Comments from simonlake

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simonlake
simonlake commented about Columbia Theatre on Aug 10, 2012 at 1:19 pm

Hi Stan.. I think your right about where Rubin lived..I carried him home a few nights after we closed due to his car being in the shop or something like that..Best i can remember that is where i carried him to…Really nice guy and another one of the Hamburger, Hot dog crew, we all loved the Varsity… Take care. Tom..

simonlake
simonlake commented about Columbia Theatre on Aug 25, 2011 at 10:17 am

Stan..Do you remember a guy by the name of Bob or Robert Roberts? I ran into him in Rota Spain in 1976, he use to work at one of the Theatres down past the Fox on the opposite side of the street, he was probably 17-18 at the time.. The projection guys at the Atlanta really loved the Varsity, did you ever make any runs for them, that was just about all they ate. Those guys were making pretty good money to be in the 1970’s. I believe the down town guys were the only union ones around at the time.

simonlake
simonlake commented about Columbia Theatre on Aug 25, 2011 at 9:57 am

Hi there..No i didn’t play any ball while i was there. They kinda made me the City Manager but it really didn’t put any more work on me other then getting the previews picked up and out to the others. When i got there we ran the Concession stand so i guess the out sourceing did work out to good, when your returning 60-80% of your box office back to the Company in California you have to make as much as you can on the concessions or not make much. I didn’t have time for much of anything as i was working 12 hr days. The last time they tried to robbed us the deputy sheriff i hired and myself walked out the back and the back door had the one way school type door, when they closed you were out of luck getting back in that way, he and i got pinned down in the parking in a cross fire between 3 guys for nearly 10 mins, we had 3 guns and held our own but that was it for me, if i wanted to get shot at on the job i might as well be on active duty and i got the hell out of there and went back into the service. I belive your right, i think Bob Harmon was his name, he had kind of a pot belly, real nice guy..Wayne Cobb hired me in Macon, i had just gotten out of the Army and went for an interview for a theatre in Macon and he asked me if i would move up there, i didn’t know the place had been involved in so many robberies and the lobby killing, if i had known that i wouldn’t have moved up there to start with..I had a lic to carry and me and the Deputy started keeping a 45 Thompson, 2 pistols and 12 ga shot gun to walk out with at night. The night we got pinned down they called in the SWAT team and had the hilo’s flying around the building, the robbers were on top of the building and some how they got away. We saw a woman using a phone booth right down the street get gunned down one night as we were walking out, she was just talking and a car pulled up and opened fire on her, we stepped out in the street and fired on the car but they were hauling tale toward down town. Sounds like we just missed each other while working there..I just retired from the Navy about 9 months ago, really glad i went back on active duty, i had 36 yrs in when i retired and they made me get out but thats ok, i got to see the whole world after leaving the Atlanta theatre. Plus i am mainly in one peace. Take care. Tom

simonlake
simonlake commented about Columbia Theatre on Aug 20, 2011 at 1:56 pm

P.S. I remember that Mayor M. Jackson and Hammering Hank A. would bring there Wives down to the Theater quite a bit, Jackson was a real nice guy, hated to see him pass, i ran into him in the early 1990’s at the Varsity and he still remembered me, i couldn’t believe it. He came up behind me and put a big old arm around my neck, he was a huge Man. Me being in my early 20’s when i managed that Theatre i had a heavy foot going home at midnight and got a couple of speeding Tickets and he kinda helped me out with them,the Hammer would bring tickets to the ball park and i gave them out to the people working there and once in a while on a Mon-Tues night when it was slow i would carry a couple of people down to the old stadium for 2-3 innings and go right back to the Theatre.

simonlake
simonlake commented about Columbia Theatre on Aug 20, 2011 at 1:43 pm

One day i went early to open the Theater, (summer of 1974) and decided to check out all the stuff behind that big screen, you all wouldn’t believe it. All the Ropes and props from the 1920-30’s were all still hanging down behind that big screen, i looked around for 2 hrs, it was like going to a museum, lots of neat old stuff, i lost track of time that day and was nearly late opening up. July 4th day of 1974 we had a 2 block long line of people trying to get in to see Claudine, we were the first Theater in Atlanta to start charging $4.00 bucks to see a Movie, i hated to do that but the Co. ordered me to.

simonlake
simonlake commented about Columbia Theatre on Aug 20, 2011 at 1:34 pm

Hi Guys. I was hired in Macon Ga. In early 1974 to Manage the Atlanta Theater and did so for nearly 1 yr, it was shortly after the shooting in the lobby, Weis theater Co. bought the theater and i had just gotten out of the Army so i moved up there, it was one heck of an experience, i was robbed 3 times and after about 11 months i left and went back into the U.S. Navy and just retired, glad i did, i now have a retirement i would not have had i stayed. Anyway i remember we had one world premiere while i was there, the name of the movie was ( CLAUDINE ) with Diane Carroll and James Earl Jones, they came the night we opened it, that movie ran for almost 6 months. It was a good experience for a young 21 yr old guy, lots of responcibility. I replaced a guy (can’t remember his name that had been in the theater Bus all his life and he Retired and went home to Bangebridge Ga. he was in his 60’s at the time, nice guy but was ready to retire. If any of you all remember me i was there just about all of 1974, Name ( TOM ). I really enjoyed working there, all the projection guys were Union and they made more money then any one and they loved to eat Varsity Dogs and Burgers and would buy lunch every day if i would make the run down there. Take care all and drop a line. Sincerely Tom.