Does anyone know when the “RKO Virginia” marquee was replaced by the [plain] “Virginia” marquee. The RKO-V marquee looks like it has neon, at least the upper part. Info, anyone?
As schoolboys in the early 1950s a close pal and I often walked across Gay Street Bridge to see movies at the Bijou. Our all-time favorite was Lure of the Wilderness (1952), starring the always beautiful Jeffrey Hunter (we went back for this one a second time). The Bijou regularly held over films after their initial runs at the majestic Tennessee just up the street. Admissions here were cheaper, and for watching movies we appreciated the Bijou’s comfortable elegance over the Tennessee’s oppressive grandeur. I’ll always remember the sight of that forlorn dark brown stairway climbing up the exterior of the north side to a second balcony reserved for blacks. It was, though, probably the only place in the city where blacks could gain access to Hollywood studio product.
Samuel H. Horne was a local entrepreneur involved in various businesses, including automobile and implement sales, a body shop, installation of kitchens, and a realty company. He lived on a wooded property in South Knoxville not far from the Chapman Highway location. The theatre was managed by a Mr. Seay, whose daughter sold tickets. It was a nondescript third run neighborhood house which mainly ran mid-level studio product. I lived a few blocks away and in high school in the mid-1950s often walked up on week nights to catch the 7:00 show. Ten or fewer patrons seemed to be an average house for this time slot. I can’t remember by name a single film I saw there but I do remember they once goosed up the box office by bringing in a third-rate magician with a very cheesy show (stuff like a fake skeleton on a wire that jumped out into the audience) who packed the house for two successive days. After the theatre closed, the Horne Drive In opened (in 1958) in an undeveloped area further up Chapman Highway. It was managed by Max Goldberg and Film Daily Yearbook still shows it as operating in 1970. The South side of the theatre building became Horne Apartments, designed in the style of two story economy motels.
Does anyone know when the “RKO Virginia” marquee was replaced by the [plain] “Virginia” marquee. The RKO-V marquee looks like it has neon, at least the upper part. Info, anyone?
As schoolboys in the early 1950s a close pal and I often walked across Gay Street Bridge to see movies at the Bijou. Our all-time favorite was Lure of the Wilderness (1952), starring the always beautiful Jeffrey Hunter (we went back for this one a second time). The Bijou regularly held over films after their initial runs at the majestic Tennessee just up the street. Admissions here were cheaper, and for watching movies we appreciated the Bijou’s comfortable elegance over the Tennessee’s oppressive grandeur. I’ll always remember the sight of that forlorn dark brown stairway climbing up the exterior of the north side to a second balcony reserved for blacks. It was, though, probably the only place in the city where blacks could gain access to Hollywood studio product.
Samuel H. Horne was a local entrepreneur involved in various businesses, including automobile and implement sales, a body shop, installation of kitchens, and a realty company. He lived on a wooded property in South Knoxville not far from the Chapman Highway location. The theatre was managed by a Mr. Seay, whose daughter sold tickets. It was a nondescript third run neighborhood house which mainly ran mid-level studio product. I lived a few blocks away and in high school in the mid-1950s often walked up on week nights to catch the 7:00 show. Ten or fewer patrons seemed to be an average house for this time slot. I can’t remember by name a single film I saw there but I do remember they once goosed up the box office by bringing in a third-rate magician with a very cheesy show (stuff like a fake skeleton on a wire that jumped out into the audience) who packed the house for two successive days. After the theatre closed, the Horne Drive In opened (in 1958) in an undeveloped area further up Chapman Highway. It was managed by Max Goldberg and Film Daily Yearbook still shows it as operating in 1970. The South side of the theatre building became Horne Apartments, designed in the style of two story economy motels.