LANTEX

1927–2027 · THE FULL STORY

Ninety-nine years on the north side of the courthouse square.

On May 19, 1927, S. D. Rainier and George Shaw opened the doors on the theater J. R. Blackmore built for them. A standing-room-only crowd paid thirty cents, a dime for the kids, to see Universal's The Fourth Commandment. It was the year of the talkies, and movie houses were going up all over America. Nearly all of them are gone. The LanTex is one of the last historic single-screen houses in the country still doing what it was built to do.

The name came out of a community contest that year, with ten dollars in gold for whoever thought of it. Two people sent in Lantex. Aubrey Rapensburg’s envelope arrived first, and took the prize.

They called it the "House of Comfort all the Year", a boast about its "conditioned air," an evaporative cooling system that beat central air conditioning to the Hill Country by decades.

A restored 1927 newspaper photograph of the LanTex's original stone facade, captioned The LanTex, Llano's Popular Play House
The LanTex in the 1927 newspaper feature · restored
The LanTex's mid-century facade on West Main, red doors under the marquee
The mid-century facade today
A rendering of the LanTex with its 1927 parapet and red tile canopy restored
Rendering: a restored 1927 parapet

The Timeline

2027–1880
  1. 2027

    One hundred years

    One hundred years on May 19, 2027. We’re planning a centennial worth driving in for.

  2. 2014–2017

    The house comes back to life

    Digital projection and sound replace the old 35mm equipment. Volunteers restore the auditorium and stage, repaint historic details, renovate the balcony, and install newer seating with wider aisles and ADA spaces.

  3. 2002

    The City of Llano takes the keys

    Volunteers run movies, maintenance, and the concession stand. The Film Society joins in 2011.

  4. 1997

    Lights back up · October 10

    After years as a church mission, a local arts group reopens the theater with Men in Black. $80,000 in tickets the first year.

  5. 1989

    National Register

    The Llano County Courthouse Historic District, LanTex included, joins the National Register of Historic Places.

  6. 1970

    The Salas years

    The Salas family takes over operation of the theater, keeping the LanTex alive for more than a decade. In 1982, after 55 years of nearly continuous entertainment, the projector finally goes dark.

  7. 1951

    The fire, and the rebuild

    Fire badly damages the LanTex in August, leaving little beyond the walls and portions of the original structure. Owner-operator Rex Wootan rebuilds extensively, replacing the theater's Spanish Colonial appearance with the mid-century face familiar today. By March 1952 the LanTex is open again, following a reported $90,000 reconstruction.

  8. 1940s

    The town's living room

    School concerts, WWII bond drives, town halls, city celebrations. Every seat in the house spoken for.

  9. 1927

    Doors open · May 19

    A packed house for The Fourth Commandment: thirty cents a seat, a dime for the kids, and "conditioned air" all the year.

  10. 1880s

    Before the pictures

    A livery, a saloon, and an auto repair shop all do business on this lot, under a building standing since at least 1880.

ALWAYS UNDER THE SAME NAME · CARL GARNER · R. N. SMITH THEATERS · REX WOOTEN · THE SALAS FAMILY · THE CITY OF LLANO

Texas Historical Commission marker, LanTex Theater: This theater opened on May 19, 1927, on the north side of Llano's courthouse square. S. D. Rainier and George Shaw hired J. R. Blackmore as their builder. On opening night, a packed house, at 30 cents for adults and 10 cents for children, enjoyed Universal Pictures' The Fourth Commandment. Along with the recreational entertainment of movies, the theater has hosted such activities as school concerts, the Llano Opry, WWII bond drives, public meetings and city celebrations. When a fire in 1951 destroyed all but the façade, owner Rex Wooten rebuilt the facility with modern amenities. Since its opening, this has been a thriving business and an important social gathering place.

READ IT ON MAIN STREET

The marker out front

In 2014 the Texas Historical Commission set a marker by the doors. It tells the short version for everyone who stops on the sidewalk: Rainier, Shaw, and Blackmore; the thirty-cent opening night; the fire; the rebuild. The long version, you're reading now. The longest version, the regulars at the concession stand will tell you for free.

MAY 19, 2027

One hundred years. One screen. Same red marquee.

The centennial is coming, and it'll take volunteers and the businesses behind the house to throw it right.

Help Us Get There