Some things you should know about me....
- I am the poster child for the easily impressed.
- I love reminiscing about the past.
- I love movies.
So now it shouldn’t surprise you that on a recent hot summer’s day I was dumbfounded with delight when I stumbled across a website that allowed me to reminisce about the perfect summer time activity; going to the movies.
I don’t mean to have an Andy Rooney moment here but, “Have you ever noticed that going to the movies doesn’t have the same feeling that it once did?”
I was lucky enough to live at the end of the movie house era. I can remember the thrill of going to see the latest movie at (get this) a one-screen theater. (In the 21
st century you might call them “the uni-plex.”)
I can remember when good movies were “held over.” If I close my eyes, I can almost feel the rush of the cool, air-conditioned wind hit me as I opened the theater door. I can remember the smell of fresh popped popcorn. I can even remember the pain of squinting as I walked out of a dark theater into the bright sunshine.
I don’t know if I’ve changed or “going to the movies” has changed, but it seems different to me now. Evidentially, I’m not alone in this opinion. During my afternoon show on KLUP (930 AM) I had listeners call in with the favorite place to see a movie… in the past. The phone lit up as people recalled going to The Broadway, The Empire, The Olmos, and The Laurel.
Here’s one of the interesting things about the calls. People didn’t just say they remembered going to see a movie at the Majestic or the O’Brian; they remembered the entire experience.
“
I can still remember when we went to see “From Here To Eternity” at the Majestic. We would catch the bus downtown, see the movie, and then go to the Coney Island around the corner. They remembered the cost of the movie. They remembered the budget they had for the bus, the movie, and the meal. They remembered that if they walked home, they could keep the bus money.
The theater that brought back the most memories was The Aztec. And what made the biggest impression? The Aztec stone “sacrifice” table in the lobby. It both scared and thrilled my listeners.
Today, The Olmos is a school. The Broadway and the Texas are office buildings. The Wonder, The Laurel, The Fred Road and San Pedro Drive-In’s long gone.
However, when it’s 100 degrees outside, it’s fun to sit in the cool of an air-conditioned house and remember days gone by. So, I’m going to do what we used to do on the radio show. Tell me your favorite local theater of the past. Where was the best place to see a movie in San Antonio? What are your movie memories? ...
Did you sit in the balcony of the Broadway (I think I remember a balcony at the Broadway)?
Did you stare at the sky in the Majestic?
Did you sneak into the Fred Road Drive-in in the trunk of the car?
Where did you go to see movies? And why?
And by the way, I’ve saved this till the end. If you’re looking to for fun information and pictures on San Antonio Movie theaters from the Alameda to the Woodlawn, you've got to check out
cinematreasures.org. You’ll have fun - I promise.
By the way, it says that the 1960 World Premiere of John Wayne’s “The Alamo” was at the Woodlawn. Is that right? Anybody, there?
- Milt
