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Clyde Hooten
Citrus Heights, CA |
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I have so many fond memories of the Plaza, it is hard to begin. One of the first movies I remember seeing there was "God is My Co-Pilot". A friend of the family, and my real life hero, Boyce B. "Bill" Willis, took me when I was only 5 years old. Bill was in the Army Air Force at Biggs Field. He was a tail gunner in B-24's and a combat veteran of some of the most pivotal missions in Europe. So, I was in great company for that movie.
Shortly thereafter, when I was in the 1st or 2nd grade at Lamar Grade School on Montana Street (it no longer exists), my parents and my little girlfriend's parents would let me take "Judy" to the movies there. Sometimes dad would drive us and sometimes we'd catch a bus. Joan lived on Rio Grande Street and I lived on Grandview, up close to Mt. Franklin. After the movie, we'd go to the Downtown Oasis for a coke and occasionally, if I'd saved my allowance for long enough, we'd have a hamburger and a malt.
Then, as times and girlfriends changed, I'd take "Joan", a cute little 5th grader from Crockett to the movies at the Plaza--same routine, different girl. Joan lived on Nashville Street (funny how I can remember their addresses).
Later, as a student at Austin High School, from 1953 to 1957, well--I really fell in love--and I took the true love of my life to the Plaza on many dates. Sometimes by ourselves, sometimes we'd double date. Oh, I certainly remember her name, but I just should not mention it. She went on to marry someone else and I did likewise. But after 44 years, we just got back in touch by email. Anyway, under the twinkling stars and floating clouds along with the majestic garden atmosphere of the Plaza, my former "sweetheart" and current "best friend" and I saw many movies together there: "The Man Who Knew Too Much", "Written on the Wind", "Trapeze", "Mr. Roberts", "Rebel Without a Cause", "Helen of Troy" and many others.
And as we snuggled and held hands in the Theater, for a while at least, I became the "good guy", the "hero", the "victor" and she undoubtedly became "the princess" who successfully avoided the "bad guys" and was rescued, loved and pampered by "the hero" and we both lived happily ever after--at least for a little while.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. Hopefully you will meet with complete success and someday many of us will be able to step back in time, see a movie and lose ourselves in the Plaza's timeless majesty.
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