How do you remember Phoenix? Stories from long time residents... (start, numbers)

[Sign Man]

i took the photo shown of the roundup drive-in in 1979. It was at thomas and 68th where padock pools was.

[Sign Man]

Originally Posted by Arizona Mike

A pretty decent quality nighttime photo of the neon cowboy from the Round-Up Drive-In on Thomas and Scottsdale Road. "Hurricane" was released in April, 1979.

There is a possibility that this photo is from an identically-named Round-Up Drive-In that was in Texas - The same company made both neon signs. It's hard to tell from the background if this is Scottsdale or not, but I think those are palm trees in the background which I associate more with Arizona than Texas. The base of the actual marquee is the same as the older photo of the Arizona sign that Roosevelt has posted in the past.

I remember reading (possibly in the New Times) that after they tore the Scottsdale Drive-In down, a group stole the head from the demolition site and sent some letters to the editor proclaiming themselves the Neon Cowboy Liberation Front...does anyone else remember this?

I took this photo in scottsdale 1979, thomas and 68th street.

[Drtierra]

I am new here as you may see. I hope I am posting this correctly but if not please advise.
We moved to Phx in 1955. Lived along 15th ave on small horse ranch between Northern and Glendale.
My father worked for Morrison Knudsen construction company. They had purchased Vinson const co so they could perform work as an Az company.
Vinson built the first section of the old Black Canyon freeway from Dunlap south toward downtown to the big curve. Vinson also widened Central to what you see today other than the light rail. They did many projects around Az until my father & I left Phx in 1963.
I went to Orangewood school.
Swam in the canals.
Shot our guns right on our property and on the farm across the street with permission of course.
Remember the opening of Christown.
Bobs Big Boy on Central and the 19th and Bethany locations.
Monty Montana was a friend of my dads and trained one of our American saddlebreds for shows.
The Fox theater was incredible.
Like many I knew Wayne Newton and was on stage with him at the Fox theater. I just stood there while he sang.
Of course the Wallace & Ladmo show. A friend played baseball with Ladmo.
Havent seen anyone mention the Golden Drumstick on Central. There was a movie theater very near it that we went to at times.
The Luhers ( SP? ) buildings downtown. We would go to family night dinners there and see the travel shows or Disney animal shows.
The Tanita family lived close to us and had farm land on the West side.
We bought horses and cattle at the old stockyards. We would ride the horses home which was great fun.
I went to Madison Square Garden many times.
The YMCA on Central. Still there I think.
I remember seeing a black male dressed in western clothes wearing two real guns that collected cash from businesses in downtown for deposit at banks I think. He was all business.
We worked in the cotton fields at times. Paid 3 cents per pound.
The man that became vice president of Sundt lived right behind us. When I later worked for the company on projects ; he came to them I would say hello. My fellow workers said I would get fired for calling him by his first name and didn't believe at first I knew him.
My father bought some land in Sunnyslope before there was much there so I remember that area.
Thanks to all that left memories for us to read.

[Arizona Mike]

Welcome to our collective mental attic, drtierra!

The phrase in the ad "We have served over 5,000,000 chickens" brings a couple of images to mind...

From December 11, 1959 AZ Republic:

[Drtierra]

Originally Posted by Arizona Mike

Welcome to our collective mental attic, drtierra!

The phrase in the ad "We have served over 5,000,000 chickens" brings a couple of images to mind...

From December 11, 1959 AZ Republic:

Thanks AzMike for this ad. I haven't seen anyone that knew about this place.
Do you have any info about the penny arcade that was very close to the Fox theater?

[Arizona Mike]

From the same page as that ad, here's what Phoenicians were watching at their movie theaters on December 11, 1959. The movies back then look a little rowdier and bawdier than my image of what people were watching in 1959 (when I was only a year old):

I'm kind of a film buff, and I've never heard of about 70% of these films...

[Arizona Mike]

Originally Posted by Drtierra

Thanks AzMike for this ad. I haven't seen anyone that knew about this place.
Do you have any info about the penny arcade that was very close to the Fox theater?

I have seen pictures of it - let me see if I can find them.

[Arizona Mike]

Originally Posted by Drtierra

Thanks AzMike for this ad. I haven't seen anyone that knew about this place.
Do you have any info about the penny arcade that was very close to the Fox theater?

Was that the Playland Penny Arcade at 25 E. Washington?

The owner was trying to sell it in 1959/1960 - this ad was run numerous times in the Businesses Classified:



There was a candy counter in back. Like most penny arcades, it attracted its share of truants and idlers - from the AZ Republic, 11/19/1959:



I remember seeing a photo of it but can't find a copy

[Arizona Mike]

Ah, here it is, from the 1950s:



The Playland Penny Arcade was in the Ellingson Building, on Washington between Central and 1st Street, Phoenix, Arizona, the location of the old Donofrio Candy Shop (you can see the remnants of the stained glass windows from Donofrio's above the Playland sign. The Ellingson Building was demolished in the 1980s.

You can also see it here on the left, in the 1940s, with downtown Christmas decorations:



This is how it looked in 1915, when it was Donofrio's, who popularized Cactus Candy:



Donofrio's interior in 1910:



The front in 1916:



Donofrio's in the 1920s:

[jukebox47]

WOW! Thanks for the theatre ads and all the other neat pictures. I worked a lot at the Rodeo and Big Sky theatres. My dad was a custodian/maintenance at the Big Sky for about 3 years. Lots of work but great people to work for. The worst part was no days off. Since the theatres were open every day the custodian worked 7 days/week. Of course, it did pay $45.00 per week and all the popcorn and soda you could drink/eat. I think he did get a week vacation after the second year.