Comments from MTownsend

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MTownsend
MTownsend commented about Surf Theatre on Aug 29, 2006 at 6:17 pm

I KNOW THE GAMBLING ISSUE IS A BAD MOVE FOR MANY AREAS OF PA. I GREW UP IN PA, LANCASTER COUNTY TO BE EXACT AND NO AMOUNT OF GAMBLING CAN DESTROY AN AREA ANY WORST THEN THE WAY LANCASTER HAS BEEN DESTROYED ALREADY. CRIME OUT OF CONTROL, HUGE DRUG PROBLEMS,CONJESTION AND SO ON. WHAT A SHAME FOR SUCH A BEAUTIFUL AREA. ALL THE DRIVE INS AND OLD DOWNTOWN THEATERS WENT YEARS AGO AND REALLY WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT TO GO TO DOWNTOWN LANCASTER AT NIGHT ANYWAY. TOO BAD THAT JOB AT THE SURF IN THE SUMMER OF 75 WAS IT. YES THE STRAND DID HAVE JAWS SHOWING THAT SUMMER. I HUNG THE BILLBOARDS FOR THAT MOVIE AND OTHERS THAT SUMMER INCLUDING ‘FUNNY WOMAN’ ON THE SIGNS WHICH WERE LOCATED ABOVE THE VILLAGE THEATER. MT

MTownsend
MTownsend commented about Surf Theatre on Aug 27, 2006 at 3:33 pm

DEAR THEATERBUFF, IT WAS A GREAT TIME YOU ARE SO RIGHT! I LIVED IN AN OLD 3 STORY HOUSE RIGHT BEHIND THE BOARDWALK AT 13TH STREET. I MEAN IT WAS 40FT FROM THE BOARDWALK. I LIVED ON THE TOP FLOOR VERY HOT BUT AT NIGHT A NICE SEA BREEZE WOULD COME IN MY WINDOW WHICH FACED THE OCEAN. THE HOUSE WAS USED TO STORE EXTRA BIKES FOR THE MCDOWELL BIKE RENTAL WHICH WAS THERE. I GOT FREE USE OF ANY BIKE WHENEVER I NEEDED IT SO IT WAS NO TROUBLE GETTING AROUND THE ISLAND. THE MCDOWELL’S ALSO OWNED A SMALL BATH HOUSE THERE WHICH I WOULD CLEAN EVERY 2 WEEKS SPLITTING THE JOB WITH OTHER GUYS WHO WORKED FOR MR MCDOWELL. MY RENT WAS 15$ A WEEK IF I COULD PAY IT IF NOT I WOULD WORK ALITTLE EXTRA AT THE BATH HOUSE. WHAT A DEAL! SINCE GOING TO THE MOVIES IS NOT A TOP PRIORITY FOR PEOPLE ON THE BOARDWALK MY JOB AT THE SURF DIDN’T ALWAYS GIVE ME MANY HOURS. I WOULD TAKE TICKETS AT THE DOOR THEN CLEAN THE PLACE UP AFTER THE SHOWS 2 A NIGHT. WE SHOWED SOME REAL STINKERS THAT SUMMER BAMBI, ONE OF OUR DINOSAURS IN MISSING, APPLE DUMPLING GANG AND TOMMY. AT LEAST TOMMY WAS GOOD. THE PLCE WAS A BLAST TO WORK AT. OLD SCENERY BEHIND THE STAGE, OLD SPOTLIGHTS WHICH STILL WORKED AND OLD DRESSING ROOMS DOWN FRONT. THERE WERE 2 PROJECTIONIST WHICH WERE MY AGE AND A CANDY GIRL AND USHERETTE WHICH WERE ALSO MY AGE. IT WAS A PARADISE. I WAS 17 ON MY OWN AT THE BEACH WORKING ON THE BOARDWALK. PLENTY OF GIRLS NO TROUBLE VERY SAFE. WHEN I NEEDED MONEY I WOULD PLAY GUITAR ON THE BOARDWALK THEN GET SOME HOT GIRL TO PASS THE HAT. I HAVE TO SAY I NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS AND I DIDN’T NEED A PERMIT. THE BEACH WAS FREE ALL YOU DID WAS WALK ON IT NO PASSES NEEDED THEN. THERE WAS A SMALL PIZZA PLACE NEXT TO THE THEATER CALLED GUSSEPPI’S WHICH WAS RUN BY AN ITALIAN FAMILY FROM PHILLY. THE OLD MAN WOULD STRUT UP AND THE BOARDWALK IN HIS WHITE APRON SMOKING A BIG CIGAR. THEY OFTEN BROUGHT OVER EXTRA PIZZA FOR US TO EAT. VERY NICE PEOPLE. THERE WAS A SMALL SHOP THERE TOO WHICH SOLD BOOTLEG RECORD ALBUMS, CANDLES AND SUCH. COOL PEOPLE THERE TOO. IT WAS A TIME WHICH CAN NEVER BE AGAIN. IT WAS SAFE, IT WAS FRIENDLY AND FUN. IT WAS REAL WITH REAL PEOPLE AND REAL FAMILIES. NOW I HAVEN’T BEEN BACK FOR MANY YEARS BUT I KNOW HOW MUCH IT HAS CHANGED. MT

MTownsend
MTownsend commented about Surf Theatre on Aug 25, 2006 at 7:12 pm

I worked at the Surf during the summer of 1975. What a great old place. There were old dressing rooms on both sides of the stage and an old orchestra pit which had been filled in down front. The projection room was gotten to by a small spiral staircase in the back by the managers office. We rehooked the old arc spotlight and turned it on sometimes for fun. The place was pretty run down by then with wall tiles falling off and water dripping down from the roof. I was the Doorman/Janitor then working that summer before going off to college. The movies shown were Bambi, Apple Dumpling Gang, One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing and Tommy. MT

MTownsend
MTownsend commented about Surf Theatre on Aug 25, 2006 at 7:11 pm

I worked at the Surf during the summer of 1975. What a great old place. There were old dressing rooms on both sides of the stage and an old orchestra pit which had been filled in down front. The projection room was gotten to by a small spiral staircase in the back by the managers office. We rehooked the old arc spotlight and turned it on sometimes for fun. The place was pretty run down by then with wall tiles falling off and water dripping down from the roof. I was the Doorman/Janitor then working that summer before going off to college. The movies shown were Bambi, Apple Dumpling Gang, One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing and Tommy. MT