The other night Dennis and I went to a movie at the Cobb Theaters. Afterwards we had a late dinner or very early breakfast at IHOP. We began reminiscing about our hometown, Aliceville. It is much different today than it was in the 60's. Every building had a business, and one could buy almost anything you needed in downtown Aliceville during those days. Today, there are many empty buildings, and many residents go out of town to make most of their purchases. Our main topic of conversation, however, became the Palace Theater.
I can remember Momma dropping me off at the Palace every Saturday afternoon as did most parents in Aliceville. No one worried about leaving their children alone at the theater. While I don't remember the exact cost, I do know that Momma got a pretty cheap baby sitter for Saturday afternoons. I'm thinking that 25 cents covered the cost of admittance as well as a coke, popcorn, and possibly a candy bar--depending on the size of each. The movies were mostly westerns or scary, but each one began with a newsreel and then a cartoon. I was bad then, and I guess still today, about going to the restroom when the movie became too scary.....such a wimp.
During those days, the Palace was open every night. My mother was a big Rock Hudson fan, and if one of his movies was playing, especially if Doris Day was the lead female, we went on Tuesday nights. My daddy did not like movies, and Momma wouldn't go by herself, so she took me. Usually, I slept in her lap while she watched Rock and Doris.
The Palace had a special room in the back corner for fussy babies. If your baby cried, you simply went in the soundproof room and were able to continue watching the movie while the other movie goers watched in quiet. I remember that the "hot spot" for teenagers was the row right in front of this room...specifically the corner area. I never sat in this area, but a lot of teenagers "fought" to get those seats.
The Palace also had a balcony. The balcony is where the black citizens of Aliceville watched movies. While they probably wanted to be down where we were, we were all wanting to be upstairs. Blacks also purchased their tickets on the other side of the window and entered through a different door. It all seems so ridiculous now.
When I was a teenager, the Palace sponsored several "Battle of the Bands". All I remember about this was that our local bands competed with bands from other towns. The only other band besides the Aliceville bands that I remember was The Surfers from Tuscaloosa.
On a final note- the Palace was the location of my second date with Dennis. The movie was Imitation of Life, and we were probably two of only ten people there.
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