Dismembering and Remembering the Tinseltown Westchase Theater

A reader writes in with a question about the movie theater that appeared in Swamplot’s Daily Demolition Report earlier this week:

Do we happen to know the reason for the demolition of the Tinseltown Westchase location? If I can remember right, this theater has only been here for not even 10 years yet.

Actually, the Cinemark Tinseltown USA Westchase movie theater had reached the ripe old age of 12. According to the Houston Business Journal, Simmons Vedder Partners is tearing it down to build twin 6-story spec office buildings with a parking garage between them and a “signature water feature” fronting the Beltway — all designed by Ambrose, McEnany and House Architects. It’ll be called Westchase Park.

After the jump, a few fond memories of the theater in its “Hey!” day.

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Last year, Houstonist’s Alexandria Ragsdale warned readers to keep away:

the Tinseltown theater located at 3300 West Sam Houston Parkway saw the most violent crime last year, including one rape and five robberies. . . .

Although we can remember this theater’s heyday, it’s definitely past its prime. Instead of being charmed by the old-Hollywood facade and the seizure-inducing game room, we’re usually unnerved by the delinquent teens and sticky floors, if you catch our drift.

But K, writing at She Eats, says she’ll miss the food:

Its only notable feature, aside from the gaudy, neon-lit towers that were visible from miles away when illuminated at night, was the eating area just inside the lobby. It was one of the first â€œrestaurantsâ€ inside of a movie theater that Iâ€™d ever seen. It originally served hamburgers and pizzas and the like, and you could take them into the theater with you! It was a revelation at the tender young age of fifteen. The last time I went, however, they were down to sad, soggy pretzels and trundling, Iron-Age hot dogs on a metal roller.