The image below shows an ad published in The Fort Bend Mirror on October 13, 1965. The Palms Theater was putting on a combination horror movie and stage show, which was pretty rare. I don't remember attending this show - judging by the description I would remember it if I did.
I DO remember attending a stage show, but it was a matinee magic show for kids. At one point the magician asked for a volunteer to participate in a trick. Ralph Barnidge was the victim. He may have been an usher at the time, which means he was probably a plant. Anyway, the magician hypnotized him and put a spell on him so he couldn't bend his right arm after he extended it straight out. The magician brought him out of the trance and then asked him quite casually to extend his right arm. Of course, he couldn't bend it once it was extended from his body. Somebody needs to ask him if the trick was legit.
I can remember lots of incidents that happened at The Palms, or The Psalms as some of my crowd called it. I know we've talked about this before, but you could get a 'ship wreck' or 'suicide' at the fountain. Those were the names for a mixture of all the drinks available at the fountain - I think there were just four. Of course, you could also get candy cigarettes, Slo-Pokes (which would pull out your fillings), Junior Mints, Red Hots, and all kinds of other stuff. Their popcorn was the best - probably the result of years of baked-in oil, salt, etc.
Who could forget "The Tingler," "The Skull," "The Killer Shrews," and some of the 3-D movies.
