History
Built in 1949 by R.A. Warden, the
theatre is situated on twenty-nine acres in a beautiful mountain
setting with the Beaver Creek Knobs as a boundary and backdrop. Mr.
and Mrs. R. A. Warden sold it to the aunt & uncle of Danny and
Ellen Warden in 1956, and they in turn aquired it in 1974.
On October 1,1977, a tornado
destroyed the original
wooden screen tower, which was built from
timber in the woodlands behind the theatre. Within one week, a new
Selby Screen Tower was erected and not a weekend of movies was missed
(many thanks to relatives, friends, and neighbors for helping make the
clean up and reconstruction possible). With a twenty-five year 3% S.B.A. loan and God's will, we eventually struggled through hard times
and flourished.
The family operated theatre is
open on weekends during the spring and fall seasons and nightly during
the summer with double features. It doubles as a temporary campground
for the NASCAR and Drag races of the
Bristol Motor Speedway (located
nine tenths (9/10) of a mile away). The conversion to race camping
proceeded smoothly because of the level grounds, snack bar with
restrooms, long entrance way, two egresses to the parkway, and shade
trees. With the addition of private hot water showers and a fire
hydrant, we were ready for the green flag. We absolutely enjoy and appreciate our customers and adore our theatre
and campgrounds. As Jack Lemmon once said, "to be good at something
you must have a passion for it," and we do. |