OCR Text |
Show " been a force in helping restore die Majestic Theater in Eastland, Texts. walked into, the Majestic, and it was like we Could tee the light it the end of the tunnel " Pun says. "We could see what we could do with our own restoration. That was the turning point. rf iurlttiivflfinyiwiB. Still, seven vation by ahead far die couple befaredro. National would glow egain on the night of Noe. id, 1990 the third gland opening in ict history. ' .Tt r lace .1980s and 90$, led by people .like die Scoitts, in towns all over :v America.': ; I.; fr-'i " i r "Thitis the time to preserve them," says Ross Melnick, founder .of Gncma Treasures, a websitie lwl jjl 1 dedicated (wwwjrinemartEssuresrxg) to posting iuid receiving information on old movie palaces.. "But restoring ii' theater is. a lot bigger job than' many pebje drink;" A fin not lost on the Scons, It hss to be a Maand Pa thing to make it work, insists David, a fulltime denrisewhose livdihood, in additjin to several tons, suppora die coupfcfc theater venture.lrs quite a financial burden, but it 1 become part . - . Bade in September 1940, 20 years after itoriginally opened, a fire broughr down the National, leaving only skeletal ihdl and lew meal teat fnunes. But fire. J iiJ.: :L1 .. i pressiblc founderowner M.W. "Pic"(fbr picture tfcfaw, gaining wmiiy. Anw") I immir nrfuiilr ment from luminaries the lilcet of acteest Rita Hay- - . ofus. We probably make money three worth and others, who sent telrgtanis of support from to fixif months nurof the year and Hollywood, The theater was redesigned in tbe mod-- . lose the test of die yean. ' In Gtaham and towns like it, maserneart deco style and reopened in cady 1941. In is ..heyday from die' 1920k through the 1940k,-whe; sive thearer chains ate frmAlahU competi-''tib- n die indqxndox theater owner with moviehouaeswero the teigniig royalty qf fiunily enter-- ; an toward restoration.' tainment, Gtaham levctbetared with the hum of growBoth private adzeot and public officials ing commerce. It wasn't nnunial. claims Pam, fcr airhave make an acrive role in making sure planes to be padeed outside die theater fir big evens ' bade then, or far .the townli huge downtown square to that die' place you grow up in, the place you oveifiow with motor vehides parked and want it to be, doesnt, become one giant fix tq to half! mile away shopping cent a;" Melnick notes. "Historic movie the'' One who romembeis that era is Jim Iamout; Pkfc ater ptesemriaq is ground aero fix diu kind of support ' on a local level" ton,' now 74, who was on hit lathetY payroll at the National fix 48 yeusbeginning in 1940, Jim did everyfix Historic from relief wotk listed the over movie theaten old to as the rmemtion Na yeas, thing operator janitor l building among eaisciqg historic anhitec-tur- o roprojectionisr, beginning at age l4. Ptohd3ly just got in America.AMC is a good ample df a cheater inmydad'swayhequipsabouthisettiydBys. Movies make baring jmpnwinns,andLarnctx easily ' Tha NonhorThaotarb back Co kfbmMrloi ' ita bapurchaaaby rocnUs pans of die fist picturo he ever taw die Nation-- , thadty afDuludi.Mfciii. al (AGanracdox Vadceein Kiqg AnhiCoun, with VTill r Rpgen in 193 IX "And Tm not sure that 1 remember The . Jazz Siogei; but I think I do, he adds. Fun abounded at the old there back then Young moviegoes added their own bond of entertainment, rolling empty Coke bottles down the slighdy graded rfvrw fUw unwimw rlanlring nff thf m wt-fiames all the way down to die front. Organized games invention by Pic Lam-ou- t; such as Showball, a Bingo-lik- e and dswiqgs fix prizes also helped create "none- -' social event, Pam says. ' " : ; badc-to-ba- I - nxxt-endange- ; nd 'This is tie time to fieseue Hum But televisioa began to enter American hornet at die outset of the 1950s, and the long run of bright ' lights fix movie theaters began is slow, downhill fide toward the dismal neglect of the 1970s and early 80s a time when the National and is fellow brethren were starting to crumble and" dose.. Then came die restoration resurgence of the i tints . movie-pala- mu" t ; i f awarwiJsj cvitmi t.v, HAUfK Ifir MiaM to In hfyd f chain that respects die hisooty movie theaters," Cwtriiyiw SHnidf Thy moved theoldEtnpiro(in New TbrkCn ; down the meet and it became die lobby cf their new nailriplez, with beau- iestored munls and theouter fi$ade left higely moix There is a way we can all work to ane the past. ; In some instances, cities themselves are buying up : die old palaces. Lapeer, Midi.; (The Pit Theater) and Duluth, Mutol,: (Nadur Thearori arc amoag those houses, rostoring dxhistertodieir that into venues them as a ; serve muldpuipose tumiug focal point fix local aris and community acchriries. ' ' Even dieSoocts, in an effect to make their undenak- ing commerrially viable, added a second and child the- - v ater to die NarionaL "We early on we had to : build thar second theater as soon as we could," remarks films in a David, who quickly learned that fust-tu- n small own run out of viewers loqg befixe the filmk comract is fulfilled. of because Ae Scots labor of Jove, which iq Yet, 1993 earned the. National Theater a place on die , National Roister of Historic Placet, Gtahaiq. rori- dents no loagrr must trek the 60 miles to Wichita Fallstocatch a movie. And die town's downtown square ik alive widi thriv-in-g busines once again, also a credit to the couple's of die National and their subsequent divetsifi--! carian into a handfid of businearos bordering the dnroc. , SriU, its not uncommon that Gnharnk outrageous fortune hunten turn m a most fiuniliar diversion when.' rime and recreational travel permit;. Tor idle longest' time, laughs Run, we would visit other dieatm," "J. en . mi bi InNuiibHl tht - ' side-toai- de s rtmf bade ' dc . Tki vhowIm . . vlij . . . ce ALm Ran is Wat trgim tJitar ft Anvriran Pmfilf American. Profile Pag 7 |