The Texas Theatre celebrated its 85th anniversary last week, and the celebration included republishing the original program from opening night, Tuesday, April 21, 1931.
The 52-page booklet includes messages of congratulations from local businesses to the theater’s owner, C.R. McHenry, who was known as “Uncle Mack.”
McHenry had owned other theaters in Oak Cliff, but the Texas was his dream, built with state-of-the-art equipment and air conditioning.
We wanted to share some of these ads because they tell a story of 1931 Oak Cliff. There’s one from Southland Ice Co., whose ad boasts 30 Tot’em stations in Oak Cliff. There’s one from Skinnie & Jimmie, Firestone dealers who had a space in what is now the Jefferson Tower. There’s one from Lamar & Smith Funeral Directors (as far as I can tell, the only ad from a company still in business). And then there’s Lakeside Laundry & Cleaning Co., whose tagline implores, “Let the biggest washwoman in Oak Cliff do your washing.”
