000074 Visit since
Señor Teodoro Ponce and young Eduardo
Guzmán were both Mayors of Puerto Vallarta. Each one served a six-month
term. The first time that we saw a silent movie was in
the back porch of the Billiard Saloon, across from the Square where the Bank of
Mexico (Banamex) is now. Agrand opening took place showing a few episodes of The
Broken Coin. Don Paco Fernández, a local Spaniard
gentleman, was in charge of getting everything ready for the movie. He was a distant
relative of famous artist María Conesa. In 1926,
Señor David Ana, descendant of Arabs, came to Vallarta. He opened a silent
movie theater. He ran a successful series of seasonal shows at Saucedo Theater. The
theater and movie shows were advertised in a picturesque way. The orchestra paraded
down the streets of Vallarta playing fashionable tunes. There was a theater crier,
who announced the shows for the evening. This was called a convite (invitation).
In the afternoons, the musicians would play fashionable tunes at the entrance
of the theater to attract the public to the show. There were peddlers on the sidewalk
selling fresh peanuts in shell, sugar cane and baked glazed fruit. Don Rumaldo
Gutiérrez made the best glazed fruit. He sold polvorones (powder sugar
cookies); sweet rolls called puchas (no translation), puerquitos (piggy), ojo
de buey (ox eyes), and a large variety of breads and cookies. Señor Gutiérrez
was the grandfather of the present owners of Rizo Supermarket. In
particular I remember Heliodoro Castillón, nicknamed "El Colimote"
(no translation). His recipes for old-fashioned Mexican candy were unique. Some
of the favorites were cinnamon and coconut and burnt milk) and mints. He was short,
slim, and walked fast carrying a heavy wooden vat on top of his head loaded with
candy to sell. Every afternoon, he would walk by the Malecón (seafront)
offering his products with a song in rhyme… "here is your colimote coming
by the Malecón!" …..--¡¡hay de piña para la
niña!!" (We have pineapple candy for the little girl). He continued
selling candy until he died of old age. No one has been able to reproduce his
candy recipes since he passed away. Continuing my narration
of Saucedo Theater on opening nights, I should mention that peddlers used pale,
wan oil lamps to light their products on the sidewalk. The theater had its own
electricity. We all dressed up to go to the Theater. Men
more pambeche suits (a linen-like fabric, which was named after Palm Beach), ties
and derby hats. Theater companies would bring popular
song performers. We would sing and dance along to tunes such as, Kisses and Cherries,
Mi querido Capitán (My dear Captain), and others that escape my mind. It
wasn't until 11 years later that silent movies developed into talkies. In 1937,
the Rocha family, Don Sabino, Doña Piedad and their children Román,
Lucía, Josefina and Manuel, arrived in Puerto Vallarta from Puebla de los
Angeles. They brought silent moviemaking machines to earn a living. The first
show took place on the back patio of Señor Daniel Lepe's house where Los
Benitos restaurant is now. The movie Tempest in the Brain was a Texan film. They
also showed clips of Mutt and Jeff cartoons. Everybody enjoyed the show and laughed
heartily when Don Sabino emulated the horses trotting and whinnying. Román
his son was the technician; Manuel the other son, announced the shows, and Doña
Piedad was the ticket clerk. Everybody admired the hardworking,
loving Rocha family. When they were not busy working on upcoming shows they would
put together plays casting the family. Román and his younger sister, Lucía
, who was only 10 years old at the time, were the stars. Lucía, would sign
popular songs such as El Carretero se va, ya se va para Sayula, y el carretero
no va porque le falta una mula… (The carriage driver is leaving, ready to
go to Sayula, but a mule is missing and he can't leave without it). The Rocha
family performed in a play called "En un burro Tres Barurros")("Three
peasants on a burro"). In 1937, Señor Jesús
Partida from Ixtlán del Río opened the first sound movie theater
at Salón Miramar, property of Don Agustín Flores, located in a warehouse
across from the lighthouse. The first talkies were "Irma la Mala" ("Bad
Erma"), and "El Baúl Macabro" ("The haunted Chest").
Others that were released later "Allá en el Rancho Grande" ("At
the Rancho Grande") with Esther Fernández and Tito Guízar,
and "La Zandunga" with Lupe Vélez. Señor Partida was the
first man to take movie shows to nearby villages, transporting his equipment rustically
on a dump truck covered with tarp. The Rocha family followed
the movie business buying a state-of- the - art sound system. At last, Vallarta
had two outdoor movie theaters. The theaters were empty lots used as corrals during
the day. Every time there was a show, animals were let out and people in. The
reader can imagine how uncomfortable that was!! Although there were no seats,
that didn't stop us. We brought our own chairs from home. During monsoon season
we had to suffer the inclemency of the weather. It would rain on us very hard
and we would cover our heads with the chairs. We found these situations humorous!
Technical sound problems were a constant challenge. Many times the show was interrupted
for technical issues and we had to go home. The following evening we would return
to see the end of the movie. On August 22, 1942, Cine
Morelos opened its doors to the public. The proprietors were Cristóbal
Ruelas and his partner Chato García. Though it was an outdoor movie theater,
it was far more comfortable than before. On the grand
opening night at Cine Morelos, the movie theater was decorated with bright and
colorful Chirstmas-tree lights. The opening show was "Más Allá
de las Lágrimas" (Beyond Tears") starring popular comedian Chicote. Going
to the movies became the main attraction in Vallarta. Local people as well as
newcomers gathered to socialize at the movie theater. The
movie theater business climaxed at the opening of luxurious state-of-the -art
Cine Bahía in 1971. The theater had all the comforts of the big city. Many
shows and ceremonies that enhanced our culture have taken place at Cine Bahía
over the years. Since 1971, three more movie theaters
and two Centers of the Art have been added and proved an asset to the local community.
Center of the Arts and Movie Theater Elizabeth Taylor is located in Emiliano Zapata
colony. Catalina
Montes de Oca Aguilar
Read Doña
Catalina Montes de Oca Aguilar Autobiography
Archives
by date Note: The segments from
the book "Puerto Vallarta en mis Recuerdos" -both versions- are published
in PVMirror.com with the express authorization of Sra. Yolanda Contreras de Garduño,
co-author of the work and owner of the copyrights thereto. Any reproduction thereof,
partial or total, in any medium is prohibited. Note:
Distinguished reader, if you know of any story, anecdote, biography or event,
or if you have any photographs that you feel should be presented to the world
through this section, or if you know someone we should interview to get more information
on the history of Vallarta, please feel free to contact us at: editor@pvmirror.com To
purchase the book
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