Programme sparks Mix of memories

A 70-year-old theatre programme brought back memories for Codsall man Keith Dalloway when he saw the name of American film star Tom Mix.

He was the king of the cowboys when Ronald Reagan and John Wayne were youngsters.

As a teenager, Keith's mother Gladys Orme used to tell him about feeding chips to Tom Mix's horse during his stint at the old Wolverhampton Hippodrome in Queen Square in 1939.

The horse was stabled at The Fox public house in North Street, almost opposite her home in Charles Street in the city centre.

And although Gladys never got to meet Tom Mix, who made more than 300 movies and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, she became well-acquainted with his trusty steed.

The programme was uncovered by Keith's friend, Wednesfield electrician Gordon Parrish, when he was clearing a house.

Construction worker Keith, aged 66, who lives in Histons Hill, Cosdall, said: "It was an incredible find. My mother had always told me of this cowboy called Tom Mix who came to the Hippodrome. |n fact she never stopped going on about it.

"My brother and I would listen but we didn't have a clue who he was.

"There were two pubs called The Fox in the town and she lived opposite what people called "the bottom Fox", which is still there, by Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club, and it was there that the horse was stabled.

"My mother was about 17 or 18 at the time and worked at an enameler's in Charles Street. She said the horse, called Tony, was quite small. Tom Mix used it in his act called Rodeo Frolics and took it around all the theatres.

"Over the years I've bored my friends with the same story but obviously Gordon was listening because he recognised the name and brought it round to show us – I couldn't believe it."

Tom Mix made a reported 336 films between 1910 and 1935, all but nine of which were silent features.