Majestic Theatre
Dallas, Dallas County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In his determination to provide entertainment for the entire family, theatre pioneer and innovator Karl St. John Hoblitzelle (1879 - 1967) built this structure in 1921 to house Dallas' Majestic Theatre. The five-story, five-bay, Beaux Arts structure was designed by Chicago architect John Eberson. Featuring a 1570-seat auditorium, the Majestic's fine classical exterior detailing is complemented by its opulent Baroque interior. RTHL - 1983
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Theatre impresario Karl St. John Hoblitzelle built this five-story Beaux Arts palace in 1921 to house Dallas' Majestic Theatre, hiring Chicago architect John Eberson to design its opulent Baroque interior and 1,570-seat auditorium. Conceived as family entertainment, the Majestic became a cornerstone of the city's Elm Street theatre district. Its ornate detailing survives as a rare monument to the golden age of American vaudeville and movie palaces.
Why it matters
The great downtown movie palaces of the 1920s marked the arrival of mass popular entertainment in American cities, and few survive as intact as the Majestic.
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Related people
- · Karl St. John Hoblitzelle
- · John Eberson
Themes & tags
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Hoblitzelle, Karl St. John
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Karl Hoblitzelle came out of Missouri to help stage the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, then founded the Interstate Amusement Company in 1905 and built a theater empire spreading from Texas across the South. A pioneer who wired his houses for sound and air-conditioned them, he set national trends as an exhibitor, with the Majestic Theatre as his flagship. In later life he became a leading philanthropist, funding schools and hospitals and donating his archives to the University of Texas.
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