I got this as an email the other day. I thought I’d share it with everyone and remember, if you have any stories about the Watson Theatre, please send them to me and I’ll share them with everyone.
I’m now 50 & grew up in this theatre and my father, Clair LeVan helped to run the “talkie” and silent films in this theatre when he was a kid.
Those were the best days growing up in Watsontown. Every Friday night a bunch of us kids would stand in line early at the ticket window because this theatre and the smell of the popcorn was something special in our small town. The place was packed in on those nights and it really didn’t matter what movie was playing because as a kid/teen we just wanted to be with our friends and raise a little cane in the aisle occasionally, until someone of authority would walk the aisle next to the red velvet seats and shine her flashlight right at us and sternly tell us to be quiet. Oh, we’d keep right on talking or yelling to one another, but when the lights dimmed and the movie started, we were quiet. Red cherry licorice, jujubees, & salty-yellow popcorn & milk duds were in every kids hands as they juggled their way to that velvet seat usually right down front. As you sat down with all your treats, you sunk down quite far in those seats, & you sunk so low that ya’ kind of thought you’d made it to the bottom of the cement floor, or you were not far from it. Your feet usually landed on something sticky also such as gum or a sucker.
When you grow up in a small town and there isn’t much to do, this movie theatre made us feel like it was a special place to be every weekend.
After the movie ended we’d again congregate outside of it on the sidewalk and stand there till the crows dispersed then take ourselves to Murray’s Ice Cream Shop up on 8th street past the railroad tracks before heading up the big hill.
There we’d find our friends and sit and have a milkshake or root beer float and get a little loud at Murray’s, while Mrs. Murray calmly looked over us with that “Motherly” look of concern, just trying to keep a peaceful ice cream shop fairly peaceful. And if you wanted extra sprinkles on your chocolate sundae, Mrs. Murray would pile them on very generously.
Anyhow, the Watsontown theatre holds a special place in my heart and I would like to see it stay.
Thank You,
Mary LeVan Hagerman
Tags: classic, email, fundraiser, history, kickstarter, movies, testimonial, theatre, theatres, vintage, watsontown
I’ve lived in Watsontown all my live. And spent many weekends at the theatre and Murray’s ice cream. Murray’s was actually on 4th St not 8th.
Bob Brown had a store on 8th st.