I saw in our newspaper last week that they have started to tear down the inside of the old Strand Theatre. A situated treasure in Kosciusko Mississippi. It was built around 1929 and was then operated by the Memphis based Strand Enterprises theatre chain. It closed to the public in the 2000 but oh what a history and the holder of so many cherished secrets of many youngsters and teenagers, me being one of them.
I was allowed to take part of this exciting tradition as a young girl. Mainly because Mr. Martin Holt had a street side grocery store right next door and my mama and daddy shopped there as well as other places on the busy square on Saturdays and the picture show was a good "babysitter" for me at the time. They would give me admission money and a quarter for popcorn and a Coke and I was in my element with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Rex Allen, or Gene Autry. To this day I love westerns, especially old ones, and I believe it's because all the time I spent at the Strand. I can remember exactly where I sat, front row middle. I wanted as close to the action as I could possibly get.
As I grew into my teenage/boyfriend years I would meet him at the Strand at one o'clock on Saturdays but my mama thought of it still as a babysitter. (ha). I loved Saturdays as I was an avid lover of a western. However, the movie as you might know was not my main reason for going to the Saturday matinee. I remember one Saturday in particular when I was sitting, not on the front row anymore, with my fellow of many years, from the days we played Roy and Dale in his front yard, of course holding hands, and my mama came early to pick me up and CAME INSIDE! Yes, she found me, and the beau and it was a solemn ride home but once we got there, she was anything but solemn. She turned into a shrieking shrew. Needless to say, my matinee' times were over for a while but resumed once again as soon as I could persuade her to let me go.
Reaching my dating years, this or our drive-in movie was the first date destination. As my mama thought the Strand was the safer of the two, I usually was taken there.
As a matter of fact, 63 years ago I had my first date with my husband at the Strand and again I remember the seat and it was closer to the back this time. I even remember the movie that was playing, "The Body Snatchers." And I can tell you until this day that was the worst part of our first date. That movie scared me to death and if I remember it till this day, I get a little disturbed. Of course, at that time it gave me a good reason to hold onto his hand. Once I had that first date with Roy, I never met anyone other than him at the cherished place of entertainment.
I can close my eyes and taste the hotdogs that Cleo Boutwell served at the concession stand. They were probably the cheapest wieners he could buy, needing to make a profit but they were the best I can ever remember eating. I absolutely loved them. They were small and he always spread that cheaper mustard on them and again that's the kind I continue to buy for my family as it was most delectable and still is.
If you are part of this time period, I'm sure you have your affection and cherished memories of this old movie house. I hope that whatever it becomes in its second time around will bring and hold the great memories for someone else as it does for me.
My version of Hot Dogs
Buy a package of the Juicy Jumbos and lay them in a cast iron skillet and turn up the heat until they are nearly burned on all sides.
Always use the cheaper brand of yellow mustard and coat both sides of the bun and lay the blackened hot dog inside. I love it just like this but sometimes I want to "fancy-up" and I add canned or home-made chili, chopped onions, pickle relish, catsup, cheese sauce, and sometimes sour kraut. We call them Strand Hot Dogs.
