Mulkey Theatre

The Mulkey Theatre is a historic movie theater in Clarendon, Texas, United States. It operates as a community cinema and event venue under the management of the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation and the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce, which maintain its official website at clarendontx.com/mulkey. The theater screens first-run and repertory films, hosts live performances and musical events, and is available for private rentals for birthdays, company parties, and youth organizations. Its programming has included titles such as Verity, Heart of the Beast, and Prohibition: A Musical Comedy, with screenings typically scheduled on Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons. The venue also offers balcony recliner seating and has been used as a filming location, including a 1987 Guess Jeans commercial. Ongoing improvement plans include adding a small kitchen accessible from the balcony and dressing rooms to support live performances. Donations for maintenance and future growth are channeled through the Donley County Affiliate Fund at the Amarillo Area Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax-deductible fund. The theater is a landmark of Clarendon, a town founded in 1878 by Rev. L.H. Carhart as a temperance colony and later known as "Saints' Roost."

The Mulkey Theatre is a historic movie theater located in Clarendon, Texas, United States. Clarendon itself was founded in 1878 by Rev. L.H. Carhart, who led a group of Northern Methodists to the Texas Panhandle to establish a Christian colony based on temperance and education. The town was originally located at the junction of Carroll Creek and the Salt Fork of the Red River, but in 1887 it relocated six miles south to its present site to be near the Fort Worth & Denver Railroad. The Mulkey Theatre became a local landmark, and by the late 20th century it was known for both film screenings and as a filming location; a 1987 Guess Jeans commercial was shot there. Over time, the theater fell into disrepair, but it was later restored and reopened to the public under the stewardship of the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation and the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce. As of the early 2020s, the theater is active, showing films such as Verity, Heart of the Beast, and Prohibition: A Musical Comedy, and hosting live events. The venue offers balcony recliner seating and is available for private rentals. Project managers have announced plans to add a small kitchen accessible from the balcony and dressing rooms to expand live performance capabilities. Donations for the theater's maintenance and growth are managed through the Donley County Affiliate Fund at the Amarillo Area Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax-deductible fund. The theater remains a cultural anchor in Clarendon, a town that retains its historic character and is home to Clarendon College.

• 1987

  Guess Jeans commercial filmed at the Mulkey Theatre.

• 1887

  Town relocates six miles south to be near the Fort Worth & Denver Railroad.

• 1878

  Clarendon founded by Rev. L.H. Carhart as a temperance colony.

• Theater restored and reopened to the public under Clarendon EDC and Chamber of Commerce management.

• Plans announced to add a small kitchen and dressing rooms.

Community-focused historic cinema and event venue in the Texas Panhandle.

• Verity

• Heart of the Beast

• Prohibition: A Musical Comedy

1. 1Mulkey Theatre – Clarendon Texas EDC & Chamber of Commerceclarendontx.com
2. 2Visit Clarendon – Clarendon Texas EDC & Chamber of Commerceclarendontx.com
3. 3About – Clarendon Texas EDC & Chamber of Commerceclarendontx.com
4. 4About Clarendon – Clarendon Texas EDC & Chamber of Commerceclarendontx.com
5. 5Mulkey Theatrewikidata.org