Southside OKC Memories....anyone?

[USG '60]

Fifty years ago tomorrow, Christmas '58, at age 16 my brother and I went around in my '51 Studebaker and picked up several friends and drove downtown. We saw that the Empire Room was ACTUALLY opened. We decided to go shoot some snooker. The problem was that I was the only one old enough to play, as the others, including my brother, were only 14. BUT I was the littlest one and the youngest in appearence, so we attemptd a ploy. I went up to the counter and showed my DL. The guy looked at the DL then me several times and you could see him thinking that it just didn't seem right but he let us all in without checking the others. We played in a nearly empty room for 2 or 3 hours. When mom found out her sons had played pool on Christmas Day she cryed. I sorta wish that was the worst thing I did to make her cry, but alas, at was not the case.

[MonkeyBiz6903]

Was it the Criterion theater, where the ending of the Dillinger movie was filmed?

[Generals64]

I am so glad there is some new blood on this thread. Not sure about the Criterion being where the Dillinger movie was filmed (for the ending) but, there was a theater (I think called the state) that looked somewhat familiar to that scene in the movie. You guys are bringing back more cob webs than I can remember.....We had lots of fun Downtown (Huh Redskin/General ?)...I remember seeing Minnesota Fats playing pool in the snooker room above the Criterion.....Didn't really care who is was then....but, He was good......Didn't look at all like Jackie Gleason....Glad Redskin/General is back.....Have you seen Jerry Stewart lately?????????

[Redskins/General]

I am so glad there is some new blood on this thread. Not sure about the Criterion being where the Dillinger movie was filmed (for the ending) but, there was a theater (I think called the state) that looked somewhat familiar to that scene in the movie. You guys are bringing back more cob webs than I can remember.....We had lots of fun Downtown (Huh Redskin/General ?)...I remember seeing Minnesota Fats playing pool in the snooker room above the Criterion.....Didn't really care who is was then....but, He was good......Didn't look at all like Jackie Gleason....Glad Redskin/General is back.....Have you seen Jerry Stewart lately?????????

I wouldn't know Jerry Stewart if he walked in the front door. I know who he is and saw him at a car show years ago with a nice red 60 vette. Didn't he own the speed parts place on south May ave? I always heard he was a big corvette guy!!! I'm really not back in gear yet, but it won't be long. Tell Kay and the boy's I said Merry Christmas!!

[USG '60]

We mean JIM Stewart, don't we? The Dillinnger deal was at the Midwest or the Harbor, NOT the Criterion. Speaking of the Criterion. I had 3 friends who were ushers during the year they ran Ben Hur. They each learned the dialogue word for word and could point out dozens of "mistakes." like contrails in the sky, dead guys getting up to fight again, tire tracks in the dirt, and on and on.

[Generals64]

You to on the Merry Christmas:...........Jim Stewart is the brother that owned the Corvettes and Corvette Center. I thought you knew those guys. Jim went to Heronville and he should be about your age. He also went to Grant for a couple of Years as well as Capitol Hill. He really should be close to your age if you are a couple of years older than I am. Boy, this Christmas has been a "Hoot".....Notice we have some new blood on this thread...Kinda fun listening to the younger guys talk about things that both you and I saw happen. The one about the Criterion was not the place as in the movie, Dillinger was shot by a small movie house from an alley. The old Park theater is where I thought that was filmed........Jerry Stewart is about our age though, I think a couple of years younger....There was a Stewart sister (pretty Foxy) and she married John Grissom from Capitol Hill. He's a year younger (in school) than I am....Hey!!!! Have a Merry Christmas and remember that once Christ stays in the word you and yours will always be blessed.......mean that....

[Rickster]

Merry Christmas to all and to all a Happy New Year.

[MonkeyBiz6903]

I found it in the Journal Record. The Midwest was used as The Biograph.

[USG '60]

[QUOTE=Generals64;162118] 3. Does anyone remember Emory Ashpaugh? Built the most exotic 55 chevy in OKC...went to Grant and was envied by everyone {even teachers}. He a bunch of
guys his junior year and too much beer and too much nervr he dove off the Falls at turner Falls. pushed his neck in and almost killed himself:...confined to a wheelchair until he just recently passed away.

4. Bobby Atherton: The girls swoon over him (really it was his purple lowered 51 Chevy)
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Connie Hahn:...cha...cha...cha..............Janice Treichler:........Cha-cha-cha:......
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Well, General, I told you when I came on here that there were tons of things I could have responded to. This old post of your's had several. A few minutes Emory crossed my mind and I googled his name. The only one that showed up was this very post.

Emory lived 2 doors from me from my 8th thru 12th grades, his 7th thru 11th. He had a 16 2/3 revolution record player under the dashboard of his wicked Chevy. We would always attract a croud at Hollie's. My brother and I called him Injury after the accident.

Atherton's big brag about his car was that the front was lowered to the point that you couldn't fit a pack of cigarettes under it lying on it's side. It made sparks as he hit tiny little dips in the road and huge SCRAPping noises when he hit big ones.

I saw Connie Hahn when she was in her early forties and she was simply STUNNING. What a gorgeous woman. Made an ol' boy hurt.

[Generals64]

Hey guy, I remember Emory very well...If you lived by him you didn't live too far from me....you would have been on the East side of May...I lived on the West. Matter of fact you lived pretty close to the Grape's house and not too far from my wife. Emory had a beautiful car and then the stupid accident....I too saw he had passed away not too long ago. Johnny Usery had one of the most versatile '55 Chevy's on the southside....(he too has passed away in a car wreck). Bobby Atherton and my sister dated for some time....I got to ride in the Purple Beast....thought I was soooooo cool.....Red/Gen probably knew both of those guys. I remember when Atherton had the car in primer and my dad couldn't understand why he lowered it so.....He couldn't race though so my dad figured there wouldn't be much racing.... Bring on some more memories...by the way Yes Connie made a beautiful older lady...I talked with Janice at the last school reunion and (are you ready?????) I just saw some recent pictures of Vickie Siekel (wife taught with her sister) whew................She was my pal in my Junior year.......Yep got to carry her books one time.....duh....slave labor..

[USG '60]

I figured Vicki wouldn't make it into adulthood. And now you tell me she looks good still. That is good. Weird family, indeed.

[MonkeyBiz6903]

Thanks Redskins/General. But your answer raised more concerns with me. I had thought at one time it was the Capitol, but when I questioned my dad about it, he said he didn't remember a theater there and that the Capitol was on Main St. (310 W. Main).

So, I did alittle checking and came across a website called Cinema Treasures. It said that the Capitol theater was at 310 W. Main until 1928, then the Capital sign was moved to 2510 S. Robinson to dress up Paramount's southside "Circle" theater, also known as the Capitol and the Capri. I don't quite know what it was called when I went there in the early 60's, but both Capital and Capri come to mind.

I just glad to have it confirmed there was a theater there. Everyone I've talked to about it thought I was nut. LOL

Well I asked my folks today over Christmas dinner. Dad said it was the Capitol. Then I found out my mother worked there for about a month, around 1952. I never knew that.

[Rickster]

I use to go to the Capitol more often than the others. I think because it was alittle cheaper maybe, I don't remember.

I was visiting with my girlfriend and her parents earlier this afternoon (they are in their
70's) and they said that Dodson's Cafateria started out as a basement diner in one of the store in Capital Hill. That was a new one on me. Has anyone else heard of that.

[Rickster]

BTW, how do you like my picture. I couldn't believe they actually had my baby picture on here.

[grantgeneral78]

My dad worked there in the 50's, when Jake Staford had owned it.

Monkey what did your dad do when he worked there?...thats cool someone has something in common with the old place.

[grantgeneral78]

You're right Redskins/General. Although I was young at the time, I do remember going there. I remember seeing the movie Black Sunday there. There was one scene in that movie that sent me running out of that theater and all the way home.

Yes grantgeneral78. I remember the body shop and magic cleaners. Although I didn't go to them, I remember driving by all the time. I read one of your earlier post asking about the little store at sw 22nd and Kentucky. That was Coker's Corner. In the 60's it was a Texaco gas station ran by Herschel Wilson. I worked for him for about a year when I was 15. Then when he went out, Mr. Coker, who lived in the grey house behind it, bought it and opened the convenient store.

Rickster do you remember JOE PHILLIPS who had the little convience store on about 27th or 28th and kentucky...that was the coolest place with the meat market in in with the old wood floors...sure miss him as well.

[grantgeneral78]

Merry Christmas you guys and gals, it has been a very memorable and fun year lets carry this on into the coming year....may god bless you and yours.

[Rickster]

No grantgeneral78, I didn't know Joe Phillips. I have been in that store but only a time or two. When I was real young, there were two stores in Park View Village. Later on one of those closed and never reopened. I went to those stores most of the time. I worked at one for about a year.

[USG '60]

Hey guy, I remember Emory very well...If you lived by him you didn't live too far from me....you would have been on the East side of May...I lived on the West. Matter of fact you lived pretty close to the Grape's house and not too far from my wife. Emory had a beautiful car and then the stupid accident....I too saw he had passed away not too long ago. Johnny Usery had one of the most versatile '55 Chevy's on the southside....(he too has passed away in a car wreck). Bobby Atherton and my sister dated for some time....I got to ride in the Purple Beast....thought I was soooooo cool.....Red/Gen probably knew both of those guys. I remember when Atherton had the car in primer and my dad couldn't understand why he lowered it so.....He couldn't race though so my dad figured there wouldn't be much racing.... Bring on some more memories...by the way Yes Connie made a beautiful older lady...I talked with Janice at the last school reunion and (are you ready?????) I just saw some recent pictures of Vickie Siekel (wife taught with her sister) whew................She was my pal in my Junior year.......Yep got to carry her books one time.....duh....slave labor..

Yeah, we lived at 2804 and Emory at 2812 on 46th Terr. I do recall a chick a year or two younger than me named Grape but I was not aware of siblings or where they lived. She was a pretty blond. The Usery name rings no bells.

The summer before my senior year we moved 10 blocks south to 56th across the street from Leroy Wilson. It was always a big thrill when he would be testing his dragster's engine in his driveway.

[The Old Downtown Guy]

I just got back from C.B. Speegle's funeral. He coached football, basketball and golf at Capitol Hill for almost 40 years. My old neighborhood pal Rusty Palmer and I went together. Rusty went to Grant so he could play football since C.B. III played Quarterback at Capitol Hill. We ran into lots of mutual friends and it was nice to be reminded of how important coaches can be in the lives of kids.

Michael Smith

Pray For World Peace . . . pass it on.

[USG '60]

I just got back from C.B. Speegle's funeral. He coached football, basketball and golf at Capitol Hill for almost 40 years. My old neighborhood pal Rusty Palmer and I went together. Rusty went to Grant so he could play football since C.B. III played Quarterback at Capitol Hill. We ran into lots of mutual friends and it was nice to be reminded of how important coaches can be in the lives of kids.

Michael Smith

Pray For World Peace . . . pass it on.

Is Rusty Palmer in town? I haven't seen him since our 25 reunion. If you know how to get ahold of him would you send me a PM? I knew him long before he went to Grant as we went to church together for years and we went to college together too. Please holler at me.

[MonkeyBiz6903]

Monkey what did your dad do when he worked there?...thats cool someone has something in common with the old place.

He was a painter. That was so long ago, seems more like memory from a dream. Did you know Jake Stafford? Last I saw of him, he moved back to Arkansas.

[Generals64]

Yeah, we lived at 2804 and Emory at 2812 on 46th Terr. I do recall a chick a year or two younger than me named Grape but I was not aware of siblings or where they lived. She was a pretty blond. The Usery name rings no bells.

The summer before my senior year we moved 10 blocks south to 56th across the street from Leroy Wilson. It was always a big thrill when he would be testing his dragster's engine in his driveway.

------------------------------------------------------------------------The sister you are remembering was Marilyn's older sister Pat.Both of them were and still are easy on the eyes....whoops, I didn't say that.....

[grantgeneral78]

He was a painter. That was so long ago, seems more like memory from a dream. Did you know Jake Stafford? Last I saw of him, he moved back to Arkansas.

My father knows him better than me but yes I know him. That was what I heard also that he had moved. I will ask my father to see if he knows for sure....did you know mercer who owned the building itself?

[grantgeneral78]

I just got back from C.B. Speegle's funeral. He coached football, basketball and golf at Capitol Hill for almost 40 years. My old neighborhood pal Rusty Palmer and I went together. Rusty went to Grant so he could play football since C.B. III played Quarterback at Capitol Hill. We ran into lots of mutual friends and it was nice to be reminded of how important coaches can be in the lives of kids.

Michael Smith

Pray For World Peace . . . pass it on.

Yes GUY I seen part of his funeral on TV I did not even know he passed away, he was truly a good influence on so many young mens lives.