2007 JUNE 12 #163
Badger Theatre Movie Phone - The Sequel
MP3:
Badger Theatre Movie Phone - The Sequel - Robin Hood: Men In Tights/Mr. Nanny/Blank Check/The Air Up There (4:40)
In 1993, I became hooked on calling the answering machine of the Badger Theatre in Reedsburg, Wisconsin, to hear proprietor Elmer Krueger's self-penned description of each week's feature presentation. Sequels are rarely as good as the original (and this summer, we're learning that third installments are even dicier), so I make no claim that these phone messages approach the quality of the three classics I posted as part of the original 365 Days Project. But even if none of these four messages reaches the soaring brilliance of his two-minute oration on behalf of "The Secret Garden", it's still fun to hear his sales pitch on such timeless cinematic gems as "Blank Check" and "Mr. Nanny".
The Badger ceased operation as a movie theatre in 1994, another single-screen casualty of the multiplexing of America, and is now a music venue.
And Google informs me that Elmer Krueger's estate, including many posters and other pieces of movie memorabilia he'd collected through the years, was auctioned off last October 11, but thanks to 365 Days, his voice will live on.
May your life be filled with people, animals and comedy.
- Contributed by: Eric Williams
Images: Badger Marquee, Badger Theatre Memorabilia
