Breathing New Life Into the Ritz Theater

By John Jackson

The last 20 years have seen a growing interest in restoring classic theaters. Following in the footsteps of the Paramount in Austin, the Majestic in San Antonio, and the Plaza Theater in El Paso, the Corpus Christi PATCH (Positive Action Towards Cultural Heritage) is working to restore the Ritz Theater in downtown Corpus Christi.

Originally opened Christmas Day, 1929, the Ritz's first film was the musical comedy "It's a Great Life," starring the Duncan Sisters, a vaudeville act that had crossed over into cinema. The film was semi-autobiographical. After being fired from a department store for back talking the manager, the pair sing and dance their way to stardom through relationship conflicts, break ups, make-ups, and everything in between.

Reviews of the film were decidedly mixed. It did poorly in major cities, but very well in small towns like Corpus Christi. (the population at the time was around 25,000)

"Hundreds of laudatory remarks were made," said the Corpus Christi Times, "by people who thronged the foyers and auditorium of the new playhouse,"

The Ritz is modest compared to some of it's architect, Scott Dunn's earlier theaters. Like the Plaza in El Paso, the theater has a Spanish Rennaissance style. However, the auditorium is smaller than some other theaters of the period, and even in its hey-day, the foyer was not nearly as glossy.

"The Depression was already on," said acting PATCH consultant, Dr. Clifford Edge, "and most of his theaters [at that time] were second tiers."

Still, for over forty years, the Ritz continued as a first run movie house, featuring such classic films as "Gone With the Wind," "The Wizard of Oz," "It's a Wonderful Life," and "Ben Hur."

However, in the 1970s, the Ritz's fortune began to change.

"There was very little public support for the theater at that time," Dr. Edge said, "and the downtown area had pretty much declined."

In 1972 the theater closed its doors. Two years later, in 1974, the playhouse reopened as the "Ritz Music Hall," a name which changed to "Ritz Productions," in 1976. Still, old problems persisted. Despite such big names as Willie Nelson, Jimmy Buffett, and Bruce Springsteen playing there, it was difficult to turn a profit. The Ritz was also subject to constant vandalism, which tapped its resources. As a result, they were forced to close their doors again in 1989.

For 15 years, the theater lay idle, and slowly deteriorated.

Then, in 2004, graphic designer, Monica McCloud Sawyer took an interest in the Ritz, and began to investigate what its renovation would involve.

"When we first walked in the theater," Mrs. Sawyer said, "it was like someone had just left."

Sawyer said that the costumes, paperwork, and props of long ago acts were still scattered all over the theater.

"Also, there were homeless people camping out there," she said, "and trash was scattered all over everywhere."

As she sought advice from groups such as the League of Historic American Theaters, and the Corpus Christi Downtown Management District, Sawyer came to realize that the total cost of renovation would be upwards of $20 million.

Some of the cost would go towards repairing the electrical system and plumbing. The rest would involve booking acts to play there, and hiring a fulltime consultant and staff to run the Ritz's day to day operations.

Some of the group's biggest fundraisers are the "Ritz Theater Ghost Hunts." At a cost of $20 a person, fans of the theater can be "spooked," by phantom performers, such as "the restless spirit of a woman...wandering the downstairs seating area...who was murdered by a jealous boyfriend."

Ritz supporters also hope to solicit donations from the fine arts community and the public schools, in the hope that school plays might one day be performed there as well.

So far, the renovation has been grassroots, and has come about in 3 phases.

Phase 1 took place in Nov. 2005. The result of a joint effort between PATCH, and the now defunct FOCUS, (Focus on Creative Urban Society) a group of young professionals, it involved cleaning out the garbage from the lobby and auditorium.

"We also made new seat covers," said Sawyer, "because at that point, the seats in the lobby were pretty nasty."

Phase 2, which took place March 1st, 2008, brought PATCH and the Junior League together, and focused on cleaning the work and dressing rooms, the office, and the snack bar. As they worked, they made some astonishing discoveries.

"We found old close up photos of actors and actresses," she said, "along with playbills, letters, and old newspapers."

This phase earned PATCH, the J.L's "Helping Hands Award," which they give every year to a worthy non-profit organization.

In April, 2009, the group teamed up with the Junior League again to clean the projection rooms, and found something else surprising.

"We believe, judging by pictures, said Sawyer, "that the chairs have been replaced 3 times."

"We think though that the chair in the projection room is an original," she said, "and it's in pretty bad shape."

The group hopes to have the theater up and running by 2014.

"It all depends on funding though," Sawyer said, "and that goal is very aggressive."