The story of movie theaters in Bastrop, from the turn of the century through the 1950s, is also the story of changing times and technology.
Charles J. Goodwin bought the Princess Theatre from Dr. Keeler and Lizzie Raleigh in 1915. The first Princess was a sheet metal building with no ceiling or floor on the corner of East Jefferson and South Franklin streets. The audience sat on wooden benches with their feet in the cinders that covered the floor.
From this humble beginning, Goodwin found enough success to replace the tin shack with a three-story brick structure in 1920. The second Princess Theatre would entertain audiences for the next eight years.
The American film industry was still in its infancy when Goodwin entered the cinema business.
Motion pictures had developed in the late 19th century from the simple idea that a series of still images, set in motion, created the illusion of movement. This was called the “persistence of vision,” and it was the basis for the earliest movie cameras and projectors.
Edwin S. Porter had directed “The Great Train Robbery,” the first successful motion picture, in 1903. The film’s success led to the conversion of stores into nickelodeons. These makeshift theaters, in turn, sparked demand for motion pictures and the building of permanent theaters.
Film making reached its peak during the Roaring ‘20s, and theaters became more palatial.
In 1927 Goodwin built the Rose Theatre Beautiful as a venue for silent motion pictures and live vaudeville shows.
What became of the Princess?
The Enterprise reports March 21, 1928 that C.J. Goodwin sold the Princess to H.I. Seligman “some time ago.” Seligman had taken over his father’s department store in Bonita in 1910, and had opened a second location in Bastrop in 1923. Four years later, he bought the Princess and the adjacent building, remodeled them, and Seligman’s Department Store moved into its present location in 1928.
The coming of “talking pictures” made front page news in the Enterprise on April 1, 1929. In keeping with the growth and progress of Bastrop, the Rose Theatre would soon have “sound Vitaphone pictures,” the paper announced.
“Nothing is too good for Bastrop,” Goodwin is quoted. “And I have gone to great expense to give Bastrop the best in the way of amusement features. The instrument we have just purchased is one of the latest Vitaphone machines available ... The people of Bastrop and Morehouse will have the privilege of seeing and hearing the same pictures as people in the larger cities.”
Once the Vitaphone machine was installed, Bastrop would be one of the few small towns in Louisiana to have talking pictures, according to the paper. The pipe organ was now obsolete and would be removed.
Throughout the 1930s, Rose Theatre projectionist Bill Hart created elaborate facades to advertise new films. He was assisted by Rose manager C.M. Solly. Hart’s work gained the attention of Motion Picture Herald, and the magazine urged other small theaters to “get creative” in advertising this way.
The Enterprise announces Goodwin’s plan to open the Swan Theatre on July 4, 1935. The Swan was to be located in an existing building on West Madison formerly occupied by Tisdale & Tisdale.
The Rose was remodeled three times during the war years, with new seats and equipment installed each time. When first opened, the Rose had been cooled by exhaust fans. These were replaced by washed air cooling and, in 1946, modern air conditioning.
Movie stars were known to make personal appearances in Morehouse Parish during the late ‘40s and early ‘50s. “Sunset” Carson appeared at the Rose in June 1947. The Enterprise reports Dec. 4, 1951 that stars George Murphy and Julia Adams were coming to sign autographs on the lot between the library and the Rose Theatre as part of Hollywood’s “Movietime in Dixie” cavalcade. Western actors Lash LaRue and Fuzzy Q. Jones gave shows at the Swan in the ‘50s. Duncan Renaldo, star of the TV series “The Cisco Kid,” also paid a visit to Bastrop around this time.
“The Rose would have different promotions and contests,” said Dennis Ainsworth of San Diego, formerly of Bastrop. “I remember once they had a look-alike contest for a kid star who had a lot of freckles. I think I came in second. They also had a contest to see who had the most freckles, and I don’t think I was even close.
“The Rose used to have serial shows every Saturday in addition to a double feature. These were things like the Cisco Kid, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, the Lone Ranger and Hopalong Cassidy. My favorite was Red Ryder.”
The advent of TV was just one of many changes in the early 1950s. Rock ‘n’ roll, fast food restaurants and the drive-in theater all burst upon the national scene.
Teenagers became the target audience for movie theaters, as older people were more likely to stay home and watch TV. Hollywood responded with films geared toward a young audience, starring the likes of James Dean and Marlon Brando.
The Rose Drive-In opened in 1950, about a mile outside city limits in the “Bastrop peach orchard.”
The Bastrop Clarion reports on the new drive-in April 28, 1950. The Goodwins had contracted B.W. Stevens of New Orleans to design the drive-in on an eight-acre tract to accommodate 400 vehicles.
The Clarion reports on the grand opening Aug. 4, 1950:
“The new Rose Drive-In theatre ... opened Tuesday night with a capacity crowd. Guided by a huge neon sign, ‘Rose,’ cars started entering the new entertainment arena before the first show started shortly after dusk and the procession was almost uninterrupted until every stall was filled.”
Each car parked on a ramp to allow for a better view of the screen. Hot dogs, ice cream and cold drinks were served from the projection booth, and tables were provided for guests who did not want to eat in their cars.
George “Bo” Goodwin owned the Rose, Swan and Drive-In at this time. “Boots” Gladney managed the Rose while H.G. Parker managed the Swan and Drive-In.
The Enterprise reports on the 40th anniversary of the Goodwin family’s involvement in the theater business on April 29, 1955:
“Today, in an era of television-sore eyes, the Rose is holding its own with features flashed in unpronounceable Cinemascope and stereophonic sound ...
“The point we’re making, of course, is that your local theatre has spent some forty years building a wholesome place for you and your children to enjoy a couple of hours of entertainment.”
All good things must come to an end, however. The growing popularity of TV and the new concept of the megaplex, introduced in the 1960s, led to the nationwide decline of small theaters.
