Roots and Blooms- Garrisons: Late 1930's- Romance in St. Louis

Elgin "Gary" Garrison

When it came to places to go on a date, there was no end of opportunities; but we know that Gary and Pauline enjoyed going to the movies.

Delmar Blvd. was in a fashionable residential district of St. Louis known as the "Central West End." The "Delmar Loop" had electrified street cars in the 1930's as well as double decker buses. Mass transportation around Saint Louis was easily accessible. Still, with the automobile craze in full swing, some residents preferred to drive about town.

Delmar and Grand 1925

Like Houston, St. Louis offered a number of opportunities for residents to enjoy movies at lavishly decorated theatres. One of these, the Tivoli Theatre, was right on the Delmar Loop. However, most were located in the theatre district on Grand Boulevard- still only two or three miles from Gary and Pauline's apartments on Delmar Blvd. Long before the time of home television, movies were a huge draw for entertainment. Gary and Pauline likely saw some popular movies at these theatres...

“The Grand Boulevard theatrical district attained the pinnacle of its popularity during the 1930's and after World War II, when, in addition to the theatres, popular restaurants, night clubs and dance ballrooms all contributed to its "bright white way."

Midtown Theatre District 1935 (notice the corner Walgreens!)

The Missouri Theatre (see above) seated 3700 people, and featured a chorus line called the "Missouri Rockettes." The RKO St. Louis Theatre was modeled after the opera house in Versailles.

RKO St. Louis

But the most lavish was the Fox Theatre (see theare district photo) which seated 6,000- it was at the time the second largest theatre in the world. "Bob Hope, "St. Louis's enemy of depression" brought Jerry Colonna and his whole radio troupe to the Fox (1940) and sold 80,000 tickets in one week.

The Big Bands of Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, and Glen Miller drew record crowds in the 1940s. Both Mae West and Sally Rand "did their thing" at the Fox." ( http://www.fabulousfox.com/history.aspx)

The ornate red and gold interior at Fox Theatre

1939 was known as "the greatest year in the history of Hollywood."

Here are some of the 1939 movies that Gary and Pauline might have gone to see-

Gone with the Wind trailer

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Trailer

One of Gary's favorites may have been in 1938- "Alexander's Ragtime Band" written by Irving Berlin and starring Tyrone Power and Ethel Merman told the history of jazz, from ragtime to swing. Classic songs such as "Heat Wave," Blue Skies," Easter Parade," and "A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody" came from this movie. Alexander's Ragtime Band (link to Trailer)

Other famous movies in 1938 included "The Adventures of Robin Hood" with Errol Flynn and Olivia deHaviland, and "Boys Town" with Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney.

Robin Hood Trailer

In 1940, there were award winning movies that related to Gary's background in Oklahoma and Texas- "The Grapes of Wrath" about an Oklahoma family during the Great Depression, starring Henry Fonda, and "Boomtown" about Texas wildcat oil drillers.