Comments from rayhutto

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rayhutto
rayhutto commented about Colonial Theatre on Feb 8, 2010 at 5:16 pm

Hey guys, today, Feb 8th 2010, I was at the very location of the Colonial Theatre. 128 Hancock is right. The tile still reads that name and the space where the Box Office was is easy to see on the tile too. It is accross from the Campus Theatre (recently remodeled etc).
The only error I can comment on it the seat capcity of 350. The space where the pool hall is is only about 30 ft wide and 60+ ft long. The bar tender showed us a picture enlarged from a 1912 Postcard and it showed the front and captioned Colonial Theatre Lobby-The Pride of Milledgeville. Unless walls were put in later to narrow it it was not big enough for the 350 capacity. Even the postcard showed about the same dimensions as they are today at the pool hall. The Lobby went back about 24 ft to a wall. On that wall was the Box Office. Then on both sides were doors that he said went into the Theatre and pointed out the port hole where the Movie was shown from. The projection was done at the rear of the Theatre toward the front. Evidently the screen was on the back of the Lobby wall.
Anyway thanks for all the info you'all posted.
If you want pics of the photos i made just send request to be sure the indicate Colonial Theatre pics.
Take care, Ray

rayhutto
rayhutto commented about Forest Hills Drive-In on Nov 29, 2009 at 9:36 pm

We had a small Investment with a Copany named IDS. The Augusta Ga. Manager (I don’t remember his name) had come by to see us at our Music Store , Bandstand Music on Old Savannah Rd, Augusta..I.was in the middle of building in our Southside Cinema at the time. He told us an amazing story about how he actually bought the Forest Hills Drive-In Theatre.
He sai in the year approx1957=58 he was stationed at Fort Gordon. He and his wife and kids would go to the Forest Hills often to see Movies. One night he went alone because his Wife and kids went to see his Wife’s Parents out of Town. At Intermission he went to the Concession Stand and it was really packed. He was standing in line near the Counter and commented to the wprkers “looks like you could use a hand”. The Manager said yes if you could help boxing Popcorn etc it would really help. Before he left that night he was hired by the Manager for Concession work. He was soon out of the Army and continued to work there. Then the Manager said he had gotten permission from the owners to hire an Asst Manager, So in that position he did fine.It had only been about 6 months earlier that he had been hired and now he is Asst Manager. Then a few months later the Manager said he was going on Vacation. So he Managed the Drive-In for a few weeks. The Manager returned as was real happy with things. Then some months later the Manager informed that he was movinh away and had told the owners the new Asst would make a good Manager. All this took place in a little over a year. The Mgr persauded him to be Manager. So now he was Manager. Things went along fine and within a year the owners paid him a visit. He had never really meet the Owner. The Owner(s) said they wanted to sell the Drive-In.
They asked if he wanted it. He said he couldn’t afford it,.However they made him a very good offer with Down payment and payments. So now he was the new owner.
He said he and his Wife were really going to work hard being they were working for (themselves).He sad his wife and kids would go out on Highway sides and pick Blueberrys , take them home and make pies and also cakes and sell them by the slice. Also he would get young Boys to churn homemade Ice Cream in about 20+ Churns in front of the Concession Stand by letting the Boys Family in free.
They really were making good money he said.About a year later he said some Inveastors calleed on him and wanted to buy the whole thing, really after the Land.
He said had noticed how Television was affecting the market and decided to sell.
He said he would not tell us how much $ he sold it for but he had done very well. So from 3-4 years after helping in Concession he had bought and sold the Forrest Hills Drive-In Theatre. I think this is a great and True Story,The Location is where Sky City was built on Wrightsboro Rd.Augusta, Ga.
Thanks for reading it.
Ray Hutto

rayhutto
rayhutto commented about Rialto Theatre on Oct 29, 2009 at 8:47 pm

Hey guys, I know exactly where the Rialto theatre was located. I work as Guitar Tech at Rock Bottom music in Augusta, Ga. All I have to do is look across the Street and see the Casella Opticians Office (767 Broad St).Here is a true story: When I was about 4 yrs old my Dad, Mom, Sister Annette and me would go to the Rialto and Modjeska to see westerns. One night Dub Taylor (Cannonball Taylor) was in person at the Rialto. He played in many Weterns as a sidekick. You may not know this but Dub was from here in Augusta, Ga. Anyway he was on Stage, he sang, Danced, and played his Xylophone. Then he went down into the Crowd with a mic and the Spotlight was on him. Mom was holding Annette, she was about 2 years old. Dub commented on her and asked to hold her. He said what a cute little Girl etc. I was a “big deal” to us.
Years later in 1983 Dub was going to be in Augusta at a gun shop and the Public was invited. My Dad, my Friends Mike Rogers, Billy Barkley and I went to see him. We also took snapshots and Autogaphs. etc. I told him about the Rialto that night around 1945-6 and he said beleive it or not I really remember that night, saying he never had picked up a child in the Audience before that night or since. He was an OK guy.
Thanks for reading,
Ray Hutto

rayhutto
rayhutto commented about No. 1 Drive-In on Sep 30, 2009 at 9:01 pm

When my Friend Bobby Matthews and I were hired by Mr Horton we had to help clean up the grounds, cut grass, and do other things to get the Drive In ready to open (60 cents an hour, we couldn’t beleive we were making a penny a minute). Before then we would walk through the Drive In and sometimes we would actually pull speakers off the posts just being destructive idiots.
Well, Bobby told Mr Horton that my Dad was an Electrician so Mr Horton had me to, yep, rewire all those Speakers.
Mr Horton worked hard to get the projectors and sound working and at first had a very large speaker setting just outside the Concession Stand for the sound. This was temporary. He soon had the car speakers working.
We helped them to hire some other friends of the same age (14-16 yrs) to work in the Concession Stand and Box Office. We cleaned up the Concession , mopped floors etc. I worked out a schedule for all of us on different nights as a rotating type schedule.Usually 2 of us on weeknights and 3-4 on Weekend nights. They charged 50 cents for 1 person (blue ticket) and $1.00 for a carload (red ticket).
In front, nearest the Highway was the No 1 Barbecue. A Disc Jockey Booth was there a was Broadcast on WGAC, They played teen records of that time era.The DJ there would also commnicate with another DJ at Lakeside. That was a simular Teen hangout. One DJ would check to see if the other had a certain 45rpm record to play as a request.
NOTE: If you go to Google Earth, then put in Augusta, Ga Econo Paint you can see the outlines of ramps in the open lot across from Econo Paint, and the cement slab that was the Concession and Projection Booth.
Those were some really great days…..
Thanks for reading this,
Ray Hutto

rayhutto
rayhutto commented about Skyview Drive-In on Sep 30, 2009 at 8:26 pm

PS
If you go to Google Earth. Then Augusta, Ga. Then put in “Olive Road” you can find the site where the Skyview Drive In Theatre used to be. There is a very large Church on the site now however if you look close behind the Church Buildings you can still see outlines of the automobile ramps on the ground.
Thanks,
Ray Hutto

rayhutto
rayhutto commented about Skyview Drive-In on Sep 30, 2009 at 8:16 pm

Mike, I think you are right about the little Train at the Skyview.
You know, Monetta SC’s Big Mo Drive in Theatre has a little Train in front of the Concession and Projection Booth at Screen 1.
Thanks, Ray

rayhutto
rayhutto commented about Skyview Drive-In on Sep 29, 2009 at 7:23 pm

My Friend ,Herb (Emory) Howell,and I used to sneek in the Skyview drive-In when we were 14 and 15 years old. we would go all the way around the Theatre to the rear and go under the rear fence…
One night they were showing Horror shows like the Mummy, Frakenstein etc. Those shows didn’t bother us or me until after walking home I got to Emory’s house and had to walk about 8 more blocks alone. I wound up running the last 4 blocks, it was very dark, no Moon out…
On another night we sneeked in as usual and they were showing Jailhouse Rock. We always sat up front on the swings or Merry-Go-Round. Some guy came up and asked to see our ticket stubs. We said they were in the Car. So he said let’s go find the stubs. We walked like going to a Car but then admitted we slipped in. He took us to the Manager who was in the Box Office. He wanted our home ph numbers to call our Dad’s. We pleaded “you don’t have to call them we will just simply leave and NEVER slip in again”, so he let us go.
It was a very beautiful Drive-In Theatre. My friend Paul Renew was Projectionist for years there. He said when they brought in and erected the Cinemascope Screen (it was erected in front of the original Screen) it was the advertised as “The Widest Scope Screen East of The Missisippi. I think he said it was 75 ft across.
My Dad later obtained a "Golden Pass” from the Mamager for Electric Motor Work He did on Projectors.
Great days,
Ray Hutto

rayhutto
rayhutto commented about Southside Twin Cinemas on Sep 29, 2009 at 4:36 pm

Dear N DiMaggio,
Thanks for your comments very much.
When we opened with 1 Screen the picture was 22 feet wide (Scope). When I twinned it I rearranged the walls at the screen and still had 22 foot wide (Scope) Screens then too.
Some close friends of mine, Claude Casey Vocal Charles Reece Steel Guitar.Jerry Reece may have been the Drummer.
Jim Shirah also had a small part in the movie “Squirm”.
I forgot to mention that even though when we opened Southside Cinema (35mm) I still continued to show thw Old Time westerns on 16mm on Saturdays at Noon. A double Feature each saturday. I made a porthole above the others and made a shelf that I would put in place with henges that when I placed the pins in them the shelf lined up right for the Screen. The a sturdy post with a safety setup woulld hold it the right height. Then I had maks where to place a Niki Zenon 16mm on it. Connect the speaker to the 35mm Amp and flip a switch. Then I had great sound for the Westerns.
Also I made up 2300ft reels with outer extensions so I could run the whole western and sometimes a cartoon on one reel.
When the westerns were over I took down the 16mm and started back with the regular 35mm Films.
We often had 40-60 people for the westerns.
Thanks for all your interest.
Rah Hutto

rayhutto
rayhutto commented about Southside Twin Cinemas on Sep 18, 2009 at 3:34 pm

PS—-After we twinned Southside we had 141 seats on each Cinema and the same size picture (22 ft wide). I used 42inch reels on each projector, made special reel arms and takeups with special motors , also made a special ½" shaft rewind. I was able to load Movies that ran up to 2hrs 25 minutes on 1 reel and run the whole feature with 1 carbon. Each Projector and Lamphouse had the same capacities.
We also totally built the Marquee onto the front of the Theatre.
I will post a picture of the Thetare soon as I can find and scan it.
Thanks Mike Rogers for his interest and comments in our Theatre.
Best regards,
Ray Hutto
Ray Hutto

rayhutto
rayhutto commented about Southside Twin Cinemas on Sep 18, 2009 at 3:27 pm

In 1981 we had a Music Store- Bandstand Music Co. in a building ,located at 3757 Old Savannah Rd (Mike Padgett Hwy) Augusta, Ga.
For Fun I began to show 16mm westerns, Lash LaRue, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Sunset Carson etc (I had collected over the years)—on Thursday nights inside the buliding in the section behind the on the area that housed the music store.
I even ran newspaper ads. We charged $1.00 to come for the movies at a side door. We began to have around 50-75 people each week. My Wife, Bonnie started popping popcorn there with a home popper.I then bought a bigger one from a friend , Jim Shirrah, in Metter , Ga . he had closed his drive-In Theatre just before then.
Then one night I got to thinking about maybe moving the Music store to the rear making it smaller, business had fell off because of the economy anyway. That would leave an area of 80ft X 50ft for the Theatre. I called all the ditributors in Atlanta to ask about film availability for another Sub Run Theatre. They all gave the Ok.
I then called Jim Shirah and made a deal on his 35mm Simplex and RCA Sound heads.A friend Jack Hazel helped me go to Metter and disassemble and move all the equipment.And haul it in a trailer to Augusta.
Then I had to figure out all the mesurements etc. we built in 100% of the Theatre, My wife Bonnie made curtains from the flame resistant fabric, and hung them. Our son Wesley helped at night some too after his day job. We even inclined the floor. After 2 + years we finally opened with “Chariots of Fire” June 1982. I was a lot of work but fun too.
I forgot to mention I bought seats from a closed Fort Gordon Theatre. We hauled, cleaned , painted and arranged them and had 242 seats in the theatre. Bought a used 5 ton Central AC Unit.
We did great for about 2 yrs then with cable coming to the area and Video rentals etc business got slow. As a desperate attempt to survive I figured out how to Twin the Theatre.
We used 2 35mm’s and I could'nt afford 2 zenon Lamphouses so I figured out to modify the rectifier units on each lamphouse to be
able to burn up to 14 reels on 1 carbon setup instead of about 3 reels.Still had a great looking picture..
Then we rearranged, Wes and I, the forward outer walls and built a
center sound proof wall down the center.
Finally after 12 days (and nights) we reopened. 2 screens, 2 Titles, but less crownd on each side. If we did good on 1 side the other was not as good and took away from the other.
Finally going from 7 nights a week we went to weekends. From there it was not enough to stay open, Plus the movies in 1984-85 were not much crowd drawing…
Finally we closed around June 1985. But that theatre was the most fun businesses I ever was involved in.
Thanks to people like Mike Rogers, Bill Barkley, Paul Renew, Ed Copeland, Jack Hazel,Jim Shirah and many more, they all taught me something. I say , you can always learn something from everyone.
I hope this story has not been long and boring. Thanks for reading it.
Ray Hutto

rayhutto
rayhutto commented about Miller Theatre on Sep 16, 2009 at 8:28 pm

I was an Usher at the Miller in 1958. That Theater was a Masterpiece.
One night the other Usher (I don’t remember his name) talked to the candy girl at the Concession stand just inside the inside entrance doors. He came back and said “guess who’s coming in”. Buddy Knox. Buddy had just released his record “Party Doll”. He came through the doorway with his manager and they went on past us. we were not to offer to show anyone seats unless they asked. I did'nt get a chance to see Buddy’s face so I went down the isle with a flashlight as if looking for something. when I finally realized where he was sitting I went past a ways and then turned and walked back up the isle so I could get a look at him with the screen reflection on him.
10 years later I was in a Band in Macon, Ga. playing 5 nights a week at the Cabaret Lounge. Somebody said" guess who is in the place" , yep . Buddy Knox. I got to meet him and I told him about the “big deal” of him being in the Miller. He was very amused an a great polite person and fine singer. He said he released about 185 songs and had 3 gold records. That was in 1968.
Thanks, Ray Hutto

rayhutto
rayhutto commented about Modjeska Theater on Sep 16, 2009 at 8:12 pm

In the 1950’s my Dad (John Hutto)played in a Band at the Modjeska on stage between movies. Brenda Lee (from augusta) sang with them, also on a Channel 12 WRDW TV Show.I went with him to the TV station and talked with Brenda between songs out in the Lobby of the station. She was about 12 , I was about 14. Nice girl and great singer.
Ray Hutto