National Twin Theater Grand Opening & Chill Wills
As fate would have it, in 1971 I was 12 years old, and momma had read that actor Chill Wills would be in Corpus Christi for world premier and grand opening of the fancy National Twin Theaters on Staples at Carroll Lane. Feature film was Escape From The Planet Of The Apes! Wow! So we were riding down Shoreline stalking him, at least now it is called stalking, but knew he was staying at the Ramada Inn, now called Bayfront Inn. Above the check in area you can drive under, on top is sort of big deck. Damned if I know how to get up there, but my mom spotted Chill standing up there taking in the panoramic beautiful view of T & L heads. She screeched 'THERE HE IS!!' to my dad driving our 62 Rambler wagon, he turned around and pulled into parking lot.She jumped out and started yelling 'Mister Wills! Mister Wills! I am big fan my maiden name is Wills!' Of course me & brother Tommy got out wondering what all the hullabaloo was about, never seen momma act like a fool. Who was this guy? Old boyfriend from WW2? Guy from church? Popeye? As he was bald.
Mister Wills told her to stay there he be right back, and moments later said 'here are 4 tickets to tonights premier at the National Twin opening!' and tossed them down, the wind caught them but Tommy & me grabbed them like doubloons. They stood there yakking for about 5 minutes, and said goodbye, and she said thanks, got in the Rambler & drove off.
I had to actually wear shoes (gasp!) to the movie theater, wow this was HUGE change from the Centre Theater downtown and Woodlarn in Saxet Heights we were used to. I had little camera and took several photos of mister Wills sitting in lavish couch in front of theater. I do not know where those photos are, but am guessing in my late brother Tommy's collection. Good photo for 1971 camera. The Mayor was there Jack Blackmon, not sure if he got free tickets too, be did. The actress in the movie was Linda Harrison and she was hot and wore skimpy clothing. I sat next to my dad and he mumbled 'I would like to be marooned on a planet with HER!' Lucky momma didn't hear it or would have looked like a Jerry Springer show.
That was one of the few movies we went to, another was later(?) Yours, Mine & Ours with Lucille Ball. At this theater, later in 8th grade a friend of mine lived right behind Ray & we used to sneak in back door of it, watched dozens of movies including American Graffiti. The Grand Opening of the National Twin was covered by Caller Times,
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/20867100/
as not every day grand opening anything and big movie star stops in.
Photo #1 is Natioal Twin in heyday. Photo #2 is deck of Ramada Inn downtown on Shoreline whihc has since been tornw down. Chill tossed us tickets from deck! Photo #3 is stunningly beautiful actress Linda Harrison from movie Planet Of The Apes, or which Chill Wills was in town for the Grand Opening even though not in movie. Photo #5 is arial view of the Ramada Icc, now gone. Photo #6 is photo I took of National Twin in 2019, like lot of stuff in my hometown, abandoned and forgotten.