“Stories From the Balcony”
Interviews about the Grand Theatre in Frankfort, Kentucky
Walking Interview on Video with
Hugh Hudson
On Location at The Grand Theatre
Tape 1 – 0026JTH_HDV
Conducted by Joanna Hay
January 12, 2007
This project has been supported by the Kentucky Oral History Commission
And Save The Grand Theatre, Inc.
Interview with Hugh Hudson begins while standing at the entrance door of The
Grand Theatre talking with Joanna Hay and two unidentified women. It is daylight.HUDSON: …It was a Shotgun Theatre that went back the length of the Mahure
Building and it was…it was the pits. [chuckle]HAY: What was it like?
HUDSON: It was dirty. Smelly. You’d go in and your feet would stick to the
floor. And, of course, they had third and fourth run movies. It was pretty sorry.HAY: So that was in what year?
HUDSON: Well, I would say…I don’t know…I guess in the 1930’s. I don’t remember
when they remodeled it. But then they tore the building…I think it was…the building behind it, I think, was a home or a lodging house. It wasn’t a store. [unidentified voice in background] And they tore that down and made this entrance to it, and, of course, the theatre part where it is now.HAY: I think that…
HUDSON: It was pretty nice after that.
HAY: Well, this…this wall here…when we took off the new additions…this is the
1910…um…wall from the little theatre that you were remembering.HUDSON: Yeah
HAY: Do you happen to…do any of those designs bring back memories?
HUDSON: No
[unidentified voice in background]
HAY: Yeah
HUDSON: I’m afraid not.
HAY: But, we’ve been entranced by this wall because of the silver dots, and you
can see the stairs. You see where the stairs went up the wall?UNIDENTIFIED VOICE: Yeah
HUDSON: I wonder where that went. That must have been before there was a theatre here.
HAY: From what we understand, I think that’s where you would come in to
this…maybe a little lobby…and then you went up the stairs and then the theatre sloped down.HUDSON: Yep
HAY: There was a sloping floor down…
HUDSON: Well, that could…could be it.
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE: Now is this…
HUDSON: But all I remember was it was very small…
HAY: When it was very small. When it was the very small Shotgun…as he says…one
of the Shotgun Theatres.HUDSON: Yep. And I was trying to remember if they had a balcony. Probably didn’t have.
HAY: I wonder if it did. I don’t know. I was going to ask you that. Whether you
remembered if it had a balcony. [Unidentified voice in background] But this uh…what I thought we could do is we could walk straight back to…HUDSON: Yeah, I’d like to.
HAY: …and into the…It’s cold back there. We’ve got the little heat on. The
little heat there is.HUDSON: I had a bad fall a couple years ago…
HAY: Did you?
HUDSON: …and I haven’t been the same since.
HAY: Well, you’re doing great.
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE: [..] about four flights of steps [..]
HAY: Is that right? Is that right? Outside? Oh… Do you remember anything about
the later movie theatre? The way you would walk in? What it looked like?HUDSON: The old theatre?
HAY: Either one.
HUDSON: I just remember after it was remodeled, it was a real nice entryway. I
think they had a popcorn machine in here. And how much improved it was. [sniff]HAY: This wall is the…is the new…would be the design from the new theatre. The
1941 – ’42.HUDSON: Yeah
HAY: Yeah. And we don’t know what we’re going to find when all this comes out.
HUDSON: [chuckle]
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE: I think it’s exciting!
HAY: I know! It’s like going back outside when we go in here. [chuckle] It’s a
deep freeze.HUDSON: Well, this is really going to be grand when they get to it.
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE: The balcony is still there.
HAY: Look at these beams that hold up that balcony.
HUDSON: Yeah
HAY: And then the designs on this back wall…from the new theatre…those were the
designs…I don’t know if you can see those back there. I’ll turn this little light on. So you would have…you would have walked in about right here.HUDSON: Walked in and…yeah that’s right. And there was kind of an aisle across.
Now that exit there went back…my grandfather owned the property next to it. And to give them the right-of-way through there to Catfish Alley…uh…he got two passes. And Dorothy, my wife, and I used them a lot. Of course, mostly at The Capitol Theatre.HAY: Well, that was a nice trade.
HUDSON: Yeah. I don’t know. I guess I suppose there is still an exit on through there.
HAY: There’s a little…just a…it’s the little yard to the Hendrick House.
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE: [..]
HAY: And you are a Hendrick.
HUDSON: Yeah
HAY: So how…What’s the relation…What’s the Hendrick relationship?
HUDSON: Well, Mr. Buford Hendrick was my grandfather. Lived around on Wobbin
Street. That’s where the library is now.HAY: Well, you know that The Grand Theatre has acquired the Hendrick House now.
We’ve purchased it. So that when the renovation is complete, you’ll be able to get into the Hendrick House up there, and it will be used as back of house, and green room, and offices.HUDSON: Really? I guess what you’re calling the Hendrick House, in my time, was
Paul McDaniel Plumbing.HAY: Yes
HUDSON: Plumbing and Heating was there. And Paul McDaniel lived upstairs over
it. He was a good friend of my grandfather.HAY: So your grandfather owned it through what year?
HUDSON: He died in 1955, and of course it went into an estate. And…uh…it was
sold off. I forget who bought it. One of the lawyers bought it.HAY: So, for use of that access…that exit access…you got two free passes…
HUDSON: Yeah, we got passes…
HAY: Two free passes…
HUDSON: Yeah
HAY: …to any of the theatres. Was it the Chakeres Theatres?
HUDSON: Yeah, the Chakeres Theatres. I don’t remember particularly using it down
here. Of course, we used it at The Capitol. The first run movies.HAY: Yeah. Yeah, this was the B movies wasn’t it?
HUSDON: And I remember they would have shows down here occasionally. I remember
one time they had Tim Holt here. I was in Culver Military Academy in 1934, and Tim Holt…he was a student there. And he was an upperclassman. I didn’t even know him. Hal Roach, Jr. was there too. But, Tim Holt had the Wild West Show here, I remember. And I started to go down and talk to him…speak to him…and I thought, “Well, heck” he wouldn’t know me because I didn’t even meet him when I was in Culver.HAY: But you were both there.
HUDSON: But they had shows down here.
HAY: Yeah, we’re not going to stay in here for too long. It’s chilly in here.
HUDSON: Well, I’m ok. I know.
HAY: Do you want to move into the…and stay warm in there…and we’ll come back in
there in a minute.UNIDENTIFIED VOICE: Ok
0:
1:00 …-0: 2:00HAY: Do you happen to remember those designs on that wall? Do you see what we found behind the…they’re covered up with those blankets a little bit.HUDSON: I don’t remember.
HAY: No. And of course, it was a sloping floor.
HUDSON: Yeah, and it was dark when you came in. [chuckle]
HAY: And it was dark.
HUDSON: Didn’t see much.
HAY: Yeah. And uh…you want to just…we’ll just walk up so you can look back and
see the balcony a little bit.HUDSON: Yeah, let’s do that. I have a daughter that’s been in the balcony. I
guess she told you that.HAY: She did. We’ll get her to talk about that in a little bit.
HUDSON: I never had the occasion to go to the balcony, but… [scratching noise of
chair being moved]HAY: You can see the old ceiling.
HUDSON: Yeah. It’s more spacious since everything’s been taken out. It’s more
spacious than I can remember it.HAY: They would have had a lot of chairs in here.
HUDSON: Oh yeah
HAY: A lot of seats.
HUDSON: It’s a good size balcony.
HAY: It is. You can see it really well from here. And of course, the balcony has
been in frozen…you know…just…time stopped up there.HUDSON: Yeah
HAY: Because it hasn’t been touched. So, I mean the seats aren’t up there, but
it’s just like it was the day they…the day they closed this theatre.HUDSON: Ain’t that something. Is this the old stage?
HAY: No, this is new.
HUSDON: This is new. Mmmmmm
HAY: Do you remember anything about the other stage?
HUSDON: No
HAY: This would, of course, been the deep slope, and then there would have been
a deep slope down and then the stage would have come up.HUDSON: Yeah
HAY: We’re not sure at what level.
HUDSON: Uh huh
HAY: And curtains. Do you remember the…any curtains? Anything like that?
HUDSON: I’m afraid not.
HAY: Yeah. Well, this will all…they’re going to start digging this floor out
next week.HUSDON: That’s just going to have to be…that’s just concrete isn’t it?
HAY: Yep, concrete on top of the old slopes. So they’ll cut it up…
HUDSON: Why they did that…why they didn’t shore it over with a floor?
HAY: You wonder.
HUDSON: It’s going to be a tremendous job getting it out of here.
HAY: They made it pretty permanent with this, but…
HUDSON: Yeah
HAY: We’re going to still find that old slope floor under there. [chuckle] So
they’re going to start that next week.HUDSON: Good. I’m very pleased that they are going on with it.
HAY: Yeah. And then it will be here for live shows like in the old days.
HUDSON: Yep
HAY: And concerts, and movies, and kids performances. A real performing arts center.
HUDSON: Well…there are towns smaller than this that have a viable downtown theatre.
HAY: Exactly. It’s time for Frankfort to have one, isn’t it? It’ll have 430
seats after the renovation.HUDSON: Really?
HAY: But what’s interesting is that it had 600 seats before. Those seats must
have been…tiny…HUDSON: They probably were squeezed together.
HAY: Squeezed together. And people were smaller too.
HUDSON: Well, yeah.
HAY: That’s what they were saying…is that the standard seat in today’s building
codes are bigger…so…HUDSON: Course this was always a second run theatre, and it wasn’t as deluxe
as…as The Capitol Theatre.HAY: The Capitol was beautiful.
HUDSON: The Capitol was great! And I don’t know whether…well, of course, I’m
sure you were never in there, but it was a regular opera house. Janie Lynn was here. And some of the Barrymore’s, my grandfather said. And, of course, it had dressing rooms and all the accouterments for a real theatre there. It’s a shame it was torn down.HAY: It’s a shame it was torn down.
HUDSON: Well, we’ll settle for this. It’s going to be nice.
HAY: It will be really nice. It will serve a nice purpose won’t it?
HUDSON: Yeah
HAY: It will be less expensive to restore than The Capitol would have been.
HUDSON: Oh yeah
HAY: [chuckle] Well, why don’t we continue back out to where it’s warm and then
what I thought…we could sit down out there. We’ll switch cameras. And I can just ask you a few more questions and talk to you more…HUDSON: Ok
HAY: And we’ll get Dorothy to be in the hot seat.
HUDSON: Ok [chuckle] Excuse me. I’ll go on through.
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE: You go on.
HUDSON: Oh, it feels better out here. Now does all this come out, or…?
HAY: Yes. These are all the Morris Real Estate Offices left here.
HUDSON: Uh huh. Well, I wish my memory was better, but all I remember was the
little theatre, and then they remodeled it and it was pretty nice. Pretty nice [..]HAY: Yeah. Well, your memory’s just fine.
[Joanna Hay is talking with an unidentified woman as they walk back towards the
entrance doors. Words are not audible.]HAY: Can you sit here for me?
HUDSON: Sure
HAY: Would anybody like a drink of water? Bottled? I’ve got bottled water.
HUDSON: We just had a…we just had our coffee a while ago.
END OF INTERVIEW
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