Theodore & Deloris Ravenell
1942 & 1944
Holly Hill, South Carolina
Interviewed on 2/6/22
by Anise Overton
Deloris: In theaters? Was it… I’m going to say Jaws.
Theodore: We didn’t go to a lot of movies. I remember us seeing Jaws, but the first movies I saw were probably some time in the 1950s, and they were mostly Western movies, the old cowboy Westerns. Yeah, we had a theater up in Holly Hill. The only ones I can vaguely remember are the cowboys I was crazy about during that time. They were Whip Wilson, Lash LaRue, Roy Rogers, Dale Evans. I just loved cowboys and cowboy movies. That was something that I was just crazy about as a youngster. I loved to read a lot of comic books, and the comic books were mostly cowboys, cowboys and Indians, the wild west. And if I ever got to see a movie, that was it, cowboys and Indians. I had never seen one of those movies with a Black cowboy. I don’t remember what the theater was called, but I certainly remember what it looked like. It had a first floor, very small, with seats downstairs, and a balcony. During that time, the white people sat on the first floor, and it was segregated. The Blacks had to go to the balcony. We only could sit in the balcony. I think we paid something like, maybe ten cents.
Deloris: That’s the only part that was good about that time!
Theodore: It was usually a bunch of us boys around the same age, between 10, 12, 13 years old at the time. I had several cousins that were my age, and we always were together. Whenever we went to a movie back then, it was the older cousins who would drop us off, and we would go to the movie. I think the only difference [between watching movies on TV or in theaters] was that in a theater you always had the audience reaction to exciting events, you know, the big chase or catching the Indians, which I didn’t know any better at the time, or I probably wouldn’t have rooted for them. But I must admit, I was rooting for the cowboys! But the experience in the theater was just the experience of being with others, because in the home at the time, our TV was nine inches. But we had a TV at home, we were the first on the entire Ravenell hill that had a TV, which was a gathering spot. The programs were basically, we would watch from maybe five o’clock until about eight o’clock, because the programs signed off at nine o’clock, and there was no overnight TV. We had a custom- I think this was, again, in the early 50s- and all of the children on the Ravenell hill- there were five brothers, and there were children from five families that would flock to our house after their chores in the evening. We would watch, again, mostly a lot of westerns, The Lone Ranger being my favorite.
Deloris: I never went to a movie where I grew up, here in South Carolina. I didn’t know what a movie house looked like back then. That’s why I let your granddad do most of the talking. But we all saw Jaws together. It was scary, exciting… that stuck out in my mind.
Theodore: Yeah, I think we all watched Jaws, and I think like most of the country, it stuck with us for a long time. It was terrifying. But we all watched Jaws together. I liked Jaws,but I don’t think I’ve ever really wanted to see it again. There’s some movies that I watched, and I can still watch it to this day, over again. Even though I enjoyed Jaws, and it was a new experience, because… just the reality of that shark, being so huge and so terrifying. It was just so realistic. I think that was the great enjoyment of Jaws.
Deloris: Well, I’ll tell you, it was scary. But for the most part, by the time I got the children together and got them to the theater, I spent half of my time sleeping! But it was that shark that instilled that fear, when it tried to enter the boat. That’s about it, that I can say about that. We only went to the movies a few times, to take the kids there, but we watched more movies at home. This was in Queens.
Deloris: I think we went to Green Acres. Yeah, it was Green Acres.
Theodore: The mall out there, in Nassau County. We lived in Queens, but we were right across from Nassau County and the Green Acres Mall, so that’s probably where we watched it. I’m sure there was candy and popcorn. And Deloris always loved popcorn at the movie theater.
Deloris: Yeah, they had the popcorn and soda pop. We didn’t buy them a whole lot of candy and stuff like that. It would be popcorn and something to drink. We just went to the movies, and after the movies we came on back home.
Theodore: I don’t think there was anything particularly outstanding.
Deloris: Just had the family out.
Theodore: Just family together. Whatever we did back then, it was mostly, always, as a family. Just about everything we did was family.
Above is an advertisement for the opening of the Green Acres Theatre on Friday, September 15, 1961. The body of the text reads:
“In the tradition that has made Century Theatres the nation’s leading independent theatre chain, we proudly announce the opening of the GREEN ACRES THEATRE. It is with equal pride that we begin our association with the management of the GREEN ACRES SHOPPING CENTER.
In every way, Century’s GREEN ACRES THEATRE is designed to increase your enjoyment of motion pictures. It incorporates all of the latest scientific advances in audio-visual presentation as well as physical features that ensure true relaxation. The “Main Feature at 8:40 P.M.” show time policy, which has proven so popular at other Century Theatres, will be in effect every evening except Saturday, and, for your added convenience you will find acres of free parking always available. Now, you will find Green Acres an even more desirable “place to go” with the family… for shopping… for dining… for entertainment… Green Acres has everything to make a complete day or evening.
… in the Fabulous GREEN ACRES SHOPPING CENTER
On Sunrise Highway, Valley Stream, [?] • ACRES OF FREE PARKING”
