. “Our whole company was shut down. We closed the corporate office, and everyone was furloughed. There was no capital to pay rent.”
Weingarten since proposed an “offer waiving much of the 12-month past due rent and providing a 24-month payment plan for the balance. We also proposed to allow Landmark to pay half rent for the next six months to get the theater through the worst of the pandemic. Unfortunately, Landmark was unable to see a path to profitability in order to renew the lease. Therefore, they have decided to close at the end of their lease term.”
Landmark declined to comment for this story.
Some fans are refusing to let go. A candlelight vigil was scheduled for Thursday night, a “Save the River Oaks” benefit is set for 7 p.m. Saturday at Warehouse Live and a “Save the Landmark: Houston’s Historic River Oaks Theatre” Zoom discussion with director Richard Linklater and musician Bun B takes place at 7 p.m. next Wednesday.
But barring a twist ending in the third act, the credits have rolled for the River Oaks Theatre.
“This is the place you go to see movies you can’t see anywhere else.” Sharon Samson