(Movies End but Memories Live On)
As a reporter for the Mayefield Messenger, Thomas Carroll captured the soul of his hometown by writing about “real people,” not just those considered newsworthy. His feature stories were well regarded and occasionally came to the attention of the metropolitan daily, the Beacon Light, which published Thomas’ stories under the heading “Dispatch from Mayefield.” The following is one of these Dispatches, published in 1976.
Movies End but Memories Live On as Mayefield Theatre “Closes Forever”
By Thomas Carroll
Mayefield Messenger
In 1929, the Mayefield Theatre opened its doors for the first time, bringing cinema to a small town. The opening show was “Noah’s Ark,” a Warner Brothers release written by Darryl F. Zanuck.
Three weeks ago, the Mayefield Theatre presented Columbia Pictures’ “Shampoo,” a 1975 film directed by and starring Warren Beatty.
In the 47 years since its premiere showing, the marquee of the Main Street movie house has announced the titles of thousands of movies. Today, the marquee has a tone of finality. It reads simply “Closed Forever.”
Donald Ritchie, operator of the theater, locked the doors for the final time last week, inconspicuously terminating a source of entertainment that has existed locally for almost half a century. From all exterior signs, the theater appears as it has for years, only the marquee tells the dooming news.
Ritchie could not be reached for comment this week, but his fellow Main Street businessman and friend, Gus Defarmon, owner of Gus’s Café, cited economic problems for the theater’s closing. According to Defarmon, it was difficult for Ritchie, as an individual, to compete with the large chains for the top films. High film rental fees and low attendance were also cited for the theater’s closing.
Ritchie took over the operation of the theater in 1971, leasing it from Neighborhood Theatres, Inc., a Richmond based company that owns the building. In an interview with the Messenger in 1971, Ritchie stated that he “hoped to revive the sagging movie business on Main Street with Saturday and Sunday matinees for the kiddies and more family shows.”
He remodeled the aged building extensively, lowered ticket prices from $1.60 to $1, and made an effort to rent top films immediately after their first run showings. In later efforts to boost sagging attendance, he tried X rated files and eventually reverted back to family and general audience movies.
Last Spring, a fire damaged the projection booth, and the theater was closed. After additional remodeling, Ritchie reopened several months later. He continued his attempt to make the operation successful until the final week in February.
Closing Evokes Memories
Many local people talked with this reporter in the past week about their memories of the Mayefield Theatre. Most expressed feelings of sadness at seeing the “Closed Forever” message on the marquee.
The Mayefield Theatre represents a part of the history of Mayefield — both of the public history of the city and the personal history of individuals. It was once the only public source of entertainment in Mayefield; now it is a vacant hulk. Large and impressive in structure, the building stands as a reminder of what once was.
The Mayefield Theatre wasn’t the first movie house in town. The original was the Red Wing Theatre, located just around the corner from the present theater. It was destroyed by fire on December 22, 1928.
On July 15, 1929, Sidney B. Lust and Company of Washington purchased a lot on Main Street opposite A Street, upon which to erect a modern theater. The theater’s greatest period of stability began in 1933 when it was purchased by Wineland Theatres. Wineland operated it until 1969 and employed only two managers during that 36 year span. In 1969, Wineland sold its entire indoor theater chain to Neighborhood Theatres.
Personal reminiscences spilled forth this week from many sources as news of the theater’s closing spread. Memories of family outings, courtships, and childhood fantasies came to the surface. Remembered were the times when the theater was the center of activity, of dinnerware giveaways, of war bond sales, and matinee serials.
While people were saddened at the closing of the theater, most admitted that their patronage in recent years was slight, if at all.
Albert Beaumont is one man whose memories of the Mayefield Theatre remain clear. As manager of the theater from 1934 to 1959, he was a major part of its life, and it of his.
Many memories flashed across Mr. Beaumont’s mind last week as he sat in his Maple Drive home discussing his years at the theater. Like frames of film, they created images of the past. His memories are so clear that he was able to recall the names of everyone who worked for him in 25 years.
Mr. Beaumont remembered most fondly the years preceding World War II when the theater business was at its peak. At that time, new films were brought in constantly to fill the needs of the almost insatiable movie-goers.
“We used to run three shows a week in those days,” he recalled. “Except when the races were in town. There were many who worked at the track and had rooms in Mayefield. They had nothing to do in the evenings, so we used to run a different show every night for them.”
In those pre-television years, movie going was almost an automatic activity. Mr. Beaumont particularly recalls one woman who attended every show in his tenure as manager.
In the beginning of the theater’s existence, movies could only be shown six days a week, but on September 9, 1935, voters passed a special referendum to allow Sunday movies in Mayefield.
Nostalgia buffs will be interested in the movie prices in the 1930’s. As Mr. Beaumont remembers, admission for a weekday show was 25 cents for adults and 20 cents for children. A Saturday matinee was an even bigger bargain at five cents less.
Although it appears old fashioned today with its large balcony, ladies sitting room and ornamented windows, there was a time when the theater was totally modern. It was even closed for a month, Mr. Beaumont remembers, in 1942 to modernize the interior with air conditioning and new seats.
Mr. Beaumont feels the “hey day” of the theater was the period during the Depression and World War II. “Attendance started to slip around 1949,” he says, “that’s why we started giving away dishes.”
The reference to the dishes brought a smile to Mr. Beaumont’s face as he remembered the campaign that lasted almost two years. In order to boost attendance, one serving item was given away with an adult ticket. To complete the set, customers had to come back every week.
During the time Mr. Beaumont managed the theater, he performed a double role for the company. During the day he worked at the Wineland office in Washington as corporation secretary-treasurer. He managed the theater at night.
In 1959, he decided the pace of doing both jobs was too much, so he retired from the manager’s position, but continued his job in Washington. It wasn’t until 1966 that he retired from active employment with Wineland.
Mr. Beaumont’s influence on the town was summed up in the “Album Representative of Mayefield’s Official, Financial, Professional and Business Interests” in 1938 as:
“In the management of the Mayefield Theatre, Mr. Beaumont has been very public spirited, and many organizations have profited from his generous disposition in giving benefits.”
Replacing Mr. Beaumont as manager was the late Raymond J. Osmond. Like his predecessor, the mood and atmosphere of the theater reflected the personality of the manager. For 12 years, Mr. Osmond was a symbol of the friendliness and relaxed atmosphere of most Main Street businesses. Although it was part of a large chain, the theater under Mr. Osmond was operated as a personal venture. He was always visible, greeting customers as they entered the lobby, being a part of Main Street and the town.
Mr. Osmond was the only manager to work under two owners of the theater. When Neighborhood bought the chain from Wineland in 1969, he stayed on and remained until Ritchie assumed control in 1971.
Fate of the Building
The fate of the Mayefield Theatre is uncertain. It is unlikely it will again be used as a movie house, although at least one local businessman is viewing it as a possible venture for the future.
Contacted by telephone last week, a spokesman for Neighborhood Theatres said that the company has no plans yet for the building.
The poet Sir Alan Patrick Herbert expressed the desire “that life be like the movies are…”
If the Mayfield Theatre has a Hollywood ending, it probably won’t be in a Frank Capra style, where everything is bright and happy in the end. It could be more like the disaster films of the 1970’s, with crumbling and fiery special effects.
Or maybe it will just be “The Last Picture Show.”
(Robert J. Marton)