Houston’s Reborn River Oaks Theater Is Less Than 25 Days From Being Finished — A Sneak Peek Inside a Historic Movie House’s Dramatic Transformation

Standing in the main space of the River Oaks Theater, its art deco ornamentation still high up on the walls, all its old seats gone and its bare floor visible, the sense of possibilities is real. This historic Houston movie house which dates back to 1939 really has a chance to return as something special. A landmark in the fourth largest city in the country that’s actually an enjoyable place to be rather than one merely beloved in an almost purely nostalgic way.

By the end of the end of its run as a Landmark-operated movie theater, River Oaks Theatre, as it used to be known wasn’t a very enjoyable place to actually watch a movie. This renovated River Oaks Theater (the switch from Theatre to Theater is a subtle part of the makeover) will be. That much is apparent from the first real sneak peek inside this showcase spot on West Gray which has been closed for more than three years.

What’s coming — a two theater movie theater and performing arts venue — is going to be fun.

“It gives me pride. It gives me goosebumps and chills,” Culinary Khancepts vice president of development Jason Ostrow tells PaperCity. “Typically when we’re building a business, it’s a business. You know what I mean? It’s great. We love it. It makes us money. But this is the first business where people really care.

“So that is a very different animal than we’ve had before.”

Culinary Khancepts is the Houston-based company led by hometown CEO Omar Khan that’s the parent company of Star Cinema (this renovated and reimagined River Oaks Theater will be a Star Cinema). When it reopens, River Oaks Theater will be much more food driven. And that opening could be happening sooner than many expect.

“We’re almost there,” Ostrow tells PaperCity. “But also the opening of this hinges on the opening of the restaurant next door. They have to open together. So the theater will be ready probably in the next 25 days. And then it will just wait for the occupancy of the entire project.” Ostrow estimates that will be a matter of months.

Houston born and raised Hollywood director Richard Linklater comes out for this preview, eager to get an early look at the rebirth of his childhood movie theater.

“I got my film education here,” Linklater says. “The fondest memories of any theater I’ve been in or ever will be in my whole life was sitting right up here. Pretty up close to the screen. I was here third row center if somebody wasn’t already seated there.”

Linklater championed the cause of the Friends of River Oaks Theatre, the nonprofit that fought to save this historic movie palace in a city where so much gets torn down. With that once impossible seeming mission achieved, Friends of River Oaks Theatre fittingly held  A Saturday With Richard Linklater event that included the Houston premiere of Linklater’s new movie Hit Man at the CityCentre movie theater that Star Cinema recently took over and is also renovating. A dinner gala at Liberty Kitchen & Oysterette (which is also owned by Culinary Khancepts) completed the night.

For prominent Houstonian and historic preservation advocate Phoebe Tudor, who chaired the gala with her husband Bobby Tudor (the always dapper former Rice basketball captain and current Artemis Energy Partners CEO), the restoration of the River Oaks Theater has become something of a personal cause. Tudor’s graceful daughters Caroline and Margaret accompanied her on this preview day to support the cause too.

“Houston, unfortunately, has a bad reputation of tearing everything down,” Phoebe Tudor says. “Including every other historic movie theater in town. This is the only one left. That’s why we’re here. That’s why we’re saving it.”

Phoebe Tudor’s persistence is near legendary to those who know her and she needed every bit of it in this fight. Her own campaign included personal pleas to Sylvester Turner, the former Houston mayor, that certainly made an impression.

“When she puts her mind to something, it usually happens,” Turner says of Phoebe Tudor.

This time, Phoebe Tudor had an entire organization to help with Friends of River Oaks Theatre holding rallies outside of the shuttered historic movie house, refusing to let Weingarten Realty, the former owner of the River Oaks Shopping Center where the theater is located, come up with any plan that involved tearing it down. River Oaks Theatre co-founder/director Maureen McNamara led many of these efforts with help from Houston film advocates like Cynthia Neely, Sarah Gish, Kyle Vaughan, Michelle Mower and Patrick Brooks.

In many ways, this grassroots group fought the wrecking ball. And won.

“There were some scary, dark days there,” Linklater recalls.

At one point, fellow Houston director Wes Anderson asked Linklater if they should (or could) buy River Oaks Theatre and operate it themselves. Anderson and Linklater realized that wasn’t realistic and pivoted to relying on Houstonians like McNamara. Phoebe Turner and ultimately Star Cinema owner Omar Khan to preserve this unique slice of Houston history.

“We’re almost there. But also the opening of this hinges on the opening of the restaurant next door. They have to open together. So the theater will be ready probably in the next 25 days.”  — Culinary Khancepts vice president of development Jason Ostrow 

Inside the New River Oaks Theater

What should movie goers expect from this reborn River Oaks theater? The main theater downstairs is being outfitted with 200 new seats. Big comfy seats that actually recline — a sharp departure from this movie house’s old seats. An example seat is already on display, outfitted with a gold colored plaque on its backside with Richard Linklater’s name on it. Anyone can get their own name on a seat for a $2,000 donation.

Upstairs, a 50 seat theater awaits. Either theater can be used to show movies or host a performance of some sort. Star Cinema officials are banking that this versatility — and the connected Leo’s River Oaks restaurant — will allow this unconventional two screen theater to succeed in the age of the multiplex.

“The food for River Oaks Theater will come out of Leo’s kitchen,” Ostrow tells PaperCity.

A special menu is being designed for the theater that will complement Leo’s regular restaurant menu by restaurant chef Tim Reading. Popcorn from an ancient popper will not be on the menu. You’ll actually be able to get a good meal at this revitalized River Oaks Theater.

“Preservation of cultural icons, neighborhoods, historic buildings and historic businesses are important for a city. It’s the soul of a city.” — Phoebe Tudor

Looking around this early sneak peek day, it all still seems far-off. Without any seats, the theaters look barer than bare. There are still holes in a few walls, construction debris, bare stairs heading up to the second level and plenty of dust. Still Ostrow, the man in charge of this renovation, sees something else. He sees the progress and how close it really is.

And how far things have come.

“You walk into a building that’s close to 90 years old and there are no original plans,” Ostrow says of the early unsure days of a renovation like no other. “You don’t know what pipes are going where. The landlord doesn’t know. That’s been the biggest challenge. So it’s taken almost two years just to find all of that.

“And then to evolve over and over and over based on what you found.”

While Ostrow expects the theater itself to be ready in “25 days,” the reopening won’t happen until the restaurant is also ready to open. “I think it’s months,” Ostrow says.

After waiting for years, the River Oaks Theater’s champions are more than ready to stick it out. This historic place has been saved. Now it just needs to show movies again.

“Preservation of cultural icons, neighborhoods, historic buildings and historic businesses are important for a city,” Phoebe Tudor says. “It’s the soul of a city.”

Houston’s soul is a little stronger today. The River Oaks Theater is so close to being all the way back.