JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
The Army & Air Force Exchange Service is reopening a historic treasure to the Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph community Saturday: the Taj Mahal movie theater in the Fleenor Auditorium.
The Exchange will hold a grand reopening ceremony at the theater at noon Saturday. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is at 1 p.m., followed by a free screening of Disney’s “Storks” at 2 p.m. A free screening of “West Point of the Air,” a 1935 film shot at what was then known as Randolph Army Air Field, will follow at 5 p.m.
Grand opening activities include drawings for four $50 gift cards and three popcorn/candy bundle packs, green screen photo ops that send attendees back in time to vintage scenes at the Taj Mahal and vendor appearances featuring the Red Bull Girls and Mini Cooper.
“We couldn’t be happier to bring this service back to the Airmen and families at JBSA-Randolph, not just as a money-saving convenience, but as a living example of our long, proud Randolph heritage,” said Larry Salgado, JBSA-Randolph Exchange general manager. “We invite the entire JBSA-Randolph community to come celebrate the return of this historical landmark and community meeting place with us.”
The theater, which first opened in 1934, closed in 2012. The digitalization of the film industry and declining attendance were cited as factors in the closure. At the time, the theater was still using 35-mm film. The reopening was agreed upon between Tom Shull, Exchange director/CEO, and installation leadership earlier this year. The reopened theater will feature a brand-new digital projection system among other improvements that honor the historical integrity of the site.
Admission to 2D movies will be $6 for adults, $3.50 for children ages 6-11 and free for children 5 and under. 3D admission will be $8 for adults, $5.50 for children ages 6-11 and free for children 5 and under.
Movie screenings will be held at 7 p.m. Fridays; noon Saturdays for a free movie; 2 p.m. and 5 or 6 p.m., depending on the length of the afternoon screening, on Saturdays; and at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sundays. All authorized patrons may attend the screenings.
The Taj Mahal movie theater seats 770, including 502 lower-level seats and 268 upper-level seats. Upon opening, it will be one of two theaters actively operating at Joint Base San Antonio, the other being at JBSA-Lackland.
Part of the original Taj Mahal construction project more than 80 years ago, the theater was the site of the world premiere of “I Wanted Wings,” a 1940 film that starred Ray Milland and William Holden, according to the 12th Flying Training Wing history office.
The auditorium underwent a six-month restoration project in 1990, the same year AAFES assumed operation of the movie theater, and was named in honor of Brig. Gen. Kenneth Fleenor, a former 12th FTW commander and Vietnam-era prisoner of war, in 2012.