In the fall (September probably) of 1958, I owned a 1950 Ford 4 door sedan and Alford Smallwood, Don Moore (aka Bitty)  and I went to Tommy’s on a Thursday night about 8:30 or perhaps a wee bit later when your older brother Butch and some more guys and gals started a “Snake Dance” around Tommy’s, and before I knew it we were all holding hands and running around chanting “Beat (some school we were playing football Friday night).  All we could do was follow the person in front, and we went across Andrews Highway (Stopping traffic as we went) and over toward the Broncho Drive In theater. As you will recall, the exit was just west of the huge sign and screen and the apartment below the sign was where the operators lived.(The Broncho was one of the drive in theaters that The Scott’s didn’t own They owned the Plains, and the Twin Terrace at that time. This was before we had the Holiday out south of town. But we did have the Twin Cactus on East 8^th.) Anyway, the leaders of the Snake Dance didn’t know (Nor did they care) about the older man who watched the exit for "sneakers" (People who sneak into the exit of drive in theaters with hopes of not getting caught and thus seeing the movie for free). Of course, I knew about him because I worked for Euall Bryan at Permian Ice Company at 17^th and Grant and had delivered ice to all the drive in theaters. We usually delivered the ice before the movies started but occasionally we would get calls for ice after the movie had begun and then we would drive in the exit and just flash our headlights at the guard and leave our parking lights on until we reached the concession stands. The guard at the Broncho was especially diligent because he was an old feller and cherished catching people doing illicit things. Anyway, as the snake approached the exit and started through the gate, I saw the guard’s headlights flash, then they came on and stayed on as we passed before him inside his car. All this time, we’re all chanting “BEAT (School Name) and just kept on running and snaking in and out of the cars at the theater whose occupants were trying to watch the movie. Of course, all this snaking and chanting aroused the moviegoers and they all started honking their horns and flashing their headlights as we ran in front and back of them. Finally, the leaders took us out through the entrance and I saw the astonished look on the faces of the money takers as we went by.  Thankfully  they didn’t recognize me then as I was only one of a hundred or so kids and we were still chanting and hollering, and laughing at our great feat. 

Well, even before we got back to Tommy’s the cops were everywhere on Andrews Highway, but what could they do to that many kids all at once? They had their overhead lights flashing and traffic had come to a complete standstill as we ran back into Tommy’s sanctuary. The police took Butch and several others into their cars and started downtown with them. Alarmed at this, several guys and gals began collecting money to bail them all out of jail. Well, they were sure asking for a lot because most of us didn’t have very much money if any at all, but we gave them all we had because of the urgency of the situation, or so we thought at the time. There were several police cars parked all over Tommy’s lot and, someone unscrewed one of the police car’s radio antenna in the melee. The young officer who was driving that particular car got in and tried using his two-way radio when he discovered that he had no signal. That’s when someone suggested to him that he needed an antenna for his radio to operate correctly. There were probably 70-80 guys and gals standing around all the cars and the young officer didn’t have a clue as to how he was going to explain the missing antenna from his patrol car. He just had that look on his face. He got out of the car and started talking to us, pleading for the antenna to be returned!! You know those antennas are just held on to the base with a threaded stud and could be removed with a small wrench. Nearly all the guys (Gearheads) carried a small Cresent wrench or had access to one in their cars. Anyway, the young officer went searching for another older, more experienced officer and when they eventually returned the older officer looked at all of us just standing there with our hands in our pockets and explained the situation that if we didn’t return the antenna, this young feller would likely lose his job. Of course, we all cheered and clapped our hands and the officers just looked around at all of us and shook their heads. They went back towards the front of Tommy’s and all of a sudden we gathered around the car that was missing the antenna and someone, re-installed it. I can’t say who it was for sure, but he did have the antenna screwed back in nothing flat. It was not me. 

Someone was yelling that we all needed to go to the police station on 3^rd Street to help bail the leaders out with the money they had collected. So, we all jumped in our cars and started for downtown, only to see the leaders walking down Grant Street, about the 500 block or so, back towards Tommy’s. Of course, the guys and gals who had collected the bail money for the release of the prisoners were the happiest because they had enough money to buy beer for all the leaders, or so we found out later. We also found out later that the police just took the leaders downtown and talked to them and turned them loose and told them to walk back to Tommy’s. All and all, it was a very eventful night. Just one of many in Odessa in those Golden Years. 

I worked for Permian Ice the summer before I started OHS and on through the summer of 1959 was an exciting place because of its’ location, just south of Weldon’s aka Dairy Queen before Weldon bought it in 1960 or so, and it was caddy-cornered from  Roy’s Drive In, where a lot of older kids hung out because they sold beer. We kept the ice house and Texaco service station open until 10PM every night so there was a lot of exciting things happening there and up and down Grant and Andrews Highway. I think I should write a book about my experiences of growing up in Odessa. Boy, did I have some great times or what?!!

Hello Mike,

I was at the reunion and had a wonderful time. Sharing memories with old friends and making new friends.  It seems that everyone feels the same way I do. We grew up in a very good era. I remember my mother telling me that if she couldn’t find me at home she would just call Tommy’s and I would be there….that was my home away from home.  Thank you so much for the picture, I already have it framed and it is hanging in my home in Lubbock, Texas……. 

We were so lucky to have grown up in the age of innocence, without drugs and without all the horrible things that take place in our country today. I remember going trick or treating with my friends or going Christmas caroling and being invited in by complete strangers for hot coco or popcorn balls…riding my bicycle until dark and not being afraid….Odessa in the 50’s, it was the BEST of times. 

Thank you for the wonderful web site, please keep it going. 

Jackie (Brown) Worthey