"A Good Show Town": Censorship and Reform in Dallas Theaters, 1890 to 1940
Date
2008-05
Authors
Stalzer, Shaun
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Abstract
This thesis chronicles the censorship and reform of theaters in Dallas, Texas
from 1890 to 1930 by southern progressives struggling to cope with the rapid
onslaught of modernization and urbanization. Starting in the 1890s, reformers
condemned theaters known as variety theaters for their permission of alcohol,
gambling, supposed prostitution, and violence. By the turn of the century, after
variety theaters were removed from Dallas and elsewhere, vaudeville theaters opened
their doors to Dallas theatergoers. Despite being recognized by most as offering more
family-oriented entertainment, vaudeville theaters such as the Majestic Theater were criticized for their policy of allowing performances on Sunday. This debate continued
for well over a decade, and caused great turmoil for theater owners and their
employees, who were fined and even incarcerated for offering amusements on
Sundays. By the 1920s, the Sunday show controversy faded into irrelevance as the
community openly accepted the practice. A new threat emerged with the rise of
motion pictures, however. Reformers shifted their attention toward the supposedly
degenerative effects that motion pictures and plays had on the youth of Dallas, and
created a local Censorship Board to regulate the quality of entertainment viewed in
Dallas theaters. Though this body did censor and even ban many performances, the
popularity and acceptance of theatrical entertainment was simply too great a force to
be restrained, and the Censorship Board was abolished in 1929 as a result. Censorship
efforts in the 1930s were few and far between, and the efforts at censorship and
reform ceased to be a viable option for reformers.
Description
Keywords
Censorship, Reform, Performing arts, Dallas, Arts, Theater
Citation
Stalzer, S. (2008). <i>"A good show town": Censorship and reform in Dallas theaters, 1890 to 1940</i> (Unpublished thesis). Texas State University-San Marcos, San Marcos, Texas.