SOUTH PARK SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF BUDDY AND JANE HEBERT
(click on picture for more photos)
Lamar Theater
AS YOU PASS 3732 HIGHLAND AVENUE, YOU SEE A BUILDING THAT HAS DETERIORATED - IN A STATE OF DECAY AND SHAMBLES - THAT NEEDS DESPERATELY TO BE TORN DOWN.
BUT I REMEMBER A BUILDING WITH SHINY TILES ON THE FRONT, A BRIGHTLY LIT MARQUEE, DISPLAY WINDOWS ADVERTISING UPCOMING MOVIES, A TINY TICKET BOOTH WITH A VERY PRETTY GIRL SELLING TICKETS, A BICYCLE RACK OUTSIDE FILLED WITH HUNDREDS OF BICYCLES, AND A DRUG STORE NEXT TO THE THEATER WHERE EVERYONE WENT FOR A COKE AFTER THE MOVIE.
(photos compliments of Jane Hebert)
INSIDE WAS A REFRESHMENT COUNTER WITH ALL BRANDS OF CANDY LINED UP ON GLASS SHELVES BEHIND A GLASS FRONT, THE POPCORN MACHINE PUTTING OUT A WONDERFUL AROMA. A LARGE, ROUND COCA COLA SIGN WAS ON THE WALL ABOVE, WITH THE DRINK DISPENSER ON ONE SIDE OF THE COUNTER, AND A BIG, ROUND MISSION ORANGE DRINK DISPENSER ON THE OTHER SIDE. THE COUNTER WAS ALWAYS WONDERFULLY DECORATED.
ON CHRISTMAS DAY, 1936, JEFFERSON AMUSEMENT COMPANY PRESENTED SOUTH PARK AND JEFFERSON COUNTY A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS GIFT WITH THE GRAND OPENING OF THE MAGNIFICENT NEW LAMAR THEATER - OPENING AT 2 PM WITH THE MOVIE "THE TEXAS RANGERS" STARRING FRED MAC MURRAY AND JEAN PARKER.
THE OUTER LOBBY WAS ILLUMINATED WITH SOFT COLORED LIGHTS, PICKING UP FLECKS OF GOLD FROM BRONZE TILE BLOCKS ON THE FLOOR. AFTER YOU PURCHASED YOUR TICKET, YOU TURNED LEFT, STEPPING UP INTO THE INNER LOBBY, WHICH WAS ACCENTUATED WITH WIDE STRIPPINGS ON THE WALLS, AND A MULTI COLORED TERRAZO FLOOR.
A RIGHT TURN REVEALED AN AUDITORIUM ILLUMINATED IN PASTEL SHADEINGS, BRIGHT STRIPINGS AND DESIGNS ON THE WALLS AND A BRIGHT BLUE CEILING. A TURN TO THE LEFT TOOK YOU INTO A BEAUTIFULLY DECORATED LOUNGE AREA. A SPECIAL SOUND SYSTEM HAD BEEN INSTALLED, MAKING IT SPECIALLY ACOUSTICALLY PERFECT. SPECIAL EQUIPMENT HAD ALSO BEEN INSTALLED FOR DEAF PERSONS.
THERE WAS A STAGE IN THE FRONT OF THE THEATER, AND OF COURSE THE GREAT, BIG, WIDE SCREEN WHERE SO MANY WONDERFUL ADVENTURES TOOK PLACE.
THE LAMAR THEATER WAS THE FIRST SUBURBAN THEATER BUILT IN THE CITY OF BEAUMONT, AND JEFFERSON COUNTY AND FRED F. MAC HENRY CAME FROM LUFKIN, TEXAS TO BE THE FIRST MANAGER OF THE THEATER.
SATURDAYS WERE VERY SPECIAL FOR ALL OF US GROWING UP IN SOUTH PARK, AS THAT WAS REFERRED TO AS "KIDDIE DAY." IT WAS AN ALL DAY EVENT, WITH NUMEROUS CARTOONS BEING SHOWN, AND SEVERAL MOVIES COST OF A TICKET - .09. (THAT'S RIGHT - LESS THAN A DIME!)
THE SOUTHERN MAID DONUT SHOP WAS LOCATED ACROSS FROM SOUTH PARK HIGH SCHOOL, AND DAY OLD DONUTS WERE SOLD FOR .O5 A DOZEN. SO ON THE WAY TO THE MOVIES, ALL OF THE KIDS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WOULD STOP BY AND PURCHASE A DOZEN DONUTS AND SPEND THE ENTIRE DAY AT THE MOVIES. BEFORE YOU KNOW WHAT DIRECTION TO TAKE, YOU'VE GOT TO KNOW WHERE YOU ARE.
GENE VAN METER LIVED ON FONVILLE, AND HE RECALLS HE AND HIS FRIEND, CARROLL PERRY ALWAYS WALKING TO THE MOVIE ON SATURDAY AND STOPPING AT THE A & P STORE (LOCATED WHERE THE SUB STATION IS LOCATED) AND PURCHASING BANANAS AND MARSHMALLOWS AND BIG RED SODAS TO TAKE TO THE MOVIE (IN A PAPER BAG) UNTIL ONE DAY HE PIGGED OUT SO MUCH HE BECAME VIOLENTLY ILL.
IT WAS ABOUT A 12 BLOCK WALK FROM MY HOUSE TO THE LAMAR THEATER, BUT IN THOSE DAYS KIDS THOUGHT NOTHING OF WALKING EVEN FARTHER DISTANCES - AND PARENTS NEVER HAD TO WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING HAPPENING TO THEIR CHILDREN.
BUT SOME OF THE MORE FORTUNATE KIDS HAD BIKES, AND THE BICYCLERACKS OUTSIDE THE THEATER WERE LINED WITH BICYCLES ALMOST A SOLID WALL. AND YOU NEVER HAD TO WORRY ABOUT A LOCK ON YOUR BIKE - BECAUSE THEY NEVER GOT STOLEN.
EACH WEEK THE THEATER AT A DESIGNATED TIME WOULD GIVE OUT ABOUT 20 FLYER TYPE CARDBOARD ADVERTISING SIGNS ABOUT THE UP- COMING MOVIES, WHICH THE KIDS WOULD PUT ON EACH SIDE OF THEIR BIKES AT THE BACK FENDER, AND IN RETURN FOR THIS ADVERTISING THEY WOULD GET A FREE PASS TO THE MOVIE. AS TIME WENT BY, MORE AND MORE KIDS TURNED UP FOR THESE BIKE FLYERS -- BUT ONLY 20 WERE HANDED OUT EACH WEEK.
ROY ROGERS, TOM MIX, GENE AUTRY, HOP A LONG CASSIDY - AND MANY OTHER COWBOYS WERE THRILLING TO ALL THE KIDS, AND WE SAW MANY COWBOY MOVIES. BUT THERE WERE ALSO SOME LOVE STORIES, ADVENTURE MOVIES AND MANY OTHERS. CAN YOU RECALL "SWAMP WATER" WITH WALTER BRENHAM -"TOBACCO ROAD"-"MUNITY ON THE BOUNTY" "MRS.MINIVEAR WITH GREER GARSON - "THE MUMMIES HAND" WITH BORIS KARLOFF - "GONE WITH THE WIND" DR. JECKLE AND MR. HYDE"- SGT. YORK WITH GARY COOPER - "HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY" "LASSIE" AND THERE GINGER ROGERS - WHAT A GREAT SONG AND DANCE TEAM! AND WE CAN'T FORGET ALL THE THE ROAD MOVIES WE SAW WITH BOB HOPE AND BING CROSBY AND DOROTHY LAMOUR. LAUREL AND HARDY - WHAT GREAT TIMES WE HAD AT THE LAMAR THEATER!
THERE WAS ALSO AMATEUR TIME AT THE THEATER ON SATURDAYS, AND MANY OF THE KIDS GOT UP ON THE STAGE AND PERFORMED - SINGING, DANCING, TUMBLING, PLAYING SOME INSTRUMENT - TWIRLING, ROPE TRICKS WHATEVER YOU WANTED TO PERFORM. AND THE AUDIENCE JUDGED THE PERFORMERS BY APPLAUSE. AND OF COURSE THERE WERE ALWAYS PRIZES FOR THE BEST PERFORMANCE.
THIS AMATEUR TIME BRINGS BACK MANY MEMORIES TO ME, AS MY BEST FRIEND (WHO LIVED JUST DOWN THE STREET FROM ME) HAD A REALLY PRETTY VOICE, AND WAS VERY OUT-GOING, BUT WAS ALWAYS TALKING ME INTO PERFORMING WITH HER. (AT THAT TIME I WAS VERY SHY, BUT WOULD ALWAYS GET TALKED INTO GOING UP ON THE STAGE WITH HER.) WE WOULD PRACTICE ALL WEEK, AND SHE WOULD SHOW ME HOW TO STRUT AROUND, AND ON SATURDAYS WE WOULD GIVE OUR BIG PERFORMANCE. AND, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WE ACTUALLY WON. BUT, AS I SAID, SHE HAD A GREAT VOICE AND I THINK MUST HAVE ACTUALLY DROWNED ME OUT - BECAUSE LATER IN LIFE MY LITTLE 5 YEAR OLD SON TURNED TO ME ONE DAY IN CHURCH AND SAID "MOMMY, DON'T YOU SING." IT WAS AT THIS TIME I REALIZED I COULD NOT CARRY A TUNE. NOW,
EVERY TIME I PASS THE LAMAR THEATER I HAVE TO LAUGH TO THINK ABOUT ALL THE TIMES I TRIED TO SING ON STAGE.
DON'T FORGET THE TUESDAY NIGHT MOVIES WHEN THEY WOULD HAVE DRAWINGS FOR $100.00 DRAWING NAMES OUT OF A SPECIAL BOX. THIS BROUGHT MANY ADULTS TO THE MOVIES ON TUESDAY NIGHT, AND AS THE YEARS WENT BY, THE CHECKS GREW LARGER.
THERE WERE MANY GUEST APPEARANCES AT THE THEATER - PERFORMING ON THE STAGE, AND BEING IN THE FOYER SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS. THIS WAS QUITE EXCITING. AND THERE WERE SPECIAL DRAWINGS WHERE NAMES WERE DRAWN AND KIDS GOT TO HAVE THEIR PICTURES TAKEN WITH MANY OF THE STARS.
THE JEFFERSON THEATER DOWNTOWN HAD A ORGAN, WHICH AL SACKER PLAYED FOR MANY YEARS, BUT THE LAMAR THEATER ONLY HAD A PIANO - BUT MR. SACKER OCCASIONALLY WOULD MAKE A TRIP TO THE LAMAR AND PLAY THE PIANO BEFORE THE MOVIE.
WHO CAN FORGET THE GREAT MIDNIGHT SHOWS AT THE LAMAR THEATER - I THINK EVERYONE IN SOUTH PARK TURNED OUT FOR THESE EVENTS, AND THE THEATER WOULD BE PACKED. AS A KID I COULD HARDLY WAIT UNTIL I GOT OLD ENOUGH TO ATTEND THE MIDNIGHT SHOWS. AND WHEN I BECAME A TEENAGER MOST OF THE BOYS DIDN'T HAVE MONEY TO TAKE A GIRL TO THE MOVIES, SO THE GIRLS AND GUYS WOULD MEET INSIDE. MY SISTER AND I AND SEVERAL OF THE GIRLS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WOULD WALK THE 12 BLOCKS TO THE MOVIES FOR THE MIDNIGHT SHOW - SOMETIMES ACCOMPANIED BY SOMEONES BROTHER - AND SOMETIMES OUR HOME EC TEACHER, DOROTHY BROWN, WOULD GO ALONG WITH US AS SHE LIVED IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. AND AGAIN, OUR FOLKS NEVER WORRIED. HOW MUCH THE KIDS TODAY MISS!
AND RUMOR HAD IT THAT AFTER THE MIDNIGHT SHOW, A NUMBER OF THE TEEN AGE GUYS WOULD GO OVER TO ALICE KEITH SWIMMING POOL FOR A MIDNIGHT SWIM. A SPECIAL FRIEND WAS A SECURITY GUARD, AND A SPECIAL KNOCK ON THE DOOR WOULD LET THE GUARD KNOW THEY WERE THERE. THEN THEY WOULD SCALE THE OUTSIDE WALL AND TAKE THEIR SWIM. OF COURSE THEY COULD NOT DO ANY DIVING, OR YELL AT EACH OTHER, AS THEY MIGHT WAKE THE NEIGHBORS.
THE LAMAR DRUG STORE WAS LOCATED IN A PART OF THE LAMAR THEATER, AND THE OLDER KIDS (WHO HAD A LARGER ALLOWANCE) WOULD OFTEN GATHER THERE BEFORE AND AFTER THE MOVIE. IT ALSO WAS A VERY SPECIAL PLACE. GENE VAN METER RECALLS BUYING A VERY, VERY SPECIAL WES CLOCK POCKET WATCH FOR ONLY $1.00 AT THE DRUG STORE.
THERE ARE THOSE WHO HAVE OTHER SPECIAL MEMORIES OF THE LAMAR THEATER - POLLY CLARK WORKED AS A CASHIER WHILE ATTENDING LAMAR UNIVERSITY IN 1937-1938. SAM TANNER WORKED FOR JEFFERSON AMUSEMENT IN THE DOWNTOWN MOVIES, AND THEY WOULD MEET AND MARRY.
IN 1942 SAM TANNER BECAME THE GENERAL MANAGER AND VICE-PRESIDENT OF JEFFERSON AMUSEMENT COMPANY.
SOUTH PARKER LISA BELT (TWIN SISTER TO ALICE AND SISTER TO NANCY BELT VINCENT) WORKED AS A CASHIER AT THE LAMAR AS A TEEN AGER, ANDWOULD MEET JOHN PRICE, MANAGER AT THE TIME, AND IN 1950 BECAME HISWIFE.
AND JACK BINKS, NOW A RESIDENT OF AMELIA WOULD WORK AS A USHER AT THE LAMAR IN 1940-1941 AND RECALLS MANY WONDERFUL MEMORIES OF THIS ERA.
BUDDY HEBERT RECALLS MANY WONDERFUL TIMES AT THE LAMAR,ESPECIALLY WHEN HE WON AN EGG POACHER AND ALSO SAW "MOON OVER MIAMI."
IN 1950 THE SOUTH PARK DRIVE IN THEATER WAS BUILT BY THE JEFFERSON AMUSEMENT COMPANY ON THE PORT ARTHUR HIGHWAY (NOW MLK), AND AS FATE WOULD HAVE IT - THE LAMAR THEATER CLOSED IN 1957.
IN 1968 GULF STATES THEATER COMPANY PURCHASED THE LAMAR THEATER, AND ON AUGUST 29, 1968 THE LAMAR CINEMA WOULD OPEN IT'S DOORS AFTER BEING COMPLETELY REMODELED, AND WOULD REMAIN OPEN UNTIL APRIL 30, 1983.
I WAS ESPECIALLY GLAD THAT MY SON HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENJOY OUR NEIGHBORHOOD MOVIE HOUSE WHILE GROWING UP AND IN THE 1970'S THE LAMAR WAS AGAIN' A VERY SPECIAL PLACE FOR ADULTS AND KIDS ALIKE.
I RECALL BEING INVITED BY OUR SON TO GO TO THE LAMAR CINEMA WITH ME AND HIS DATE ONE FRIDAY NIGHT (ACTUALLY I THINK HE INVITED US SO WE WOULD BUY THE TICKETS.) THE MOVIE WAS "SUMMER OF '42", AND BUDDY AND I SAT AT THE BACK OF THE THEATER, WHILE HE AND HIS DATE WENT UP FRONT. IT WAS A REALLY CUTE, FUNNY MOVIE - AND AFTERWARDS HE TOLD ME WITH SOME DISMAY IN HIS VOICE - "MOTHER, I COULD HEAR YOU LAUGHING ALL OVER THE THEATER." NEEDLESS TO SAY, WE NEVER WENT TO THE MOVIES WITH HIM ON A DATE AGAIN.
LAMAR THEATER WAS PART OF THE JEFFERSON AMUSEMENT COMPANY, WHICH WAS FOUNDED IN 1917 BY SOL GORDON AND JOE CLEMMONS. JOE CLEMMONS BEING THE PRESIDENT UNTIL HIS DEATH IN 1942. SOL GORDON BECAME THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD IN 1925, AND SERVED UNTIL HIS DEATH IN 1942, WHEN HIS SON, JULIUS GORDON BECAME CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD.
GROWING UP IN THE SMALL COMMUNITY OF SOUTH PARK, THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IN OUR LIVES WERE OUR HOMES AND FAMILIES, OUR SCHOOL, OUR CHURCH AND OUR THEATER.
HOW I WISH ALL OF YOU COULD RELIVE THE DAYS OF THE LAMAR THEATER AND THE ADVENTURES AND ENJOYMENT IT BROUGHT TO US ALL.
