Theatre inspires love, family

Twenty-six years ago, love bloomed at the Border Theatre in Mission.

Twenty-six years later, it’s still there.

Roberto and Jeannie Peña met working at the theater as teens.

And after 22 years of marriage, they have returned — this time to run it.

The theater, one of the last independently owned in the area, is decorated in its original art pueblo style, with the same concession stand, wooden beams and cowboy-emblazoned steer brands that have adorned its walls since 1942.

“It’s a family business — it always has been. My father was the projectionist here, I worked here as a teen and so did my daughter and brother,” Jeannie said.

However, it wasn’t until 2001 that the Peñas became owners — first on a lease basis and then purchasing the theater three years ago.

While Jeannie worked in the theater’s concessions growing up, Roberto was an usher.

Jeannie’s father, Juan Garcia, worked there and Roberto’s uncle, Agustin Diaz de Villegas, who had a boot shop next door, was a regular.

The theater was not only a place of family history but also a popular hangout in the ’80s, Roberto said.

The times have changed as the theater has aged but the Peñas' hope to keep the one-screen cinema alive, not only for their memories but for the community’s.

“This theater is so special to us and we have so many memories here and so do the customers.

“We always hear about how someone’s parents met here, too, or how they love to visit here every time they return home,” said Roberto, who works in the McAllen school district. Jeannie works for the Mission school district.

The Peñas left the area for a while but returned in 1989, visiting the theater for recreation.

It was years before they were called into action again.

Roberto said the owners were looking for a buyer; although they were holding out for someone who would continue to run it as a theatre, they feared they would eventually have to sell it to someone who would turn it into something else, losing the history of the building.

“We heard they wanted to turn it into a dollar store and we were like ‘No! They can’t!’ Hearing that just drove us to it.”

Honoring history

The theater has made history with its unique interior. Located at 905 Conway Street in downtown Mission, it has been a member of the National Register of Historic Places since 1998.

Opening in 1942, it was the first theater in the Rio Grande Valley to boast air conditioning.

And built during World War II with a shortage of metal, it is constructed out of nearly all wood.

Along the walls of the movie screen are images of early border life — a celebration of the area’s history.

Tiles depict cultural history through everyday scenes — a Hispanic couple talking, two men sitting in a field surrounded by cacti, locals drawing water and playing music.

The cowboy genre movies that first populated the theatre are gone.

But the cowboys are not. They live on in the cattle brands and old movie advertisements that still hang along the walls.

The theater has remained popular because of its tie to history, drawing 68,000 to 70,000 visitors each year, Roberto said.

Roberto said even he is still amazed by the history of the building — “I still find old signs, letters,” he said.

The Peñas have sadly watched as other antique theatres went neglected and eventually sold as furniture stores or galleries.

They are determined not to let the Border Theatre fall to a similar fate.

Old and happy

While the Peñas have improved sound quality and seating, the original theater’s character is still there.

Their mission is different than that of larger cinemas in the area.

Roberto said it is for families and that its $1.50 admission price, which extends on both week and weekends, is a testament to that.

“At Tinseltown you see couples, but here it is families with five or six members,” Roberto said.

The low pricing and weekly dollar night specials sometimes causes problems for the Peñas, who say movie studios often give them flack for not charging a minimum $4.50 admission price.

“We stick to our guns though — in return we just get the movies a couple weeks later than other places.”

The theatre also sticks to family movies, recently playing Surf’s Up and Spider-Man 3.

Now, the Peñas’ 18-year-old daughter, Bianca, and their 3-month-old grandson, Robby, are regulars at the theater.

And on a desk in their office there is a picture of them as teens holding hands in front of the theater.

“This is our retirement plan. We will be old and happy here,” Jeannie said.

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Rachel Flarity covers general assignments at The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4447.