Dreamland Theatre
875 Broad Street,
Augusta,
GA
30901
875 Broad Street,
Augusta,
GA
30901
1 person
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 50 of 51 comments
To: Henry41
I certainly remember Bowen Bros. Hardware near the Dreamland. My grandad’s furniture store was next door at 901 Broad St. My uncle worked in Bowen Bros. camera department. He might have sold you that camera! Bowen’s also had the first “electric eye” automatic doors in Augusta and maybe the first escalator. Great sporting goods and, oh, those Lionel trains in the basement.
thanks Henry41.
The burned out shell of the Dreamland stood for several years, well into the ‘50s. Only the walls and dirt “floor” remained. Bowen’s Hardware, later a TV studio, stood a few doors away. I was a frequent visitor to Bowen’s Hardware, which was owned by the family of Dudley Bowen, my William Robinson grammar school chum. Judge Bowen later served as a Federal judge in Augusta. After becoming interested in photography, I bought my first camera at Bowen’s; it was a Kodak Pony 135. They also had a seasonal display of Lionel trains in their basement toy department. Bowen’s was a great place for a kid in those days! (Of course, I also took in a movie or two while I was downtown!) It has been 61 years since I lived in Augusta, although I visited every summer while my grandparents were living. My brother still lives in Augusta but I don’t get back very often nowadays, and when I do I don’t like what I see, but I could say the same about every city I’ve lived in (eight so far).
thanks Joe.
The Superba Theatre was mentioned in trade journal The Moving Picture World, issue of July 4, 1908. The operator, a Mr. Bandy, reported that the Superba in Augusta had been closed for the summer, and that his new Airdome Theatre had been opened. Mr. Bandy announced that the Airdome in Augusta was proving such a success that he intended to build another open-air house, to be opened in Savannah the following summer.
Thanks WHP,Please continue to add to Augusta’s theatre history.
Here is an obscure fact about the Dreamland. After it burned a wooded barricade was erected around the front entrance area and it was continually covered with advertising paper from other theaters until the ruins were eventually cleaned up. I can remember the wierdest things from years ago, but can’t remember what I just walked inti the next rtoom for!
Yes,thanks those are the pictures I wanted to get on,but do not have a printer.Have no idea how to find Janet Lundy.Pity all the projectionist are about gone.Ed Copeland passed away.saw his obit in the Chroncile.Nov.15 2010.Those guys had so many stories,Bill Barkley is about the only one alive.He lives in Bath,S.C.
I agree Chris the boxes do look a little strange in this bathtub theatre,thanks for posting the photo.
A picture of the interior of the Dreamland Theatre (second picture down on p. 41): http://tinyurl.com/26mv9sb. According to the caption, it was originally known as the Superba. There is also a diagram on p. 50 showing the location of Augusta’s downtown theaters relative to each other.
Those opera boxes look really strange in such a relatively small theater.
Thinking about holding an event in memory of SMOKEY TRAILS showing and the fire in 1945. Need a special guest for the event. Been trying to find more information on Janet Lundy, the 8 year old that survived the fire. But havent had any luck finding any informtaion. Any suggestions??
you Write all you want on our theatres.Only have locals Robin and Ray{see SOUTHSIDE CINEMA it is on CT and you will learn about RAY}.Heck,you probably know him.
You are not going to believe this WHP,but when I was an Assistant Manager at the Imperial I heard that same story and wanted to get those one sheets in the mid to late 70’s. Flash forward to 1984.The MILLER is closed but the local Ballet wants to use it for the"NUTCRACKER" since Bell at closed. Being a Stagehand I got on the call to get the stage and dressing rooms in order with my other Union buddies.However,I remembered that story about the one sheets, Sure enough I find a closed door in the downstairs dressing area. It was filled to the top with one sheets,Lobby cards,Stills all neatly wrapped up.They were suppose to be tossed in the dumpster,but i started walking them out to my car in arms full. One of the stanghands spots me and they ALL WANTED SOME STUFF,Beatles,007,John Wayne out the door. I got the most of it,but I am sure the one sheets my fellow stagehands took i bet sadly most have been trashed where I still have almost everyone I took. Gave one or two away. I did not see any pressbooks in that room. Quite a few in the City Managers office,I took a few,Should have taken them ALL.While cleaning out the MILLER we threw so much away.I kept what Could,but I was being paid to Work,not rush out every ten minutes with a new find.I plan on giving some of it to the FRIENDS OF THE MILLER if I can be sure it will always be saved.
The problem with me will be to get me to shut up! I am a real old movie buff, especially b-movies, b-westerns and serials and I practically lived in those old Augusta downtown theaters during the late forties and early fifties. Many more stories to follow. Did you know the rear of the Miller Theater housed an area known as the “print shop” where they assembled advertising for all of the Augusta Amusement Company theaters? A childhood friend of mine used to get pressbooks and all matter of paper from his friend who worked there. They would be worth thousands of dollars today if he kept them. Do you know if that part of the Miller was ever cleaned out?
yeah,WHP i have plenty of pictures of Augusta theatres from the silent movie days to when the Miller Closed.Just don’t have a way to get them on CT.Thanks for the story,wish more folks with local ties would get on CT,but I found out that is like pulling teeth.
I have a photo of the Dreamland taken in the mid-thirties. The feature was “The Healer” a 1935 Monogram B featuring a young Mickey Rooney. In the photo one can clearly see the one sheet and eight 11x14 lobby cards promoting the show. After it burned all that was left was the brick projectionist booth. It was at Ninth and Broad Streets right across from my grandfather’s furniture store. In later years a Schwobilt Men’s Store was there and later an optician.
IN 1944 the DREAMLAND was playing “CLAUDIA” and it took in $88.15
“CLANCEY STREET BOYS” MAKES $173.45
“RETURN OF RANGERS” makes $175.00
“WHISTLING IN DIXIE” does $110.10
“WE’VE NEVER BEEN LICKED” brings in $104.95 on a Monday night.
All this from a ledger that was tossed in the Trash when the MILLER THEATRE in Augusta went dark.Wish I could have saved more out of the Dumpster.
Doggone it TLSLOEWS I have pictures,but Robin is holding out.
SMOKEY TRAILS playing before the fire,how ironic.
I like the name DREAMLAND too bad there are no photos.
Well,Chuck 1231,you call it “CLOSING” a fire wiped it out.
MORE MOVIES AND GROSSES…“ACTION IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC” monday it made 120.30 and tuesday it took in 94.70 UNION PACIFIC opened wednesday and made 139.05 and Thursday 90.15.
ARIZONA TRAIL on friday made 169.65 and saturday it pulled in 222.20, This could be box office and concession, have no way of really knowing.
Nick.once again thanks for the help putting the DREAMLAND together.
SMOKEY TRAILS is the last movie to play there before the fire that night.The last Box office take was 220.60. all these figures could iinclude the concession. It was not broken down in the Ledger book i found.
The Dreamland burned and never reopened even though the theatre itself was not torn down for a year.
FRANKENSTEIN MEETS WOLFMAN thursday—74.80
Jan 27 1944 MUSIC IN MANHATTHAN —-248.00 DRREAMLAND Feb 1944 was playing SOULS AT SEA that took in on Sunday 276.35 SLEEPY LAGOON on Monday made 149.90 tuesday 128.35. ASSIGNMENT IN BRITTANY Wed.117.25 and Thursday 71.05.
FRONTIER LAW made on friday 168.40 and saturday 257.40. The last movies to play at the DREAMLAND were MISSING JUROR on momday it made 125.50 and tuesday 99.10 GYPSY WILD on Wednesday it made 130.80 and thursday 117.90.