Select Theater
Mineola, Wood County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The Select Theater was the seventh in a long line of Mineola venues dating from 1886. Mrs. Martha (Mattie) Hooks named the theater for Select Pictures, a Texas motion picture franchise, in 1920. Mrs. Hooks and her husband R. T. Hooks operated the Select Theater for many years. In 1948 the Select was remodeled with such features as a gradually sloping floor and an elevated stage. The new neon tower had a two-part revolving base, stood 24 feel above the ground, and was visible for miles. The theater was managed by two longtime employees from 1961 to 1986, when a theater company assumed operation. (1998)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
The Select Theater was the latest in a line of Mineola entertainment venues reaching back to 1886, named by Mattie Hooks in 1920 for a Texas motion-picture franchise. She and her husband ran it for years, and a 1948 remodel added a sloping floor, elevated stage, and a 24-foot neon tower visible for miles. It anchored the town's Main Street entertainment into the late 20th century.
Why it matters
Small-town movie houses like the Select were the social heart of Main Street America, and its glowing neon tower marks the golden age of the neighborhood cinema.
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