In the early 1920s, shortly after the soldiers came home from World War II, the cultural and social scene in Rogers, indeed the entire nation, was changed forever with the onscreen action of moving pictures.
From 1895, shortly after Rogers was founded, the center of entertainment had been the Opera House at the corner of Walnut and First streets. With the advent of motion pictures, the Opera House declined, and folks shifted their attention to the exciting new silent movies at the Gem Theater. This theater became Rogers Theater, a competitor of the Victory, and is now Golden’s Designer Jewelry at 206 W. Walnut St.
In 1927, John Cooper and Charlie Marshall, owners of the Gem Theater, hired local architect A.O. Clarke to design an ultra-modern new theater at 116 S. Second St. The Victory Theater brought thrilling action, love and drama to hard-working folks, and only cost 15 cents for children and 35 cents for adults.
The theater had modern radiator heating, an organ to accompany the silent movies, and an orchestra pit for live performances.
The year 1929 brought the Great Depression to the nation, but it also produced the first movie with sound in Rogers.
For the first time, the actors and actresses could speak for themselves and you could almost smell the horses and the smoke from the steam engines. The theater became immensely popular and, after World War II, the Victory was the most popular place to take a sweetheart for a date.
Countless romantic adventures began at the Victory, but none more enthralling than the story of local barber and alderman, Gary Townzen. “I owe my very existence to the theater. My dad, Herschel Townzen, and my mom, Wilma Bland, met there in 1942 and after Dad came home from the war, they were married in 1948 and I came along in 1950.”
Andy McCurdy provided the following: “In the mid-1950s, the theater was operated by Walter Talbot, owner, Eddie Bautts, projectionist, and Ollie Nichols, the enforcer. Ollie patrolled the seating area, both downstairs and in the balcony. His No. 1 mission was to prevent or confront patrons making out. He would race around the theater, armed with his trusty sidearm — a long silver flashlight — searching for culprits.”
Many interesting characters attended Rogers’ theaters, but none more colorful than a couple who lived north of town near Pea Ridge. From the 1940s through the 1960s, Effie and Harry would walk to Rogers every weekend to shop and see westerns at the theaters, especially Roy Rogers’ movies.
“It was said that when Roy Rogers and Dale Evans got married, she embroidered a pair of pillowcases and sent them for a wedding gift, and she received a thank-you note back from them,” said Mirl Fletcher. According to Karen Russell Burks, “Effie did love Roy. Once when some villain was sneaking up on Roy to stab him, she stood and yelled, ‘look out, Roy!’ and threw a glass Coke bottle through the screen. They were banned from the Rogers Theater after that and Coke wasn't served in a bottle after that, either.”
Effie and Harry’s exploits at the local theaters are still remembered by many, a fact confirmed when I asked on a local website for memories of Effie and Harry at the theaters. I received more than 100 responses.
A new chapter for the Victory began about 1961 when G. Don Thompson, one of the most successful businessmen in the history of Rogers, bought the theater. He expanded the stage, installed new sound equipment and added a new dimension by bringing in top live musical talents such as Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jim Reeves, Willie Nelson, Ronnie Hawkins and others.
This was an amazing accomplishment to bring such popular performers to a little town such as Rogers.
I asked Tom Jones, a local businessman who grew up in Rogers, about his memories of the Victory. “About 1961, ‘The Twist,’ sung by Chubby Checker, became the latest dance craze across the nation and in Rogers. When the movie, ‘Twist Around the Clock,’ starring Chubby Checker, showed at the Victory, the kids got out of their seats and danced the twist on the stage.”
The Victory Theater provided entertainment and cherished memories from 1927 until it closed in 1976. Today, the theater belongs to the city and is creating new memories. It's been restored and leased to the Rogers Little Theater group, which uses talented local performers to produce excellent entertaining plays.
JAMES F. HALES IS A LOCAL HISTORIAN AND AUTHOR. HIS COLUMN APPEARS MONTHLY IN THE ROGERS MORNING NEWS.