Hoofbeats in the Theater

My Dad once told me the story of the time “Tex” Ritter came riding down the aisle of the local movie theater on his horse before the showing of one of his singing cowboy films.  I was a little skeptical.  I mean, that’s quite a stunt for the little beachfront theater in Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi.  And Tex Ritter was quite the film star in the 1930s and ‘40s.  Plus I have never heard anyone else ever mention that event.

The old abandoned theater in Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi

My Dad visited Bay Saint Louis often as a child since it was the home of his mother and her family.  And the big entertainment for kids in his generation was to go to the movies.

Cowboy movies were very popular and Tex Ritter was one of the biggest cowboy stars at the time.  (He is also the father of late actor John Ritter). When my dad saw Tex Ritter with his horse in the theater, it was probably around the early 1940’s and one of his big films of that time was “The Old Chisholm Trail.”

I imagine that since there weren’t many ways to promote a film star’s career outside of movie previews, newspapers, and radio commercials, publicity stunts like this would not have been uncommon.

Then I came across this account:

This little girl shared the same experience as my Dad in a different town and theater! What an exciting event that must have been for a child — to have a famous star AND his horse coming into the same theater where you were about to see his latest film — and they were close enough to touch!

Galveston and their theater were proud enough to keep an account of this exciting event.  I would like to see a plaque with the account of Tex Ritter and his horse coming to Bay Saint Louis placed on the old theater.

In fact that theater is a monument unto itself. It and the old Hancock Bank were the only surviving buildings on this part of the beach road after the onslaught of Hurricane Katrina.

Now fourteen years after that devastating storm, Bay Saint Louis has had life breathed back into it. The beach road has been repaired, new shops and restaurants are thriving, a new marina has been built and and also a new bridge across the bay. Recently new condos are rising along the beach road.

And still the old theater stands amongst the new developments just as it has for decades.

I think it’s time to bring her back to life and keep an account of her glory days. We can start with a plaque.