1977, the Assistant Manager running the movies,acording to Jeannie McLeod.Must have been a non-union house pretty surprizing for California and in 1977 the first wave of automation was hitting newer theatres this one opening in 1966 I bet had Carbon-arc lamps.
Robin, You.Me,and Tlsloews were theatre managers in the real sense.You and Tlsloews probably more so than me because i was going to College during my Plitt theatre days and couldn’t commit,even though i was the guy Tinney put anywhere and not worry.That crap about you being just and supervisor,makes it sound to me that when the Manager or Assistant wasn’t there you “baby set” the theatre and that made me mad when you first told me.Heck, you were a theatre Manager 100 %,You dealt with a City manager{Anderson} that I bet did not want to give a lady any kind of Title.And that Sheet he gave you on how to open,run, and close the theatre was an insult.All of us came up through the ranks. Never saw an Assistant come off the street having never worked a movie theatre and the same for a manager you have to really start in that popcorn room. You knew doggone well how to open NATIONAL HILLS theatre or those theatres in Atlanta.When I went to GEORGIA SQUARE MAll in Athens did something just change that had to learn how to run a quad.No.And that was the same of you and I guess Cathy too,if she was put in that boat Anderson Crafted.You should always consider yourself as a theatre manager or at least an Assistant.I know it might be a play on words and it is because i bet Anderson played it with every female.Had Tinney not fired me in 1980,i might possibily have ended up under ANderson because Tinney I think was gone within a year.It wouldn’t have been a pretty sight had he said"Mike,you’re a supervisor now" or tell me to go by this check list which would hae been a insult to this old theatre Dawg.I swear,I outta mail a copy you gave me on that “CHECK LIST” and have Nick post it here on NATIONAL HILLS.Cathy probably doesn’t need to add to National Hills or Columbia 1 and 2 or the Imperial I think you and me have given a great history on our theatres here and I will always be down that some of my best friends in the bussiness decided to skip this wonderful format.
Really,Our theatres are quite lucky to have us because i read a lot of Theatres on CT and very few have the passion we do for our theatres,in fact from all i have read I think our Augusta theatres we worked, would rank in a top ten easy.
In a August 1 1989 interview the owner of the Hi-Way 56 Drive-in told this story about the DIXIE theatre: Tommy Bellamy Sr said"It is not surprizing we opened a Drive-in Theatre in this town because we {his future Wife} did all our courting {dating} at the DIXIE theatre.“ He went on, "We’d sit and hold hands from 11 o'clock til 6 o'clock that evening watching the same western over and over again at the Dixie Theatre.” The rest of the Bellamy story can be found on the Hi-Way 56 Drive-in site on CT.
Well,it wasn’t a MARTIN or GEORGIA THEATRE in 1956,two of the larger Theatre circuits in the Peach state.I will have to search more on this North Georgia Location.
“The Verdict” was his best work.Should got the Oscar .I quit watching the so called Academy Awards especially when someone named Ben Kingsley beats Paul Newman,they outta all turn their Academy Membership in cause they don’t know anything about acting.
Teresa feel free to add more about your father and the Liberty Theatre this is the place to remember those great theatre business days most of us had.And glad we got them.
That is fine.I think the gang enjoys seeing each other,they did last fall, but it is like pulling teeth to get everyone interested.Cathy should get on CT she seems far from the Shy type.
The theatre today features the same screen,the same carbon-burning projectors,most of the original speakers and the same popcorn popper from the days of bobby socks,slicked-back hair and going steady.It is not surprizing that the older Bellamys decided to open a theatre and not some other business back in 1952.They spent their courting days in the Dixie theatre in Swainsboro.“we’d sit and hold hands watching a western over and over” said Tommy Bellamy Sr.He didn’t even know how to run a projector.“ i thought you just plugged it in and put the film in and it would run itself” He said “ I did not know all the work that was involved in it”
But trial and error eventually paid off,The Hi-Way 56 Drive-in showed popular movies,romanaces,comedies,Adventures and horror films became a success.
While the younger Bellamy Brothers will show what Tony describes as regular movies, such as “MAJOR LEAGUE” and “PET CEMETARY”.Admission is three dollars for everyone.Kids under 12 get in free. The Bellamys were surprized opening night by more than 225 cars that parked the lot on July 7 and 8 the friday and saturday nights the Drive-in Re-opened.“it is good to know people are happy about it.We could not believe it” said Mrs.Bellamy.
BROTHERS BRING 50’s BACK TO LIFE.
by Beth Harrison Augusta Chroncile
The marquee on Georgia 56 beckoned in red and green neon as twilight fell on the 50-foot high screen.
For the first time in 5 and a half years,cars rolled in to park beside speakers in an open field bordered with tiny orange lights.The concession building was filled with the small of popcorn and hot dogs. and once again carhops delivered food to hungry moviegoers.
When the country sky was dark enough,one of the two 37 year old projectors beamed an image across the field to the freshly painted screen. And with that the Hi-way 56 Drive-in was reborn.“we want to keep everything the way it was ” said Tony Bellamy,who is fond of anything and everything from the 50’s.
The July 7 reopening was the project of Tony,27, and his brother Tommy Bellamy Jr.33,-two brothers who grew up in the shadow of the huge screen.Their parents,Tommy sr, and Jeanette Bellamy opened the drive-in on Christmas day 1952 and ran it for 31 years.They closed it in 1983 when Tommy Sr,began to have health problems.“it was a Saturday night , i said,ladies and gentlemen this is the last night that we will be open until further notice,And we had a full house.I left the candy in the candy case and everything just like that.I knew something was happening to me”,Tommy ,Sr. said, He was having a heart attack and had bypass surgery.The drive-in lay dormat in almost perfect condition- for more than five years,Two months ago the brothers decided to re-open the Hi-way 56.
They spent $16,000 to recondition the screen and fix things up.“ the main reason we opened it was to give the kids a place to go!” said Tony,one of the six Bellamy kids.
More on the Hi-Way 56 drive-in will be added later.Thanks for reading this and to the Reporter Beth Harrison for getting down there to Swainsboro to get a story.Mike Rogers.
Robin, somewhere on our theatres,Columbia 1 and 2,Imperial,Didn’t see it here.I mentioned i took about six hours of our theatre reunions from the 1985-86-87 videos that Bill shot most of, and cut them down to a watchable 95 minutes or so of DVD and i sent out invites to the gang from 1972 to about 1980 and i got zero response,I know its summmer,but I think I am finished with reunions! If you or Cathy,Diane or Bill want to meet at a eating spot one day let me know,i will be glad to get there and at least talk about the old days at National Hills Theatre,i am just at a loss for words,last fall we had 10 or 12 show up for a get together,but now i get nothing! I would show them to you all,but heck you would only know Me,The Tinneys,Bill and Tom Weidmeirer. And there is some awful rough language by adults that outta know better.
1977, the Assistant Manager running the movies,acording to Jeannie McLeod.Must have been a non-union house pretty surprizing for California and in 1977 the first wave of automation was hitting newer theatres this one opening in 1966 I bet had Carbon-arc lamps.
Well, what was so special about it?How about just a little bit more on this concession stand.
I wouldn’t think the company that worked for GCC would have owned this theatre.
Thanks for Ad,ken mc.always great to see.
Bob.It wasn’t much bigger.i was surprized when i found it in my 1956 Motion Picture Almanac.
Robin, You.Me,and Tlsloews were theatre managers in the real sense.You and Tlsloews probably more so than me because i was going to College during my Plitt theatre days and couldn’t commit,even though i was the guy Tinney put anywhere and not worry.That crap about you being just and supervisor,makes it sound to me that when the Manager or Assistant wasn’t there you “baby set” the theatre and that made me mad when you first told me.Heck, you were a theatre Manager 100 %,You dealt with a City manager{Anderson} that I bet did not want to give a lady any kind of Title.And that Sheet he gave you on how to open,run, and close the theatre was an insult.All of us came up through the ranks. Never saw an Assistant come off the street having never worked a movie theatre and the same for a manager you have to really start in that popcorn room. You knew doggone well how to open NATIONAL HILLS theatre or those theatres in Atlanta.When I went to GEORGIA SQUARE MAll in Athens did something just change that had to learn how to run a quad.No.And that was the same of you and I guess Cathy too,if she was put in that boat Anderson Crafted.You should always consider yourself as a theatre manager or at least an Assistant.I know it might be a play on words and it is because i bet Anderson played it with every female.Had Tinney not fired me in 1980,i might possibily have ended up under ANderson because Tinney I think was gone within a year.It wouldn’t have been a pretty sight had he said"Mike,you’re a supervisor now" or tell me to go by this check list which would hae been a insult to this old theatre Dawg.I swear,I outta mail a copy you gave me on that “CHECK LIST” and have Nick post it here on NATIONAL HILLS.Cathy probably doesn’t need to add to National Hills or Columbia 1 and 2 or the Imperial I think you and me have given a great history on our theatres here and I will always be down that some of my best friends in the bussiness decided to skip this wonderful format.
Really,Our theatres are quite lucky to have us because i read a lot of Theatres on CT and very few have the passion we do for our theatres,in fact from all i have read I think our Augusta theatres we worked, would rank in a top ten easy.
In a August 1 1989 interview the owner of the Hi-Way 56 Drive-in told this story about the DIXIE theatre: Tommy Bellamy Sr said"It is not surprizing we opened a Drive-in Theatre in this town because we {his future Wife} did all our courting {dating} at the DIXIE theatre.“ He went on, "We’d sit and hold hands from 11 o'clock til 6 o'clock that evening watching the same western over and over again at the Dixie Theatre.” The rest of the Bellamy story can be found on the Hi-Way 56 Drive-in site on CT.
Could this Drive-in been known in the 50’s as the Tupper Drive-in?
Well,it wasn’t a MARTIN or GEORGIA THEATRE in 1956,two of the larger Theatre circuits in the Peach state.I will have to search more on this North Georgia Location.
Thanks for the info,seymour cox,gotta admit that marquee on the picture looks sad.
Looks like a nice place to catch a movie.Night Pictures are great.
“The Verdict” was his best work.Should got the Oscar .I quit watching the so called Academy Awards especially when someone named Ben Kingsley beats Paul Newman,they outta all turn their Academy Membership in cause they don’t know anything about acting.
Yep,Raysson that is the only WAY to see it.
Well, you know Nick he will come through for us.Wish Robin would have I sent her quite a few pictures.
Thank you Raymond Lo we so often forget those silent films and what they meant not only to Hollywood ,but the theatre business as well.
Teresa feel free to add more about your father and the Liberty Theatre this is the place to remember those great theatre business days most of us had.And glad we got them.
I found the movie ads you might get them before you read this,Mailed them June12 2010.
That is fine.I think the gang enjoys seeing each other,they did last fall, but it is like pulling teeth to get everyone interested.Cathy should get on CT she seems far from the Shy type.
Well, its true i bet Milwaukee is 3 times the size of Augusta and they can’t save a movie theatre!
More on the August 1, 1989 story…..
The theatre today features the same screen,the same carbon-burning projectors,most of the original speakers and the same popcorn popper from the days of bobby socks,slicked-back hair and going steady.It is not surprizing that the older Bellamys decided to open a theatre and not some other business back in 1952.They spent their courting days in the Dixie theatre in Swainsboro.“we’d sit and hold hands watching a western over and over” said Tommy Bellamy Sr.He didn’t even know how to run a projector.“ i thought you just plugged it in and put the film in and it would run itself” He said “ I did not know all the work that was involved in it”
But trial and error eventually paid off,The Hi-Way 56 Drive-in showed popular movies,romanaces,comedies,Adventures and horror films became a success.
While the younger Bellamy Brothers will show what Tony describes as regular movies, such as “MAJOR LEAGUE” and “PET CEMETARY”.Admission is three dollars for everyone.Kids under 12 get in free. The Bellamys were surprized opening night by more than 225 cars that parked the lot on July 7 and 8 the friday and saturday nights the Drive-in Re-opened.“it is good to know people are happy about it.We could not believe it” said Mrs.Bellamy.
BROTHERS BRING 50’s BACK TO LIFE.
by Beth Harrison Augusta Chroncile
The marquee on Georgia 56 beckoned in red and green neon as twilight fell on the 50-foot high screen.
For the first time in 5 and a half years,cars rolled in to park beside speakers in an open field bordered with tiny orange lights.The concession building was filled with the small of popcorn and hot dogs. and once again carhops delivered food to hungry moviegoers.
When the country sky was dark enough,one of the two 37 year old projectors beamed an image across the field to the freshly painted screen. And with that the Hi-way 56 Drive-in was reborn.“we want to keep everything the way it was ” said Tony Bellamy,who is fond of anything and everything from the 50’s.
The July 7 reopening was the project of Tony,27, and his brother Tommy Bellamy Jr.33,-two brothers who grew up in the shadow of the huge screen.Their parents,Tommy sr, and Jeanette Bellamy opened the drive-in on Christmas day 1952 and ran it for 31 years.They closed it in 1983 when Tommy Sr,began to have health problems.“it was a Saturday night , i said,ladies and gentlemen this is the last night that we will be open until further notice,And we had a full house.I left the candy in the candy case and everything just like that.I knew something was happening to me”,Tommy ,Sr. said, He was having a heart attack and had bypass surgery.The drive-in lay dormat in almost perfect condition- for more than five years,Two months ago the brothers decided to re-open the Hi-way 56.
They spent $16,000 to recondition the screen and fix things up.“ the main reason we opened it was to give the kids a place to go!” said Tony,one of the six Bellamy kids.
More on the Hi-Way 56 drive-in will be added later.Thanks for reading this and to the Reporter Beth Harrison for getting down there to Swainsboro to get a story.Mike Rogers.
Thanks too,Don.
It is great to see Boris Karloff honored.He is a forgotten star that we all have sorta forgotten.
If Augusta,Georgia which is a bit smaller than Milwaukee can save their MODJESKA,I can’t believe a city of that size can’t do it.
Robin, somewhere on our theatres,Columbia 1 and 2,Imperial,Didn’t see it here.I mentioned i took about six hours of our theatre reunions from the 1985-86-87 videos that Bill shot most of, and cut them down to a watchable 95 minutes or so of DVD and i sent out invites to the gang from 1972 to about 1980 and i got zero response,I know its summmer,but I think I am finished with reunions! If you or Cathy,Diane or Bill want to meet at a eating spot one day let me know,i will be glad to get there and at least talk about the old days at National Hills Theatre,i am just at a loss for words,last fall we had 10 or 12 show up for a get together,but now i get nothing! I would show them to you all,but heck you would only know Me,The Tinneys,Bill and Tom Weidmeirer. And there is some awful rough language by adults that outta know better.