A recent comment mentioned the roller skating rink that set up under a tent sorta where Ingles' Car Wash is now. It had open sides and attracted a lot of skaters as well as people who sat in their cars and watched. I loved the smooth skating surface - a welcome change from street skating and jumping the many pavement cracks on Probart. Did you skate or did you go check out who was skating?
Remember the old bowling alley on the corner of Caldwell and Probart? It had "people" pin setters. A boy in my class worked as a pin setter until late at night, walked home, and made it to school on time the next day. Not an easy schedule for a kid.
A new bowling alley was built on the current Ingles' property and I think it burned down. What happened after that? Was it rebuilt? Where did you bowl?
And the Co-Ed and Clemson...Right up there with the best memories of my young life. I loved those double-feature westerns at the Clemson on Saturday afternoons. A bag of popcorn and a coke from Ford's Corner next door. What was the cost for the afternoon - about thirty cents?
By the way, I never understood why a movie theatre was called the Co-Ed. Was there a time when females weren't allowed in movies? Anybody know?
The older guys used to go get drinks and food during the songs in musicals! Big exodus when the singing started! Who were your favorite movie stars and your favorite movies?
The blog continues to attract new visitors! So great to see comments from so many of you - keep it up!
Go Blue Devils!
Patsy, I don't know but I think that possibly the Co-Ed was in reference to Brevard College women students, as well as the men. Since Brevard has always embraced the students at BC, I guess the theatre owners wanted to emphasize that the students were/are invited to view Hollywood's best. I know that Co-Ed generally refers to women students, but I have always thought it meant an educational system in which both men and women attend. I will try to research the history of both the Co-Ed and the Clemson. Maybe, the Clemson was named after Clemson University?
ReplyDeleteI remember the skating rink under the tent and wonder why other people have not gone into the business. It was always busy and the owner had to do very well. Before it came to town several of us would go to the skating rink on Kanuga Road in Henderson County to skate. It was a lot of fun. Several of my friends were pin sitters in the old bowling alley. That was a dangerous occupation. If the bowler got in a hurry and didn't wait for the pin sitter to get up out of the way he could get hit by a flying pin. I've seen pin setters come to the front and confront bowlers over that very thing. Thats one job I missed and I'm glad of it. We spent our share of time at the Clemson and the Co-ED Theaters. Friday night or Saturday evening you just had to be there. Fifty cents would get you into both movies and refreshments. If you had a dollar you were on top of the world. A fellow who lived behind Burgens Store drove a short bus down through Pisgah Forest and back to Brevard in time for the movie and made the same route after the movie. Ten cents each way. He would be waiting beside of the Courthouse after the movie and he would allow you enough time to stop at Jones News Stand before he left. He knew everyone who rode the bus and would not leave without you. A coke and a Babe Ruth candy bar for a dime. Thats when a candy bar was a meal. The movies were great in those days and made you feel entertained. There was a lot of lead flying in the westerns, but only to shoot the gun out of the villains hand. The body count was never very high. I remember the first 3-D movie I saw at the Co-ED. Don't remember the name of it but with the glasses on it looked like the action was right on top of you. I think my favorite movies were the westerns. Lots of action and pretty horses. Movies in those days always conveyed a moral and movie stars were different from today or at least we were lead to believe that.
ReplyDeleteI always thought that the Clemson Theatre was named for Clemson College, a all-male military school that is now Clemson University. I suspect the Co-Ed was named as a counterpoint to Clemson (all male).
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