The Mercier Theater

Merciers Theater.jpg

by Jack Ward Skinner

Oh, the glory days of the movies, back in the 1930s and 40s. Awhile back, the Western channel on T.V. ran a week-long special series of John Wayne movies. They were, mostly, western cowboy movies from the 1930s. Today’s kids, who are limited to his reruns on television, think of him as a heavy-set, Rooster Cogburn, or the Calvary officer in “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon”. But, in the 1930s, he was slim as a rail, and pretty active. However, when WWII started, John Wayne traded his spurs for a machine gun or a P-40 fighter plane.

I never got to see those 1930, John Wayne movies, at the Mercier Theater, though, because we lived in St. Louis, at the time, and only moved to Fredericktown in 1942. Movies were an inexpensive pastime for people in the 30s. At the height of the Great Depression, a movie could take you mind off of a lot of problems. And, during the latter part of the 1930s, some of the greatest movies of all time, were produced. “Gone With the Wind” and “Over the Rainbow”. Disney was beginning his heyday of cartoons about then, as well.

So, on arrival at Fredericktown, my folks never missed a beat of movie viewing. Did I say it was a cheap form of entertainment? For adults, the price of admission was 25 cents, and kids were a dime. A bag of popcorn was a nickel, as were the boxes of candy. Before the movie began, music was played on a phonograph; sometimes, you could hear the scratchy sounds. Since they played the same records, over-and-over, they were stamped in my mind, and I still recall them today: “Old Buttermilk Sky”, “Don’t Fence Me In”, “Because of You”, “Sentimental Journey”, “It Had to Be You”, and many more.

Most of those movies, of that day, would be considered pretty corny by today’s standards, what with the modern electronics and digital abilities. But, back then, our imaginations ran wild with the scenes on the silver screen.

Fairly cheap movies were shown through the week, but the biggies were shown on Friday nights and Sundays. Saturday, well gosh, that had to be a mystery and a western for the kids. And it was planned that way, I guess. You see, the kids were in school all through the week, and the parents worked at the same time. Then, every body was off on the weekend. So, let’s get the kids out of the house on Saturday, so the adults could get some work done. Just a theory of mine. I gleaned that little gem from the time when I raised my own kids, and they sat glued to the cartoons on television on Saturday mornings. I guessing, that still takes place.

The old 30s/40s marque decoration on the front of the building is still there. Now, I think it is some sort of insurance business. But, back then, there were lights flashing, all up and down the front of the building. Ms. Parmely sat in the booth and sold tickets. The lobby was always clean, unlike some of the theaters today. The concession stand was on the left as you entered. There were two entry ways into the seating area. The floor was sloped downward, toward the stage area. There were two aisles and an emergency exit door at the right, just off the stage area. The seats were wooden; not padded seats back then and no cup holders.

One of the movies that I remember from the 40s was “Meet Me in St. Louis”; it was a big hit at the that time. There were a lot of war movies. John Wayne was in several. I remember Van Johnson, being a pilot of a bomber in the Pacific. They were returning from a mission, and a radio signal told him hi was the father of a brand-new baby. Then the scene would show the plane from the outside, swinging back and forth as he celebrated being a father. Gregory Peck, Clark Gable, and several other actors took part in the war movies.

There was a treat every once in a while, usually, one of the western actors. The announcement would be made ahead of time, and the theater would be packed. What announcement? Why, a real live actor was going to make an appearance on the stage. I remember seeing Lash LaRue and Jim Brown. No, they are not household names, but they appeared frequently in the Saturday westerns back then. As luck would have it, we were never fortunate enough to get the big name cowboys, like Roy Rogers or Gene Autry. Usually, there would be a western movie on Saturday afternoon, featuring the guest. When the movie was over, the lights would come on, and the guest would walk up on the stage. Wow! A real live Hollywood actor, right there in front of us. He would talk for about 15 minutes, or so, before leaving. But it was exciting.

Also, back then, there was a beauty contest each year, to select Miss Fredericktown. The girl needed to have some kind of talent, but the real requirement was to be good looking. I don’t remember how the voting occurred, but several girls in formals would be lined up on the stage, and the announcer would declare which one was the Queen. She received a banner across her shoulder and a bouquet of roses. And bragging rites.

Through the week, the movies began with a news reel. You might have read about it in the paper, but now, you could see it in action. There was only one movie each night. But Saturdays were a double feature, beginning with 30 minutes of cartoons.

Ah, me! The Mercier Theater. Lots of great memories there. I used to ride me bike for were we lived on High Street, all the way down town. It was safe to park the bike out front; none were ever stolen. I loved Mrs. Mercier; she was my Den Mother when I was in Cub Scouts. Buddy, their son, was a close friend in the early grades; I spent several nights with him. He had bunk beds, and I, well I got to sleep in the top bunk. Wowser!! But, I miss those times before television. The theater was the center of entertainment in the rural towns, like Fredericktown.

But, everyone knew everyone else, and it was, usually, about the same gang that went to the Saturday afternoon matinees.

Life was slower, people were friendlier, crime was unheard of, and the community, pretty much, came together as one. Especially, during the war. Because a lot of those people who attended, had a son or husband in the military. They shared a common bond.

I wish my kids, and my grandkids, could have known what life was like back then.

The Mercier Theater