Reading the entries about the "picture show" brought back many more memoriesfor me I had put in the recesses of my mind. And as is the case when I get started, I can't seem to stop. Forgive me. Yes, I remember Lash LaRue, who could pop an eight foot whip without moving a muscle it seemed. And you knew not to try to cross the walk when he had the black leather strope laid out back of him just before he popped it. I vaguely remember Roy Rogers and Trigger, but I do remember, Oh Boy, do I remember "Gone With The Wind", "It Happened One Night," "Forever Amber" (which we were forbidden to attend, it was 'racy'), all the war movies and watched all the golden era stars of Hollywood. Clark Gable, Jimmy Stewart, Randolph Scott, Humphery Bogart, Sidney Greenstreet, Dan Dailey, Gene Kelly, Barbara Stanwyck, June Allison, Van Johnson, Bette Davis, Joan Blondell, June Havor, Dorothy LaMour, Victure Mature, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Ethel, Lionel and John Barrymore, Gary Grant, Gary Cooper, Hedy Lamarr, Alan Ladd, Howard Keel, Deborah Kerr, Yul Brenner, Dana Andrews, Fred Astaire, Lauren Bacall, Ernest Borgnine, Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Claudette Cobert, Rory Calhoun, Jeff Chandler, Joan Crawford, Tony Curtis, Dennis, Doris and Lorraine Day, Deanna Durbin, and many more.
I also remember the 25 cents for a ticket, coke and popcorn. The popcorn was indeed in cones, but they were red, blue and green tissue-type paper and only held about a cup of popped corn. When Mr. Leroy put in a fountain coke machine I beleive he had to go toa dime on drinks, At the same time he began to sell candy and gum.
One thing many readers may not remember is the fact, I sold tickets for "The Grove" when I was 16-years-old in 1949-50. I had to be at the 'show' by 5:30 p.m., to prepare the ticket window. I had to count the change and record it, place the tickets in a slot from underneath the counter top and on a "toilet tissue type spindle" under the counter top. When the 'box office' closed at 8-8:30 p.m., I had to count the 'take' and it had better tally with the number of tickets sold and the amount of change with which I had started. Only one night that I remember did Mr. Leroy have to help me tally.
I had previously worked for Mr. Ed and Hinton Williamson in their grocery store from my 14th birthday until then. On Saturdays, at Williamson Grocery, I stocked shelves, sacked groceries, swept floors and eventually was allowed to check people out when they had bought all their groceries. Back then there were no 'labor laws' and all the kids in town tried to find jobs in the summer to buy things their parents couldn't afford. You did't demand things from your parents in the 40s, 50s and 60s like kids do today.
I worked from 7:30 a.m. until 10 p.m on Saturdays with a break to go home for lunch (I lived just a block and a half from the store), but usually snacked on sliced bologna, lunch meat, boiled ham and cheese sandwiches at supper time, because business usually picked up around 6 p.m. I earned $7 a day.
Often people would order their groceries when they came into town and after visiting all over town, going to the movie, hitting the juke joints in Baptist Bottom and getting repairs on tires and cars, they would come by and pick up their orders. Hinton and Mr. Ed would always have them ready except for things that needed refrigeration. I remember one black gentleman, "Bear Cat" (don't know his last name, maybe Bob Lambert might remember) would always come in "drunker than Cooter Brown" and Hinton would tell the youngsters that he would handle Bear Cat. One night Hinton was tied up in the meat department and Bear Cat came in. I was at the cash register. All of a sudden BC was right in my face asking for his groceries. He almost knocked me down with his whiskey or "white lightening" breath. Hinton got all over him and he all but got on his knees and apologized. "Oh, Missy, I'm sorry. I meant no harm. Mr. Hinton, I won't do that ever again." I have never forgotten Bear Cat. He was tall and foreboding to a 14-year-old.
The streets would be packed all day long. If you were trying to get down the street, the best thing to do would be to just step off the sidewalk into the street. There you could make progress to your destination. That street on the north side of the railroad tracks is inplanted in my mind. Just off highway 17 on the corner was A.A. Riner's mercantile store. There you could by Buster Brown shoes, J. P. Coats thread, cloth goods off a bolt. rick-rack, lace, buttons and all types sewing needs. Ankle socks, after WW11, nylon hose, (they were silk before 1941), work clothes, childrens clothes, ladies dresses and men's suits.
Next door was the S. Geronin store that sold men's clothing, ties, shoes and hats including fedoras, felt brimmed and derby ones, belts and socks and garters.This store always seemed so dark to me and was forboding. I never felt comfortable going in to buy things for Daddy for Father's Day. This was the only time of year I remember going in S. Geronin, but we needed something special for our daddy on that day. The glass showcases were always so neat and the displays encouraged you to buy this and that and you knew you couldn't buy it all, but how you wanted to though.
City Drug Store was next. Oh, boy, Shirley's, your gread aunt, grandmother and 'Tee' would always treat us like royality when we would climb up on the stool in front of the fountain and ask for a double-dip ice cream cone. Mine would be chocolate on bottom and vanilla on top or two scoops of strawberry. When it came to sundaes it would be a hot fudge or pineapple. Milk shakes, what else, chocolate. They were the best. There were two or three wire drug store tables, each with four matching chairs for the ladies of the town to come for refrestments in the summer afternoons. After the war, WW11, the store installed a sandwich bar. I won't even go there. Piemento cheese, tuna fish, ham, egg salad. Sorta like Campbell's soup. Umm,Umm good!
Another nice thing about these two ancesters of yours, they always knew what early teenage girls needed at certain times of the month and were very discreet about it. We were never embarassed about our purchase. There was of course a pharmacy there and all sorts of things for scrapes and bruises, stomach upset, intestinal problems, etc. And much more. I have just touched the tip of the ice berg.
I remember the Brocato Bus Line stopped at the drug store. If you wanted to go to Clarendon, you went in the afternoons. Morning time and noon was the time to head to Marvell, Poplar Grove, Barton, Wycamp Crossing, West Helena and Helena. The bus would travel a gravel road out HWY.17 through Blackton past the Jack Palmer home place. Mr. Palmer had trained a collie to meet the bus in the evenings to have the paper placed in his mouth. He would then head to the house and drop it at his master's feet. The men of the Brocato family were the driver's. Frank, Sam, Tom and later young Sam Francis. Oh, you talk about handsome, black hair and eyes. Flirting eyes. He had every girl in town in a swoon. The bus brought morning papers (Memphis Commercial Appeal, Democrat and Ark.Gazette before merger) from Clarendon and The Memphis Press-Scimitar in the evening. The Democrat may have been an evening paper. I helped Billy Hance deliver papers in the late forties and I don't remember now.
Aunt Jemina meal, Omega flour, Clabber Girl baking powder, Morton's salt, (When it rains, it pours), Arm & Hammer soda, Old Dutch Cleanser, O'Cedar furniture polish, Palmolive bar soap, Colgate toothpaste and powder, Rinso washing powder, McCormick spices and black pepper, Dean's milk; my mind is boggled trying to remember all the brand names, some which to not exist today. These were in the Williamson Grocery Store. Potatoes, onions, tomatoes in summer, head lettuce, apples, oranges, banana from South America in wooden baskets. I think most produce came from either Robinson-Swift in Marvell or Feldman Produce in Helena. They came in on the "Doodle-Bug" train in the evenings.
I must close this and continue at another time. Forgive me for running long, but as I said, when I get started it's hard to stop.
When we went to the movie, our Grandfather (C. G. ((Pop)) Glenn) would give my twin sister and me a quarter. That would cover admission (15cents) and refreshments...coke (5cents) and popcorn (5 cents). The popcorn came in brightly colored cylinders.
I still recall the night Conway Twitty (alias Harold Jenkins) performed at the movie theater. Talk about some excitement!!! Of course that was before Conway Twitty fame
-- Edited by Danyelle McNeill Fletcher at 20:36, 2006-02-04
On Saturday afternoons, we would go to see our cowboy heroes - Tom Mix, Ken Maynard and his horse and Tarzan. Buck Jones and Johnny Mac Brown were my favorites. After seeing the afternoon movie, we would walk across Main Street to the wooden sidewalks that ran from the City Drug Store to the west at the corner. We would stalk up and down that wooden sidewalk just like the movie cowboys and practice our "quick draws" with our cap pistols. -Bob Lambert
It's of little consequence, but I recall George and Lucille Young's place being a Tastee Freeze. I just know it was our destination many a Sunday afternoon. My brother and I and maybe a few friends would pile in to the back of my Dad's pickup truck for a slow drive to the Tastee Freeze. My favorite treat was a pineapple sundae. The Tastee Freeze was a favorite gathering place in its day.
Many years later, after they sold the business and George died, "Miss Lucy" played the organ at the Holly Grove Methodist Church for many years.
"Lucille and George Young bought the Grove Movie Theater from Leroy "Buck" Renfro and later on they owned the Dairy Queen across from King’s Lion Station. Lucille also worked many years in the Holly Grove Women’s Club."
Does anyone remember Roy Rogers and Trigger visiting the Grove Theater? My aunt told me they cam to Holly Grove and put Trigger on the stage of the Grove Theater. If you remember it, I'd love to hear your stories about it!
-- Edited by Danyelle McNeill Fletcher at 14:49, 2005-11-14
Many, many thanks to Jane Dearing Dennis for this terrific article!!!
"The Old Picture Show was Great Entertainment" from The Sentinel Newspaper, Clarendon, Ark. July 5, 1978 By Jane Dearing
Not too long ago, down at the Grove Theatre in Holly Grove, Lash LaRue was king of the cowboys, popcorn was 5 cents and RC Cola was everyone’s favorite. To many, those were the "good old days."
One person in particular, Leroy Renfro, is not one to forget those "good old days" because a large part of his life was spent in the picture show business in Holly Grove. As manager of the Grove Theatre, he guided the town through the silent picture era, open air theaters, stage shows and even through the movie blockbusters like "Gone With the Wind" and "Ben Hur."
To Renfro, it was a life of dedication to something he loved.
"I love show business," he said, "I like entertainment. I like music. I love dancing. And I brought some pretty good shows to town," he added proudly.
The first location of the Grove Theatre was on the corner of Smith and North Main streets, where Maxine Hughen’s washateria is today. The early dates are sketchy, but 1919 is one of the earliest dates reported in which the movie was in operation.
The earliest pictures, silent movies, featured stars such as Ethel and John Barrymore, Mickey Rooney and Frederick March, all accompanied by the local piano player. In the case of the Grove movie house, "Poor Joe," as he was called, a black man originally from Helena, was one musician that coaxed movie music from the piano at the theatre.
"If it was fightin’, he would play some fightin’ music," Renfro said, demonstrating by playing imaginary keys in front of him vigorously. "And if it was love," Renfro’s fingers flowed calmly along his envisioned piano, "he would play something like ‘Let Me Call You Sweetheart.’"
The Holly Grove movie also made a try at an open air theatre. Located on the lot behind the Methodist Church, a big movie screen would be set up along with benches for seating the audience. The show could not go on until after dark and often times, audiences sat through pouring rain to see a favorite show. However, the outdoor venture was short lived — the mosquitoes were simply too much.
So the Grove made a move to the building which is now the G.L. Franks Grocery Co. in the buildings on the south side of Main Street. Cramped space there prompted the final move, in 1939, down the street, next door to the Mayo and Mayo building which is presently the Holly Grove Farm Store.
At this location, the Grove Theatre flourished during the movie industry’s heyday when going to the movies was the major form of entertainment. With the advent of the television era, movie theatres all across the country closed, and in 1959 Holly Grove’s movie house joined the numbers of operations that locked their doors forever.
But the Grove Theatre not only showed movies. Entertainers of all kinds found a place to perform. Stage shows boasted some of the great western stars — right in Holly Grove!
Lash LaRue, everyone’s favorite, gave five performances at the Grove and the local folks nearly "broke the door down trying to get in," recalled Renfro. LaRue was famous for his rope act.
Other stars who brought their stage shows to the Holly Grove theatre were "Fuzzy Q." St. John, Texas Ruby, Curly Fox and the Light Crust Dough Boys.
Renfro is proud to have had these stars come to Holly Grove and he commented, "We had to guarantee some of them up to $200. Back then," he said, "that was as much as guaranteeing them $10,000 now."
All kinds of stage shows were shown along with the regular movies. The former manager smiled and said, "I could really bring the big shows in. I had all kinds of shows — dancing girls, musicals, big bands, westerns." He continued, "I’d run a big show and I knew every time I’d show it I couldn’t get ‘em all in. They would just wait out in the street."
Since the Holly Grove picture show is no longer in business, Renfro let out his secret to the success of the show business. "Plenty of salt."
He explained — the concessions sometimes brought in more than the show. Renfro’s philosophy was, "If you eat that popcorn, you are going to have something to drink." At that time, Pepsi Cola and RC Cola was what everyone as drinking. The Grove concession stand sold candy and ice cream, but the popcorn, the biggest seller, was what made going to the movie so great.
Popcorn was sold in cones — different color cones — and everyone had a favorite color. "Sometimes you would have to dig around back there just to get one fella a red cone," Renfro remembered. But he got his popcorn — in the right color cone — and plenty of salt.
Movies were affordable in those days, too. At first the cost was 10 cents for children and 25 cents for adults. But the price went up, according to what was showing. "Gone With The Wind," the show Renfro described as "the biggest, terrific hit I had," went up to 75 cents and $1.50.
Saturday and Sunday were the biggest nights for movie attendance. Some of the folks would even come both days and see the same show.
The turnover in movies was higher than it is today. There would sometimes be three different movies shown in one week. Only the biggest movies, such as "Sampson and Delilah" and "GWTW" ran a full week.
The Grove Theatre was decorated like many other theatres during its height in the ’30s and ’40s. There were draperies completely covering the side walls, with lights on the side, too. In the ’50s, there were even cushioned seats, although when the movie was first begun, wooden benches were the only seats. In place of air conditioning, a big block of ice would often be placed in front of a large fan aimed toward the audience.
One of the grandest things about the movie in Holly Grove, according to Renfro, was the huge silver screen. It was a very big screen in that day, and because it was silver it reflected the movie exceptionally well, he said.
An evening at the movies usually lasted two hours. Renfro said he would try to first show a cartoon, then a newsreel, another cartoon, the coming attractions and finally the feature film.
The Grove Theatre provided many, many hours of great entertainment. Just think, with your popcorn and Pepsi Cola in hand, your sweetheart close by and Tom Mix riding across the screen, you had it made.
When growing up, my very close friend, David (Lambert), and I experienced a lot. Several funny stories occurred, one of which I will relate. Going to the local theater up town was a natural Saturday event, especially when there was cowboys and indians fighting it out on screen. One particular Saturday, we went to a late afternoon session (maybe it started in the evening). Anyway, we went to the movie, and it was over somewhat later than usual. We proceeded to head in the direction of our homes across the street from one another. We got as far as half-way between our houses and stopped and sat down. We began to talk and talk and talk. Well, it became later than even we knew, so both families began looking for us to no avail. Both of our houses were calling around trying to locate us. They couldn't find us. We were oblivious to all around us and to the time of night (which was approaching between 10 and 11 p.m.) David and I were sitting on the sidewalk between our houses and thought nothing about anyone becoming alarmed as to where we were. Finally, someone (I don't remember who) decided to look out front and hollered "David!" "Dan!". One of us responded and that ended our "night on the sidewalk" talking (as if we hadn't seen each other in months). Naturally, both of us were chastised for not "following script" and letting someone know where we were!
-- Edited by Danyelle McNeill Fletcher at 14:49, 2005-11-14
The Grove had two entrances, one for blacks which led to the balcony, and one for whites. Neither race was allowed to cross that line in those days. The "lobby" was small with only one counter for ordering treats. The popcorn was served in paper cones which came in all colors. There was only one aisle as I recall and a "fire exit" down front near the stage. The stage was covered with a red velvet curtain which would be closed for live performances and opened when the movie began. If you listened carefully, during the movie, you could hear the projection camera grinding away. The marque out front had no lights and the message would be changed by hand when the movie titles changed, usually two or three times a week. A movie rarely played longer than 3 days. I remember Mr. Renfro quite well
-- Edited by Danyelle McNeill Fletcher at 14:48, 2005-11-14
I remember the Grove Theater quite well. We would go on Saturday afternoon because they always had a western on and it was accompanied by a serial, a short story that would be continued until the next saturday. It always left you hanging, usually with someone literally hanging off a cliff or about to be killed. You just had to go the next Saturday to see what happened. The theater also played host to a lot of "stars" in person. I remember seeing "Lash" LaRue, one of our western heros. Also one time, we went to see a new young singer named Harold Jenkins,perform at The Grove. We talked to him after the show and he told us he was going to be famous some day. Well, Harold Jenkins changed his name to Conway Twitty and the rest was history. The tickets to see a movie were $.15, popcorn and coke was a nickle each. Oh, my, those were the days. Thanks for taking me down memory lane. Margaret
-- Edited by Danyelle McNeill Fletcher at 14:48, 2005-11-14
Memories of the theater. Was it a popular attraction? Can you remember seeing a classic movie there? When was it most crowded? How much did you pay for tickets? What was your favorite movie treat?(Again - you don't have to answer all the questions if you don't want to....I though it might help spark some memories)
-- Edited by Danyelle McNeill Fletcher at 14:47, 2005-11-14
