When the Martini Theatre opened its doors on May 27, 1937, Galveston gained one of the Gulf Coast’s most striking examples of Art Deco architecture and one of the most ambitious movie houses ever built on the Island.
Attilleo Martini, already a well-known local showman and theatre operator, had spent years building his reputation. But the debut of his ultra-modern theatre at the corner of 21st Street and Church marked the height of his career and cemented his legacy as one of Galveston’s great entertainment impresarios.
The grand opening was treated as a civic celebration. According to accounts from the period, the ceremony drew Hollywood producers and studio executives from both coasts, along with more than a hundred theatre managers from Texas and New Mexico.
Local leadership presided over the event, recognizing Martini’s contributions to Galveston’s cultural life and the growing national film industry.
Designed by noted theatre architect W. Scott Dunne, the Martini was part of a portfolio that included major Texas movie palaces such as the Texas Theatre in Dallas, the State Theatre in Austin, and the Ritz in Corpus Christi.
Dunne’s exterior design for the Martini embraced the full vocabulary of 1930s Art Deco - sleek curves, strong verticals, geometric ornament, and bold color. A towering vertical sign rose along the southwest corner, nearly reaching the building’s full height.
The three-story concrete and steel structure housed an auditorium with lower, mezzanine, and balcony seating - nearly 1,000 seats in its prime. Two street-front retail spaces flanked a dramatic entrance finished in baked enamel painted in maroon, orange, and yellow.
Inside, moviegoers encountered a gleaming black-enamel box office trimmed in yellow, a pastel mural stretching twelve by twenty feet, and a stainless-steel concession counter. A sweeping staircase ascended to the upper levels, illuminated by modern fixtures and backlit decorative panels.
The auditorium showcased the latest in comfort and technology. Patrons sat in “floating air-cushion” seats, staggered for optimal sightlines, and enjoyed indirect lighting designed not to interfere with the screen.
Martini installed RCA’s cutting-edge “Magic Voice of the Screen” sound system - equipment so advanced it had barely left the testing laboratory and was comparable to what powered Radio City Music Hall.
But even a showplace like the Martini could not escape the cultural shifts of the mid-20th century. The rise of television, changing transportation habits, and evolving entertainment preferences slowly eroded attendance.
A major remodel in 1970 attempted to modernize the theatre, but it wasn’t enough. The Martini closed on December 9, 1979, and has remained shuttered ever since.
Today, the building still stands - an aging Art Deco landmark owned by the Martini family, long listed as endangered and awaiting the restoration it deserves.