{"nrhp_refnum":"02000402","name":"Cine El Rey","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"311 S. 17th St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"McAllen","county":"Hidalgo County","state":"TX","lat":26.202039954000043,"lon":-98.23800274999996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2002-04-26","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Entertainment/Recreation","Hispanic"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Cine El Rey is a rectangular three-story Moderne movie theater at 311 S. 17th Street in downtown McAllen, Hidalgo County, Texas, opened in May 1947 as a Spanish-language \"Mexican Theatre.\" Plans came from Texas Consolidated Theaters of Dallas, with W.E. Crawford as contractor.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the theater is significant under Criterion A for Entertainment and Hispanic Ethnic Heritage, as a Mexican Theatre built to meet demand for Spanish-language films created by the influx of Mexican Braceros in the 1940s. It is also significant under Criterion C as a well-preserved local example of a small-town movie theater with Art Moderne influences. It served McAllen's Hispanic community for about forty years.","narrative":"Cine El Rey is a three-story Moderne movie theater on South 17th Street in downtown McAllen, Texas. It opened in May 1947 and was built by Texas Consolidated Theaters to show Spanish-language films to the city's Hispanic community. The front has a projecting neon marquee, a red and white metal canopy, and red and ivory porcelain enamel panels. Inside are terrazzo floors with a repeated circle motif, a 406-seat auditorium, and a 274-seat balcony. Except for later paint, some water-damaged ceilings and utility upgrades, the building keeps its original appearance. The theater served as the center of Spanish-language entertainment in McAllen until it closed in 1988. It was later used briefly as a community church. It was listed for its role in the Hispanic heritage and entertainment history of the area, which grew with Mexican Bracero workers in the 1940s, and as a well-preserved example of a 1940s small-town theater with Art Moderne influences.","period_of_significance":"1947-1952","architect_builder":"Plans provided by Texas Consolidated Theaters (Dallas); W.E. Crawford, contractor","architectural_style":"Moderne","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"The theater closed in 1988 and was later used as a community outreach church (1996-98). At the time of nomination it was listed as a work in progress, with a rehabilitation planned as a performing arts center.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:23.351654-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/75/9725/40972575/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/02000402.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40972575","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q42305153"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/hidalgo-county/cine-el-rey-02000402/"}