Memories of the Strand part three

March 25, 2009 10:08 am

— Editor’s Note: Since the first publication of Strand Theater memories in the paper, The Star-Herald has still been receiving memories of the theater. The City of Kosciusko recently purchased the property and hopes to make it into a community center with a small museum. If you would like to make a donation, call the Kosciusko-Attala Development Corporation at 289-2981.

Do I remember the Strand Theater? It was like a second home, I practically grew up in it. I am sure you are talking about the “A-Muse-U” Theater. There was the A-Muse-U Theater and going south to the corner were Holt’s Grocery, Aldy’s Barber Shop and Vicker’s Café on the corner. Vickers later moved across the street on the same corner. To put things in order as I remember, the Strand was located on the east side of the square where Patterson Jewelers is now located. It was there for a number of years. When it closed the name of the A-Muse-U was changed to the Strand. Jack Patterson (later to become my brother-in-law) was manager before it became the Strand Theater. He was manager of both theaters in Kosciusko as well as the Strand Theater in Durant and the Strand Theater in Lexington, Mississippi.
His home being in Arkansas, he came to Kosciusko as manager of these theaters. I do not know the exact year he began as manager, but about 1938 he hired my sister, Mary Katherine, to sell tickets at the ticket window. She worked there and became engaged to Jack and they were married June 1940 at my mother’s house on North Jackson Street. This house is now owned by Marlin Ivey who remodeled the house making it into several apartments.
What I really liked about the theater was a free pass to all the movies. I would make the matinees, then back at night when nothing else was going on. I helped popping and selling popcorn, occasionally I would take up tickets and a few times I assisted in the projector room upstairs, rewinding film, etc. One time, Jack told me I could not get in free. That was when “Gone With the Wind” was on. Every night the house was packed and every ticket had to be sold. But, before it left I did see it. Back then most movies cost about 15 cents, matinees 11 cents. You could take a quarter, by a ticket, popcorn and a drink and have change from a quarter. After the movie, if you had money you could step up to Vickers’ Café and get a hamburger for a nickel. While Jack had the theaters I really lived it up. Sometimes going to the old Strand and then to the A-Muse-U at night. Cowboys, my favorites. There were Bob Steele, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Hop-along Cassidy, Tom Mix, The Lone Ranger, Zorro and many more.
Back then the theater had a café on the north front corner with a door leading outside and one into the theater foyer. This small café had several stools and counter, a very small place. My memory fails to recall who ran this café.
Jack managed the theater until sometime in 1942 when he went into the United States Army Air Force and worked with gliders during WWII. Afterward, he returned to Kosciusko and worked at Smith’s Jewelry as a watchmaker-jeweler. Later starting his own jewelry store, “Patterson’s”, on the east side of the square where it remains today. Jack died November 1976, his wife Mary Katherine and son Jimmy are both still active in the business.
Before ending, someone mentioned the Pix Theater. I believe it was located in the very center of the businesses on the west side of the square. Not being certain, but it could have been where Moody had a shoe store at one time.

–Douglas L. Ward
Durant, MS

I’m sure every generation has a special period in their life that they consider the best ever for their own reasons – for me the ‘60s were definitely “the best of times” and the Strand Theater played a major part.
I was 10 years old when Elvis first came on the scene. Those were the days of vinyl 45s – not CDs or I-Pods. Do young people today even know what a 45 record is?
A lifelong love for Elvis was born at this time. At the Strand I saw Elvis’ first movie, “Love Me Tender” seven or eight times and cried every time Elvis got “killed.” One night after the Christmas parade I think just about every teenager went to the strand to see “Blue Hawaii”. The line to get into the movie stretched around the block and the movie was packed. It was almost as if Elvis were there in person – “good old days!”
The Strand was the place to go during my junior high and high school days. (Usually serious date night meant the drive-in theater, but that’s another story). We even went to the matinee after school and saw some movies that became classics. Every Friday night after football season no one ever had to ask what we were going to do – we went to the Strand! It really didn’t matter what movie was playing and unfortunately for me it was usually a Randolph Scott western. Definitely not my favorite but it made no difference because we just wanted to be there to hang out with our friends. Even after all of these years it seems like yesterday. My memories of the Strand Theater are so vivid I can smell the popcorn (no popcorn is as good as movie popcorn) and the dill pickles.
I had quite a reputation for always crying at the movies. In fact someone who shall remain nameless, aggravated me to death by calling me “cry baby”. To this day he still calls me that!
One night my friends and I went to the movie as usual – the movie playing was “Back Street” starring Susan Hayward and John Gavin. Not long after we were seated in our usual places (everyone sat in their “spot” kind of like we do in church) Mr. Boutwell came down the aisle looking for me. Of course I thought I was in trouble but he handed me a DISH TOWEL and said, “You’re gonna’ need this!” Boy, was he right because that was one of the saddest movies I’ve ever seen in my life and the dish towel was certainly put to good use.
Mr. Boutwell was a wise, kind, patient man with a big smile who “baby-sat” the kids of this town and knew a lot of us on a personal basis. Only once did I see him get angry enough to ask someone to leave. The Strand was a “family affair” – Mrs. Boutwell, a sweet, soft spoken lady sold tickets and the children worked in the concession area or wherever they were needed. We all envied their having such a cool job.
Sometimes my four daughters think I’m a dinosaur but they love to hear the stories of my younger days when times were safe; children respected their teachers and actually went to school to learn; there were no drug problems and there were no R-rated movies – the “good old days.”
I realize that progress is necessary but I only wish that my girls could have had a Strand Theater and a Mr. Boutwell in their lives and memories.

– Diane Quick

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