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Grande Theatre
Grande Theatre
In 1933, a theater company by the name of Texas Consolidated Theatres was formed as part of the Paramount Pictures Circuit. The Grande Theatre, along with The Rialto and The Strand, was one of over 150 theaters within the Texas circuit in the mid 1940's. The Grande Theatre opened in Harlingen, TX in 1942 and was managed by Thomas Cantu and was known as "El Grande" to most patrons. Its primary attractions were Spanish language films; however, it was commonplace to see talent shows and short plays shown between films. Freddy Fender was one performer who played at the talent show (afficionados) that showcased local artists between cinematic films. Fender was discovered during one of these shows, and later went onto international stardom. Spanish language films had become very popular and profitable, and attendance at any of these theaters was a central feature of social life in the community. However, with the new era of cable television and VCRs, the small theater would lose its steam by the mid 1980's. The Grande Theatre closed its doors in 1989. For a time after, it was used as an evangelical church. It was eventually purchased by Bill DeBrooke in 1995, and later sold to Xavier Jaramillo in 2012.
If it could talk, El Grande would tell us about its wartime efforts, selling war bonds and showing Mexican movies with a message of support for the allies. It would tell how audiences were moved watching ‘Espionaje en el Golfo’, a film about the submarine attack on Mexico’s oil ships during WWII, and how they enjoyed watching a Villa-like rebel defeating some German spies in ‘Soy puro mexicano’.
El Grande could also tell how amazing it was to see "Juan Charrasqueado" in person, on its own stage, with his piercing blue eyes and a voice that sounded like thunder. Of course, 'Juan Charrasqueado' was the name of a movie and its star, Pedro Armendáriz.
During the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema, the virtues of Motherhood were the center of those old-fashioned tearjerkers starring Sara García, Libertad Lamarque, Prudencia Grifell, and later on, actresses like Marga López and Amparo Rivelles featured in films like, 'Cuando los hijos se van’, ‘El derecho de nacer’ or ‘Angelitos negros,' which in multiple occasions caused rivers of tears to run all the way to the lobby.
El Grande would of course remember the comedies featuring Cantinflas, Resortes, Clavillazo, Chaflán or Mantequilla that made people laugh in such an uproarious way that anyone in La Placita Park could hear the noise.
El Grande also would recall the times when people dressed-up to attend its shows, and how proud it was to have such an appeal to Spanish-speaking people like entire families, teenagers, youngsters, and those that felt alone from leaving their kin in Mexico to start a new life in the USA. Watching Pedro Infante, Jorge Negrete, María Félix, Dolores del Río, Fernando Soler or Joaquín Pardavé delighted audiences and made the people forget their everyday worries.
Article Credit: Rogelio Agrasánchez Jr., 2010
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