Editor’s note:
Every small southern town must have a “picture show,” at least most did and do. Cleveland, Mississippi, did and does. In fact, at one time, our small Delta town had several theaters. But the theater that saw most of us through several decades was the Ellis.
The old Ellis building is presently being readied (that means fund-raising) for renovation to create an arts complex. As a part of the publicity, Ye Editor was asked to write a story about Ellis Theater memories -- so she sent out a call for help.
And did the help roll in. So many former Clevelanders had memories to share. Don’t omit a page of these comments. (Links are below.) The remarks are great fun for readers, whether you grew up in Cleveland, Mississippi, or not. Enjoy!
Sadly I remember, too, the balcony where the blacks had to sit on one side up there and couldn't even enter where the white folks did. I think there were some steps outside next to the front entrance where whites went in.
The Ellis Theater was the center of the social life of Cleveland for years. Going to the movies there was what we did Friday night, Saturday afternoon and night, and Sunday afternoon -- and when we were older Sunday night at the picture show was a big date night.
They've been talking about all these cicadas coming to various areas of the South, which has brought back memories of coming out of the picture show and seeing crickets all over the sidewalks and up the walls of the buildings. The lower parts of the buildings looked black with all the crickets.
Now when I have dreams of my childhood, they often take place in the setting of the Ellis Theater, coming and going from there or even inside. You know those dreams of being caught naked in public? Those take place inside the Ellis Theater!
I never went to any, but seems like they used to have minstrel shows at the Ellis Theater when I was little – so apparently the Ellis was used for other things besides showing movies. Certainly the Ellis Theater was the place to go on dates. Many of us went on our first real dates there and first dates with our first loves. It certainly is an historical place for me! I've always said when I died and was cremated I wanted my ashes strewn over the Cleveland High School gym as I had so much fun at dances there, but second to that might be the Ellis Theater.
I also remember Nan Ellis's daddy being there all the time, and Nan, too. I can remember standing in long lines outside the theater, waiting to get in to some especially good movie. I also remember that Michie McHardy's daddy had his dentist office right next door to the building . . . All kinds of memories are coming back.
One memory is the big event it was to go to the movies, especially for me, a country girl – to have Sunday dinner with a friend in town after church and attend a matinee. Also, the 'romance' of holding hands with a boy during the show!
I know a lot about the Ellis Theater. My aunt and uncle, Bem and
Corinne Jackson, gave me my first job there, taking tickets. When I was
13, I was in charge of the whole operation, but only on Saturday and
Sunday afternoons when the second run of the double features was
showing. This was between about 3:30 and 6:00 PM. Hardly
anybody was in the theater then. I made $3 a day. I can tell you stories
about "Peaches" Reed, the Ellises, who still worked there after Uncle Bem and Charles Collier bought the place, seeing "In The Heat of The Night,” which was shown only once and then pulled from viewing, holding hands for the first time in the cool dark of the air conditioned auditorium, the smell of fresh popped corn, Coke syrup as a stomach remedy, god, so many things.
Will try to write a paragraph or two and send more memories till I've got it all down. It's not all pleasant, but that place had a culture and ambiance all its own. It was a major influence on my growing up. If readers haven't seen "Cinema Paradiso,” the Italian film, they should rent it. That film should be shown in the Ellis Theater Arts Center at the opening. It is priceless and has so many parallels to my life in the theater.
Duff Dorough at Ole Miss has done a lot of research on the Delta Theater in Ruleville. Aunt Corinne and Uncle Bem owned that theater too, and took lots of movies of the town, its citizens and the theater. Duff has taken that film and edited it down and put it on a CD. His family and the Jackson family are closely intertwined as friends for the last 50 years . . .
I remember a certain classmate’s belching loudly from the back rows! (I'm sure you will want to write about that one.)
I remember my two favorite snacks – Red Hots and Holiday (Holloway?) suckers.
I remember going to movies when there was water in the place when the bayou flooded. Couldn't sit in the front rows.
I remember one horror movie, The Tingler, where they had installed vibrating devices on the seats to scare the hell out of you.
I remember how much I looked forward to Saturday matinees with the weekly serial feature. They always left you hanging until the next week so you couldn't miss. I think admission was 10 cents for the matinees and popcorn was probably a dime, too (compared to a dollar or better today).
I remember the newsreel shorts at the beginning of each session. How news communication has changed today!
There was always a cartoon before each movie. Not so today – only commercials and previews.
I remember some 3-D movies – rare, but a real treat.
And I remember one night seeing a horror double feature. One movie was about monster crabs and the other about people without pupils in their eyes and if you looked at them your brain was fried. I had ridden my bicycle to the movie, so had to ride home in the dark, looking straight ahead, refusing to look at anyone who might pass me for fear their eyes would have no pupils and my brain would get fried. At this point in life, I probably would not worry about having what's left of my brain cooked!
I am so excited about the plans for the Ellis. A few memories I have are:
-Standing in line at 2 pm on Saturdays for the matinee -- paying only 35 cents!
-There was a movie about Rin Tin Tin, and after the show the actual dog and his trainer came out on stage in front of the screen and did tricks. The trainer answered questions and signed photographs of Rin Tin Tin. (Have no idea what happened to mine!)
Why I remember that, I don't know -- but it's so nostalgic.
My memories of The Ellis include 15-cent Saturdays with Lash LaRue, Earl Flannagan walking the aisles with his flashlight (doing the "foot-propped-up-on-the-chair-patrol thing), and buying a Three Muskateers for a nickel. And hoping we could slip in without their catching us with the little brown sack of popcorn my mother sent with us. My very worst memory of The Ellis would be watching the original Night of The Living Dead. How many of us lost our innocence that night? And I guess I'm old enough now to admit the Ellis is where I cried watching Old Yeller.
And the 'old service station next door' (part of the art center project) is appropriately referred to as 'Walt's Gulf', Rufus Walt's Gulf', or just Rufus'. Lots of our daddies hung out there for years. I still wonder what they talked about. Reckon' they were discussing two-dollar gas?
The “picture show” memories came pouring in!
Click these links to read all the comments:
ELLIS THEATER MEMORIES – I -- Bettye
ELLIS MEMORIES – II -- Ann, KDD, Jim G., Paula, Don and Jim T.
ELLIS MEMORIES – III -- Gusty, Harvey, Buddy, Noel, Delia and Ken
ELLIS MEMORIES – IV -- Kathy, Lonnye Sue, Mick, Pat, Pam, Nancy, Tom, Eileen and Kent
ELLIS MEMORIES – V -- Clista, Eddie, Linda, Andy, Rosebud, George, Marynell and Lamar
For more movie theater stories at USADS, visit these pages:
Hail to the Chief Drive In Movie by Lonnye Sue Sims Pearson
Moorhead Picture Show by Jim Harrison
The Delta Theater by Tom Givens
Want to leave your comments about the movie theaters of days gone by?Please visit our Message Board
or write Ye Editor at bethjacks@hotmail.com.
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