Today, I am reading Vol. I, No. 2 of the 1935 edition of the Northampton Mercury, a rare copy of a weekly newspaper that had a short journalistic life. The paper was circulated in Coplay, Cementon, Catasauqua, Hokendauqua, Egypt, Howertown and Northampton.

In checking the dozens of 1935 advertisements, I found only one remaining business in existence and flourishing. Yes, the landmark Roxy. The paper carried a special column named “Roxy Newsettes.”

The Roxy we all know and love was originally known as the Lyric Theatre, which is the present Roxy building. The building was owned by Henry A. Miller, prominent local businessman who operated Miller’s Department Store and Miller’s Coal Yard. It was renamed Roxy in 1933. The admission charge was 30 cents for adults and 15 cents for children. This writer attended the Roxy on many occasions. We were greeted by the popular manager William “Bill” Sage, a fixture at the theater from 1937 until 1957. The Roxy was a major source of entertainment. There were no television or computer games in our living rooms at the time.

The “Roxy Newsette” told us about Shirley Temple. Remember the childhood movie prodigy? She starred in the films “Little Colonel” and “Bright Eyes,” and her latest film at the time was “Our Little Girl.” The paper stated Shirley was a sensational star and a dramatic artist beloved by millions. The film was so popular it was held over for enthusiastic audiences. There was even a Saturday special matinee 10 a.m. with free souvenirs for every child in attendance.

One lady said, “Watching Shirley Temple dance, act and sing temporarily took our minds off all the problems our family faced during the Depression.”

Another popular movie star was the vivacious Mae West in “Going to Town.”

For those who enjoy scary movies, the Roxy on Friday night was showing the blood-curdling universal drama “The Bride of Frankenstein,” featuring Boris Karloff. The progressive theater also introduced “Dish Nights” and “Bank Nights.” Some residents still treasure those dishes collected many years ago. In those Depression days, it was like owning fine china.

The Roxy, under the capable ownership of Mr. Richard Wolf, remains a popular entertainment venue, not only for Northampton, Coplay and Cementon but for folks from the entire Lehigh Valley. Mr. Wolf runs topflight films at affordable ticket prices, so families can enjoy a day or night at the grand theater.

On some of those hot, hazy days in August, families would walk to Catasauqua to see a movie at the Savoy Theater. Like the Roxy, their films featured stars of the 1930s, such as Maurice Chevalier and Ann Southern in “Folies Bergere.” There was also William Haines in “The Marines Are Coming,” as well as an all-time favorite James Cagney in “G-Men.” Similar to the Roxy, there was free dinnerware Wednesdays.

After the movies, there was fine eating if you had a couple of cents in your pocket. The Ideal Restaurant was on the corner of 18th and Main streets in Northampton; it was owned by C.H. Gross. In 1935, he offered special platters for 25 cents, coffee for 5 cents and homemade pie for 10 cents. Sunday-style chicken dinner was sold at 75 cents a plate. The site later became the Georgian Restaurant. Today, it is a Verizon Telephone building.

A warm thank you to Ms. Martha Capwell Fox for giving us permission to use photographs from the Arcadia “Catasauqua and North Catasauqua” book. Copies are still available online and in local book shops.

Next time, we will be walking up Main Street, Northampton, to get my shoes repaired. Bring a pair of your own along!