Yesteryear’s mid 1940’s and 50’s America’s kids were blessed with the silver screen and the classic movies at their local theaters. If today’s kids want to watch a movie, they simply pull up entertaining videos anytime via their smart phones, tablets or computers.
In fact, according to statistics, the average American child between 8-12 watch 3 hours of on line videos per day.
Sure, kids like playing outdoors and sports, but today they have more entertainment options on their fingertips than ever before.
You can be assured they use them.
Those kids’ grandfathers and grandmothers still had the outside to spend with their friends, family, and maybe a pool nearby.
In the mid 1940’s Little League, JFL football and soccer for kids was not available. So, after a hard week in the classroom, yesterday’s kids found refuge on Saturday at their local theaters with the “Saturday Matinee.” Keep in mind, admission tickets were 10-15 cents for a double feature, cartoons, a serial and even news headlines.
By the way, candy bars were only a nickel. The same candy bar today is around $2.
Ashland had three fine local theaters downtown. The Paramount, Alfon, and the Capital. Then came the Lyric which was not the best place to be, due to the roaming rodents who became prey from the cats on patrol under the seats. True story.
In the mid 50’s when I was in high school, another theater surfaced – THE RAND downtown. No cowboys here, just so called provacative movies that were indeed risque. The Rand didn’t last long as the local churches and powers that be kept attendance down.
I was blessed. I lived about 200 feet from the Paramount, two blocks from the Alfon, and four blocks from the Capital, and three from the Lyric. I began going to the downtown movies in 1947 at the Paramount at age nine. I remember watching “Treasure of Sierra Madre” with Humphrey Bogart and in 1948 another Bogart movie – “Key Largo.”
My grandmother would give me 25 cents: 15 cents to get in and a dime to spend on two candy bars.
One thing I remember about growing up in the mid-20th Century was I was always alone. No one ever thought about any threats of crime. It was never mentioned.
In fact, once every now and then on a Saturday, I would go to the Capital for two cowboy movies; then walk down the street to the Alfon for two more movies. My grandmother always gave me the extra money for tickets. In reality, I was gone near eight hours and came home safely every time.
During these decades, there were kids who lived quite away from the downtown theaters and to go, they would have to ride their bikes, catch a bus, or even walk.
Funny thing about the movies during the 40’s and 50’s, it brought about a good mix of classics like “Gone with the Wind,” musicals such as “Showboat” and of course – the ever popular cowboy movies.
These four local theaters seemed to showcase the cowboys because of their popularity. Such as:
• THE CAPITAL – SUNSET CARSON, DURANGO KID, LASH LaRUE, GENE AUTRY, ROY ROGERS, THE LONE RANGER, REX ALLEN, ALAN LADD
• THE ALFON – RED RYDER & LITTLE BEAVER, CISCO KID, MONTE HALE, HOPALONG CASSIDY, JOHNNY MACK BROWN, BOB STEELE (Check the attached photo of downtown Ashland in the 1940’s reflecting the Alfon’s marquee featuring JOHNNY MACK BROWN in “LAW OF THE WEST and ” SUNSET CARSON RIDES AGAIN!”)
• THE PARAMOUNT– ROCKY LANE, TIM HOLT, GARY COOPER, JAMES STEWART, RANDOLPH SCOTT, JOEL McCREA, AUDIE MURPHY, DAN DURYEA, BEN JOHNSON
• THE LYRIC – KEN MAYNARD, TEX RITTER, BUSTER CRABBE, TOM MIX, WHIP WILSON, TIM McCOY. COWBOY HALL OF FAMERS -1940’s -1950’s – ROY ROGERS, GENE AUTRY, HOPALONG CASSIDY, JOHNNY MACK BROWN, DALE EVANS, TOM MIX, DUNCAN RENALDO, BOB STEELE, KEN MAYNARD to name a few.
Certainly, each theater featured their own serials such as Superman and Gangbusters. When you’re a kid you learned the GOOD GUYS wore the White Hats, the BAD GUYS wore the Black Hats exceptions being Lash LaRue, Sunset Carson and Red Ryder.
I remember one Saturday afternoon one of my heroes, Sunset Carson, was making an appearance at the Capital. I was sitting on an aisle seat, when the lights went on throughout the theater and the spotlight was on the stage. Sunset Carson came out to a standing ovation of Ashland’s kids. He brought his two pistols of course and his carbine rifle. He left the stage, walked up the aisle, and stopped right by me. I looked up and was so excited I believe I was shaking.
The announcer brought out a candelabra with 6 lit candles and told us that Sunset would shoot each one out. After the countdown, Sunset and his repeating rifle shot every wick out – bang, bang, bang. All the kids stood up and yelled in excitement to what we just witnessed. I never thought of it at the time, but where did those bullets land or ricochet? Of course, they were just blank bullets.
Another facet of our beloved cowboy movies came about when a young man named Leonard Slye went by his stage name of ROY ROGERS and took America by storm. Roy was born over in Cincinnati and later moved to Lucasville, Ohio near Portsmouth. He appeared in over 90 movies thru the 40’s and 50’s and even had his own television show from 1951-1957.
As his popularity grew, be became the “King of the Cowboys” and every kid in America knew it, including me. He became one of the two top singing cowboys in America, the other being GENE AUTRY.
In fact, his signature song “Happy Trails” sung with his wife Dale and the Sons of the Pioneers, became their signature hit.
Any kid in America knew who Roy Rogers was and we must never forget – Gene Autry as well!
We could even tell you their horses names. Roy’s “Trigger” became world famous and Gene Autry’s “Champ” did as well. I even remember Roy’s trusty German Shepherd he named “Bullet.” In fact, I have to wonder how many millions of kids had their parents buy them a Roy Rogers, Gene Autry or Hopalong Cassidy costume and lunchbox.
So it goes, millions of kids growing up in America during a wonderful time of excitement and entertainment were indeed in a beautiful magical world.
I know I was.
Mike Tussey has “retired” from a 60-plus-year career as a legendary play-by-play announcer for over 2000 football, baseball, and basketball games, including most recently for ESPN+. His career also includes a stint in law enforcement, teaching and coaching, and writing books, including the “Touchdown Saints.” He grew up in Eastern Kentucky and now lives in Florence with his wife, Jo. He has opened another “Door of Opportunity” and is now a regular columnist for the NKyTribune.
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