How do you remember Phoenix? Stories from long time residents... (Scottsdale: brick, venues)

[Arizona Mike]

Originally Posted by roosevelt

I'm curious as to how do you know that information? I have other Rodeo Queen photos but they are not as good looking as this group.

The photo with identifying information is on the "Arizona Memories: website (linked back on one of my earlier posts, not too lomg ago). It's the photo archive of the Arizona Historical Society.

[roosevelt]

Originally Posted by observer53

That isn't the one I was thinking of, which was right on the corner of (I think) Central and Washington, where One Renaissance Square is now. Here's a link to an interesting little article about the Fox, though.

The Rialto was located between Central and 1st Avenue on the south side. The Studio was between Central and 1st Street on the north side. The Studio was a little theater that usually piped the sound from the movie playing out on the sidewalk. The Rialto was the best theater in Phoenix during the 20's until the Orpheum was built. They were both owned by Paramount. The Strand, Phoenix, Studio and sometimes the Rialto were forbidden for girls to go to by their mothers because they were considered seedy.

[Desertspiritsteve]

Anyone here ever go to the underground movies at the Valley Art in Tempe on Saturday night at midnight? We went all the time, usually in an altered state. I don't recall the price of admission but it was a stinky hot theater. The movies were independent shorts for the most part.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by roosevelt

The Strand, Phoenix, Studio and sometimes the Rialto were forbidden for girls to go to by their mothers because they were considered seedy.

Makes me think of a story which is actually about Scottsdale, not Phx. When I was a young girl, my mom and my aunt ran a small store on East Main St. The Kiva (which still had Saturday kiddie matinees then, it hadn't turned into an adult theater yet) was two doors down, and the Portofino Theater was right across the street, in the back of a courtyard you had to walk back off the main sidewalk to get to (Emperor's Garden restaurant was back there, too). I was a pretty sheltered kid, but I knew there was something mysterious and "bad" going on at that theater. I might have tiptoed back into that courtyard once, without my mother knowing....

[Desertspiritsteve]

I thought about Cinema Portifino when I was writing about the midnight movies. I went there on a hot summer afternoon because I was so curious about it. I remember the walkway to the back. It was another hot stinky theater. It was all men. They must have been very polite as they removed their hats and kept them in their laps. What the heck was the movie? Wild Strawberries or Closely Watched Trains. I remember taking a date to see, "Hair,' downtown somewhere. There were women on the street protesting the play. Mothers for religious decency and repression? Phoenix always had that big city air about it.

Here are some pictures of Scottsdale. I think the only thing left standing is the Sugar Bowl.

http://scotp-cp.iii.com/iii/cpro/Col...sp=0&suite=def

[roosevelt]

Originally Posted by Desertspiritsteve

I thought about Cinema Portifino when I was writing about the midnight movies. I went there on a hot summer afternoon because I was so curious about it. I remember the walkway to the back. It was another hot stinky theater. It was all men. They must have been very polite as they removed their hats and kept them in their laps. What the heck was the movie? Wild Strawberries or Closely Watched Trains. I remember taking a date to see, "Hair,' downtown somewhere. There were women on the street protesting the play. Mothers for religious decency and repression? Phoenix always had that big city air about it.

Here are some pictures of Scottsdale. I think the only thing left standing is the Sugar Bowl.

Content Pro

Glad to see they have photos of Cinerama and Trader Vic's. I used to be flat broke but would go to Trader Vic's and order coffee with the rock sugar swizzle stick and free sweet crackers. Wonderful atmosphere. The gorgeous Spanish style building next door south was for sale, $50,000 and I thought wow, what a lot of money.

5th Avenue was the best tourist area in Scottsdale but weird. The premier shopping area was from Scottsdale Road to Stetson, that was it. You could not get the tourists past that point except to park; the buildings were old and built before any city codes. The stores were lot line to lot line, no parking except on the streets. Some of the exterior walls were nothing but old fibre board that looked like pressed horse hair to me, and only meant for interiors.

[observer53]

Lots of memories in those pictures, DSS. I remember when it was one of my goals in life to be a Howdy Dudette. (Okay, true confessions time over ). I hadn't thought of a lot of the places in those pictures in years.

[desertratz]

Originally Posted by Desertspiritsteve

Anyone here ever go to the underground movies at the Valley Art in Tempe on Saturday night at midnight? We went all the time, usually in an altered state. I don't recall the price of admission but it was a stinky hot theater. The movies were independent shorts for the most part.

Back in the early 70's the Valley Art, Kiva and Portofino theaters were owned by a nice old couple named Kent and Dora Nitz. They also owned the Little Wonder Press that abutted the Valley Art on the south side. They had this ancient and very crotchety cocker spaniel named Captain that walked around with a comb in his mouth all the time. He loved to have his ears combed, but only by Kent or Dora. If you tried it, you might come up missing a couple of fingers.

Phil Lemmons was the Valley Art manager at the time and the City of Tempe was none too pleased with the Valley Art and their midnite flicks and were trying to figure out a way to shut them down. They would send in the fire marshal to look for violations and smoking in the crowded theater was a big one. Hence, I became one of the "Smoke Pigs" that stood in the back and if we saw anyone fire up, we would run down and tell them to put it out. I would leave my dog inside Little Wonder Press while I was doing the Smoke Pig thing and he would get lonely and start howling. There was a vent in the common wall between the two buildings and this creepy howl could occasionally be heard during the Midnite flicks. We would see all of these obviously stoned people fidgeting and looking around whenever this happened and laugh about it.

Parry's beer and wine joint across the street was an interesting place to spend a friday night as well as the Casa Loma further down. The Cue and Brew to the south by Rundle's was a great place to grab a fantastic burger.

[observer53]

Good post, desertratz. I couldn't rep you for it again yet. Great story about the dog!

[Desertspiritsteve]

Great post! Now that I think about it, just breathing the air in that theater could make you hallucinate. I don't think that anyone got into trouble because of the midnight movies. It seemed to be a bunch of burned out hippies and college students who attended. I'm glad Tempe didn't shut it down. Those were fun times and I have so many fond memories of those days. I looked forward every week to going. The time of the showing never interfered with work, school or anything else. It also made me too tired to be forced out of bed for church on Sunday morning. The tiny creepy lobby was really strange.