The Last Picture Show is a film released in 1971 based on a book by the same title by Texas author Larry McMurtry. A coming of age story set in 1950s Texas, the movie featured stars like Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges, Ellen Burstyn and Cybill Shepherd. In 1988, The Last Picture Show was added to the National Film Registry for being culturally significant in its portrayal of a tiny rural town in decline.
Fall 2025 could herald the last picture show for the Odeon Theater in Mason. Surely not.
Erected on the Mason square nearly 100 years ago, the Odeon Theater has a rich heritage, both historical and practical. A 1928 edition of the Mason County News described it as “the most attractive playhouse in this section of the country” shortly after the grand opening showing of the German silent film, Metropolis. According to the Odeon website, it is the longest continually operating theater in west Texas.
