The Dan Patrick Show – Covino & Rich: Movie Theater Memories, Baseball Cards
Date: April 3, 2026
Hosts: Steve Covino, Rich Davis, Danny G, with callers and contributors
Theme: Nostalgia, Movie Theater Memories, Old School Pop Culture, and Baseball Cards
Episode Overview
This throwback episode celebrates the anniversary of the first permanent movie theater in LA—the Talley Theater, opened on this day in 1902. Covino & Rich riff on their earliest movie theater memories, discuss the evolution of the theater experience, share personal anecdotes and mishaps, and take lively listener calls about iconic first films and theater stories. The show’s latter part briefly touches on baseball card collecting, connecting to the ongoing "show and tell" theme. Sprinkled throughout are laughs, jabs, and tangents that embody the spirit of old-school radio and communal nostalgia.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Parents and Imperfect Family Memories
- Forgetting the Details: Both Covino & Rich poke fun at how their parents can’t recall major events from their childhoods, like the first movie they ever saw.
- Quote (03:14, Rich): “I know the first movie I took my daughter to...but my mom has no recollection of mine. Is it E.T.? Ninja Turtles? She can’t remember!”
- Quote (01:54, Covino): “You were a Boy Scout. How come you never told me?”
2. The Impact of First Movie Theaters
- Talley Theater Anniversary: The show’s structure centers around the celebration of the first ever permanent movie theater—Ten cents a ticket, five cents for kids.
- Quote (14:31, Covino): “On this day in 1902, the first ever permanent movie theater opened in Los Angeles. The Talley Theater...That’s roughly three to four dollars today.”
3. Movie Theater Experiences and Mishaps
- Drive-Ins vs. Walk-Ins: Reflections on drive-in nostalgia and how, in some places, "walk-in" theaters needed to be specified.
- Quote (04:09, Iowa Sam): “My parents would differentiate between a drive-in movie and a walk-in movie.”
- Movie-Hopping and Sneaking Around:
- Quote (08:29, Rich): “We’d buy one ticket, prop open a side door, and movie-hop all day.”
- Quote (27:59, Covino): “No way am I paying those candy prices! Isn’t everyone sneaking candy—or even burgers or Taco Bell—into the theater?”
- Assigned Seating & Upgrades:
- Quote (13:45, Covino): “The anxiety of not knowing where you’d sit...When they eliminated that with assigned seating, it might’ve been the best thing theaters have ever done.”
- Recliners and elevated experiences are now a given.
- Price Explosion: Insane current-day ticket prices, especially for families, are bemoaned.
- Quote (13:02, Rich): “IMAX for a family of four—over 100 bucks. Absurd.”
4. Most Memorable Firsts, Fails, and Stories
- Walking Out or Being Pulled Out:
- Covino’s mom pulling him out of “48 Hours” over bad language.
- Walking out of “Billy Elliot” after realizing it wasn’t the horror film “Blair Witch Project.”
- Leaving "My Father, The Hero" mid-movie for teenage romance.
- Sneaky Viewing Tactics:
- Movie-hopping and how parental quizzes forced kids to research the movie they were supposed to be seeing, not the R-rated one they actually watched.
- Sports Movies and Theater Memories:
- Covino saw “Rocky IV” in theaters and remembers the excitement and disappointment of “Rocky V.”
- Rich recalls seeing "Wildcats" and being let down by “Rocky V” as a kid.
- Discussions about VHS nostalgia vs. memorable moments on the big screen.
- Unusual Snack Choices:
- Bringing a rotisserie chicken into a theater.
- Quote (28:11, Iowa Sam): “I saw someone sneak in a rotisserie chicken once. Made the whole place smell amazing.”
5. Callers’ Contributions: Iconic and Absurd
- Star Wars Generation: Multiple listeners cite “Star Wars” and its sequels as their first film, with tales of packed lines and the difference between “drive-in” and “walk-in” experiences.
- Jurassic Park Trauma:
- Quote (31:11, Sean): “First time seeing the T-rex in the rain...my little brother’s bawling, my dad had to carry him out!”
- Theater Romances and Mishaps:
- Callers recall make-out sessions, sneaking into films, and attending truly bad movies (“Nothing But Trouble,” “Lightning Jack”).
- Quote (17:07, Tripp): “Katherine Heigl opposite Gerard Depardieu in My Father, The Hero… and yeah, weird times in the theater.”
6. Evolution of Theaters & Movie-Going Behavior
- Kids and Theater Habits:
- Assigned seating, elevated prices, toddler restrictions, and theaters becoming family events or date night exclusives.
- Drunk and Rowdy Viewings:
- Stories about sneaking alcohol into “A Muppets Christmas Carol” and getting busted by parents.
- Quote (22:54, Covino): “We snuck booze into the Muppets Christmas Carol...all of us got busted and it was still a good memory.”
7. Show and Tell: Baseball Cards & Collectibles
- Covino shares his pride over a framed set of classic baseball cards—a tribute to his childhood love of baseball and collecting.
- Quote (41:38, Covino): “I collected baseball cards like no one else. Made sweet trades, ripped kids off...traded Willie Randolph for a Bob Clemente.”
- The cards include Mickey Mantle, Reggie Jackson, Tom Seaver, Roberto Clemente and more.
Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)
- 03:14 (Rich, about parents): “My mom has no recollection of my first movie. Is it E.T.? Ninja Turtles? She can’t remember!”
- 08:29 (Rich, on movie-hopping): “We’d buy one ticket...prop open the back door by the dumpsters, and we’d plot out, like, three movies. Movie-hop all day.”
- 13:45 (Covino, on assigned seating): “The fact that you could get there and not have to worry about where you’ll sit — that anxiety is gone now.”
- 31:11 (Sean, caller, on Jurassic Park): “Seeing the T-rex...my younger brother starts bawling, Dad’s gotta carry him out. I trooped it out.”
- 27:59 (Covino, on concessions): “No way am I paying those candy prices! Isn’t everyone standing to go to the dollar store?”
- 41:38 (Covino, on baseball cards): “I collected baseball cards like no one else...ripped kids off...traded a Willie Randolph for a Bob Clemente because they had no idea who it was.”
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 00:55–03:14: Show & Tell introduction, generational memory lapses about first movies.
- 03:52–14:31: Full dive into movie theater nostalgia: drive-ins, first movies, pricing, seating anxiety, and favorite/least favorite films.
- 15:02–20:10: Listener calls begin: awkward theater stories, first movies (lots of Star Wars), sneaky viewings.
- 20:30–22:01: Sports movie memories and firsts.
- 22:31–28:11: Theater food smuggling, “illegal” theater snacks, and classic movie mishaps.
- 28:11–30:16: Rapid-fire first movie/rowdy movie experiences, special mentions of “Point Break,” “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Goonies.”
- 30:53–35:34: More calls—Jurassic Park, Rambo, Stepbrothers, sports comedies, and Pulp Fiction.
- 40:29–43:00: Show and Tell: Baseball cards, Yoda-Yoshi bobblehead, wiffle ball, old headshots.
Episode Tone & Takeaways
- Tone: Playful, self-deprecating, filled with ’80s/’90s pop culture references, inside jokes, and audience engagement.
- Spirit of the Show: Covino & Rich make even the most embarrassing adolescence and “bad movie” moments into communal nostalgia. Listeners and hosts bond over movie mishaps, weird theater encounters, the high cost and comfort of modern cinemas, and a shared love of collecting—be it tickets, baseball cards, or memories.
Summary Table: Top Listener Movie Memories
| Caller/Host | First/Notable Movie | Memorable Moment | |------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Covino | 48 Hours | Mom pulled out for cursing (06:02) | | Rich | Ninja Turtles, Pulp Fiction | Saw the wrong/too mature movies as a kid (03:00, 34:27) | | Manny (El Paso) | Godzilla, La Bamba (Drive-in) | Witnessed an NSFW moment; caught La Bamba drive-in remake mention | | Eddie (Indiana) | Star Wars | “Sets you up for everything after” (16:11) | | Tripp (Vegas) | My Father, The Hero | Teenage “departing” for romance, info on Gerard Depardieu film | | Sean (Texas) | Jurassic Park | Little brother freaked at T-rex, dad had to leave (31:11) | | Alex (El Paso) | Stepbrothers | Saw with parents during family argument, “boats n hoes” |
Final Thoughts
Fans of the Covino & Rich show—and anyone who’s grown up with both movie theaters and VHS tapes—will find themselves reflected in these stories of firsts, friendships, flops, and family. The hosts’ chemistry, the blend of sports and pop culture, and lively audience participation make this a quintessential “Throwback Thursday” episode.