{{Short description|2007 book by David Welling}} {{Infobox book | name = Cinema Houston: From Nickelodeon to Megaplex | image = File:Cinema_Houston.jpg | author = David Welling | language = English | country = United states | genre = Non-fiction | publisher = University of Texas Press | pub_date = 2007 | pages = 256 }} {{italic title}} '''''Cinema Houston: From Nickelodeon to Megaplex''''' is a 2007 book by David Welling and published by the University of Texas Press. It, with 256 pages, discusses historic movie theaters, of multiple varieties, in the city of Houston.<ref name=Gonzales>{{cite web|author=Gonzales, J.R.|url=https://blog.chron.com/bayoucityhistory/2008/02/a-conversation-with-david-welling/|title=A conversation with David Welling|work=Houston Chronicle|date=2008-02-04|accessdate=2019-08-09}}</ref> According to Ron Briley, a teacher at Sandia Preparatory School who wrote a review for the ''Southwestern Historical Quarterly'', the book is "essentially a nostalgic volume in which Welling laments that in its rapid urban development Houston destroyed many of the lavish movie palaces which once dotted the city's downtown landscape."<ref name=Briley>{{cite journal|author=Briley, Ron|url=http://muse.jhu.edu/article/408508/pdf|title=Cinema Houston: From Nickelodeon to Megaplex|journal=Southwestern Historical Quarterly|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|volume=112|issue=4|date=April 2009|pages=456–458|doi=10.1353/swh.2009.0047|url-access=subscription}}</ref> According to Aaron Carpenter, an undergraduate student at Duke University who wrote a review published in ''Cite: The Architecture + Design Review of Houston'', the author shows his passion for the subject and that the book does not always have a tone of melancholy.<ref name=Carpenter>{{cite web|author=Carpenter, Aaron|url=http://offcite.org/cinema-houston/|title=Cinema Houston|work=Cite: The Architecture + Design Review of Houston|publisher=Rice University School of Architecture|date=2009-07-22|accessdate=2019-08-09}}</ref>
Welling had the following steps in his research: he checked opening and closing dates and variations of names in directories published by the city government, then consulted newspapers-the ''Houston Chronicle'' and ''Houston Post''-to clarify particular dates.<ref name=Gonzales/> Welling went to branches of the Houston Public Library to get copies of photographs of the theaters.<ref name=Briley/> Welling stated that the majority of the information he received came from the latter and that establishing the exact dates that a theater opened and/or closed was "the most time consuming" aspect of his research.<ref name=Gonzales/>
The book has some discussion of theaters catering to arthouse cinema while most of the space is devoted to facilities for mainstream films.<ref name=Briley/>
Briley wrote that by providing a chronology for the "thumbnail sketches", the author had "[made] a good effort to place the cinema of Houston in historical context".<ref name=Briley/> Briley added that the work "is more descriptive than analytical".<ref name=Briley/>
The now-demolished Metropolitan Theatre is on the cover.<ref name=Carpenter/>
==Reception== Carpenter concluded that the book "is fascinating, providing so much material for nostalgic reminiscences it is almost overwhelming."<ref name=Carpenter/>
==See also== * Culture of Houston
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * ''[https://utpress.utexas.edu/books/welcin Cinema Houston: From Nickelodeon to Megaplex]'' - University of Texas Press {{Authority control}}
Category:2007 non-fiction books Category:Books about Houston Category:University of Texas Press books