By Rene Torres
According to economist, “The Stock Market crash of 1929 was
the beginning and/or a symptom of the Great Depression.” The “Depression”, which lasted for about ten
years, caused mass poverty as many people lost their jobs and had no choice but
to live in shanty towns. It was said
then,” That those that were rich in the roaring twenties were reduced to
selling apples and pencils on street corners.”
Families lost all their possessions, were divided and forced
to go on Public Relief. The era created
more hoboes and drifters than ever before.
Word spread throughout the country that the Rio Grande
Valley was prosperous; with a mild climate and that you could eat as many
grapefruits as your stomach could hold.
It was a combination of these reasons that a flood of bums, hoboes and
drifters made their way to the Valley.
“They came in record numbers—more than this region had seen
before,” said local peace officers. A
newspaper report read “The highways of the Valley are literally lined with
human driftwood, hobbling along the side of the road, or footing it along the
railroad tracks.”
Brownsville today, is not absent of baggers, but what the
city experienced then was a stranger at every corner. They were at street intersections appealing
for money, waiting for rides and at the backdoor of many homes looking for
food. In the Valley, the most vulnerable
to the ills of the period were kids.
The Adventures of Tom
Sawyer comes to the rescue…
During the decade, Brownsville and the rest of the Valley
was deeply touched by the hard times of the period. This city, according to Mark Fanning, Capitol
Theater manager, saw the rise of more poor kids than ever before. Fanning wanted to do something to bring some
instant smiles to those that could not afford to go to the movies.
Speaking then, Fanning said, “I’d hate for a child in
Brownsville to miss seeing this classic of child life, The Adventures of Tom
Sawyer. This is why I am giving tickets
to poor children.”
The idea was to bring some joy to the less fortunate by
inviting them to the movie theater. Perhaps
a movie would redeem some life into the poor sentiments of the period. .
Tom Sawyer, the novel, was written by Mark Twain in 1876
which eventually made its way into film.
The movie has been filmed and animated many times since its inception
and the first was a silent version in 1907.
The classic movie came to Brownsville in Technicolor in 1938—ten
years after the Capitol Theater had opened its doors on February 14, 1928.
On that day there were many in the audience that could
identify with the adventures and escapades of the lead character.
The movie reminded
all of us of the importance of imagination and having fun, especially whether
you lived along the Mississippi or the Rio Grande River.
An afternoon at the movies was a rich experience for all.
And perhaps for a couple of hours, the pains and wounds of the “Depression” were
less than before.
John C. Fanning at one time was the manager of both the
Queen and Capitol Theaters. He was very
prominent in local civic affairs and in the advancement of a “Better
Brownsville.” His deeds went beyond
talk.
Throughout the years, the Capitol Theater was a source of
inspiration to the citizens of this community.
It was a venue where people from all walks of life gathered to witness a
premier, a stage performance by local talent and/or a Hollywood movie
star.
But more importantly, it played a major role during WW II in
“Brownsville’s Scrap Iron Drive.” The
ticket to the movies was a piece of scrap iron— hundreds of kids lined Levee
Street to do their part on the home front.
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