<I>Last Picture Show</I> Theater Renovated

The Royal Theater and Archer City, Texas were immortalized in the 1971 Academy Award winning movie, The Last Picture Show.

Now, 35 years after the theater burned down, the front of the stone building has been rebuilt— complete with a blue and white marquee, orange awnings and illuminated "Royal" sign— to appear as it did in the film, based on a novel by Archer City native Larry McMurtry.

The site of the original 100-seat theater won't show movies, but will be an open-air amphitheater with a larger room next door for bands, plays, dinner theater and art classes.

"This would have been simple to rebuild as a movie theater," said project coordinator Abby Abernathy. "But for what? To get 100 people in here?"

Abernathy had envisioned the restoration since he bought the property nearly 15 years ago, but he received little support from the locals, many of whom objected to the movie's sexual themes and felt it denigrated their town.

After working on the restoration for several years, though, Abernathy convinced many that this link to the past is key to the town's future.

The theater actually burned before The Last Picture Show was made. A temporary facade was used during filming in town. Still, hundreds of people have made the trek each year to find the Royal and snap pictures of the rubble.