CRUISIN' 2012 IN HISTORIC HARRIMAN

That's right, it's almost time for spring and summer's annual "Cruisin' In Harriman" event!

The event is held the 2nd Saturday of each month, April through August.  The event begins with Roane Street in Harriman being shut down at 2PM.  Then the streets open for great fun at 2:30 until 5:30.

Each Saturday brings different classic cars; each one more beautiful than the one you saw last!  The cars run the gamete from old restored classics, custom street rods, to current top of the line muscle cars!  There is an era of cars for everyone's specific taste.

There will be food vendors, games, and music up and down the street.  Come join the fun!

There are drawings, door prizes, and contests for everyone to get involved.  Come on!

Take Exit 347 off I-40, then turn north to Harriman.

For more information call "Doc" Mullins at 865-717-2818.

Remember...the event is FREE and car registrations for the show are FREE!

There is absolutely no alcoholic beverages allowed, no loud music (music is provided), and no profane lyrics or language permitted.  This is a family event, and we will work to keep it that way.

See you there beginning on April 14th!  Mark your calendars!

THE PRINCESS IN FULL MAKE-UP!

Some of us have seen the new Princess marquee, all lit up at night, but until last night none of us had seen the Princess marquee in full lights!

I arrived before dark and photographed the lighted canopy from several angles, all the while anticipating what everything would look like after dark.

Granted, I need to use a little more light, which I will do, but, all in all, I think the night time shots turned out fairly well.

You should have seen the passersby hit their brakes and slow to a crawl!  Some even honked in approval!

One family, Turpin I believe, whose family head is on his way to Afghanistan next week, where he will serve as a Chaplin, stopped and posed his family under the canopy.  He told his children that this was where he first saw "ET" and "Star Wars"; of course they had no idea what that meant!

Anyway, he was truly proud that he just happened through town when the Princess lights were on.  He, being in the military, has been away from Harriman for a long time.  He was unaware of all the time and effort that had brought him that special moment...a good memory of his past.

The Princess is just about ready for us to enjoy.  She will be cleaned professionally from top to bottom next week, and be in top shape for viewing.

There are a couple of things I want to enlighten you on, just so you will be able to consider those things prior to your visit, and get on with enjoying what will be presented, both nights, and in the future.

In the near future, the light sconces on each side of the auditorium will be added.  They will not be there and lit Thursday or Saturday nights, but rest assured, they will be there in the future.

In the near future, lighting down the aisles, will guide our path down the carpet to our seat.

In the future, the concessions stand will be open.  For the next few events, drinks and snacks will be provided only from vending machines (bring change).  That too will come soon.  For those of you that want the Princess to be like it used to be, just remember that the Princess has a new purpose in life, she is not a commercial "movie house" anymore, although there will be special movies shown there in the future, but selling popcorn and peanuts will not be a priority.  However, like I said, a concessions operation will come in time.

I say these few things so you won't be disappointed Thursday or Saturday, and can get on with enjoying the shows, knowing that all those amenities will come in time. 

Outside of that, the Princess is ready to be enjoyed and appreciated!

So, let's get on with the show!  As the lights indicate, the future is bright for both the Princess, Harriman, and the surrounding area.

WE'VE COME A LONG WAY BABY!

It's been a very busy week, thus far, for Megan Anderson, manager of the Princess Theatre.

The new blue, fire-retardant, cotton curtains arrived bright and early Tuesday morning, packed in four cardboard boxes, along with Ken and Ken, the Tennessee Lighting Company installers.  Their mission was to get the curtains up in two days.  This meant that Tuesday was a 12-hour day for Megan, and when I left at 5:30 PM today, the Ken and Ken show was just finishing up.

They did an excellent job too, I might add.  The two guys, who have worked together since 1986, pushed through a tiresome overhead job, planning their next move with the chains and hooks as they completed one task.  The two had long since worked our their working agreements and disagreements, getting right to the job.  As one noted, "we've been divorced several times through the years!"

I'm proud to say, this is another milestone completed in getting our Princess ready for her debut.  That debut, if you haven't heard, is Thursday March 22nd!

The whole area seems excited by the Princess opening, and yesterday's announcement that Muse Watson would indeed be making an appearance.  After all, he shared the dream with Gary in the very beginning...some thirteen years ago.

I even noticed this sign at Bower's Elementary this week.  It, like everyone supporting the project, offers a hardy welcome to the Princess.  You can almost hear a sigh of relief in the air too!

The curtains were only part of what has to happen before the 22nd.  All of which has made Megan a bit anxious, and understandably so, but she is also proud of her theater and looks forward to showing her off!

Jon Chemay installed the lighting last week (photos of him in action will have to come later), but I understand that even more lighting will come later.  He also arranged the lighting and sound control area, which will be a noticeably new addition to the Princess main floor.  However, if you ever attended a concert at the Bijou or the Tennessee Theatre's, anywhere actually, you have no doubt noticed such an area in the back of the auditorium that dances with different colors of lights and control panels during the performance, which are all necessary for a successful show.  The Princess will be no different, and a state-of-the-art control center will be installed soon.  The job for the opening and Marshall Tucker will be outsourced.

This all brings to mind the loss of seating from the old to the new.  The Princess is still ranked a large venue, but the restoration and new purpose of the Princess made it necessary to reduce a number of seats.  

First, there was the stage.  It was lengthened, which took out 3 to 4 rows. However, the stage will be the showcase for the Princess.  Movies will no longer be the prime purpose of the venue.  There will be live shows, plays, recitals, concerts, etc.  Room for the performers was needed.

Second, as I mentioned above, there was a need for a sound and lighting control center.  This obviously took up 2 to 3 rows.

 

Thirdly, our butts have grown!

Look at these photos!  Only 3 modern seats will now fit where 4 used to fit!  We did it to ourselves folks!  Code now calls for an appropriate width seat.  Had the old seats not been damaged beyond repair, we may have been able to keep them, but lots of us folks would have been very uncomfortable!

Lastly, there must be handicap accessible seating on both the main and balcony levels.  There are an adequate number, and this obviously took up seats. 

So, bottom line, we have gone from 900 (1939 original capacity) to 544 seats, plus handicap spaces.

The vending machines for the downstairs (bottles) and upstairs (cans) lobby were also installed today.  I even got to help hold the doors, and hefted one side of one of the beast while I was there.  It made me feel important, and it was something I could handle!

 

RSCC maintenance men painted the old floor in the ticket booth area yesterday, and did a bang-up job. 

The old cracked concrete is now under a very scuff resistant paint and texture coating.  This application is used at Roane State in high traffic areas, and is slip-resistant.

Let's take a look back at November 27, 2009, my first shots inside the terribly degraded Princess!  This was the auditorium them, and below that shot, the auditorium today.

Wow, you've come a long way...BABY!

Come on Grand Opening...we've waited long enough!  Let's get on with "The Dream"!

MUSE IS COMING!

Muse Watson is happy to announce that he has been successful in rearranging his Hollywood schedule, and will join us March 22nd at the Grand Opening of the new Princess Theatre in Harriman.
 

More details will be forthcoming!

Our prayers have been answered again!

IT’S TIME TO CELEBRATE - AGAIN!

The Princess Theatre Foundation presents an inaugural concert, the first of many to come, on Saturday, March 24^th, in the newly renovated facility. The Princess Theatre Foundation will proudly present The Marshall Tucker Band to break in the newly expanded Princess stage, and season the new plaster!

The Princess Theatre doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets* cost $30 for floor seats and $20 for balcony seats. 

Tickets can be picked up at Rocky Top General Store in Harriman (316 Ruritan Road) or Harriman Jewelry Exchange (509 Roane St.).  

In the early fall of 1973 Marshall Tucker Band was a young and hungry group out to prove themselves every time they hit the stage.  They are still rockin’ today and continue to prove they are an unforgettable band!

Still led today by founding member and lead singer Doug Gray, they represent a time and place in music that will never be duplicated.  Gray is quick to credit the band's current dynamic members with carrying on the timeless essence of the Marshall Tucker Band sound.

Current members include slide guitarist Stuart Swanlund who joined the band in 1989, the highly respected drummer B.B. Borden, a former member of both Mother's Finest and The Outlaws, multi-instrumentalist Marcus Henderson of Macon, Georgia, plays flute, saxophone and keyboards in addition to lead and background vocals, Pat Elwood on bass guitar, and Rick Willis on lead guitar and vocals, both of Spartanburg SC, are disciples of the Caldwell Brothers.  Together they present a powerful stage presence as they continue to tour the country and continue to be powerful force in the world of music.

*All proceeds benefit the Princess Theatre.

HERE'S THE ANNOUNCMENT WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR!

From Owen Driskill,  Director of Marketing and Public Relations, Roane State Community College:

March 6, 2012

Grand opening for Princess Theatre set for March 22

The grand opening for the renovated Princess Theatre in downtown Harriman will be Thursday, March 22.

The Princess Theatre Foundation is hosting the 7 p.m. event, which will include performances by area students and artists. Admission is free, but tickets are required.

Tickets can be picked up at Rocky Top General Store in Harriman (316 Ruritan Road) or Harriman Jewelry Exchange (509 Roane St.). Doors for the grand opening will open at 6 p.m.

The Princess Theatre Foundation also will host a fundraising concert on Saturday, March 24 at 7 p.m. featuring The Marshall Tucker Band. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $30 for floor seats and $20 for balcony seats. For ticket information, call (865) 403-2988.

All proceeds benefit the Princess Theatre.

The renovation of the 552-seat Princess, located at 421 N. Roane St., culminates a decade-long effort. The City of Harriman, Roane State Community College, the Tennessee Technology Center at Harriman, Roane County Schools, business leaders and community leaders worked together to complete the renovation. The Princess Theatre Foundation, formed in 2004, has raised money for the project and will continue to support the theatre.

The project was supported by a $317,000 grant awarded to the City of Harriman by the Tennessee Department of Transportation. In addition, TVA donated $1.7 million to the Princess Theatre Foundation for the renovation following the December 2008 ash spill. Dozens of individuals have donated time and resources to the project.

Sparkman & Associates Architects Inc. designed and oversaw the renovation.

Two neighboring buildings have been connected to the theatre for restrooms, dressing rooms, green room, storage and an elevator.

The City of Harriman owns the theatre. Roane State, with the support of the Princess Theatre Foundation, operates it. Megan Anderson, a Nashville native with more than 10 years of experience in theater production, is manager of the Princess.

The renovated Princess is part of a performing arts and education center that includes Channel 15 television station, operated by Roane State and owned by the City of Harriman. The Princess and the TV station give students opportunities to receive hands-on education and training in communications.

History of the Princess

The Princess Theatre was once downtown Harriman’s crown jewel, a 900-seat showplace that provided entertainment to movie-goers from Harriman and surrounding areas.

Crescent Amusement opened the Princess in September 1926, and it was known as one of the larger movie theaters in a small town. The Princess suffered minor damage in a September 1932 fire, but was not so fortunate a few years later. In January 1939, a blaze destroyed the building, and the loss led to new theater construction in Harriman.

The Princess reopened on Nov. 16, 1939, and began showing movies once again. L.W. Bevel, from Sudekum Theatres, was the manager of the new Princess.

The Princess continued on for several years. In 1987, theatre manager Cecil Johnson began to lease the theatre when he learned that the company that owned the Princess planned to close it. The theatre stayed open until 1999 when Johnson retired.

For more information about the Princess, visit www.princessharriman.org.

###

The Family and Mid-Town Drive-ins

Jim Thornton asked me the other day about the old drive-in that was where McDonald's is today.  It don't seem possible to younger folks that a drive-in theater could possibly fit in the area next to the Exit 347 ramp, but one did back in the 50s!

I followed up by asking Dub Harmon what he remembered, and even though he couldn't remember full names, he could remember much of the timeline.

A Mr. Bryson actually owned the land where The Family Drive-in was, and Buster Clark was the manager of the drive-in up until about 1959 when the land was finally sold to the state for right-of-way for the new Interstate 40 construction.

At the same time The Family was in operation, Mr. Jones was operating the Roane Drive-In in Midtown.  Martin Theaters, who then owned the Princess Theatre in Harriman, decided to buy the Midtown drive-in.  They asked James "Dub" Harmon to become the new manager and changed the name to the Mid-Town Drive-in.  Dub replaced a Mr. Waller, who managed the old Roane Drive-in.

Dub remembers that the projector and rectifiers from the Family Drive-In were brought to the Mid-Town Drive-in, and the rest of the Family was dismantled.  Martin had purchased the equipment, including the screen, which must have been newer than that being used at the old Roane Drive-in.  Apparently Midtown didn't need new supports, so the utility poles that held up the screen, were sold to the city of Harriman for $11 each.  Martin wanted $20, but Dub settled on the lesser amount in order to complete the transaction.

At the same time all this was happening, Dub was also the Princess manager, having moved down from the Webbo sometime earlier.  Dub needed a solution to his fortunate, yet burdensome predicament,  of having three jobs!  He had just recently gotten into the furniture business (H. G. Furniture) with Junior Ballard, so he needed some relief!

Dub decided to bring Cecil Johnson, his brother-in-law, down from the projection booth at the Princess and teach him the managerial ropes.  Cecil took to it right a way, so Dub was free to work his furniture day job, and manage the Mid-Town Drive-in at night.

He did this for years.  Working until 5PM at the store, then running the drive-in until the last movie was over at night.  He did all this and still had time to plan and teach a Sunday school class each Sunday morning at Riverside Baptist Church.

Dub continued to give Cecil his night off each week, and time for a yearly vacation, up until 1999 when Cecil finally closed the Princess.

So, that's a bit of Roane County history that few remember anymore.  The movie industry in our county has always fascinated me, so every time I'm around Dub I ask him to feed me a little more.  I told him he should write a book!

Thanks Dub, for the memories!

If any readers have more info on this, or remembers it differently, please post comments.  I would love to hear more details!

HAVE YOU SEEN THE PRINCESS AT NIGHT!

I was lucky enough to have seen the Princess in full color last night.  Chris and Gary called me and told me that Frank Sparkman was testing the lighting system by leaving them on all night last night.  So off I went!

Well, it isn't my best work...I'll do better next time, hopefully, however, she looks beautiful to me!

It won't be long now folks...most likely sometime in late March the Princess will have her fourth Grand Opening, and everyone will be invited.  From what I've gathered, there will be a two night celebration!  

I don't know about you, but I can hardly wait!

Stay tuned to this blog and the "Friends of the Princess" Facebook for that important announcement!

OUR PRINCESS IS FOURTH COMING!

The birth of the Princess Theatre came in 1926, but the theater was heavily damaged in 1932 by fire. In 1939 the theater was completely gutted by yet another fire! Ten months after that January fire, its second and most devastating fire, which caused an estimated 50,000 1939 dollars' worth of damage, the Princess Theater reopened the third time to grand local fanfare and Hollywood well wishes.

The once proud theatre closed in 1999 and fell into great ruin, but with the efforts of lots of people in Harriman and Roane County, Tennessee, the Princess has been  restored to her "Art Deco" appearance!

She now stands ready for her fourth, and grandest debut!  Her appearance will most likely come in March 2012.  She will have a new purpose; to provide arts education to local students, and to once again entertain those that love her and support her in new and wonderful ways.

Please continue to watch this blog, or our Facebook page, for announcements of upcoming events!

THIS SEMESTER'S ROANE STATE STUDENTS ARE LEARNING THE ARTS AT CHANNEL 15

Matt Waters, the Channel 15 Manager and Roane State Mass Communications Lecturer, makes this guest post to show his Roane State students editing their stories for a new local Channel 15 TV program called Scenic Backroads. 

The students developed the idea, title and topics for the program, which takes a look at fun, unique or interesting people and places in the area. The first episode, which is almost finished, includes; a trip to a local mule farm, an overview of the disc golf course at Roane County Park, a look inside the newly-renovated courtroom at the old Roane County Courthouse, a tour through Fort Southwest Point, and a visit to Live & Let Live Drugstore.

Students divided into teams to cover each topic, and each team was responsible for using video cameras and microphones to get interviews and other footage. 

Three students who completed a video editing course last semester are taking the lead on editing the video into news packages, and two students are preparing to do on-camera hosting for this episode.

Students will take turns reporting, running cameras, handling audio, and hosting for future episodes so that everyone can participate as equally as possible. Future topics include Harriman’s noon whistle, a visit to Rugby, antiquing, and the local music scene.

We’re planning at least two more episodes of Scenic Backroads this semester. These future episodes will include, topics like Harriman’s noon whistle, a visit to Rugby, antiquing, and the local music scene.

Part of the original “dream” is being fulfilled through these classes offered by Roane State Community College. The “Princess Performing Arts, Education and Conference Center” is already doing its part...your part is to support the efforts to provide an arts education for our area children.