THE SEVEN WERE MAGNIFICENT

Take actors YUL BRYNNER, STEVE McQUEEN, CHARLES BRONSON, JAMES COBURN, BRAD DEXTER, ROBERT VAUGHN and HORST BUCHHOLZ, put them all in the same movie and you have, collectively, THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN.

Released on October 23, 1960 by United Artists, THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN became an instant hit at the movie box office. Loaded with western action and drama, aided by the instantly-recognizable theme by genius Elmer Bernstein, and movie-goers flocked to see this great western time after time.

The movie spawned three movie sequels, and if you look closely, you'll note that a later blockbuster film from the 1960's, THE DIRTY DOZEN, had distinct similarities (they just added five more guys).

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN played Salisbury / Rowan County theatres eleven times:

October 14 - 20, 1960 - CENTER THEATRE

December 25 - 27, 1960 - 601 DRIVE-IN THEATRE

May 26 - 27, 1961 - SALISBURY DRIVE-IN THEATRE

October 6 - 7, 1961 - 601 DRIVE-IN THEATRE

November 4 - 7, 1961 - CAPITOL THEATRE

March 23, 1963 - SALISBURY DRIVE-IN THEATRE

August 2 - 3, 1963 - 601 DRIVE-IN THEATRE

July 22 - 23, 1966 - 601 DRIVE-IN THEATRE

September 2 - 3, 1966 - SALISBURY DRIVE-IN THEATRE

May 9 - 15, 1971 - SALISBURY DRIVE-IN THEATRE

May 20 - 23, 1973 - THUNDERBIRD DRIVE-IN THEATRE

"COME BACK, SHANE." - HE DID

At the end of this landmark feature by George Stevens, young Joey Starrett (played by youngster Brandon De Wilde) runs through the western frontier yelling at his new friend, "Shane, come back!"

The Paramount Pictures western, made on a then-huge three million dollar budget, would go on to gross over twenty million bucks, largely because SHANE did come back...many times.

Paramount originally released the film in 1953, made a bundle, then sent it around the horn again in 1959. One last release in 1966 (right before SHANE went to ABC television) rounded out its movie theatre life.

Alan Ladd, all 5' 6" of him, played a roving cowpoke who wanders into a territory, particularly the Starrett ranch and is soon caught in the ongoing conflict between  a well-to-do cattleman and the local ranchers.

Seems the cattleman had sent to Cheyenne for the services of one dastardly dude, Jack Wilson, the meanest of the mean, to run off or kill the farmers. Then-billed Walter Jack Palance played Jack Wilson, and no one was ever meaner than Jack Palance.

So the stage was set for one of the screen's all-time clashes between good and evil.

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SHANE initially played Rowan County in September, 1953, and per little Joey's request, came back seventeen times. Amazing.

September 1 - 5, 1953 - CAPITOL THEATRE

November 18 - 20, 1953 - ROCKWELL THEATRE

December 25 - 29, 1953 - 601 DRIVE-IN THEATRE

February 21 - 22, 1954 - VICTORY THEATRE

April 20, 1954 - VICTORY THEATRE

April 28 - 29, 1954 - 601 DRIVE-IN THEATRE

September 5 - 7, 1954 - HITCHING POST DRIVE-IN THEATRE

January 1, 1955 - SKYLINE DRIVE-IN THEATRE

July 17 - 21, 1959 - CAPITOL THEATRE

December 13, 1959 - SALISBURY DRIVE-IN THEATRE

February 12 - 13, 1960 - 601 DRIVE-IN THEATRE

July 16, 1960 - 601 DRIVE-IN THEATRE

May 19 - 20, 1961 - SALISBURY DRIVE-IN THEATRE

February 2 - 3, 1962 - 601 DRIVE-IN THEATRE

March 31 - April 5, 1966 - CAPITOL THEATRE

August 14 - 16, 1966 - SALISBURY DRIVE-IN THEATRE

September 16- 17, 1966 - 601 DRIVE-IN THEATRE

August 18 - 19, 1967 - 601 DRIVE-IN THEATRE

IRIS THEATRE ATTRACTIONS

May 13, 1922

The IRIS THEATRE was Salisbury, North Carolina's first full-time motion picture theatre.

Located at 110 North Main Street, the IRIS opened in 1914 and closed in 1929.

The theatre never converted to showing movies with sound.

July 30, 1923

August 19, 1923

September 2, 1923

December 23, 1923

December 27, 1923

March 9, 1924

March 30, 1924

March 26, 1924

July 20, 1924

March 8, 1925

March 12, 1925

March 29, 1925

CAPITOL ATTRACTIONS

May 10, 1925

June 8, 1925

March 21, 1926

August 12, 1928

June 24, 1930

November 6, 1932

December 18, 1932

November 11, 1934

November 1, 1936

November 19, 1939

August 4, 1940

May 12, 1943

September 12, 1943

September 15, 1937

SALISBURY ATTRACTIONS OF THE 1920s

IRIS THEATRE
April 17, 1920

VICTORY THEATRE
January 4, 1925

IRIS THEATRE
January 18, 1925

VICTORY THEATRE
April 4, 1926

CAPITOL THEATRE
September 19, 1926

VICTORY THEATRE
October 10, 1926

CAPITOL THEATRE
October 12, 1926

VICTORY THEATRE
October 17, 1926

CAPITOL THEATRE
December 8, 1926

CAPITOL THEATRE
January 30, 1927

CAPITOL THEATRE
March 20, 1927

STRAND THEATRE
March 21, 1927

CAPITOL THEATRE
September 11, 1927

CAPITOL THEATRE
September 18, 1927

VICTORY THEATRE
October 3, 1927

STRAND THEATRE
December 1, 1927

THAT MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN

We were all told to pay no attention to him...but we've ignored that advice since August 25, 1939, the day the movie premiered to mammoth crowds everywhere it played. But, oddly enough, THE WIZARD OF OZ didn't show a profit for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the film's producing studio, until it was sold to CBS television in 1956 for annual showings.

It cost MGM nearly three million dollars to produce OZ, a humongous amount back in 1938-39. And considering such a large portion of its patrons were children (paying as little as a dime to see it in 1939-40), it took a long time to get back it's original production cost, even with theatrical re-releases in 1949 and 1956.

Because of those annual telecasts starting in 1956, which drew Super Bowl-like ratings, OZ became a legendary movie and today is recognized as being the motion picture seen by more people than any other.

The American Film Institute singles out "Over the Rainbow" as the most recognizable song to appear in any movie.

So put on your ruby red slippers once more and enjoy a visual tour of young Dorothy Gale's visit beyond that rainbow...

And remember..."There's no place like home."