River Oaks Theatre

The River Oaks Theatre is a historic movie theater located in the River Oaks Shopping Center in the Neartown community in Houston, Texas, United States, east of the River Oaks community. The theater has three projection screens; one large screen, downstairs, and two smaller screens, upstairs.

The River Oaks Theatre was built in 1939. It is an example of late-1930s Art Deco design. It was the last of the deluxe neighborhood movie theaters built by Interstate Theatre Corporation.

The theater opened on November 28, 1939. Paul Scott had the lease to the theater. Its first film was Bachelor Mother. In February 1947 Interstate Theaters acquired the River Oaks Theatre. In late 1975 the chain Trans-Continental took control from Interstate. The New Mexico chain Movie, Inc. took control of the River Oaks Theatre in 1977. The theater's focus changed from first-run films to alternative films such as re-released films, and classic, foreign, cult, and old films. Movie, Inc. later merged with Landmark Theatre Company.

Since 1976, the theater has been operated by Landmark Theatres and generally shows foreign language and independent films, as well as other "art-house" movies. The theater re-opened on March 26, 1977.

On September 9, 1982, there was a screening of Salo at the theater; this was the third showing in a three-year period. Vice squad officers wiated for the screening to conclude and arrested the manager in a raid. The authorities charged him with promoting obscene material but a jury acquitted the manager in an April 1983 trial.

During a January 1983 screening of Fire on the Water there was a dueling protest between Ku Klux Klan and anti-Klan groups. After the release of the 1985 film Hail Mary there were protests from church groups.

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