Eastland County Texas Archives History .....History Of Lone Star Theatre And Columbia Theatre In Ranger, Texas ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/tx/txfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Dorman Holub searchersofourpast@gmail.com March 12, 2024, 8:39 pm 1919 - 23 October – The Lone Star Theatre, located on Austin Street, between Main and Pine Streets, will be ready for its initial performance Saturday with a first-run Paramount feature. The Lone Star theatre buildings and the adjoining building belongs to Lt. Col. Harry Albert Cole and his brother, Major Howard Southerland Cole of Dallas. [Harry and Howard entered the theatre business in Ranger during the oil boom]. Advertisements show the theatre was located at 120 S. Austin Street in Ranger. - 16 Nov – Cole’s Cafeteria [owned by the Cole Brothers and operated by Harry Cole] – 118 S. Austin Street, next door to Lone Star Theatre 1920 - 13 Jan – theatre shows were – 2:00; 3:30; 5:00; 6:30; 8:00; 9:30 pm – Prizma Motion pictures in Nature’s own colors - 6 March – The Lamb Theatre, located on Main Street was sold to the Cole Brothers, owners of the Lone Star Theatre in Ranger and a new show house in Marshall. The sale was six figures. The Lamb Theatre was completed on 1 February 1920. It was the largest in the city with a $10,000 pipe organ. H.S. Cole, manager of the Lone Star Theatre will also manage The Lamb. Mr. Lamb has moved to New Mexico to look after ranch property there. The Cole brothers have secured the United Artists, First National, Exhibitors’ Circuit, Metro, Goldwyn, Select, Selznick, Paramount-Artcraft, National, Pathe, and other companies. - 17 May – ticket prices have been reduced to 35 cents. - 3 August – The building on Austin Street, formerly used as the Lone Star Theatre is being remodeled and will be used as a banquet hall and private dining room for dinner parties and other events of like nature by Cole’s Cafeteria which is the adjoining building. The concrete floor of the building, which is built on a slant, is being covered with earth until it will be level. On this will be built a dancing floor of edged pine timber. Entrances will be cut in the walls to allow ingress and egress from the cafeteria proper. All the equipment necessary to a banquet hall will be installed. It will be in operation about August 15. - 15 September – fire loss gigantic – Ranger’s second million-dollar fire – Fire threatened the substantial Cole’s Cafeteria, the former Lone Star Theatre, now a banquet and dance hall in connection with the cafeteria. - 15 September – Lone Star Dancing Academy in the former Lone Star Theatre – special four-piece Ranger orchestra. Everyone invited. $1.50 each – no charge for ladies. Regular dances on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday – dancing lessons given every Tuesday and Thursday nights. 1925 - 25 October – The Ranger Little Theatre through the efforts of Judge Arthur A. Diehl have secured the old Lone Star Theatre building on South Austin Street, from Mrs. Henry Cole of Dallas and are now busy fixing stage, lights, etc. for their first performance. Judge Diehl is loaning the Lone Star Theatre to the Little Theatre. The Central Baptist Church has been offered their benches for the winter season. They are working on their next play, “Take My Advice,” a three-act snappy comedy to be given in November 1926 - 7 April – Ranger High School Queen is crowned at the old Lone Star Theatre. There will be a carnival at the Lone Star Theatre after the Coronation on 9 April 1926 - 25 May – Virtually the last vacant building of Ranger’s business section was rented when the Lone Star on Austin Street was leased this morning for a dance studio. - 25 May – now open at 120 South Austin Street – Leslie H. Ashton’s Academy of Dancing and Dramatics – first door south of Kinberg Studio – Call Mr. Ashton for appointment – Gholson Hotel – experience on the stage and motion picture realm 1930 - Lone Star Theatre has been renamed The Columbia Theatre by new manager, Brann Eugene Garner. 1948 - 29 June – Interstate Theatres of Dallas announced today the sale of the Arcadia and Interstate Theatres in Ranger to Brann Eugene Garner, the change in ownership to become effective on 2 July 1948. - 14 September – Loss was estimated to be $50,000 from a fire which completely destroyed the Columbia Theatre. The blaze originated from an explosion at the 300-seat Columbia theatre, owned by B.E. Garner, formerly associated with the Interstate Circuit. Residents on the second floor of the Conway building in which the café is located next door were routed and there was considerable water and smoke damage. Part of the theatre was covered by insurance. 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