National Hills Theatre
2701 Washington Road,
Augusta,
GA
30909
2701 Washington Road,
Augusta,
GA
30909
4 people
favorited this theater
Showing 376 - 400 of 463 comments
NATIONAL HILLS THEATRE seated 781.
Bottom of the barrel, We are getting the Gay comedy THE RITZ. in this neighborhood theatre. We can only hope it sorta goes unnoticed because this is Not a West Augusta Movie. THE RITZ plays one week and is gone. The same run we had on MAME. Both Turkeys. I thought MAME would better with the senior crowd,but they stayed away.
NATIONAL HILLS has the Honor of playing First run the CHEYENNE SOCIAL CLUB with JAMES STEWART and HENRY FONDA. It would be one of the last great Westerns both men would make. 1970. Rated GP.
1968 and 1969 were great years for Hammer films and National Hills played them.
DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE. {my little sis and me sat on the first row and watched it,she still talks about it today}
TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA {maybe a little more graphic nudity and violence}
FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED {Peter Cushing,need i say more.]
TROG {Joan Crawford’s last movie }
All these were great for a 13 year old. Today, Horror films stink.
Can’t forget WILD,WILD, PLANET. {not a Hammer film}
April 27 1968 this saturday Augustans can enjoy in 70mm and Sterophonic sound GONE WITH THE WIND,
Starting July 31 1969 OLIVER returns with 2 shows daily at 2;30 and an evening show at 8:00 ADVANCE TICKETS ON SALE NOW. Evening and sunday matinees is $2.25 .
July 28 1969 NATIONAL HILLS is playing the comedy IF IT’S TUESDAY THIS MUST BE BELGIUM, Rated G Box office opens at 1:45 pm shows at 2:00, 3:35, 5:30 7:25 & 9:15 Admission is Adults $1.50 and child 75 cents.
Our late shows are set for late 1975
11/ 7-8 EASY RIDER
11/ 14-15 JUNGLE FREAKS and SEX MADNESS {are we trying to run WEIS CINEMA CENTRE films 2009 }
11/ 21-22 WOODSTOCK
11/ 28-29 HELP and LET IT BE
12/ 5-6 DEATH WISH [ Mr. Mackey and Mike clip some frames out when the Projectionist leaves .}
12/ 12-13 REEFER MADNESS and MARTIAN SPACE PARTY
REEFER MADNESS and MARTIAN SPACE PARTY would be pulled.
Cool story Mike, but how many tickets did they sell?
Jerry Tinney,CityManager, remembers National Hills fondly with this story. well, when Laura and I were married in a church by the Theatre on our way to our Honeymoon the employees had congratulated us on the NATIONAL HILLS THEATRE MARQUEE. When our child AMANDA was born they put A STAR IS BORN…AMANDA TINNEY.on the marquee.
Laura Tinney remembers NATIONAL HILLS ; Well, Jerry took me to our first date there to see SONG OF THE SOUTH there. On HERBIE GOES TO MONTE CARLO he asked me to marry him after the show,and i even went into Labor there after calling Mike away from a date with Beverly we rushed to the Hospital. That was a wild night!
Jim Neely , doorman remembers one night a couple were leaving the show when BANG they hit the big plate glass window by the door, Our manager had moved the plant that was there just to keep someone from doing that.I told Mr.Tinney, and the next day the plant was back by the window.
There is a scene in BILLY JACK where a local thug is getting ready to cut a woman’s bra. One time while the scene was getting ready to come on Gordon our projectionist adjusts the framing on the film to where it is above the bottom masking and WOW, there are her nipples showing Clearly. Framed back you never see them. The majic of a movie operator. I never did like BILLY JACK.
WE, played THE WALL at REGENCY 1.2.3. first run and cannot remember anyone coming out asking about the sound. We lost sound somehow one night on FIRST BLOOD and i ran down the mall where our projectionist was getting some coffee and he thought i was pulling HIS LEG!
Look I know you started about the same time i did and in Augusta they did own the Booth. IT took awhile,but with time we became friends,they help get me in local 629 Stagehands local here. Hey, Unless i worked at the Imperial i never saw those FIVE FINGERS OF DEATH flicks. And yes, you could play reel second and reel five third. I had an old projectionist here and you might have read it he swore you could leave reel 7 out of GONE WITH THE WIND and if you hadn’t seen the movie,never miss it. Knowing him, i am sure he pulled it off at a drive in.
Mike you posts remind me of when we showed some dumb Kung Fu movie we showed the movie a whole week with 2 of the reels out of order and no body knew the difference or complained.Also when we showed “THE LAST WALTZ” a concert movie I called the booth to turn up the volume and the union man in the booth said no.Our city manager called the union the next day and we got the volume right for the rest of the run.LOUD.Did the same when we showed a PINK FLOYD movie.Those union guys thought they owned the place.
I guess i have so many posts is because i really enjoyed working at that Theatre. I mean it sounds strange to love a building? I have many friends i worked with there ,but sadly i have come to realize that while i loved working there to those guys it was just a job.
We even had ABC THEATRE reunion back in 1985 and we had quite a few old employees to show, so much so that about the next 4 years we had a get together every holiday season.Now, they have something like this and all i get is “I have said it all. Not so.” A few of them where there way before i got hired.
Mike you ought to write a book about this theater. Well you almost have with all the posts on this site.If you post any pictures let me know.
Will do.
TISLOEWS, I have tons of pictures of all my theatres. I just don’t have anyway to print them. I have in friend in Tampa that was looking into it, I wondered if i mailed them to CT if they would put them on? I am real new to this. Heck, My kids have cut the computer on and find CT. IF you some grat stories let me know the theatres I would willing to bet i witness the same thing down here.
Great comments Mike but I could not find any pictures. You must be like me I have many stories and memories of my theater days but I did not take any pictures that I can remember or find.I am checking out the other movie houses you have listed.
Sometime in the late 70’s Mark Kuchinski’s little sister Lisa becomes an assistant manager after Cindy Muns leaves.
08/ 03/ 76.
We get a WESTERN UNION TELEGRAM from Mr.John Huff,our V.P. ABC SOUTHEASTERN THEATRES telling us: AMERICAN GRAFFITI will be withdrawn by UNIVERSAL PICTURES and there can be no theatre showings beginning after Sept. 3 1976.
So naturally,NATIONAL HILLS gets it and man, we SELL OUT several weekend shows!
OCT 22. 1977 DAMNATION ALLEY is playing in 360 SOUND,not Dimension 360 sound as i wrote earlier.
Nov. 1974,I EXPERIMENT and put sugar in our popcorn popper. THE popcorn comes out with brown spots.OH, well in the trash before anyone sees it. Sometimes you get bored.