saw lots of movies at the Gordon.. my dad used to take us to the movies there a lot… and it was one of the rare air-conditioned buildings back in the ‘50’s. And I especially remember “Thunder Road”… My dad had just bought a new 1957 Ford, and had traded in his 1952 Ford, both featured cars in the movie.
“On the first of April, 1954
The Federal man sent word
He’d better make his run no more…
He’d have a thousand agents
a'coverin the state,
whichever road he tried to take
they’d catch him sure as fate….
Son, his daddy told him,
make this run your last
you’re all filled up with hundred proof,
you’re all tuned up and gassed…
Now don’t take any chances
if you can’t get through
I’d rather have you back again
than all that mountain dew"
I remember this theater as well… on two accounts. (1)it was the first gay theater I had ever seen, and (2) it was just down the street from both the Atlanta Boy Scout office at 167 walton, which was virtually next door to the “Main” Atlanta YMCA, home of the skinny dip. I used to think it interesting that the gay theater was within a block of the two largest male-centric organizations in town!
for those younger folks, up until probably the late ‘60’s swim trunks were forbidden at the “Y” swimming pool— everybody skinny dipped!
I think the opening was more like 1963-64… i worked there for about a year before getting a job across the street at the (new)Greenbriar Mall when it first opened…
I was an usher/popcorn boy at Westgate— popcorn was made in a small room for that purpose upstairs next to the projection booth, and carted down, boxed, to the concession stand.
Based on this extensive experience, I was hired as the first employee at Greenbriar to be the head usher.
BTW— Lester Maddox’s store at Westgate was a furniture store… he was out of the restaurant business by then…. i used to get my hair cut at the barbershop at Westgate, and Lester would hang out there, telling stories of his ‘glory days’…. although he was yet to be governor at that time…
well.. first, you’re a bit wrong on your dates— the Greenbriar opened in 1965 i believe… I was the first employee after the manager, Randy Haynes.
I had been working for about a year at the Westgate Cinema across Campbellton Road when Greenbriar was built, and as soon as I heard about it, I applied. I got the job as head usher and got to wear a pukey-yellowish-green colored blazer with a “Georgia Theater Company” patch on the pocket instead of an orange/yellow “monkey suit” like the rest of the ushers.
Opening night was the Atlanta premier of the John Wayne movie, “Sons of Katie Elder.”
There was still lots of leftover contruction material around, and I managed to “liberate” enough of the orange leopard-spotted carpet to carpet my ‘55 chevvy with it!
And yes, it was magnificient as a large single-screen!
Smoking in the balcony only!
I worked there for about a year until I graduated high school and left Atlanta for college at UGA.
In later years I found myself at Greenbriar Mall again, after it had started it’s decline, but kept myself from going downstairs to visit the theater… i preferred to remember it from its better times.
boy do i recall a few interesting Saturday nights at this place!
saw lots of movies at the Gordon.. my dad used to take us to the movies there a lot… and it was one of the rare air-conditioned buildings back in the ‘50’s. And I especially remember “Thunder Road”… My dad had just bought a new 1957 Ford, and had traded in his 1952 Ford, both featured cars in the movie.
“On the first of April, 1954 The Federal man sent word He’d better make his run no more… He’d have a thousand agents a'coverin the state, whichever road he tried to take they’d catch him sure as fate….
Son, his daddy told him, make this run your last you’re all filled up with hundred proof, you’re all tuned up and gassed… Now don’t take any chances if you can’t get through I’d rather have you back again than all that mountain dew"
I remember this theater as well… on two accounts. (1)it was the first gay theater I had ever seen, and (2) it was just down the street from both the Atlanta Boy Scout office at 167 walton, which was virtually next door to the “Main” Atlanta YMCA, home of the skinny dip. I used to think it interesting that the gay theater was within a block of the two largest male-centric organizations in town! for those younger folks, up until probably the late ‘60’s swim trunks were forbidden at the “Y” swimming pool— everybody skinny dipped!
I think the opening was more like 1963-64… i worked there for about a year before getting a job across the street at the (new)Greenbriar Mall when it first opened…
I was an usher/popcorn boy at Westgate— popcorn was made in a small room for that purpose upstairs next to the projection booth, and carted down, boxed, to the concession stand.
Based on this extensive experience, I was hired as the first employee at Greenbriar to be the head usher.
BTW— Lester Maddox’s store at Westgate was a furniture store… he was out of the restaurant business by then…. i used to get my hair cut at the barbershop at Westgate, and Lester would hang out there, telling stories of his ‘glory days’…. although he was yet to be governor at that time…
well.. first, you’re a bit wrong on your dates— the Greenbriar opened in 1965 i believe… I was the first employee after the manager, Randy Haynes.
I had been working for about a year at the Westgate Cinema across Campbellton Road when Greenbriar was built, and as soon as I heard about it, I applied. I got the job as head usher and got to wear a pukey-yellowish-green colored blazer with a “Georgia Theater Company” patch on the pocket instead of an orange/yellow “monkey suit” like the rest of the ushers.
Opening night was the Atlanta premier of the John Wayne movie, “Sons of Katie Elder.”
There was still lots of leftover contruction material around, and I managed to “liberate” enough of the orange leopard-spotted carpet to carpet my ‘55 chevvy with it!
And yes, it was magnificient as a large single-screen!
Smoking in the balcony only!
I worked there for about a year until I graduated high school and left Atlanta for college at UGA.
In later years I found myself at Greenbriar Mall again, after it had started it’s decline, but kept myself from going downstairs to visit the theater… i preferred to remember it from its better times.