The Dreamland, El Tiro and Teatro Mexico ~ 11th & E Washington St

1912 It looks like they were well on their way but then...

The two main theaters in 1913 were Dittmann and the Dreamland built by W.K. Sheppard on the corner of 11^th St. and Washington in February (its previous location was near 12^th and Washington St.).[i]  Both theaters thrived on competition for years to come.[ii]  The Dreamland did not have a stage like other theaters.  Instead, it included one thousand chairs and an orchestra pit beneath the screen.  The cost to build it was $7,000.  Sheppard hired a man to play a number of musical instruments and produce sounds to match scenes depicted in the pictures and another person played piano.  His main distributor supplied films by Universal Pictures.[iii]

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[i] Sanborn Fire Insurance maps from 1914 label the second building from the corner of 1100 Washington St. and 12^th St. as being in use for “Motion Pictures” and the Brownsville Herald news items and ads print the “New Dreamland” as having been from that location. 

[ii]   Visit “Photographs of the Robert Runyon Collection – The South Texas Border, 1900-1920” at the The University of Texas at Austin webpage at http://runyon.lib.utexas.edu to see the Dittmann and Dreamland.

[iii]  “Dreamland Tonight:  New Theater Built Exclusively for Moving Pictures Has Many Modern Features,” Brownsville Herald 02/05/13.

[iv]   Brownsville Herald 08/25/13.

[v]   Brownsville Herald 06/19/14.

[vi]   Brownsville Herald 05/13/10  excerpt:  “Part of the Crystal’s roof has been removed making it a cool pleasant resort on these spring nights.”

[vii]   Brownsville Herald 04/27/1912.

[viii] Hall, John R. “1930s Bring A/C Into the Mainstream.”  Posted April 24, 2001.  Internet article: http://www.achrnews.com/Articles/Feature_Article/2d061aeb4695a010VgnVCM100000f932a8c0__

 ... they decided to alter the building significantly

A.M. Stringer, who had been painting scenic art for Dittman’s vaudeville shows since 1910, was also hired by W.K. Sheppard to decorate the Dreamland in 1913.[iv]  The following summer he was rehired by Dittman to redecorate the lobby and paint scenery. 

In 1914, Sheppard announced plans to modify the ceiling of his theater as an airdome roof for the summer which could be opened and closed as needed.[v]  The owners of the Crystal had done something similar in 1910 by removing a section of the roof.[vi]  But it would still be a few years before air conditioning could give visitors satisfactory relief from summer temperatures.  Ads for the Ditmann boasted it was “the coolest place in town” beginning in April 1927.[vii]  More efficient AC systems made their way into theaters across the nation by the 1930s.[viii]

 Probably W.K. Sheppard with wife and daughter.

Theater family and movie posters

 May be W.K. Sheppard again with theater employees

 Theater seats

Theater pit and screen

 

1912 

1917

1919 The Queen Theater later moved into new building near E Elizabeth and 12th

David J. Young bought the Dreamland which became “Teatro El Tiro” (as early as 1937) [i] and later, Teatro Mexico (opened in 1945) which showed Spanish language movies along with the Teatro Iris (1946) on Washington St. [ii]  The first Spanish movies were shown at the Dittman, after David Young leased it from Adolf Dttman.[iii]  His son, Dave Young Jr. later bought the Fiesta Drive-In on Southmost Rd. and 29^th St. from the Ezell Theater Company (formerly the W.G. Underwood and Claude Ezell “U&E” theater chain which built it in 1954). 

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[i]   Interview with Rogelio Agrasanchez, Jr. July 16, 2009.  A 1949 Sanborn map places the Iris at 1037 Washington St.

[ii]   “Teatro Mexico Formally Opens Tonight,” Brownsville Herald 04/23/45.  A 1949 Sanborn map indicates the Iris Theater was at 1037 Washington.

[iii]   Interview with Adolf Dittman Jr. July 27, 2009 and Rogelio Agrasanchez, Jr. July 16, 2009.  Adolf Jr. recalled David J. Young, Sr. as leasing the theater from his father in the 1930s and Agrasanchez stated the Dittmann was the first to show Mexican movies.  The Brownsville Herald 01/02/1933 includes a Dittmann ad for “Esclavas de la Moda con Felix de Pomes and Blanca de Castejon” in a Spanish comedy.

El Tiro caravan announcing movie attraction (Brownsville High School on Palm Blvd behind them)

1945 Heraldo Spanish language news story

Brownsville Herald interview with David Young, Sr includes history of theater and description of renovation to building.

 Architect Jack Corgan rendition of new facade for theater

 Barely visible sign of Teatro Mexico and Coca Cola Sign

Mexico sign top left and Iris sign above van in photo

Teatro Mexico

 2005 11th and E Washington

1949 Sanborn Map shows Mexico, Grande and Iris theaters