Houston: Remember When - Part 3 - Just For Fun

This episode of "Houston: Remember When" series was produced in 1999 by KUHT-TV. I did a lot of the old film transfers (not all) that appear in the production at my facility on Heights Blvd. (since torn down).
Take a nostalgic journey through Houston’s vibrant history of fun and entertainment! This episode of "Houston, Remember When – Just For Fun" explores the city’s most beloved amusement parks, dance halls, race tracks, and social events from the 1920s through the 1950s. Hear firsthand stories about iconic places like Luna Park, Playland Park, the Aragon Ballroom, the El Dorado Ballroom, the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show, the Polar Wave Ice Palace, and Buff Stadium. Discover how Houstonians came together for excitement, music, sports, and unforgettable memories. Whether you remember these places or are learning about them for the first time, this video is a celebration of Houston’s unique spirit of fun!

0:00:00 — Introduction & overview of Houston’s fun history
0:00:29 — Amusement parks: Whoopee, Luna Park, Playland Park, Kiddie Wonderland
0:23:20 — Transition to dance halls and ballrooms: Aragon Ballroom, Rice Hotel, El Dorado Ballroom, The End of Main, Hi Hat, Plantation, Southern Dinner Club, Bronze Peacock, Reno Club, Congo Jungle
1:03:10 — Horse racing and auto racing: Epsom Downs, Houston Speedway, Playland Park racing, Arrowhead Park
1:24:56 — Pin Oak Charity Horse Show: origins, social impact, and traditions
1:34:35 — Ice skating and broomball: Polar Wave Ice Palace
1:40:56 — Baseball: Houston Eagles, Buff Stadium, and the Houston Buffs

Featured speakers include:
Nancy Ames,
Doris Barnes Howell,
Edith Hearn Curry,
William Eckhardt,
Essie Gayle Richey,
Earline Trone Larson,
Ed Gerlach,
Elizabeth Drane,
Elizabeth E. Raney,
Frank McMillian,
David K. Hughes Sr,
Elva K. Dumas,
Mary Alice Mabry,
Clayton Baird,
Patricia A. Campbell,
Robert E. James,
Glenn McCarthy,
John Glaze,
Carmalee DeGeorge,
Pat Brown,
Mildred Limon,
Benny C. Martinez,
Donald T. Mabry,
Janet Moore,
Raul G. Navarro,
Buck Prince,
Charles Prince,
John R. Green,
Paul Perez Jr,
JoAnn Bunde,
Thomas E. LeVrier,
Barbara Newman,
Jane King Sloane,
Lanier Greig,
F. David Smith,
Birdia Churchwell,
Juanita Greig,
Mrs. Fred Gibbons,
Jann Stewart,
Eloisa L. Morales,
August C. Bering III,
Georgia D. Provost,
Claudia Jones Lewis,
Booker T. Caldwell,
Calvin Owens,
Skipper Lee Frazier,
Thelma Scott Bryant,
Harry G. Jamail,
Catherine Eisemann,
Jake L. Wilk Jr,
Dorothy Young,
Louis Davidson,
Dorothy G. Meeker,
Joe E. Rogers,
Frances Jamail,
Frank Dominguez,
Emilio Sarabia,
Flora M. Rodriguez,
Isabel Dominguez,
Barbara Newman,
Genevieve P. Demme,
Marcella D. Perry,
Charles Butterfras,
Allen E. Gene Russell,
E. George Nash,
M. J. Burton,
William R. LeVrier,
Ronnie Chumley,
Charles R. Schild,
Ann G. Moore,
Vince Wholey,
Ken Hawkins,
Jeanette Clift George,
Edwin H. Dyer Jr,
Bill Beverly,
Patrick Patterson,
Roy H. Cullen,
W. P. Weidman,
Allen H. Russell