By Douglas C. Towne | Special for the Republic
Imagine Maryvale as a glamorous destination where shipwrecked millionaire Thurston Howell III of “Gilligan’s Island” fame bowled a few frames with developer John F. Long. Then pretend they were cheered on by a fetching future Bond girl and an iconic mobster of the silver screen.
Although this west Phoenix neighborhood is on the upswing thanks in part to Grand Canyon University, such a scenario featuring Hollywood celebrities recreating in Maryvale today sounds as unlikely as a nailing a 7-10 “goalpost” bowling split.
But things were very different when the Maryvale Shopping City opened in 1959. It was the largest shopping center between Dallas and the West Coast. Not only did the retail center feature department and specialty stores typically found in malls, but customers also had the convenience of picking up a loaf of bread at two supermarkets and unleashing strikes at the Bowlero Bowling Lanes.
