University of Virginia Library

Enthusiastic Wahoos Tear $1200 Hole In Movie Screen
With Beer Cans, Bottles At Paramount Skin Flick

By PARKES BRITTAIN

A Flying Wine Bottle Slits The Paramount Screen

Photo by Andy Stickney

"The Exotic Dreams Of Casanova" Prompts Spirited Action By Cavalier Fans

A bottle of Boone's Farm Apple Wine
and a Schlitz beer can forged two holes in
the screen at the Paramount theater
Friday night.

The incident occurred during the late
showing of 'The Exotic Dreams of Casanova,"
the last in a series of X-rated films
shown at the theater during the past
semester.

Manager Chuck Walton said that it
would cost an estimated $1200 to repair
the screen. "Had the bottle and can been
empty," he said, "they probably would
have bounced off."

"Many think the screen is an
enormous piece of plywood, but actually
it is a very thin vinyl elastic film that has
to be resewn by hand," he continued.
"Standing behind the screen, one can see
the entire audience."

The Friday night crowd numbered
approximately 450 persons, "about 95
per cent of which were students,' he said
"We take in about three townspeople for
every 100 students for these late
shows."

The "Casanova" incident is not the
first record of damage at the theater. In
the series of late shows, a barrage of beer
cans assailed the screen, which now
displays a number of dents in addition to
the new holes.

Mr. Walton noted that practically all
the late shows are "made in someone's
garage; but because they are so bad,
they're fun to come to. We have in the
past tried to limit our attempts to restrict
the students in any way. It's like a
football game."

"In the future, however, we shall have
to station a guard, and prosecute anyone
we find destroying the properties." Thus
far, however, no charges have been made.

After a showing of "The Toy Box"
two weeks ago, they had to scrape a jelly
sandwich off the screen. "That was a
helluva mess," Mr. Walton said.