National Hills Theatre
2701 Washington Road,
Augusta,
GA
30909
2701 Washington Road,
Augusta,
GA
30909
4 people
favorited this theater
Showing 401 - 425 of 463 comments
August 10 1976
We have CHILDREN’S APPRECIATION DAY. The employees are dressing up as Cartoon figures in crazy costumes. Parents get in free, charing the kids $1.50. Large crowds.
1974 Talked John Mackey into playing LAST AMERICAN HERO with JEFF BRIDGES. Its a stock car movie filmed in his neck of the woods in North Carolina. {2009 I believe it did okay for a very off beat late show}
DEATH WISH plays to good LATE SHOW crowds.It is one of my favorite movies,so much so, that I talked Mr.Mackey into going up in the booth after Mr.Pete left on Saturday night and we got a reel out and we clipped a couple of frames of film out for me.
I wished i would have gotten the frame at the end of the movie where CHARLES BRONSON makes a gun out of his finger to some creeps that grabbed a lady’s packages and threw them on the floor. CLASSIC BRONSON. {i guess whoever played the movie next i hope they correctly fixed the print because we just used plain tape to put the film back together. I still have those clips} 1974.
MORE THEATRE DIARY NATIONAL HILLS THEATRE.
Everyone has been wanting me to come over and hear this DIMENSION 360 sound they just had put in the theatre for the movie DAMNATION ALLEY. I can’t tell a big difference except for those ugly speakers hanging off the walls. 1977.
THEATRE JOURNAL May 14 1978
Charles called he is upset again at Jordan.Seems like Charles put up a Marquee and Mr.Jordan ripped him a good one. I never had anyone critize a marquee i did. Charles said “ He does even care about the stuff. He said Jordan lacks creativity .” .Will National Hills theatre ever become a peaceful place.
Before i worked at NATIONAL HILLS and had to buy a ticket i saw THE MAN THAT LOVED CAT DANCING and with a title like that no one would believe it was a pretty good western.I also saw SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE there and it too was a good movie.I had always wanted to get FIVE on a late show,but we never did. At least i don’t have it written down.
Nov.6 1977
BOBBY DEERFIELD is still doing pretty good business. I will be surprized if we don’t get it. {it never played at COLUMBIA 1 and 2}
1974 I was happy Mr.Mackey booked A MAN CALLED HORSE for a late show he asks me often about what to play on our late shows.So far i am batting close to 100% Chewy doesn’t care and he should take more interest since he is the head doorman.
Bill, I left a comment on the 200 highest grossing theatres.A little insight from the theatre business.
DEATHRACE 2000 has kicked butt.It is a ROGER CORMAN film and these West Augusta moviegoers are eating it up. It just seems like it outta be at WEIS CINEMAS.
Word is we are getting a PG version of MASH. That is right,A PG version. Will adults care or even remember the 1970 was a R RATED film. I think the first run was here. {NATIONAL HILLS]
John Mackey has decided to show JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR on our weekend late show. 1974. He might run into trouble with the churches in town,but like he said its a late show. { 2009 i think it did pretty good business}
TIME CAPSULE in front of NATIONAL HILLS placed 1966 opened 1996.Bill Barkley was the only rep. from our theatre era. Bill saw it open.He videotaped it i am sure,but we let him down even yours truly did not make it.
FROM MY ABC THEATRE FILM DIARY 1977
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE is next weeks NATIONAL HILLS late show.But they still have FRITZ THE CAT on the Bottom part of marquee. I pointed it out to Charles and he told me"I DO NOT GIVE A DAMN" He told me that !
I see JUNGLE BOOK is set to play here.Saw it right here as a kid First run at NATIONAL HILLS THEATRE.
1977
THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME. WE could call it theSOUND REMAINS THE SAME. More sound problems on this.SO bad Charles had to call two cops to deal with two late show moviegoers. All this over sound. Why can’t we just go back to plain old movies.
The next weekend Mr.Jordan was out of town and Charles ask me to come up to NATIONAL HILLS to help him again he feared sound problems on THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME. We simply put up a sign on the box office explaining the Sound may not be 100%. WE had no trouble AT ALL !
Well. over beers Tommy Capers tells me John Mackey since Mr.Davis.NATIONAL HILLS Always seemed to have good men there until the last year or so.
STILL MORE FROM MY 1977 ABC PLITT THEATRE JOURNAL.
Well, i am back on the marquee friday.Seems their usher was slow thursday that the road marquee did not get changed. I ended up taking care of it for Mr.Jordan. I could do a great Marquee on the theatre and have plenty of time for the Road Marquee. They do not care.
NATIONAL HILLS 1977
{ in 2009 i hate to post this } NATIONAL HILLS THEATRE is now one of the worst theatres in Augusta.It hurts to say that! After i left NATIONAL HILLS for COLUMBIA SQUARE I had everything in order. I walked upstairs after seeing Mr.Pete and peeked in the FURANCE/POSTER/ MARQUEE LETTER ROOM. Boy, MArquee letters ,posters thrown all over the floor!IT looks like a stinking fire hazard. A DUMP.
Even the MARQUEE in front of the theatre i counted several misspelled words. And this is NATIONAL HILLS the theatre that prides itself on being Augusta’s best.It is clearly a management problem.
NATIONAL HILLS my theatre journal 1977
A complete sell out on REEFER MADNESS .We oversold more than 781 seats. The HINDENBURG is doing good business at the IMPERIAL. BUT LUCKY LADY at the MILLER is dead.
MORE FROM MY 1976 1977 LOST THEATRE JOURNAL NATIONAL HILLS THEATRE.
LATE SHOW problems on YESSONGS we had to refund forty tickets.I know Mr.Pete in the booth did all he could do on our sound.I think the RCA SOUNDMAN IS coming in. But, It is like i told Mr.Tinney on regular features no one says a word.
HAWMPS is playing At NATIONAL HILLS to great KID business. Makers of Benji. I see MOTHER , JUGS , and SPEED is set next with RAQUEL WELCH. Have not seen alot of her on the screen.
Boy, Bill are you right. I almost did not want to include that little error on my part because i always had a good track record on this market. I did not want some"DISNEY" space caper. Well, it went to the WEIS CENTER CENTER here and played all summer,But they seated less than COLUMBIA ONE probably over a hundred seats less. I did get a great advance one sheet that I want back in the poster room and kept after i realized STAR WARS was far from a “DISNEY” flick.
WEIS CINEMA CENTER IS ON CINEMA TREASURES.
Mike: I remember how in early 1977 “Star Wars” was on absolutely no one’s radar as a potential box office smash. Everybody was looking forward to “The Deep” because of its Peter Benchley/“Jaws” connection. That all changed on May 25th, the day “Star Wars” opened.
NATIONAL HILLS FROM MY FILM JOURNAL 1977
Just for employees before the friday night late show.Mr.Jordan invited all THE ABC THEATRE folks to see his favorite film he booked on an upcoming LATE SHOW. LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL Well. some of us were acting a bit crazy.SO i left with my cashiers and two guys from the IMPERIAL to go to COLUMBIA SQUARE for our own little party.
1976 FILM JOURNAL
COLUMBIA 1 and 2 getting ready for opening.THE city manager and our District manager invite me to lunch.
APRIL 2 1977 We are getting word that STAR WARS is coming here.And the Deep. {we got THE DEEP}
1977 THE LATE SHOW a movie with Art Carney is opening.I just do not think this will sell at all.Lily Tomlyn is co-star.
COLUMBIA ONE is playing THE CHEAP DETECTIVE. PETER FALK is great in it. Play on BOGIE. COLUMBIA TWO IS picking up the OMEN 2 from the IMPERIAL. We should do okay because so many folks here will not go downtown.