Paramount Theater Records

An Inventory of the collection

Administrative History

The Paramount Theater was designed by John Eberson, who was known as "Opera House" John. Eberson designed many theaters across Texas for the Interstate Theater Circuit (ITC), a vaudeville company run by Karl Hoblitzelle out of Dallas. Eberson was assisted by local architect G. A. Endress. It was built in 1915 by Edgar Nalle and had its grand opening on October 11, 1915. Originally called the Majestic because it was part of the national Majestic Vaudeville Circuit, it opened with vaudeville and movie offerings, though the original emphasis was on live performances. The lavish interior included 1600 seats. Upon opening, Eberson called it "one of the best theaters in the country." Though built as a vaudeville house, it included 2 projectors in a fire-proof room to protect against the dangers of nitrate film.

It was renovated in 1930 with art nouveau interiors, including a painting of the patron saint of music St. Cecilia on the proscenium arch, and renamed the Paramount. In 1934 it became the first Texas theater to introduce Wide Range, a new sound technology from Western Electric Sound. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, the Paramount continued to offer live entertainment along with movies.

By the 1950s, the Paramount began its decline. ABC bought the theater (and other ITC assets), and the theater never really recovered. In 1966, the Paramount returned to the forefront of Austin theaters with the world premiere of the new "Batman" movie, but the continued flight of movie theaters and movie goers to the suburbs threatened the demise of the Paramount, nearly making it a statistic along with the hundreds of downtown movie palaces across the country being torn down.

A new company headed by Jon Bernardoni, Chuck Eckerman, and Steve Scott, called Paramount Inc., formed in 1973 to save the theater, which was slated for demolition. It reopened in 1975 as a live theater but included a regular series of classic films to go along with stage productions, as well as a series of Saturday matinees for kids. Struggling to make ends meet, Paramount, Inc. became the non-profit Paramount Theater for the Performing Arts, and the organization began to raise funds to restore the theater. In 1977, the theater became a Registered Texas Historical Landmark and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, making the theater eligible for federal funds. Restoration of the theater began in 1977, with phase 2 beginning in 1979. During the restoration, the theater returned to its original 1915 appearance, including the opera boxes that were removed in the 1930s. It had its Grand Re-Opening in 1981. The Paramount was home to a world premiere shortly after renovation with the July 11, 1982, release of "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas." In 2000, the Paramount Theater for the Performing Arts and the State Theater Company merged to form the Austin Theater Alliance, bringing both historic venues under one roof. In 2010, the Paramount Theater won the "This Place Matters" Community Challenge Award from the National Trust for Historic Places.

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Scope and Contents

This collection is a combination of donations from the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center and Charles Root, plus materials that were donated from a variety of sources that were formally housed with the theater collection. These two collections have been merged.

The Charles Root donation consisted of a scrapbook that includes newspaper clippings and photographs dating from 1934-1946.

The Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center donation includes business correspondence of Louis Novy, city theater manager, that cover the period 1937-1952; financial records dating from 1935-1956 including bookings and box office reports, check records, and War Bond sales records; correspondence, circa 1944-1946; photographs, negatives, and zinc photo plates, circa 1940. In addition there are newspaper clippings, certificates, seating diagram, plans circa 1945-1950, programs, circa 1930s-1950s and a Scottish Rite of Freemasonry certificate belonging to Louis Novy.

The Paramount Theater for the Performing Arts collection includes records of the Paramount Theater's rebirth as a non-profit arts organization and includes internal organization and financial records, correspondence, an extensive collection of programs from events from the early years under Interstate Theater Circuit (ITC) until the 2000s.

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Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

Collection is open to all users

Restrictions on Use

No restrictions on use

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Related Material

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Separated Material

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Administrative Information

Custodial History

Collection was transferred to the Austin History Center from the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center. The collection came to the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center as a gift from Paramount Inc. around 1975; Paramount Inc., a nonprofit corporation took over the Paramount Theatre in 1974. The collection also includes materials donated by Charles Root and other items formerly housed with the Theater Collection.

Preferred Citation

Paramount Theater Records, (AR.2001.018). Austin History Center, Austin Public Library, Texas

Acquisition Information

Donor #: DO/1992/016 and DO/1993/091 (and others)

Donation Date: 10/18/1993 and 5/9/2001

Processing Information

Finding aid created and encoded by Melissa Truitt-Green/2012

Preliminary processing by Molly Hults/2009

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Detailed Description of the Collection

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