How do you remember Phoenix? Stories from long time residents... (Young: salon, gourmet)

[jukebox47]

Originally Posted by Arizona Mike

That might not be from a 1958 directory, roosevelt - it lists the "Phoenix Star Theater" (later the Celebrity Theater) which wasn't built until 1963...



I'm pretty sure the Cine Capri didn't have an earlier theater built on it - we went to the grand opening on 3/31/1966, with Charlton Heston present.

The Cine Capri was the first place my wife and I went for a date. The movie, I am almost sure, was the Bible. I sure hated to see them demolish it. It was a new and beautiful Phoenix theatre then.

There used to be a theatre "junk yard" of sorts on East Jefferson. It had a lot of old arc lamps, sound equipment and popcorn machines etc. We bought a giant Manley popcorn machine for a diner setting we were building. There were old ticket stubs to a Globe, AZ theatre in it.

[Arizona Mike]

Originally Posted by jukebox47

The Cine Capri was the first place my wife and I went for a date. The movie, I am almost sure, was the Bible. I sure hated to see them demolish it. It was a new and beautiful Phoenix theatre then.

There used to be a theatre "junk yard" of sorts on East Jefferson. It had a lot of old arc lamps, sound equipment and popcorn machines etc. We bought a giant Manley popcorn machine for a diner setting we were building. There were old ticket stubs to a Globe, AZ theatre in it.

Man, I would have loved to have looked around in that shop.

For jukebox47, from April 7, 1967 - The Bible played at the Cine Capri a long time:

[Arizona Mike]

Here's some of the other films you could go see in Phoenix that same warm Friday night, April 7, 1967:

Charlton Heston was the MAN in 1967, you could see him in "The Bible" or "Khartoum" (which was a pretty good historical movie, about Charles Gordon in the Sudan. This was when the Fox was still the nicest-looking theater in Phoenix, and had a lot of premieres there (we went to see West Side Story there and Natalie Wood was present and pulled up in a limo.) You could park at J.C. Penney's:



At the three other theaters owned by the ABC Corporation (later Plitt), you could see two icons of 1960s Cool - Michael Caine and James Coburn. "The Busy Body" starred Sid Caesar and was an odd attempt to make a "wacky" comedy on the model of "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" by William Castle, who was better known for making gimmicky schlock horror movies like "The Tingler" and "House on Haunted Hill."

[Arizona Mike]

The Valley (later the Valley Art) in tempe showed the "art" films, including the wildly popular surfing documentary "Endless Summer," which made me want to move to California and buy a woodie:



If you liked the Redgrave sisters, you could go over to the Kiva, which had not yet become a porno theater, and was still an "art" theater in Scottsdale, and see Vanessa's sister Lynn:



Or you could see Michael Caine (who was also the MAN, British-style) in the first Harry Palmer espionage thriller, with a mysterious sneak preview movie premiere (this was pretty common back then, as Phoenix was considered a good test market for middle America, but still close enough for the filmmakers and studio execs to come see audience reaction)



What was showing at some of the drive-ins back then. Westerns were a whole lot more popular back then. When you comin' back, Red Ryder?

[Arizona Mike]

The AZ Republic still hadn't begun its policy of not advertising adult films yet. You can see Clint Eastwood walk out of the tavern that's next to the Paris Adult Theater at dawn in "The Gauntlet."



At the Rodeo and Big Sky drive-ins. Those midnight shows could put you back out on the street around dawn as well, but were loads of fun:



The Portofino was so sleazy, their ads didn't even tell you what city they were in (Scottsdale). The Thomas Mall showed a movie I've never even heard of, nor the "co-hit" The Kiddie Matinee at TM was for George Pal's "War of the World." Ask me sometime about the nightmare experience I had while working as an usher at a kiddie matinee at the Thomas Mall Cinema. Brrrrrrr.



And after your movie date, here's what was on the menu when you took her to Green Gables. I like the little parenthetical ad above - the Republic's food columnist was named "Poison"?

[jukebox47]

Originally Posted by Arizona Mike

The AZ Republic still hadn't begun its policy of not advertising adult films yet. You can see Clint Eastwood walk out of the tavern that's next to the Paris Adult Theater at dawn in "The Gauntlet."



At the Rodeo and Big Sky drive-ins. Those midnight shows could put you back out on the street around dawn as well, but were loads of fun:



The Portofino was so sleazy, their ads didn't even tell you what city they were in (Scottsdale). The Thomas Mall showed a movie I've never even heard of, nor the "co-hit" The Kiddie Matinee at TM was for George Pal's "War of the World." Ask me sometime about the nightmare experience I had while working as an usher at a kiddie matinee at the Thomas Mall Cinema. Brrrrrrr.



And after your movie date, here's what was on the menu when you took her to Green Gables. I like the little parenthetical ad above - the Republic's food columnist was named "Poison"?

AZMike,

I remember those Phoenix theatre ads so well, especially the Rodeo and Big Sky Drive-Ins. Thank You! I found an old Rodeo Theatre speaker years ago. I think the marquee was fancier, at one time, than the picture we have here. The cowgirl was neat and, I think, there was some elements of neon tubing.

What happened at the Kiddie Matinee at Thomas Mall Cinema?

When they were building the Thomas Mall Cinema I could not imagine why they were excavating a long, sloping hole into the ground. I understood once I found out it was for a theatre. The birds and fish, on display, at Thomas Mall were reason enough to go there.

I wonder who has pictures of Natlie Wood at the Fox? That would have been something to see her. The Fox is lost forever to Phoenix. It is really such a terrible loss.

[roosevelt]

Originally Posted by jukebox47

AZMike,

I remember those Phoenix theatre ads so well, especially the Rodeo and Big Sky Drive-Ins. Thank You! I found an old Rodeo Theatre speaker years ago. I think the marquee was fancier, at one time, than the picture we have here. The cowgirl was neat and, I think, there was some elements of neon tubing.

What happened at the Kiddie Matinee at Thomas Mall Cinema?

When they were building the Thomas Mall Cinema I could not imagine why they were excavating a long, sloping hole into the ground. I understood once I found out it was for a theatre. The birds and fish, on display, at Thomas Mall were reason enough to go there.

I wonder who has pictures of Natlie Wood at the Fox? That would have been something to see her. The Fox is lost forever to Phoenix. It is really such a terrible loss.

My pride and joy, a Fox Studios commissary plate that the stars ate off of. 1950's.

[azdr0710]

Originally Posted by Arizona Mike

And after your movie date, here's what was on the menu when you took her to Green Gables. I like the little parenthetical ad above - the Republic's food columnist was named "Poison"?

wow, that Green Gables menu looks fantastic....back in the days of real comfort food like Beef Strogonoff before the "Pan Asian", "Pacific Fusion", and "New American" BS of today!!....I like the "disjointed" clarification for the Pan Fried Chicken!

the Republic food editor was named Polson, not Poison!!

[AZDesertBrat]

Originally Posted by azdr0710

wow, that Green Gables menu looks fantastic....back in the days of real comfort food like Beef Strogonoff before the "Pan Asian", "Pacific Fusion", and "New American" BS of today!!....I like the "disjointed" clarification for the Pan Fried Chicken!

the Republic food editor was named Polson, not Poison!!

LOL...I did a double take on that name myself.

I sure like Green Gables prices. Too bad we can't get that today!

[Arizona Mike]

Originally Posted by azdr0710

wow, that Green Gables menu looks fantastic....back in the days of real comfort food like Beef Strogonoff before the "Pan Asian", "Pacific Fusion", and "New American" BS of today!!....I like the "disjointed" clarification for the Pan Fried Chicken!

the Republic food editor was named Polson, not Poison!!

You're right! The original clipping was so small I read it as "Poison" - sorry, Dorothee Polson, wherever you are!