Plus, a lunchtime music series returns.
 
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🎞️ “Let’s go to the movies, let’s go see the stars”

Show Row: The theater district of long ago
A black and white image depicts a street lined with tall buildings and several vintage cars. A sign on the building closest to the front on the right reads "Palace." A sign on the building closest to the front on the left reads "Hotel Seibold Cafe."
7th Street circa 1949. | Photo by W.D. Smith Commercial Photography via University of Texas at Arlington Libraries, Special Collections
What is now an entertainment district filled with restaurants, bars, and night clubs was once a bustling entertainment district of a different variety: Show Row.

For years during the early to mid 1900s, 7th Street between Main and Lamar contained three grand cinemas of great popularity — the Palace, Worth, and Hollywood Theatres — that brought in movie stars, film premieres, and hoards of moviegoers throughout their tenure.

Palace | 7th and Main Street

The Palace Theatre — Fort Worth’s very first movie theater — actually debuted as an opera house. In 1908, it opened as a replacement for the original Fort Worth Opera House building, which had been damaged by wind.

As time went on, the opera house also began to show silent movies, and in 1919, it was purchased by Pierre Levy and officially converted into a theater. During this time, it was renamed the “Palace Theatre.”

Though the Palace Theatre was eventually torn down, one strange piece of it — a lightbulb recognized as one of the longest lasting in the world + nicknamed “Light Bulb Methuselah” — still remains at the Stockyards Museum. Today, the property houses the UMB Bank building.

Worth | 7th and Taylor Street

In 1927, a theater attached to the Worth Hotel opened as the then-largest in Texas. The theater’s financial backer, Jesse H. Jones (who later went on to do the same for the Hollywood Theatre), reportedly envisioned the Worth as one of the “finest theaters in the Southwest,” and that vision seemed to come true on opening night.

With a capacity of ~3,000 people and ornate details like tapestries, friezes, and pillars with lotus-blossom capitals, “‘First Nighters’ literally gasped at the beauty of the Worth,” according to a Fort Worth Star-Telegram newspaper clipping from the opening.

The Worth’s gold and ivory Wurlitzer Organ was saved and donated to Casa Mañana when the hotel and theater were demolished — quite dramatically — in 1972 to make way for an expansion of the Fort Worth Club, which still stands today.
Bring the popcorn + keep reading
Asked

Which of the theaters hosted the world premiere of “The Westerner” starring Gary Cooper?
A. The Palace
B. The Worth
C. The Hollywood
You reel-y should know this
 
Events
Monday, Sept. 16
  • “The Notebook” | Monday, Sept. 16 | 7:30-9:35 p.m. | Rooftop Cinema Club | $19+ | Hide your tears under the cover of night while watching this romantic film from a rooftop.
Tuesday, Sept. 17
  • September New Moon Ceremony & Open Mic | Tuesday, Sept. 17 | 6-10 p.m. | Ascension Studios, Pantego | Donation | All genres of music, poetry, comedy, visual art, and dance are welcome at this open mic night.
Wednesday, Sept. 18
  • Lunchtime Music Series | Wednesday, Sept. 18 | 12-1 p.m. | Burnett Park | Free | Spend your lunch break listening to tunes by the Mountain Natives.
  • Charcuterie Board Workshop | Wednesday, Sept. 18 | 7-8 p.m. | Lockwood Distilling Company-Magnolia | $65 | Sip on handcrafted cocktails while learning how to build a charcuterie board worthy of display.
Thursday, Sept. 19
Friday, Sept. 20
  • Free Kid Friday | Friday, Sept. 20 | 7:30-9:30 p.m. | Cowtown Coliseum | $15+ | Bring kiddos ages 12 and under along for free when you purchase a Bronze Star Adult ticket for the Stockyards Championship Rodeo.
Events calendar here
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Core Spaces
 
News Notes
Biz
  • Flight attendants at Fort Worth-based American Airlines reached a deal with the airline for a new five-year contract. The contract includes pay increases of up to 20.5% and pay for boarding time. (WFAA)
Eat
  • Local pop-up bakery Sunrise Scones is bringing homemade scones to Clearfork Farmers Market every Saturday + Sweet Lucy’s Pies every Wednesday. Pro tip: Try the signature blueberry lemon scone. (CultureMap Fort Worth)
Community
  • The Fort Worth Zoo welcomed another new baby giraffe last month. The male calf, named Finnigan, made his debut in the zoo’s African Savanna last Friday. Tear up over the rest of the zoo’s adorable baby animals.
Civic
  • Arlington City Council approved a $722 million 2025 budget, which includes the city’s first property tax rate increase since 2004. The budget also includes ~$6 million in city department cuts + absorbing the cost of full-time police and fire positions. (Fort Worth Report)
Wellness
  • The ForeverFit clinic at UNT’s Fort Worth Health Science Center is now offering a free aquatic exercise program for cancer patients and survivors. Participants must receive a referral to take part in the program. (Fort Worth Report)
Number
  • $9.36. That’s the average price of sandwiches in our state. According to Toast, Texas has some of the least expensive sandwiches. This is a good excuse to grab lunch at one of these local sandwich spots.
Asked
  • Which local Instagram accounts should we be following? Help us spice up our feed by sharing your favorite Fort Worth foodies, comedians, real estate moguls, and beyond.
Travel
  • If you find yourself waiting at DFW Airport for a delayed flight, might we suggest tuning into this live feed of air traffic controllers? It won’t get you airborne sooner, but it sure beats glaring at the desk agent. Visit our guide to DFW Airport for more travel recommendations.
Weather
  • The last six days of summer will continue to bring temperatures in the 90s. Expecting cooler weather once fall officially hits? WFAA Meteorologist Pete Delkus reminds you not to hold your breath.
Sports
  • The Horned Frogs had a tough weekend, losing 35-34 to UCF at home. Listen to the post-game analysis from the local experts of the TCU Horned Frogs with Locked On’s daily podcasts.
    Show
    • There are only four days left before this classic folk tale takes center stage at Bass Performance Hall. Grab tickets to experience the timeless story of Cinderella finding her prince amidst a realm of fairy dust, glass slippers + comical stepsisters.*
    Finance
    • Planning your retirement should center around trips abroad (we hear Tuscany is lovely) or picking up a new hobby (painting, anyone?) — not worrying about how to fund those adventures. See how United Texas Credit Union can help you turn those retirement dreams into reality with a game-changing strategy.*
    Plan Ahead
    Number
    • 22%. That’s how much auto insurance rates have increased over the last year. Stop overpaying + find a better rate when you get a free, no-obligation quote from Savvy.*
    817BIZ
     
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    The Wrap
     
    Brianna Williams

    Today’s edition by:
    Brianna
    From the editor
    As a former theater kid (some say I stole the show portraying Iago during my middle school’s production of “Aladdin Jr.”), it was quite the treat to research Show Row’s history — even if they were movie theaters and not exactly the musical theater variety. Either way, I had this song from “Annie” stuck in my head the whole time.
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