The Picture Show - Frisco, TX - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

The sign says:

The Picture Show

Known variously as the Rio, Gem and Queen, this theater built in 1919 was destroyed by fire in 1922. Left standing was the brick arch and it was embedded into the building that soon rose from the ashes. Weekend movies were enjoyed here for almost 40 years. Today it is the Masonic lodge hall.

Heritage Association of Frisco, Inc. 2005

In 2016, Lebanon Lodge #837, A.F. & A.M. still occupies the building, and the Heritage Association of Frisco provides some complementary information (see link):

"While Frisco got its first movie house about 1915, the year 1919 saw a new and improved theatre on this site. The brick archway sheltered a ticket booth at the front of the building and the rest of the building was made of wood. A fire in 1922 burned most of the downtown area, but the brick archway withstood the fire and soon a new brick theatre with a balcony was built on the site. This was the only movie theatre in Frisco until it closed in 1956. It was known as the Queen, the Gem, and the Rio. The theatre was known to have rats that at times provided more excitement and entertainment than the show itself. It is said they would stand up in the aisle and eat popcorn!

Until the late 1920s all the movies were "silent" and talking, yelling and clapping during the movies were the custom of the day. A comedy and a serial that continued from week to week preceded most feature movies. The theatre had no air conditioning and was cooled by a fan. The projectionist had to repair breaks in the film and if the city’s gasoline-powered generator stopped the lights in the theatre went out as well. The going rate to attend a movie was 10 cents."

Group that erected the marker: Heritage Association of Frisco, Inc. URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link] Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: 6983 Main Street Frisco, TX USA 75034

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