Gone But Not Forgotten in San Antonio! - Part I (Houston: for sale, auction)

[940]

Not sure if anyone's posted this link before but it is interesting..

http://www.cinematour.com/theatres/us/TX/25.html

[southsideMAN]

Originally Posted by irnag

There was a Record Hole at Babcock and Callaghan. I think there was a third location somewhere. Sound Warehouse did them in.

Handy Andy had the S&H Green Stamps, but can you remember the stamps that HEB had? Texas Gold!

Fedmart is where Academy is today on Vance Jackson and 410.

And who can forget Lone Star Ice Houses. They were everywhere, even in Helotes. Who bought them out? Stop and Go?

Where was the Nighthawk more specifically? I can remember the sign, but for some reason I remember the location of the one in Austin better than the one on San Pedro. Was it outside the loop?

In my neighborhood the HEB did indeed give Texas Gold, but the Handy Andy gave Top Value. Piggly Wiggly gave S&H. My Handy Andy had a Top Value redemption store next door. I would go in there and look at the toys and other nice things for hours.

[Juan45]

does anyone member the san antonio Sports Palace, the 100 lane bowling alley
with the roller skate rank and the pinball machines. used to be my best place to hang out and play Space invaders

[Nix54]

Every first Saturday of the month in the late 1960's, Pepsi Cola would sponsor a free movie at the Texas Theatre. Six Pepsi Cola bottle caps would gain you free entry into the theatre. I would go to the Red & White food store on Nolan and Mr. Lawrence Epp, the owner would save the bottle caps for me.

Downtown, you'd encounter a long line of kids extending all the way to Hertzberg Jewelers waiting for the theatre to open. The theatre would be packed with kids. Ushers would be up and down the aisle like cops, urging us to be quiet.

After the show, Pepsi would give away brand new bikes and toys. We would hold on to our tickets and hope ours was the winning ticket.

Since the show began around 9:30 AM, we'd get out around noon, I'd then head to another theatre, maybe the Aztec, Majestic or Empire. Usually I would always go to the Coney Island on St. Mary's street, order a couple of 15 cent hot dogs and sneak them in the theatre. If I had any extra coins, I would also go to the candy store under the Majestic Theatre canopy and buy fresh taffy that was being made in the window. That slowly rotating taffy machine would mesmerize me, not to mention the enticing aroma. A dime would get you 4 taffys in a little white bag.

If there was time after my second theatre, I would then go to the Joy Theatre and see a second run movie. Always a double feature. Entrance to the Joy was only 15 cents. The usher at the Joy played a double role, every 20 minutes or so he would go up and down the main aisle and hawk a basket full of bagged popcorn. Popcorn was only a dime.

When 6:30 came around I would leave and go for my Mother who worked at Rubin's Outlet on Flores & Houston. The outlet store was the former Buckhorn Saloon, as you walked in you could still see the small octagon floor tiles that spelled out Buckhorn. Many people remembered the store because of the gorilla that used to be displayed in the window.

After work, Mom would always want to make her visit to her heavenly lawyers and we'd head off to San Fernando Cathedral and she would light her candles & pray her prayers. Mom would always light 3 candles. Later did I find out that those candles were for my Dad, brother and me.

Then it was back to Houston street to catch the Nolan bus home.

[minerva]

I ran across this web site by accident and reading through made me homesick for the past. I thought I'd share a couple of my memories.

One of my best memories is the area around San Anonio college. There used to be the Quarterhouse which made great burgers.... Also there was Etcetera Bookstore which was this tiny little hole in the wall used books store that had the best books. The guy running it had a great collection of Sir Richard Burton's books, (He discovered the source of the Nile).

Also during my hippie days, my best friend and I would go down to the little Coffeehouse run by the First Baptist Church. I can't remember the name but it had the best music, coffee and great desserts.

Keep the memories coming!

[Swingtime]

Originally Posted by Steel Man

Nice web site about drive-ins. Click on Texas link, scroll down and you will see Mission Drive-in.

http://www.driveinmovie.com/mainmenu.htm

A blog on San Antonio Drive-ins (22 of them):

http://cinematreasures.org/news/11199_0_1_0_C/

Thanks for these links. I totally forgot about the Circle 81. I went there on one of my first dates, in 1970.

It may have been posted already, but I just found out that the Mission 4 was closed this year due to vandalism. Sad.

I haven't seen the Colonies North Theatre mentioned. It reopened briefly in 1981, then became a video arcade. (I should remember that well; I managed it. )

[940]

Originally Posted by Swingtime

I haven't seen the Colonies North Theatre mentioned. It reopened briefly in 1981, then became a video arcade. (I should remember that well; I managed it. )

I apologize for any trouble my friends and I might have given you back then since you were the manager!!!

[mexicajun]

Does anyone remember the Keyhole Club? I'd love to hear stories about the place. I stumbled across this online recently- http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...77853927496749

My dad told me a little about the Keyhole Club and I always wondered what the history of it was. I found out that the club was run by native New Orleans trumpet player Don Albert. Dad went there a few times and recalls the club having a good mixture of people getting along and respecting one another all to the sounds of the jumpin' music.

[Trivet The Fool]

Thanks for the theatre link! I used to go to the Central Park Fox theatre for the Rocky Horror Picture Show before they moved to the NW 14. Didn't care for it as the management wouldn't allow us to throw rice or t.p., even though we stated we'd clean up the mess . I vaguely remember the South Park; Windsor was my favorite. And, just how long has the Galaxy been there?? I remember the original McCrelles theatres being only two screens..saw Watership Down and the last two original Star Wars movies there, and Time Bandits.

It's amazing the number of theatres there were! I had to write down the names of those that used to be downtown; will make an interesting walk this weekend.

Wasn't there an adult theatre on Houston across from the Majestic during the late 70s/early 80s? I vaguely remember seeing it.

[Swingtime]

Originally Posted by 940

I apologize for any trouble my friends and I might have given you back then since you were the manager!!!

haha!! Not a problem. I thoroughly enjoyed the years I was there. The biggest hassles were the machine-slammers and the carpet-spitters (dip). Almost all the kids there were really cool. Hard to believe that was over 20 years ago.