The theatre's marquee...I'm leaning out the men's room window to grab
this one. You see UTA below and behind. That black square building is
the Communications building, home of the fine film and journalism
schools as well as the well regarded Austin City Limits. "Roger
and Me" was playing as one of the last films to be shown there.
Scanned from the Archive.
I wanted to add that the last 10 years of the Varsity were pretty
swell, and in large part, we have theatre manager Steve Lloyd Wilson
to thank for that. It was under his watch from 1980 to when Tower ate
it in 1990. From what I hear, Mr. Wilson is a film-maker and artist
and is actively involved with the film and photo history at the HRC on
UT and is also working with the classic Paramount Theatre on Congress
in Austin, among other things. Austin's best has always been it's
people.
wayman_wynn added this photo to his favorites. (65 months ago)
tschopper (Tom Schopper Photography) 89 months ago | reply
I'd love to see the top of this sign lit up at night.
Cool stuff, Zzzzt!
JENA_78 89 months ago | reply
sweet pics- love the cemertery shots-
i used to work in one in Pennsylvaina-loved it-
however, I am alittle dark
Zzzzt!Zzzzt! 89 months ago | reply
Thanks tom, it was pretty cool at night!
Thank you, Jenna_78! (as you can see, I guess i'm a little dark too:D
I'm in the DC area these days, but I get into PA sometimes... was the one you worked in cool? Each I have seen is different, and mostly fabulous in their own ways. I disapprove of the flat plaque cemeteries with no personal mementos allowed, but otherwise, it's endlessly fascinating...
Vermont Ferret 89 months ago | reply
The Varsity! I was leaving a film once after sitting in the balcony and Robert Redford was up there. Cool and weird. Very nice guy. No one made a fuss, we all said well, see ya, and left the building (as usual) via the fire escape that you descended to 24th Street.
Zzzzt!Zzzzt! 89 months ago | reply
Cool! Great memory, Vermont Ferret! Yep, I took that fire escape exit many times too (although the dang thing was so loud you could hear it banging and clanking from inside the theatre on the bottom floor... quite startling during a quiet part of a film in progress, as I recall!)
akaiam 87 months ago | reply
great, great sign!
i really like the mismatched letter sizes - it did its job to keep Austin weird!
:)
Zzzzt!Zzzzt! 87 months ago | reply
well said, Mojo! Thanks!
herod2221 85 months ago | reply
interesting look at the communications building - are those blue stripes windows? i knew that the building had undergone some sort of renovation years ago (something about the facade not wanting to stay attached to the building), but didn't realize it came with an aesthetic alteration...
Zzzzt!Zzzzt! 85 months ago | reply
They are not windows, herod2221, they are Macs...no, sorry, I tease, as far as I can recall they are design elements... they weren't always there either, as I recall: for a long time it was just a rust colored cube with few exterior features. thanks for looking.
Ye Olde Wig Shoppe 44 months ago | reply
So i'm guessing this is 1989, when Roger and Me came out?
And I wonder what happened to this sign?
Steve Wilson is a very cool dude
Zzzzt!Zzzzt! 44 months ago | reply
Still there, (I hope)... last saw it in June. Glad you agree about Mr. Wilson, Ye Olde. Yeah this must have been 89/90.