Happy 4th of July, gang!
Today’s update may not seem particularly 4th of July-esque (July-ish? July-y?) at first, but methinks it fits, because as far as I’m concerned, this is pure Americana. Better yet, it’s mid-century Americana. And what’s more, it’s *local* mid-century Americana. Okay, sure, not local to me, but this is one of those instances where, to be frank, I just don’t care. Today’s subject, oh man, I saw it for sale online, and I basically couldn’t hit “buy dis” fast enough. This is precisely the kind of thing I want in my collection.
Now look, I collect keychains; you already knew that. I mean, I collect promotional memorabilia in general; you already knew that, too. But, I have a special fondness for keychains. Generally, when I come across them in person, I’m not particularly choosy – the cost is usually so low that it just doesn’t matter all that much, though age and subject matter do still play a bit of a factor. Plus, when they tend to be so cheap, really, who cares? But, when I’m searching for specimens for sale online, I get a bit more particular. Age and subject and graphics become more important, especially since it stands to reason I’ll be paying more per piece. Television/broadcasting and food (with a special affection for pizza) and video games tend to be the usual suspects here. From time to time, sports, too.
But one area I haven’t had much luck with is movie theaters. Or more specifically, drive-in theaters. I figured there had to be some paraphernalia related to that great American institution (albeit one that’s now, relatively speaking, an endangered species) out there, somewhere. But countless searches all resulted in the same, erm, result: fruitless.
And then this turned up.
Oh is this thing cool. Hailing from Hot Springs, Arkansas, this spotlights two theaters owned by the same person: the Strand Theater, and what brought this fob to my attention, the Sunset Drive-In. Both owned by one Jessie Howe, and both now long gone.
I love the looks of this thing! From the translucent red backing to the cool clock/pocket watch motif (it looks like you can turn the dial to a desired time, ostensibly when your movie of choice would be starting, but I didn’t dare try that aspect, because this thing is so old that should I break it, you’d quite possibly hear me yellin’ from wherever you happen to be), and down to that beautifully simple-yet-evocative slogan, “Let’s Go To A Movie,” the only way this could possibly get better for me personally is if it hailed from my neck of the woods. But like I said before, I don’t even really care about that aspect this time around. This keychain is just too neat.
And just look at those phone numbers: three digits! Three digits!
I didn’t take a picture of it, but there’s even a slot for a nickel on the back, presumably to make a phone call or buy a snack or what have you. If this hails from the 1950s as I’m currently surmising, shoot, couldn’t you like buy a small car or put a down payment on a house or something with just a nickel back then?
Unlike a good deal of the things I add to my collection, I actually found some decent info on these theaters/Jessie Howe out there in internet land. This webpage details the Strand, complete with photos and some wonderfully informative comments. Same website, same deal with this page on the Sunset Drive-In. I was certainly pleased to find these resources on the theaters; there may even be more out there that escaped my attention.
It was really the Sunset Drive-In aspect of the keychain that got me so incredibly stoked. Don’t get me wrong, the Strand part is cool too, and I probably would have still bought the thing had it been for just the Strand, but it was the Sunset portion that really did it for me here. I love drive-in theaters and the part they play in American pop culture history, I’m currently jonesing to revisit a drive-in theater (there’s a couple relatively close to me), and when there’s a piece of memorabilia like this hailing from, most likely, the 1950s or 1960s, drive-in stuff from that general era, man, it’s evocative to me in just such an incredible way.
I mean, just imagine the movies that could have played at the drive-in! The low-rent horror! The cheesy sci-fi! The big beautiful cars! The snacks! And for that matter, just imagine the kind of flicks the Strand could have run! And on top of all that, think of the generations that grew up with these theaters and the memories those movie-watchin’ nights must have held, or still hold, for many of them; there’s just so, so many things this keychain represents to me. And THAT, my friends, is why I dig it so.
Plus, like I said before, it just looks cool.
The phone number piece of info on this keychain could very well provide a decent way of narrowing down when exactly it’s from. Certainly the usage of area codes, or lack thereof, is one method of rough-dating things I come across, but different places adopted different numbering systems at different times. And to be honest with y’all, I can’t really recall seeing phone numbers only using three digits; that feels like some 1800s stuff or something to me, man. The two letters/five numbers system, that’s what I tend to think of when I think of phone numbers used in this general era. Perhaps someone with a better grasp on the telephone system of Hot Springs, AR can fill me/us in?
So anyway, that’s my little July 4th update. Appropriately American? I sure think so! Have a great holiday everyone! And hey, be safe with them firecrackers, eh? You ain’t The Ghoul, so chill with the dangerous ‘splosives, alright?
THE NORTHEAST OHIO VIDEO HUNTER 