Miller Theatre
708 Broad Street,
Augusta,
GA
30901
708 Broad Street,
Augusta,
GA
30901
11 people
favorited this theater
Showing 51 - 75 of 222 comments
Miller opened Feb. 24, 1940 (not “1938” as stated in the blurb above—-moderators, please make correction and see Friends of the Miller website for info).
I wenr to this theater when I was station at Fort Gordon. It really was a nice theater. It was 1965 when I was in Augusta
The future looks Bright.I just hope the area supports it.Once they figure out how it will play with the Imperial, and the Bell.
Thanks for the info Mike.
July 27 2011 page one,AUGUSTA CHRONCILE “GROUPS UNITE TO SAVE MILLER”. www.augustachroncile.com.Complete story on efforts to reopen the MILLER THEATRE.
Augusta Chroncile METRO section on Miller Theatre July 9 2011"RESTORATION STILL POSSIBLE".Augusta Landmarks may take the Theatre.augustachroncile.com.
News 12 had a nice story .Didn’t see one on Channel 6 or 26.
RE: 3D films @ Miller. I saw the very first one to play there in 1954, Bwani Devil with Robert Stack and Barbara Britton. Ad lines: “A lion in your lap”. “A lover in your arms”. Saw lots of others there and also House of Wax at the Imperial.
www.augustachroncile.com[June 30 2011} Big front page story on the Miller Up for sale on Friday July 1 2011.Nice picture of the theatre.Maybe someone can put it on the blog.
The Miller was Largest Theatre and had some of the larger Films.By the 60’s and 70’s the Miller and Imperial were splitting the product. Nov 2 1960 “THE DARK AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS” opens.
June 12 1961 “THE LAST SUNSET”
May 4 1962 “STATE FAIR”
June 1 1968 “PLANET OF THE APES” i watch with my sister Kim.June 14 1968 “SHAKIEST GUN IN THE WEST” a film that would become a KIDDIE Classic.
July 26 1968 ADULTS ONLY.“ROSEMARY’S BABY”
August 30 1968 “HIGH ‘EM HIGH” “Uncle Clint” in Action.
June 13 1969 “HOW TO COMMIT MARRIAGE”
August 15 1969 “Mac KENNA’s GOLD”
John Wayne is here in BIG JAKE" on Sept 24 1971.
March 15 1974 “THE STING”
August 15 1975 “ROLLERBALL”.“Jaws” across the steet.
August 29 1976 “SLUMBER PARTY'57” also at the Skyview Drive-in.
Nov.24 1976 the forgettable “NORMAN,IS THAT YOU”.
On June 17 1977 the newspaper ads say see “ROLLERCOASTER” in senssurround. Couldn’t at the Miller, only the Imperial had it.A few ushers and myself ,help set it up.AND UNIVERSAL STILL OWES US A PAYCHECK!!!!!!!!!
3-D hits the big Miller Screen in a Georgia Based Flick, “SANGAREE” this in the Summer of 1953.
Yeah we saved four downtown theatres,Quite a feat.Imperial,Miller,Modjeska and Art/Cinema One.ALL on CT.
I’d dearly love to take that tour! But as I’m 700 miles away, I don’t think it’s going to happen. Maybe there’ll be a “next time”?!
BTW, I hope Augusta appreciates what it has there in the Miller and the Imperial. Most cities this size lost their theaters years ago, as readers of this site know only too well.
It would be great to see that marquee lit up one day!
Henry41 – Thanks for visiting Friends of the Miller website. I did extensive research a number of years back regarding the history of the Miller. Pretty much maxed out my website with findings. Peter Knox has agreed to give the Miller Theatre to the local Symphony and they have been appropriated with $5.2M SPLOST dollars (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) for restoration. The Symphony’s plans are a well kept secret so not much details to provide concerning their progress.
The Miller Theatre will be featured during Historic Augusta’s Loft Tour scheduled for Friday & Saturday May 6th & 7th, 2011. We will be conducting tours of the main auditorium, stage and dressing rooms.
Hello to all. Friends of the Miller is back!! The panel referenced above was known as the Hub Board built by Hub Electric out of Chicago. Someone made a reference to the size of the Miller stage in comparison to the Imperial. The Miller stage is considerably wider but the Imperial is deeper and the Miller has more wing space. One big difference is dressing rooms – the Miller has 10 dressing rooms below the stage. When restored, the Miller’s seating capacity will be approximately 1550 however, I understand the Symphony may modify the seating which will drastically reduce the capacity.
Know what you mean.I think Miller’s panel works,they never cut power off the building.
I used to work and travel with rock and roll bands and got to see the backstage of lots of old movie theaters. Many still had the old lighting panels with the “Frankenstein” style blade switches like the Miller. I doubt many were usable and most bands either carried or rented locally a modern portable lighting system. I really enjoyed exploring all those old theaters!
The Miller has it,Someone did take the copper plates below each Switch I guess to keep and not sell for Scrap.FRIENDS OF THE MILLER when they do get back on they probably know about the punks,I think they got caught.
I hope the punks damage was not permanent! Idiots; they should have been forced to clean up their mess. OTOH, if they had any brains they wouldn’t have done it in the first place. Drat!
Symphony Hall (a/k/a Lyric) in Allentown had its original electrical panel (from c. 1901) still in place until renovations about 15-20 years ago. All the switches were mounted on a big piece of slate, and there was a cage around three sides of it. Wish they had saved it, but AFAIK it got scrapped. Items like that are part of our history and should be preserved!
It was probably a few years ago when they were working in it.Side note,some Young Punks got in somehow and with a can a spray paint went crazy in there.I think the little B———— got caught.It was in the Newspaper,but can’t remember the date,had i know about CT then I would have saved items like that.Off to stage right is an old time electrical stage lights panel like you see in the old movies.
Thank you, Alonzo Jeter, for that link to flickr.com. I was able to pull a decent print off of the large (1024x670) image, and I look at it often. Don’t know that I ever saw the Miller with the house lights (such as they were) on, so I couldn’t fully appreciate all the details when I was a kid. Do you happen to know the occasion and the date of the photo? Thanks again!
Thanks Alonzo,the screen was tossed.
Here a photo.
View link