Screen With A Voice: A History of Moving Pictures in Las Cruces, New Mexico (Mesilla Valley History Series)

The first projected moving pictures were shown in Las Cruces 110 years ago. Who exhibited those movies? What movies were shown? Since projected moving pictures were invented in 1896, why did it take ten years for the first movie exhibition to reach Las Cruces? Who opened the first theater in town? Where was it located? These questions began the history of moving pictures in Las Cruces, and they are answered in this book. But so are the events and stories that follow. First movie shown in Las Cruces First theater in Las Cruces First talkie shown in Las Cruces Invention of drive-in theater in Las Cruces Opening of Rio Grande Theater Impact of Great Depression on business Raffle of six-week-old baby girl at Mission Theater World premiere of first BILLY THE KID movie Second world premiere of a BILLY THE KID movie Arrival of Organ, Rocket, Fiesta, and Aggie Drive-Ins Shooting of Clint Eastwood's HANG 'EM HIGH There have been 21 movie theaters in Las Cruces - all but three or four are forgotten. They are unremembered no longer. And one, especially, the Airdome Theater which opened in 1914, deserves to be known by all movie historians - it was an automobile drive-in theater, the invention of the concept, two decades before movie history declares the drive-in was invented. To supplement this history are 102 photos and illustrations. These include ephemeral documents such as the 4-page flyer for Las Cruces' third movie exhibition, at the Rink Theater; historic photos of theaters; aerial photos of drive-ins; and never-before-published photos of the shooting of HANG 'EM HIGH. Cover: Depicts the 1930 world premiere of BILLY THE KID, starring John Mack Brown as Billy, at the Rio Grande Theater in Las Cruces.