The Odeon Theater, built in 1928, is the longest continually operating theater in west Texas. The building is located on Mason's beautifully refurbished courthouse square in a National Historic Register District. Mason was the home of one of the original forts guarding the Texas frontier settlements during the mid-nineteenth century. The Odeon was the site of a special premier showing of the Disney movie " Old Yeller" based on the book by Mason native Fred Gibson, and the worldwide premier of a second movie "Savage Sam" based on one of his books. Mr. Gibson spent most of his life in Mason. From this small community his books, and the movies based on them, have been spread throughout the entire world in many languages.