Sunday, July 23, 2017

TIME MACHINE: Marva Theater, J. Dawson Clarke.


  Our Little Corner In Space And Time    












(Reader-friendly viewing of news archives/historical archives material)

February, 1958




December, 1958






PPE Footnotes:


Word around town was that  Dawson would remove snips of film that he felt were not suitable for family viewing at the theater. 

Over the instrumental strains of his musical theme "My Happiness" the mellow voice of J. Dawson Clarke greeted his audience from WBOC's Pocomoke City radio studio located on the northeast block of Willow Street. 





His Monday through Friday mid-morning program began in 1950 and aired for more than twenty years. During Dawson's Saturday morning "Teen Town Record Club" kids from about five through early teens crowded the small studio for the live program and a chance for prize giveaways such as candy and records.

During the early days of local television Dawson accompanied Eastern Shore Of Virginia singer Brooks Russell on the piano on entertainment programs (Russell later started WESR radio in Tasley). 

Dawson moved to Pocomoke City from Dover in the 1920's and for many years did professional  photography.

He was a proud booster of Pocomoke City and was elected to nine terms as mayor serving from 1968-1986. He didn't run for a tenth term and passed away in April, 1986 less than a couple of weeks before his 81st birthday. Councilman Curt Lippoldt succeeded him as mayor.


J. Dawson Clarke

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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes, Dawson did "edit" movies by snipping out scenes that he thought were racy. Of course he had to replace the edited footage before sending the movies back but that was not hard with 35mm film. The movies always arrived in big "hatboxes" on the Trailways bus and one could often see Dawson at the bus station picking up or returning the films.

The Mayor was definitely not a morning person. He and Hattie rarely went to bed before 1:00 am and did not like to arise until at least 10:00 am.

Most of the customers of the MarVa were children and there was always much cheering, whistling and applause when the lights were dimmed for the show. I was astounded the first time I saw a movie in Salisbury because everyone was silent as the lights dimmed and that was just not the way I was accustomed to.

Your friend,
Slim

Unknown said...

In the 70s at this theater, African Americans were required to sit up stairs in the hard wood seats, and enter the theater through the side door. If something was funny in the movie which would require laughter, Dawson Clark would shine his flashlight in our face and threaten to kick us out of the theater