"Working Places/Places that Work"

8th Annual Preservation Week 2006 Photo-Essay Competition

3rd Place: Shan Taylor, 11th Grade Woodford County High School

Title: The Bacon Theatre: Not Exactly Bringing it Home

Shielding my face from the wind as I stepped out of my car, I glanced across the busy downtown street. Felling a slight sense of loss, I tried to picture the amazing building as it had been described to me only a few hours earlier. Mrs. Forman, a life time resident of Woodford County and a regular visitor of the downtown theatre in its early days, who took the time to let me ask her a couple of questions, vividly described for me the tantalizing scent of popcorn that “you could smell all the way down the street.” Just now I received a large lungful of carbon monoxide in stark contrast. She told me of the Neon lights which had lit up the whole block. All that is left as proof of this, is the stripped wiring sticking out of the building about three-fourths of the way up the front. After I carefully crossed the street, I ran my hands over the brick where the concessions and admissions windows used to be and looked at the words written in the dust on the windows to the front doors.

Once again, I thought about the overwhelmingly different picture that Mrs. Forman had painted in my mind during her interview, “It was just elegant. You felt elegant.” She even went on to boldly say that it was “The nicest lady’s restroom I’ve ever been in. It was like lounge, with a couch and a counter for freshening your make up, and a nice little partition for the lavatories.” After taking some pictures, I re-crossed the street and wondered at the huge loss of potential in this building. This building, which had once been more than a middle school hang out or a simple good time on Sunday afternoon. It really had once been a symbol of a simpler time, for a community that obviously had a passion for the movies. (deeper word hook)

This community’s passion for the movies extended back before there had even been a movie theatre. The Lyric, the first movie theatre in the town, was in 1912. Even before The Lyric was built, there was already a “movie show” in a tent, behind the Dean House, shown by B.F. Burdick(The Woodford Sun 3 September. 1936). The Lyric was such a big hit that it wasn’t long till in 1917 it moved to a larger location across downtown. Only the best equipment and furnishings were used for the Lyric, as only the best was demanded by the avid movie goers of the town. In 1924 the owner of the lyric, Dr. Fisher, had a Gardiner Velvet Gold Fibre screen installed, which was the same as used in over 300 movie theatres in New York alone. (The Woodford Sun 17 Mar. 1949) Dr. Fisher would only have the best.  In fact, Dr. Fisher was perhaps one of the most passionate movie goers of the time. A story that was constantly told of him was that he was such a fan of Frankenstein movies, that once in the middle of one of the movies, they stopped the film, turned on the light, and had to tell Dr. Fisher to “Go help deliver that baby!”(Forman)

In 1927, when “The Jazz Singer,” the first “talkie,” came out sadly Dr. Fisher closed the theatre for a couple of years, feeling that the large investment required for sound equipment wouldn’t be returned. A large community movement happened shortly after. Everyone who saw Fisher constantly advised him that the sound equipment would be a good investment, and soon afterward, with a public statement in the paper, he announced he would install the equipment, but expected the community to show its gratitude by returning his investment. (The Woodford Sun 12 Jan. 1933) Which they graciously did. The Lyric continued to thrive for years to come, changing owners occasionally. Finally its profits were so great that in1945, Goebal Stevens, the manager of the time, announced the building of a 400 seat theatre on a lot on the north side of Lexington St.(Chandler 45) And slowly , after a property rights battle, The Bacon Theatre was opened. Mrs. Forman recalls the two aisles, which was unprecedented for the time. A huge theatre the actually successfully ran with The Lyric for several years, showing again the devotion and love of the film world the community had. In 1962, the theatre changed owners again, being purchased by E.A. Dunbar for $32,000.(The Woodford Sun 30 Aug. 1962) (multiple hook)

But it wasn’t many years that slowly the number of people that went to The Bacon started to dwindle. Also, if you were to try to find any information on The Bacon after 1962, you would be hard pressed. There seemed to be a shift in the community. Suddenly without mention, even in the paper, the theatre went out of business. Only this time, there wasn’t a community movement. Mrs. Forman only remembers that it went out of business some time when she was a teenager. As I drove home, this sudden community shift baffled me. How could the people who used to be so passionate about the movie experience just abandon the theatre they had so lovingly called their own. The answers weren’t really that hard to figure out.

The drive-in became increasingly popular and the development of the multi-screen theatres in Lexington and Frankfort left the downtown theatre obsolete. Still, seeing as I had never even experienced the elegance of The Bacon, and I felt as if this was a loss to the community, it still befuddled me. Besides befuddlement I also felt a passion, perhaps similar to the same thing the community felt after The Lyric closed for those few years. I felt a need to do something to try to resurrect this timeless masterpiece of history and culture. And I don’t see why it, obviously with a little work, couldn’t open tomorrow. The middle school turn out would be enormous. Parents would much rather have there kid’s first dates be five minutes away instead of twenty-five. I know being a avid movie fan myself, that I am greatly annoyed by the long drive when I want to see a new movie, and guarantee I would see almost every movie that went through that theatre if it were reopened.  I feel that if the Bacon were to re-open, not only would it bring home the bacon, it would re-instill the community’s love of the movies, add to the charm of downtown, and ultimately bring us together as a community.

This essay and photograph(s) are the property of Preservation Kentucky, Inc. and Kentucky Heritage Council and that any use of the photo or essay must be approved by PK and KHC.