1955 Wapato, Washington

Judy Long

Born 1945

Wapato, Washington

Interviewed on February 7, 2024

by Hollis Long

What is the first movie you remember seeing?

Well, it was probably a Western. There were a lot of Westerns around then. That’s all we got on the Rez, and they came later, too. You’d see things advertised, and then they’d show up in Wapato years later. These Westerns didn’t have the fancy actors either. Well, there was one with Gary Cooper, but I can’t remember the title. 

Do you remember any of the Western titles?

Not really. I liked the happy musicals, and we didn’t get those until later.

Do you remember the first non-Western movie you saw?

This might not be the first–I can’t remember well–but there was a really long movie. It had been advertised for a long time about how good it was. Oh, Giant! That’s the name of it. It had an intermission, and you could go out in the lobby to eat a snack in the middle. 

Do you remember anything about the plot?

Not really, I didn’t care for it. It was about a plantation. Clark Gable was in it, but I can’t remember the name of the girl who married him. And that famous line, “Frankly, dear, I don’t give a damn.”

Are you talking about Gone with the Wind, Gram?

Oh my, you’re right! That’s the name of it. But I still didn’t like it. I didn’t think Clark Gable was handsome, but lots of girls liked him. I’m not a big fan of mustaches.

Is that why Papa didn’t have one?

Exactly.

Do you remember Giant?

Oh, yes. It had that handsome boy—what was his name—Rock Hudson! And Liz Taylor. Those violet eyes; she was so pretty. And that guy who was killed in a crash. He was driving a porch in Hollywood Hills. He was in that movie with Liz Taylor.

James Dean?

Oh, yes! I think Liz wanted him as a boyfriend, but he was gay. She was in love with him—he was really good looking–but he was gay, so I don’t know what she thought would happen.

How old were you, Gram?

Oh, I was probably around ten or eleven—must have been around 1955. They started charging you as an adult when you turned twelve, so I was “eleven” for a long time.

How much were the tickets?

If I had to guess, I would say it was 25 cents or 30, the highest probably was about 50 cents.

Who were you with?

I saw Gone with the Wind alone. It was after babysitting my sister Cleo and Uncle Blackie’s kids. She was eight years older than me, so I’d go visit her and babysit to make some money while they went to do things. They probably still paid for the ticket, though. I had to go to the movies alone a lot because all my siblings were so much older than me. I went with the younger ones a few times, but they were still a lot older.

How did you get to the theater?

Well, if it was after babysitting, Cleo and Blackie probably drove me. Otherwise, I’d just walk. You used to be able to just walk around Wapato, but not anymore.

Did you get snacks at the theater?

There was a concession stand, but I didn’t care for candy. I probably had popcorn and a drink.

Do you remember the theater’s name?

Oh no—it might have been Liberty Theater or Wapato Theater, but they’re both closed down now. A lot of the old stuff is gone.

Were there any ushers at the theater?

One of them had ushers. They wore red uniforms and escorted you to your seats, but the other didn’t.

Where’d you see the movies advertised?

The papers. That’s where I saw Gone with the Wind. They really said that one was going to be great.

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You know which movies I loved, Hollis?

Which ones?

I loved Doris Day movies. She could just sing and dance like no tomorrow. I remember when she sang, “Once I had a secret love / That lived within the heart of me / All too soon my secret love / Became impatient to be free.”  Pillow Talk was a great movie. It had that handsome Rock Hudson in it. I saw that one with friends. I remember talking with my girlfriends about Rock Hudson.

Were you in high school?

We must have been!

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Interviewer Notes: Judy Long is my maternal grandmother. She grew up on the Yakama Reservation, moving around the area, but stayed predominately in Wapato. She was the youngest of seven siblings. My grandmother and Cleo are the only surviving siblings of her family. My grandmother returned to the theater, after almost 15 years, to watch Elvis (2022). She said it was one of her favorite movies ever.