Imperial Theatre
745 Broad Street,
Augusta,
GA
30901
745 Broad Street,
Augusta,
GA
30901
10 people
favorited this theater
Showing 276 - 300 of 335 comments
Mike we had a similar story at the Loews Madison, we started some Disney movie on a friday afternoon. The movie started off just great then when it came time for the second reel BAM it was the second reel of Patton.WE had to close for that afternoon until the correct reel came in.The reels must have come from a milti-plex and they messed up the reels in shipping. The only time I remember us having this problem though.Maybe your Patton reels caused of problem. This was sometime in the late 70"s.WE show the same Disney movie at the Loews Melrose but did not have this problem, we ran day and date with them.
I much prefer what the marquee looked like in the 70’s than what it looks like now. The previous letters looked awesome.
I hope I can get more Stories out of Bill since he is the only one i worked with that will take the time for CT.
Here is a nightmare no theatre manager would want.. Opening day of PATTON. Bill Barkley explains PATTON did not come in until showday because we ran off the reels. No show to build. Well that movie was in three cans and when i opened the twothat was dropped the first three reels were missing. My manager Mr.Tinney was scared to go out and tell the long line about the problem so he sent out Charles Espizota to tell those in line.
Well, we did not have the first can so Tinney decided to start reel four a one hour wait. The first can was flown in and we had the complete feature by the second showing.
YES, THE GREEN SLIME played here along with another third rate sci-fi , JOURNEY TO THE FAR SIDE OF THE SUN. I saw JOURNEY at the IMPERIAL ,but missed THE GREEN SLIME.
I was informed by a very good source that WHERE EAGLES DARE was part of a CLINT EASTWOOD double bill, PLAY MISTY FOR ME was the second hit on the late show i wrote about earlier. Sorry,I am trying to remember without any help from my friends.
THE EXORCIST 2 THE HERETIC plays first run at the imperial and if i am mistaken by the 9:20 showing another reel is sent in for a new ending.Anyways, the movie was a bomb.
Ed , Don’t Mention BILLY JACK,we played that at NATIONAL HILLS and lost track of the boom mikes in everyshot. Bill, also said that the movie 1970 THE COCKEYED COWBOYS OF CALICO COUNTY was so bad that was pulled out of the IMPERIAL before the first week. Dan Blocker should have stayed on the tube. You would never change Bill’s Mind about Bonnie abnd Clyde i have known him since 1974 and he swears the award was taken from his movie. I guess i did feel something like that when Paul Newman lost on the VERDICT. I swore i would never watch them again and haven’t. I read where critic Rex Reed felt it was a good old boys system.
I’m aware of the deadlines for Motion Picture Academy voting every year, Mike (and Bill). They are several days before the Oscars and are not reopened because of world events.
As for “Bonnie and Clyde,” I’ve always considered it an excellent movie, as were three of the other four pictures it was up against (“In the Heat of the Night,” “The Graduate,” “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”). But there’s no question in my mind – then or now – that the Oscar voters got it right that year when they went for “In the Heat of the Night.” Had to be a tight vote among those four nominees, though. It was ludicrous that “Dr. Dolittle” for the fifth nomination that year instead of “In Cole Blood,” “Up the Down Staircase,” “Wait Until Dark,” “Cool Hand Luke,” “Two for the Road” and about 100 other worthier contenders. Fox put a bundle into its inner-industry campaign for “Dr. Dolittle” that year in an attempt to salvage the fortune it has invester in the film.
As for “Bonnie and Clyde’s” box-office performance, the same thing happened everywhere. It played to sluggish returns for roughly two months while the word of mouth built and built. Then it got a very rare two-months-later return to first-run screens and did tremendous business.
I think the only time something like that has happened since (and not on the same scale) was “Billy Jack.”
You know,Ed I always believed that, but you would never convince Bill of that.JAWS is his second favorite.I should be he ran it for a whole summer.Did you Bonnie & Clyde here?
No, Mike. The voting deadline was many days before King was killed. Did not affect any voting.
THIS IS COMMENTARY FROM BILL BARKLEY HEAD PROJECTIONIST AT THE IMPERIAL.
Bonnie and Clyde had its dedut at the IMPERIAL . it did only fair business.and a short run.
The picture had caught on by the time it made the drive in rounds and was booked back into the IMPERIAL . On Saturday night and Sunday, downstairs sold out every show all day and the balcony had to be opened.
The movie was nominated for 11 academy awards.However,Martin Luther King was shot and the awards were rescheduled for another night: All of a suddden , VIOLENCE on the screen was not the IN thing. So the movie picked up 2 awards. Estelle Parsons for supporting actress and best cinematography. DID THE 2 night delay give members another chance to re-vote?
Good stories Mike if you are ever in Nashville look me up we had our popcorn machines right at the concession stands,used coconut oil to pop with.Cool pictures of the IMPERIAL.
One thing about popping popcorn at THE IMPERIAL was the popcorn room was the last room behind the screen. Ushers would stack boxes in the back hall leading to the popcorn room just so they could hear someone coming back there for something. You could turn around back there and see someone in the door and it would scare the you know what out of you.
One night after a huge crowd for a movie,Tommy Capers gets a phone call from the AUGUSTA POLICE DEPARTMENT informing him one of their officers is in the audience and must be FOUND.
A theatre full, and luckly after a few seats,Tommy locates the cop. Found out someone was out on the streets looking to kill this cop. Tommy Locked him in the checkout room until APD showed up. Can’t make this up!
Jim Neely calls and tells me a man got out of his seat in the IMPERIAL came out in the lobby and fainted. Found out he had a thing about needles and was watching th re-release of THE EXORCIST. Can’t make this up.
WELL. We have a problem with the Fred Williamson film the LEGEND OF N…… CHARLEY. what a title .I mean it is a black movie not some KKK feature. I guess we did like alot of urban theatres did and put THE LEGEND OF BLACK CHARLEY. Left the one sheets alone. Come on people seeing this western know the game we are playing.But what a title.
Jim Neely is in the paper; they took a picture of him changing the Marquee at the IMPERIAL. He is putting up the next feature SHADOW OF THE HAWK.the paper is doing a article on superstitions,hence the 20 foot a frame ladder he is on. I never got in the paper, of course the paper is only a block away!
1976 TWO MINUTE WARNING is doing good business, I took Bev. to it friday and Tommy was too busy to talk. Why, Mr.Tinney understaffs is beyond me maybe Mr.Biggs or Mr.Huff are on him I don’t know. At times THE IMPERIAL can get some decent films.
In 1973 PAT GARRETT AND BILLY THE KID does great business. HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER also played there, but it was BONNIE and CLYDE that really sold tickets.The Projectionist,Bill Barkley said when he first saw this film it like something he had never seen before with all the films he had played. He was so impressed he put together a book covering this epic film. To Bill, politics once again in the OSCARS kept BONNIE and CLYDE from Best Picture.
Bill told me IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT was nowhere in league with BEATTY and DUNAWAY.
Yes,the theatre took three rows at least off the back house right side for sound and video production.
I just dropped by and caught TAXI DRIVER playing {IMPERIAL} I have heard alot of people upset with the violence. I thought DEATH WISH was violent,but this is rough.And the lanuage.I think this movie must have came close to getting an X rating. I don’t think this could play at my place.{COLUMBIA 1 and 2}.
1975 Saw TAKE A HARD RIDE with Jim Brown,Yeah, It is a black film, but it is a pretty good western with Lee Van Cliff. it is doing no business.I don’t understand why everything the black filmgoer has to view is SUPERFLY.Here is a pretty good western and it is dying. The One sheet is going home with me,Great art work.
1976 FAMILY PLOT opens at the IMPERIAL.IT is an ALFRED HITCHCOCK movie so there will be a built in crowd.I think it would do great at NATIONAL HILLS,but like LEWIS keeps saying he needs something beside SHAFT movies. {2009 sadly it was HITCHCOCK’s last movie and it did not live up to his standards. BRUCE DERN was great in it according Jim. {JIM NEELY DOORMAN and big Bruce Dren fan}
HOOPER opens at the IMPERIAl and does okay but it is not SMOKEY. 1978 .
1978 A REMAKE OF OZ? Something called THE WIZ is coming To the IMPERIAL. You can bet i won’t be there.