The Gem Theater: February 2016

Introduction

Downtown Wichita Falls, Texas, in the mid 1940’s was a bustling metropolis for a boy of 7 just away from the farm and ranch community where he was born. My father, a cook and cowboy by trade, had just started as one of the first cooks for the Casa Manana restaurant in 1947. He moved us to an apartment on Ohio Street, right across from the Gem Theater, between 7^th and 8^th Streets. It’s here that we would stay for the next three years. The Gem Theater became a magic palace for a young mind. But it had to share that distinction with the rest of the magic that was Wichita Falls. I attended San Jacinto and Carrigan elementary schools, as well as Reagan Junior High, and belonged to the Boys Club on 6th Street. Please join, and share your stories and pictures through a Guest Blog, of early Wichita Falls - or your home town. Contact me at fadingshadows40@gmail.com or leave a comment. We could use old pictures of movie houses, drive-in theaters, and other nostalgic pictures related to our youths.

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Mighty Mouse

Mighty Mouse was another favorite comic book I enjoyed while growing up in Wichita Falls, Texas. It was a thrill to catch a Mighty Mouse ‘toon at the movie houses, but they were rare. The comic books were easy to find, however, and fun to read.

The Gem Theater

Introduction

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Mighty Mouse

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Captain Marvel, Jr.

Clayton More

Ken Maynard