The TEXAS Theatre: A Walk Through Sealy’s Movie History
Sealy’s connection to the movies didn’t begin with a marquee on Main Street. Instead, it unfolded over decades, moving block by block as technology changed and the town grew. Today, you can still walk through Sealy and trace the journey of moving pictures—from their earliest beginnings to The TEXAS theatre we recognize today.
This is a story best experienced on foot.
Stop 1: Where It All Began – Main Street (c. 1908–1909)
Location: Henry Oldag Saloon,120 Main Street (home of The Salon today)
Around 1908–1909, Sealy residents were introduced to moving pictures for the very first time, inside the Henry Oldag Saloon on Main Street, where The Salon operates today. The man who brought this new form of entertainment to town was known only as “The Terrible Turk.”
The Turk claimed to be an officer in the Turkish army. Whether his rank — or even his nationality — was accurate remains unclear, but witnesses remembered him wearing a striking uniform: a red swallow‑tail coat, black trousers, tall black boots, and a hat topped with a red plume. He even carried a musket with a long bayonet, which he used as part of his dramatic street performance.
The Turk and his family were primarily acrobats, and trapeze acts were the main attraction inside the saloon. Each evening, he would parade outside in full uniform, performing drills and sharp movements to draw a crowd. Inside, the family performed on the trapeze bars, and the family ended each program by showing moving pictures.
Although the act drew crowds, accounts state that the Turk was openly abusive toward his wife and child. This behavior eventually led the townspeople to run him out of town. When he left Sealy, the entertainment equipment remained behind, setting the stage for a more permanent picture show to follow.
Stop 2: Front Street – The Sealy Picture Show (1909)
Location: Blue Front Saloon 315 Front Street (near the empty lot at the back of Bill’s Grocery Store today)
After the Turk’s left, moving pictures in Sealy shifted from a traveling-style attraction to a more formal operation. In July of 1909, Messrs. W. F. Godenzweig and S. Turner remodeled the building on Front Street and opened what became known as the Sealy Picture Show.
The building was located opposite the Santa Fe depot (at the time), in the same general area as the empty lot behind Bill’s Grocery Store today. Godenzweig and Turner employed an experienced operator and arranged for regular film deliveries. They also remodeled the space specifically for motion picture exhibitions and offered a complete change of program each day.
Within a few months, their machine broke down and they disposed of it, leaving the building empty. In December of 1909, J. W. Ripple and George Merkel purchased a new Edison moving picture machine and reopened the picture show in the same Front Street building. The new name was “The Ripple & Merkel Moving Picture Show” and later became “The Ripple & Merkel Electric Theatre.”
Ripple and Merkel advertised nightly performances from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., with piano music between films. They also secured placement on the New Orleans Film Circuit to receive the latest pictures being shown in larger cities.
May 1, 1911 marked a new chapter. Brothers W. N. (Billy) and Charles H. Sanders purchased the electric theatre and equipment from J. W. Ripple and announced plans to expand the business. They eventually wanted to move to a larger and more central location; however, they continued operating from the same Front Street building. Their first focus was on renovations and improvements.
The Sanders brothers launched a community naming contest, offering $5 in gold to the person who suggested the best new name for the theatre. Each patron received a voting slip with each ticket, and encouraged to submit ideas nightly over a two‑week period. They had judges oversee the process and kept voters anonymous. Mrs. Roddie O’Conner won the contest and the name became “The Novelty Theatre”. While the building itself had not yet changed, the theatre’s identity was evolving, and community involvement remained central to its success.
In June of 1911, Charles Sanders sold his half interest in the theatre to Walter Krampitz, while Billy Sanders retained his share. This marked the beginning of the long and lasting Krampitz connection to Sealy’s movie history.
These improvements and growing crowds soon made it clear that the picture show was outgrowing its Front Street home — leading to the next move in Sealy’s movie story.
Stop 3: Fowlkes Street – The Novelty Theatre
Location: 309 Fowlkes Street (Near the Citizens State Bank drive-in facility)
By February of 1913, moving pictures in Sealy had grown beyond temporary quarters. Plans were put into action for a purpose‑built theatre designed specifically for movies and live entertainment.
The new home of the Novelty Theatre rose on a lot owned by G. A. Merkel on Fowlkes Street. Located near where the Citizens State Bank drive-in facility stands today, it opened on April 7, 1913. They designed the building with both safety and comfort in mind. It measured 24 feet wide by 90 feet long, with a 16‑foot ceiling that gave the room an open, airy feel.
The exterior walls were imitation stone and iron, while the interior walls were lined with steel sheeting, making the structure nearly fireproof by the standards of the day. Inside, the floor sloped upward by more than two feet from front to back to ensure a clear view of the stage and screen from every seat in the house.
The front of the theatre was especially striking, designed with an arched façade and a seven‑foot‑deep lobby. This arranged for effective lighting and decorative touches that welcomed patrons inside. Beyond the lobby, the stage occupied a generous 16‑by‑24‑foot space, built with a rounded front and equipped with footlights and overhead lighting. This would support not only films, but also vaudeville and special live attractions.
Safety was clearly a priority. The projection booth was constructed of asbestos to reduce fire risk, and the building was equipped with five separate exits — double doors at the main entrance, exits along both sides of the seating area, and two exits at the rear of the stage. This allowed the theatre to be cleared quickly if needed.
With this new building, Billy Sanders and Frank Krampitz moved the Novelty Theatre into a space that reflected both the popularity of moving pictures in Sealy and the community’s expectation for a modern, first‑class entertainment venue. What had once been a novelty in saloons and temporary storefronts had now become a permanent and prominent part of town life.
Stop 4: Main Street – The TEXAS Theatre (1929–1975)
Location: 223 Main Street (current The Texas building)
By the late 1920s, movies had changed forever. When “talkies” arrived, the tin-lined walls of the older building could not handle sound properly, making a new theatre necessary. Contrary to popular belief, the theatre was not moved because of a fire—it moved because technology demanded it.
Frank Krampitz and his father, Charlie, built a new theatre on Main Street. When it opened on December 29, 1929, it gained recognition in the trade as a “picture palace.” The theatre was named The TEXAS, another name selected through a community contest, though the identity of the person who submitted the winning entry has been lost to time.
Frank Krampitz would operate The Texas until his retirement, earning the distinction of managing the second-oldest theatre in Texas in continuous operation under the same management. Only one theatre in Eagle Pass surpassed it by a single year.
Following his retirement, the theatre remained a family endeavor. Frank’s sons, Frank Krampitz Jr. and C. D. “Buddy” Krampitz, continued operating The TEXAS until 1974, carrying on the tradition their father had built.
After the Krampitz Era: New Stewards and Change
In 1975, the late Thomas Ash reopened The TEXAS theatre, operating it for about a year before his untimely death on New Year’s Eve. After a period of uncertainty, Dan Covert of Kentucky assumed management for a time, followed later by Johnnie Gomez of Sealy and Van Cooper of Rosenberg.
Eventually, Johnnie Gomez became the sole manager of the theatre. Under his management, The TEXAS continued to serve the community until tragedy struck.
On Sunday, December 20, 1981, a massive fire broke out in the attic of the building shortly before the second feature was set to begin. Smoke poured from the windows of the projection booth, though the fire never entered it. The blaze caused significant damage and marked the end of the theatre’s life as a movie house.
In the years that followed, the building was remodeled and reimagined. Today, it features commercial rental spaces on the first floor and loft apartments on the second floor. An open courtyard now occupies the center of the building — the very area where the fire began, as the roof was never rebuilt in that portion of the structure.
A Living Story
Though the screens have gone dark, the story of Sealy’s movie history remains alive in the streets and buildings of downtown. Each location represents a chapter in a larger story—one shaped by innovation, community involvement, and a love for shared experiences.
As you walk through Sealy, you’re not just passing buildings. You’re retracing the path of a story that began with a mysterious showman, grew with the town, and became a cherished part of Sealy’s identity.
Stand here today and picture the glow of the marquee, the excitement of opening night films, and generations of Sealy residents gathering downtown for an evening at the movies.
Have a memory of The TEXAS theatre or the earlier picture shows? We invite you to share your stories with us and help keep Sealy’s history alive. You can email them to tourism@ci.sealy.tx.us.
