Art Landry Is At The Palace — 1927
by Paula Bosse
Marquees, schmarquees… (Dallas Public Library)
by Paula Bosse
Great photo of the Palace Theatre on Elm and Ervay in November or December of 1927 (“My Best Girl” starring Mary Pickford opened at the end of November and ran for a week or two into the middle of December). The movie seems like a bit of an afterthought, though — I mean… ART LANDRY IS IN TOWN, and his giant 78 disc replica promotional sign is crowding out others on the marquee. The touring jazz-band leader (who insisted he did NOT play jazz music — “I became a bandmaster when jazz was jax. In those days noise was the objective. […] The day of jazz is gone….” ) was nestled here in Big D for the holiday season and was apparently well-received. (See another photo of the Palace from about this same time here.)
Nov. 13, 1927
Nov. 27, 1927
You know how when you get a new car you suddenly start seeing that same model everywhere? I’m like that with the U.S. Coffee & Tea Co. — seen right next door to the theater. (See it here, peeping around the Wilson Building in a squattier incarnation.)
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Sources & Notes
Photo titled “[Palace Theatre, Art Landry exclusive Victor Artist]” — by Frank Rogers — is from the Ted C. Steinberg Collection, Dallas History and Archives Division, Dallas Public Library, call number PA2018-03-14 (the library has the date this photo was taken as Dec. 27, 1927, but “My Best Girl” was long-gone by then — it was probably taken on Nov. 27, the day after “My Best Girl” opened).
Quote from Art Landry about not being a jazz-band leader is from an interview with him in The Dallas Morning News (“Jazz Is Thing of the Past Says Palace’s New ‘Jazz Band’ Leader Who Specializes in Modern Music” — DMN, Nov. 12, 1927). I can’t find any other instances of early jazz music referred to as “jax” music. Can anyone point me to another reference?
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Copyright © 2021 Paula Bosse. All Rights Reserved.
Flashback : Dallas 
Amazing what a great marquee with a few hundred bulbs can do for the looks of a big city downtown cinema. Clearly that marquee was still somewhere in the Palace’s future in December 1927.
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Art’s three last recordings for Victor were made in May, 1927 — six months before his Dallas gig — and only one of them was issued. I’m guessing that his band may have disbanded by the time he arrived at the Palace, because notice that he is directing the “Palace Theater Orchestra” — not his own! I knew Art, and he was a HUGE self-promoter. But there’s no denying he had a colorful career!!
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Wow. Thanks for commenting, Martin!
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