National Hills Theatre
2701 Washington Road,
Augusta,
GA
30909
2701 Washington Road,
Augusta,
GA
30909
4 people
favorited this theater
Showing 426 - 450 of 463 comments
FROM MY 1977 ABC THEATRE JOURNAL..i actually kept one when COLUMBIA 1 and 2 were opening.
1977 THE GOODBYE GIRL is playing in COLUMBIA ONE.The big wigs at ABC THEATRES think this second run will do business. Heck, It is playing at two drive ins and SOUTHGATE CINEMA is charging 99 cents.We are charging first run prices $3.00 a seat.
1977 would you believe the bookers are putting a 1969 movie MARROONED. with GREGORY PECK. This film played on NBC SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES.
1977 Well. tommorrow is tuesday and i will be in the box office. And then again on thursday.Itis a bummer.I am really thinking about going to GENERAL CINEMA when the mall opens.CHARLES is also looking to GCC.
1977 I love working with Tommy. We made a EASY RIDER display since we did not have a one sheet.
1977 CASEY’S SHADOW is coming to COLUMBIA TWO. THIS HORSE movie would do great in Aiken S.C. Horse country.
1977 FOR THE LOVE OF BENJI is set for COLUMBIA ONE ,If it does what BENJI did in 1975.We will make money.
NATIONAL HILLS STUPID MANAGER DEPARTMENT 1977
The concessionstand prices changed friday.Mr.Jordan was $16.00 short.
1975
We are playing alot of concert movies.GIMME SHELTER > ALICE COOPER.I don’t think Mr Tinney is balancing the films. You know drama/ action etc. So far CONCERT MOVIES. With WBBQ getting the radio spots.
Speaking of THE LONGEST YARD it is amazing that the semi pro football team here the Augusta Eagles were used as extras in the film are here almost every showing to try and spot themselves in the film.One donated his MEAN MACHINE jersery to show behind the concessionstand.We lock it in the safe at night.One night a fellow and lady offered me $10.00 to let them in after THE LONGEST YARD sold out.WE always left a few empty seats and i thought real hard about doing so $10.00 was alot of money in them days.
Some of the ballplayers / extras i think were a little upset to see that they ended up on the cutting floor in Hollywood.That’s life i told them.
JOHN MACKEY has all the girls dressed up in costume for SNOW WHITE.Thankgoodness he doesn’t have the doormen dressed in some silly outfit. Wearing a female cheerleading dress for THE LONGEST YARD was enough for any guy.
THE HIDING PLACE opens to huge crowds and i mean weekday night sellouts. Unheard of for the most part.By then John Mackey was gone and Mr.Tinney was running the show. Well, either he was too cheap to put more girls on or did not expect large weeknight sell outs. He really teed me off sticking me behind the Concession stand. For the record this 1975 release ran 145 minutes and was about a true story of two Dutch Christian sisters hiding Jews from the Nazi Concentration camps. Produced by Billy Graham.Which explained to me the LARGE turn outs from all the churches.Most likely, they bought tickets though their churches orbox office. It was something.
Oct. 1974 We have a roadshow on JEREMIAH JOHNSON. Which meant a checker was there for every show counting heads in the theatre and at night emptying out the ticket chopper and counting every stub.
March 1972. John Wayne was a great star.NATIONAL HILLS THEATRE would have been a theatre Duke would have been proud to play is pictures.In most all his Bios,he was always concerned about how his films were presented to his fans. Sadly, very few John Wayne movies played here. THE COWBOYS did get that honor to play on that big screen.THE COWBOYS played first run at NATIONAL HILLS. Glad we could do it for you Duke.
July 10 1975,Big sell out for PART 2 WALKING TALL. Lighting from a bad storm hit nearby the theatre and somehow knocked the sound off to almost a whisper.If you were eating popcorn you never would have heard the movie.Luckly,the lighting hit was towards the end of the movie.no one ask for a refund.
Mr.Tinney made an ad up on YOUNG FRANKENSTIEN and put a quote from John Mackey “It is the funniest movie ever made,but you did not hear it from me.” 4th weekk run.
April 5 1975 ESCAPE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN.effects not good,but kids seem to like it. Remember GUS. what bad Disney movie.
1966 The second movie ever to play at NATIONAL HILLS was THE WRONG BOX with Peter Sellers.
NATIONAL HILLS April 25 1974 we have THE GREAT GATSBY and i can not wait till it leaves boring.Bad news is CONRACK is coming about a South Carolina Teacher.
NATIONAL HILLS Great to see BUTCH CASSIDY AND SUNDANCE KID back saw it in 1969 here.WE are tying it in with the STING our ad line for BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID is “ACTION WITH A STING” not bad.
NATIONAL HILLS Today 2 and 8 p.m. 70mm and sterophonic sound GONE WITH THE WIND.Reserved seats .Tickets now at the box office or by mail.Wed.MAT.$1.50 other times $2.00
NATIONAL HILLS Charles said CLOCKWORK ORANGE should do great business since the X RATED VERSION was banned in Augusta.It is on a late show.
Dec.24 1974 Charles and me pop what we believe to be a record for bagged popcorn. It is for the Christmas movie ISLAND AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD.Sadly, by evening shows most of it gone.People do go to the movies on Christmas day and night.
NATIONAL HILLS CLOSE ENCOUNTERS is doing great. Charles Bruni with all the in house advertising believes it might be one of the greatest movies ever made. I saw it in Charlotte with John Mackey.
National Hills Theatre also ran lady shopper movies on tuesday at 10a.m. Ladies would get in free get free gifts from merchants in the shopping center,Then watch a free movie aimed at their taste in films.This ran for along time and was the only theatre in town to do such a thing.
IT is not clear on the above,That was Neil that did not trust the concessionstand girls or city manager, not Peter.I don’t think by that time Peter cared about anything except ZARDOZ.
Hey, Neil Mr. Mackey didn’t make you dress up like a cheerleader in a dress like the rest of the doormen on THE LONGEST YARD? If he did i remember you not wanting to come out of the managers office? I Know Mr.Mackey did not waer a dress. THINGS you do for the movies.
We had an Assistant Manager Neil Morgan who was a big help to me when i got started.He Showed me the ropes.Duty on the popcorn machine and doing the marquee. IT wasn’t long before Mr,Mackey just said tell “Mike the movie,and he will do the rest.” that gave a 17 year old alot of conifidence. Neil could always see things in different films i never picked up on. We had one Doorman named Peter and he saw ZARDOZ with Sean Connery and it just plained overwheled him. I think he never trusted our city manager and felt some the concessionstand girls were out to get him and John Mackey. I wasn’t there a week before i fell in"love" with two concessionstand girls. NEIL said it was some kind of record.
I guess like most theatres you could make a sitcom like the short lived CBS show THE POPCORN KID.It is impossible to list all the gang that worked at NATIONAL HILLS during the mid 70’s.The projectionists who had to put up with a young theatre Manager,John Mackey,with liberal ideas on movies. You Had in the Booth Mr.Pete cussing another John Mackey “hippie late show"or Gordon rushing up om sunday evenings with a coke and a bag of popcorn to relieve Mr.Pete.To the ring of Ed Williamsl laugh nd to the utter seriousness of putting on a good show;To the playfulness of Bill Barkley and finally one cannot forrget about the artful nutsyness of Mark Barkley. AND THAT WAS JUST OUR PROJECTIONISTS!!
One night our city manager saw about three minutes of the GROOVE TUBE and stood by the box office checking everyone’s I.D.
I will never forget Chewy calling me off the marquee only to spray me with a water cannon he had rigged up. His maniacal giggle as he drove off. Putting Bullets out on the ticket chopper to freak out Charles{ he thought someone was going to kill him].Lewis and CHEWY STOLE THE SHOW with the fake phone call to Mike Rogers in the lobby/ PAY phone.
The wrestling match between Lewis and Charles in the lobby after the show was over, Charles almost geeting down to his underwear for extra offense during the match. John Mackey standing there looking for the City Manager to walk up. or have a spy tell on John.
Mark[chewy] SENDING NEW GUYS AFTER THE MARQUEE STRECHER.
AND NOW…a quote from TOMMY CAPERS ABOUT me, Mike Rogers this was videotaped at our ABC-PLITT THEATRE CHRISTMAS PARTY REUNION…
“Mike was very good to work with; Everybody worked! The theatre business was good because you worked for 30 minutes,that was when the crowd got in. And Mike was good for the other hour and a half while the show was running. Dec.1986.
What a double feature, JAWS at The Imperial and BENJI at National Hills.Most all the doormen that wanted extra bucks could head downtown and work a double.And with JAWS it was work.Some folks passed out in the body heat from the Imperial and summer heat.To stay at National Hills in that nice neighborhood,most doormen begged off, but i was down there helping a understaffed theatre.And I know Jim Neely liked it because all he did for weeks is pop corn. One time we had to pop corn for the Imperial at National Hills.
I know i should have kept the date ,but didn’t Department…..
RETAILER PLANS TO EXPAND
By John Mills
J.B. White’s will open a 15.000 square-foot home furnishing store in the space of the former NATIONAL HILLS THEATRE. The three screen theatre closed in january. The center’s owners will spend about $500.000 on construction to convert the theatre into a retail space, said Ofer Schecter,agebt and representative for National Hills Associates.
The new store expected to open this summer or fall.will also consume one tenant space next to the former theatre and enclose open space at the theatre’s entrance.
FOR THE RECORD…This place only stayed open a few years before closing. Mike Rogers.They ruined a beautiful theatre for a bunch of household goods.
Sometime in the summer 0f 1975, Mr.Pete our projectionist decided to train his grandson in the booth. On the big day Mr.Pete had is grandson open up for the first show.Guess what His grandson forgot the keys to the booth. In those days managers did not have a key to the booth.You know,Something about the Union. I think we finally got ahold of Mr.Pete and got the first show on. Later on we had keys to the booth.
NOV.9 1978
Hey, I am banned from NATIONAL HILLS. The story goes that the manager a Mr.Jordan wanted Charles and me to call up and go by COLUMBIA SQ, to get tools for them to use to do some minor fix ups. They wanted to work on the seats on a saturday morning. I ASKED Charles who would pay me for my time? Well, Jordan couldn’t answer that so he has Charles to call Tommy . He finally got Tommy up and i heard he was upset.THEY finally got TOMMY to go.HE drove his motorcycle to NATIONAL HILLS ,and Charles DROVE Tommy to Columbia Square to get the hand tools. Lately,he even gave Bill Barkley’s family getting in to see a movie, AND BILL SHOWS MOVIES AT THE IMPERIAL! I WILL GET IN NATIONAL HILLS THEATRE… CHARLES HAD to break the news to be about being BANNED. I HOPE they transfer him.
March 8 1977 NATIONAL HILLS continues to have sound problems on the late show concert movies. Charles said Jordan will not give out refunds.On the next concert movie Charles is going to make an annoucement over the P.A. system in the theatre, WIZARDS has been the biggest Late Show feature yet.
MORE MARCH 8 1977…. A STAR IS BORN is on its 12th week at COLUMBIA SQUARE. TOMMY is stuck at the IMPERIAL MAKING $2.75 AN HOUR WHILE I AM making $2,50 AT Columbia Square.I Have more screens shouldn’t that be more money. I THINK Tommy and I do make a bit more than CHUCK.
April 2 1977…. There is talk Jim Neely might move out to COLUMBIA SQUARE AS MANAGER! Okay,with me,less paperwork.
FEB.17 1977…..Talk is General Cinema might be coming to town. Charles wants to work for them.Talk is Cindy Muns might be the first Female Assistant Manager at NATIONAL HILLS. Talk was right…Cindy Did become a Assistant Manager at NATIONAL HILLS A First for our Circuit,
I remember one night when we were getting ready to let the late show crowd in.Sitting on the lobby seating was four kids.We had been playing most likely a Disney feature and the kids came to the 9;15 show.No those young kids had been in the theatre since the TWO O'CLOCK show!!!One of them told us.The whole crew on duty that night was stunned.YouKNOW in those days you couldBUY
a ticket and watch the movie again. So basically,NATIONAL HILLS THEATRE was a 3 0r 4 dollar baby sitter. I DON’T know if it was CHARLES OR Mr,Mackey, they were walking to the phone to call the police when there “parents” SHOWED UP. At that time it had to close to 11;30 PM. SADLY, THEY WILL LET ANYONE BE A PARENT!
Bill, I worked at Columbia Square Cinemas And GCC’s REGENCY 1.2.3 in AUGUSTA;IF YOU have not checked those sites out. I am trying to get my ABC theatres guys to write.
Mike, that’s too bad because this is such a great place to keep those memories alive, and to share them with people who’ll really enjoy reading about them.
Bill, you know what the sad part is and i have gone out of my mind, but there are at least 10 friends of mine who meet up everyonce in awhile and talk nothing but the theatre, THE REAL THEATRE business from the 70’s.Some of those guys could add so much if nothing more than a strong history of Augusta Theatres. Sadly, most of our projectionists are gone. They have so much info.THEY LIKE reading my stories,BUT NOOOOOOOOO, they are too shy to join in.
MikeRogers: Your stories are great! They’re what this website is all about. I’m glad you finally found your way to Cinema Treasures.
MORE STORIES FROM AUGUSTA’S FINEST THEATRE…. We had some good luck with our late shows. HOWEVER,we were not perfect. these are the five worst late shows… FLESH GORDON….at one time rated X.WE GOT THE RATED R ONE. …..200 MOTELS with FRANK ZAPPA. ….BLINDMAM..A RINGO STARR WESTERN….ZABRISKE POINT…….JOHNNY GET YOUR GUN..
SHERLOCK HOLMES ,SMARTER BROTHER WAS BOOKED FOR THE IMPERIAL, NATIONAL HILLS GOT IT.
I WAS IN THE BOX OFFICE GOING OVER SOME BOR’S WHEN A MAN SEE’S OUR SIGN THAT SAID NOW AT POPULAR PRICES HE SAID TO WINDY, YOU CALL 2.50 A SEAT POPULAR? WINDY WITHOUT MISSING A BEAT SAID ‘’ WE LIKE IT!‘'
JUNE 9 1976 WE ARE PLAYING ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN. VERY SLOW NIGHT. NEXT WEEK WE GET THE EXORCIST…WOW. A RERUN.
AUGUST 2 1977 NATIONAL HILLS IS PLAYING OUTLAW BLUES WITH PETER FONDA.
MORE STORIES FROM AUGUSTA’S FINEST THEATRE…. We had some good luck with our late shows. HOWEVER,we were not perfect. these are the five worst late shows… FLESH GORDON….at one time rated X.WE GOT THE RATED R ONE. …..200 MOTELS with FRANK ZAPPA. ….BLINDMAM..A RINGO STARR WESTERN….ZABRISKE POINT…….JOHNNY GET YOUR GUN..
SHERLOCK HOLMES ,SMARTER BROTHER WAS BOOKED FOR THE IMPERIAL, NATIONAL HILLS GOT IT.
I WAS IN THE BOX OFFICE GOING OVER SOME BOR’S WHEN A MAN SEE’S OUR SIGN THAT SAID NOW AT POPULAR PRICES HE SAID TO WINDY, YOU CALL 2.50 A SEAT POPULAR? WINDY WITHOUT MISSING A BEAT SAID ‘’ WE LIKE IT!‘'
JUNE 9 1976 WE ARE PLAYING ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN. VERY SLOW NIGHT. NEXT WEEK WE GET THE EXORCIST…WOW. A RERUN.
AUGUST 2 1977 NATIONAL HILLS IS PLAYING OUTLAW BLUES WITH PETER FONDA.