Horne Theatre

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.