Comments from redstarr

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redstarr
redstarr commented about Scott Theatre on Jan 24, 2011 at 3:35 pm

I loved this theater when I was growing up in Waldron. When I was little, I didn’t even know that all theaters that weren’t drive-ins weren’t beautiful art deco movie houses like the Scott Theater. I just assumed they were.

I remember how the Christmas movie every year drew in pretty much every kid in town. The whole theater would be full, kids even sitting on the floor in front of the rows of seats and in the aisles. “Santa” would pass out candy and we’d watch a kid’s Christmas movie. And it was all free. It was a lot of fun.

I can’t smell popcorn or pipe smoke that I’m not instantly reminded of the beautiful theater lobby. Mr.Ken smoking his pipe, keeping an eye on us as little ones and a more suspicious, but just as welcoming eye on us as teenagers. Once I wondered for a second why my folks who were usually really protective and kept a pretty tight leash on us let us go to the theatre alone so often, and then I realized, we weren’t unsupervised. Mr. Ken knew each and every one of us and would be sure that none of us got into any real trouble.

I loved the bathrooms. They were tiny, but the beautiful tiling was really cool.

I loved standing outside waiting to get in under that big awning, bathed in the lights, as cars passed by cruising up the street,turning around at the Sonic, and cruising back down. Especially in the winter when it was cold, you’d wait out there, seeing and being seen, and then get inside greated by the warmth of the heat, but also the warmth of the colors of the lobby and the hot popcorn.

I remember old Hollywood star pictures in the hallway between the lobby and the screening room and I think a bit of memorabilia behind the snack counter,too. As a kid I didn’t see the significance, but looking back as a grown up, I bet they were really neat historical Golden Age of Cinema stuff. Wish I’d have paid better attention.