Welcome. Enjoy these books and websites we have created.

Movie Theaters of South Carolina
by John R. Coles and Mark C. Tiedje

John Coles and Mark Tiedje take readers on a humorous and insightful journey through time. The authors spent ten years traveling to cities and towns across South Carolina gathering information for the book. They trace the state’s movie theaters from the grand opera houses and early storefront theaters, through the golden age of cinema, to the decline and disappearance of the downtown movie theater.

Movie Theaters of South Carolina is filled with photographs and personal stories. There are sections on African American theaters, mill village theaters, military theaters, marketing the movies, and forgotten local films.

Movie Theaters of South Carolina reveals what makes South Carolina’s movie theater history different from that of other regions in the country.

Movie Theaters of Charleston
By John R. Coles and Mark C. Tiedje

From the earliest nickelodeons, to small store-front theaters, and theaters built exclusively for motion picture exhibition, this book contains of the stories of the dreamers, entrepreneurs and businessmen who built Charleston’s entertainment industry. To order, CLICK HERE

Leave A Trail - by John R. Coles
Leave A Trail - (Kindle Edition)
by John R. Coles

A memoir of the first thrity-seven years of the author. Growing up in Nashville in the 1950s, failing at two attempts at college, getting drafted, starting a jug band, teaching at a university, playing Yatzee at the Edge of America, and finally, finding love, this story makes its own trail with a few laughs along the way.

South Carolina Movie Theaters

This website covers the history of South Carolina's single-screen movie theaters. The content includes collected memories, theater histories and photographs, theaters listed by city, drive-in theaters listed by city, and profiles of the men and women who owned and managed these places of entertainment.

Kenny Bowers Fan Club

Kenny Bowers was a star of stage, screen, radio, television, and recordings. He is not well known to today's audiences. We created this website to pay tribute to his talent, to chronicle his career, and to express our appreciation for the fun and laughter he gave. What a mug!

Tommy Dix: The Voice that Amazed America

Tommy Dix is best remembered for his starring role, opposite Lucille Ball, in the M-G-M musical Best Foot Forward. In that movie, as well as in the original Broadway production, he sang Buckle Down Winsocki. With this site, we honor his broader career and talent. His generous help has enabled us to share some rare audio recordings unheard for many years.