Lan-Tex Theater

The Lan-Tex Theater (often styled LANTEX) is a historic single-screen movie house and live-entertainment venue on the north side of the courthouse square in Llano, Texas, United States. It opened on May 19, 1927, built by S. D. Rainer and George Shaw with J. R. Blackmore as builder, and was promoted as the "House of Comfort all Year" thanks to a large evaporative cooling system that predated central air conditioning. Opening-night audiences paid 30 cents for adults and 10 cents for children to see Universal Pictures' "The Fourth Commandment." Over its long life the theater has served as a community hub for Llano, hosting school concerts, WWII bond drives, town-hall meetings, theatrical performances, concerts, and the monthly Llano Country Opry. It is described by its own history as one of the last historic single-screen movie houses remaining in the United States. A 1950 marquee fire led to a modern facade replacing the original Spanish Colonial design. Today the Lan-Tex continues to screen films — the official site notes three weekly screenings — and to present live music, notably the Llano Country Opry on the second Saturday of each month. The venue is also rentable for private parties and functions. Its stated mission blends nostalgia, live performance, and current movies to serve the community and inspire a next generation of audiences. The theater is approaching its centennial, with the site anticipating a 100th birthday in 2027. The Lan-Tex is a privately operated local landmark rather than a chain or listed company. It is managed on site, with George I. Fricke III identified as theater manager in the official "About" material. Because it is a single historic venue, its "product" is the experience of film screenings, live music, community events, and private rentals rather than a manufactured good.

The Lan-Tex Theater opened on May 19, 1927, on the north side of the courthouse square in Llano, Texas. It was built by S. D. Rainer and George Shaw, who hired J. R. Blackmore as builder. Opening night drew a standing-room-only crowd that paid 30 cents per adult ticket and 10 cents per child to watch Universal Pictures' "The Fourth Commandment." The theater was proclaimed the "House of Comfort all Year" because of its "conditioned air" — a large evaporative cooling system that predated central air conditioning. The year 1927 was marked by the arrival of the "Talkies," and movie houses were built across the United States. Most of those theaters have since closed or been converted to other uses; the Lan-Tex has outlived most of its counterparts and, according to its official history, remains one of the last historic single-screen movie houses in the country. Throughout its lifetime the Lan-Tex has been part of Llano's social fabric, hosting school concerts, WWII bond drives, town-hall meetings, theatrical performances, concerts, and the monthly Llano Country Opry. A marquee fire in 1950 destroyed the original Spanish Colonial facade, which was replaced by a modern design; the official history notes that an artist's rendering of a restored facade parapet exists, pending a better-quality photograph to verify original details. In the present era the theater continues to operate as a cinema and live venue. Its official website advertises three weekly screenings and live music with the Llano Country Opry on the second Saturday of every month, and the venue is available for private parties and functions. The theater's mission statement describes bringing "a mixture of nostalgia, live performances, and current movies" to the community, with the goal of captivating a next generation who will keep great entertainment in Llano for another 100 years. The site anticipates the theater's 100th birthday in 2027. Management is local: the "About" page identifies George I. Fricke III as theater manager and recounts a manager's personal path from volunteering to running the historic venue.

• 1950

  A marquee fire destroys the original Spanish Colonial facade, which is replaced by a modern design.

• 1927

  Lan-Tex Theater opens on May 19 on the north side of the Llano courthouse square; opening film is Universal Pictures' "The Fourth Commandment."

• The theater anticipates celebrating its 100th birthday.

A historic, community-rooted single-screen theater blending nostalgia, live performance, and current films in Llano, Texas.

• Film screenings

  Three weekly screenings of current movies.

• Llano Country Opry

  Live music held on the second Saturday of every month.

• Private event rentals

  The theater is rentable for private parties and functions.

1. 1Movie Theater | Lantex Theater | Llanolantextheater.com
2. 2HISTORY | lantexlantextheater.com
3. 3About | lantexlantextheater.com
4. 4Lan-Tex Theaterwikidata.org