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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Many generations of Eagle Pass residents visited the |
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beautiful Aztec Theater during its long history; and |
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WHEREAS, Constructed in 1915 by Hungarian immigrant Sam |
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Schwartz, the Aztec is considered the first documented theater in |
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the Mayan Revival style, which embraced pre-Columbian decorative |
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themes; it was designed by architect Leonard F. Seed, who also |
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served as contractor; and |
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WHEREAS, The theater initially offered silent movies and |
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vaudeville acts, charging ten cents for adults and five for |
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children; in 1929, the Aztec was one of the first venues in the |
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border region to screen The Jazz Singer, a milestone production |
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featuring recorded dialogue; and |
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WHEREAS, Sam Schwartz ranked as the oldest independent |
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theater owner in Texas at the time of his death in 1969; the Aztec |
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continued to operate under the management of his son, Arnold I. |
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Schwartz, and his son-in-law, Lloyd T. Munter, until 1982; |
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subsequent generations of the family utilized the space for a law |
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office and for periodic events; and |
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WHEREAS, An example of a distinctive architectural era, the |
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Aztec Theater has captured the imagination of innumerable Texans, |
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and it holds a host of memories for local cinephiles and the many |
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residents who have attended programs in this notable building; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize the historic Aztec Theater in Eagle |
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Pass for its long-standing contribution to that city's cultural |
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heritage. |