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Border Theater

Mission, US

Border Theater

The Border Theater is a historic movie theater in Mission, Texas. Located at 905 North Conway Boulevard it is in the city's central business district. Built in 1942 it continues to operate as an entertainment venue. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on 28 August 1998. The the

ater was the flagship operation for the Rio Grande Valley theater owners Robert N. and Dell Smith. They hired Dallas architect William J. Moore to design the building and George Holliday was the general contractor. The opening of Moore Army Air Corps Field in 1941 created a market for entertainment. The Smith brothers at one point had five facilities in South Texas. The movie shown at the opening on 3 April 1942 was a Roy Rogers film, Heart of the Rio Grande. The facade presents elements of Pueblo Revival architecture with its stucco exterior, faux vigas and heavy wooden lintels. Stucco covers the entire front of the building wrapping around each side. Vigas are evenly spaced across the facade three feet below the roofline and above the portico. A large marquee attached to the facade and extending above the roofline bears the theater's name in large red letters. A five sided ticket booth...

Listen to the audio guide for Border Theater Free on WIP — starts by itself when you arrive, even with the screen off

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