Legacies: A History Journal for Dallas and North Central Texas, Volume 16, Number 1, Spring, 2004 Page: 58
64 p. ; 26 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
The Majestic had two previous locations
destroyed by fire before it was rebuilt at its present
site. Karl Hoblitzelle was determined to
make his newest theatre the most opulent in
town. Ushers dressed as royal footmen, complete
with white wigs, greeted guests to the opening
in April 1921. Crystal chandeliers, bronze cupids,
and an azure blue ceiling with twinkling stars
adorned the theatre. Downstairs in the basement
was Majesticland, where children were entertained
while their parents watched the shows.
Burns & Allen, Milton Berle, and Ginger Rogers
all played the Majestic.
Street of Dreams contains a detailed description
of the theatre organs that were used in
Dallas. Their provenance is traced, and we find
out what happened to each of them. An opus of
the various organs is included, along with a table
of musicians that played the organs and the dates
that they performed for the different theatres.
The final section of the book contains interviews
with several organists, along with conversations
with people like Ken and Lovita Irby
who were employed at the Majestic and the
Tower, respectively. Paul Harris, whose father,
Lynn, worked as an usher at the Majestic, also
relates his memories.
The photos that fill the book are fascinating.
They reveal a Dallas that has long since disappeared.
The lights of the theatre marquees illuminate
the crowds that fill downtown.The reader
gets a sense of not only what Elm Street was
like, but also what life was like for those people
frozen in time in pictures.
There is a certain wistfulness to Street of
Dreams. Sadly, the wonderful descriptions of the
theatres are all too often followed with the
words, "the theatre was demolished despite
urgent pleas to save it." *
- Susan McMath Platt
(Editor's Note: Street of Dreams can be purchased at
Preservation Dallas, 2922 Swiss Avenue. It can also be
orderedfrom the author at PO. Box 140613, Dallas, TX
75214,for $17.95, which includes tax and shipping.Royce Hanson, Civic Culture and
Urban Change: Governing Dallas
(Detroit: Wayne State University Press,
2003, 455 pp., $39.95)Royce Hanson, a political scientist and former
dean of the School of Social Sciences at the
University of Texas at Dallas, has provided a
detailed examination of politics, leadership and
governance in recent Dallas with special attention
to the post ErikJonsson years. Based in part
on more than eighty interviews of civic leaders,
this study seeks not only to describe the Dallas
way of governing and problem solving since the
1970s, but it also explores the consequences of
that way of governing. The book devotes separate
sections to how Dallas government and civic
leaders responded to the school crisis, the policing
controversy, and development needs. It also
provides an interesting examination of planning
in Dallas, and the various public-private partnerships
that have appeared in the city. Most importantly,
the book argues that the city's civic culture-celebrating
efficiency over politics, and
consensus over conflict-along with its over
reliance on the business elite for problem solving,
has failed contemporary Dallas.
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Dallas Historical Society. Legacies: A History Journal for Dallas and North Central Texas, Volume 16, Number 1, Spring, 2004, periodical, 2004; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth35092/m1/60/: accessed May 7, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Dallas Historical Society.