2 PHOTOS AND AN OLD NEWSPAPER AD. JEFF'S DAD WALT BUILDT AND
OWNED THE 61 DRIVE-IN THEATRE SOUTH OF MAQUOKETA (WHICH I PURCHASED IN 1972 AND WILL OPEN AGAIN THIS APRIL) FROM 1950 UNTIL 1960. SMILEY BURNETT CAME TO THE DRIVE-IN IN THE MID 50'S TO PROMOTE A MOVIE THAT WAS AT THE DRIVE-IN. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT HE TALKED TO THE PATRONS FROM THE ROOF OF THE CONCESSION STAND. IN THE ABOVE PHOTO, HE HAD DINNER, BEFORE GOING TO THE DRIVE-IN, WITH THE ALLEN FAMILY AT THE THEN FAMOUS AND POPULAR "TANGO SUPPER CLUB" AT THE WEST EDGE OF MAQUOKETA, WHERE "OBIE'S" NOW STANDS. WALT AND HIS WIFE EVELYN STANDING BEHIND SMILEY AND AT SMILEY'S LEFT, JEFF AND ON HIS RIGHT, JEFF'S SISTER SIGFREId, WHO NOW LIVES IN CALIFORNIA.
HE WAS MOST FAMOUS FOR BEING GENE AUTRY'S "SIDEKICK" IN SOME OF
GENE'S BIGGEST MOVIES.
GENE AUTRY WAS THE HEADLINE ENTERTAINER AT THE JACKSON COUNTY
FAIR IN MAQUOKETA IN 1957 OR 1958 (BEFORE KMAQ STARTED) AND MANY
REMEMBER HIS APPEARANCE HERE. IN LATER YEARS, HE OWNED THE "CALIFORNIA ANGELS" BASEBALL TEAM.
SMILEY BURNETT APPEARED AT A MOVIE CONVENTION THAT JACK JONES
(MANAGER OF THE VOY THEATRE SINCE 1974) AND I ATTENDED AND
SOMEWHERE I HAVE A PHOTO OF JACK GETTING AN AUTOGRAPH FROM
SMILEY.
PROJECTORS. THE MOVIE WOULD RUN FOR 20 MINUTES FROM ONE AND
THEN THE PROJECTIONIST (HOWARD BRINKER, ABOVE,THE PASTIME PROJECTIONIST 40 YEARS) WOULD SWITCH OVER TO THE SECOND PROJECTOR, AND BACK AND FORTH EVERY 20 MINUTES UNTIL THE END OF THE MOVIE. HE ALSO HAD TO REWIND THE REELS FOR THE NEXT SHOWING AND HE HAD TO KEEP ADDING THE CARBONS (LIKE USED IN WELDERS) THAT PROVIDED THE BURNING-BRIGHT LIGHT TO PROJECT THE MOVIE ON THE SCREEN. I ALSO USED TWO PROJECTORS AT THE DRIVE-IN IN 1972 AND 1973 (MY PROJECTIONEST WAS TOM GOODALL) AND IN 1974 I STARTED USING A NEW SYSTEM WITH ONE PROJECTOR AND A PLATTER THAT HELD ALL THE REELS AFTER THEY WERE SPLICED TOGETHER. NO PROJECTIONIST WAS NEEDED WITH THIS SYSTEM. THEN, LAST YEAR, I PURCHASED A "DIGITAL" PROJECTOR AT THE DRIVE-IN AND NOW WE NO LONGER USE 33MM FILM. THE MOVIE NOW COMES TO US ON A HARD DRIVE THAT IS LOADED INTO THE PROJECTOR COMPUTER. THE RESULT.... A STEADY, ALWAYS IN FOCUS, NO SCRATCHES EVER AND VERY BRIGHT PICTURE ON THE SCREEN....THE BEST IN THE 64 YEAR HISTORY OF THE DRIVE-IN. I OWNED AND RAN THE PASTIME THEATRE FROM OCTOBER 1972 UNTIL JANUARY 31, 1973 WHEN THE BUILDING CAME DOWN TO MAKE WAY FOR A NEW "SCHULTZ VARIETY STORE", AND WHERE "SMILES ON MAIN" DENTAL OFFICES ARE LOCATED NOW. MAQUOKETA HAD NO THEATRE TO ATTEND FROM FEBRUARY 1, 1973 UNTIL THE NEW VOY THEATRE OPENED IN MARCH. AND TO THIS DAY: MOVIES ARE STILL TODAY'S FINEST ENTERTAINMENT - ENJOY THEM OFTEN!
BEHIND HIM. DUANE AND JEFF LIKED TO GAMBLE A LITTLE AND THEY WERE ON A GAMBLING JUNKET TO MONTE CARLO AND PROBABLY ON THIS SAME TRIP, WALT WAS THERE BECAUSE OF THE FAMOUS CANNES FILM FESTIVAL. DUANE WAS A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE. I KNEW HIM BETTER THAN WALT. DUANE HAD A MAIDRITE RESTAUANT NEXT TO THE "PASTIME
THEATRE". IT BURNED DOWN AND HE STARTED UP HIS RESTAURANT AGAIN ON EAST PLATT STREET. IT LATER BECAME OTHER RESTAURANTS, INCLUDING FOR A LONG TIME, "DAWN'S DINER". DUANE ALSO OPERATED
"THE TANGO" AT ONE TIME. AND HE WAS A PAST PRESIDENT OF THE MAQUOKETA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. ALL FOUR ABOVE ARE DECEASED.
DENNIS VOY
