Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Bob Golding has passed away

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Topic: Bob Golding has passed away

Adam Martin
I'm not even gonna point out the irony.

Posts: 3686
From: Dallas, TX
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 09-15-2005 12:36 PM

Chris Utley of the Southern California Drive-In Movie Society has informed me that Bob Golding, Film-Tech member, Cinematour member, and owner of the Marysville (California) Drive-In Theater passed away on Tuesday.

The administration teams of Film-Tech and Cinematour would like to express our deepest sympathy to his family and friends.

Bob announced in April on Cinematour that this was to be the last season of the Marysville Drive-In. He did not own the land and developers were to take over the property. Originally scheduled to close at the end of October, Bob was going to lease the property month-to-month until the last possible day.

Brad and I toured the drive-in with Bob about a year ago. Photos will be posted on both Cinematour and Film-Tech tonight at midnight.

From the Appeal-Democrat:

quote:
Owner of Y-S drive-in found dead

By Eve Hightower/Appeal-Democrat

Robert Golding, owner of the Marysville Drive-In Theater, died Tuesday.

Sutter County Undersheriff Bill Grove said the cause of Golding's death will not be known until an autopsy is performed.

A friend of Golding's found him dead at about 4 p.m. near his Kubota tractor at his home on Butte Avenue in Sutter.

Golding was 59 years old.

Robert Golding had run the Marysville Drive-In Theater since 1978. The drive-in, which has been in operation since 1966, is one of about 20 such facilities left in California.

While Golding owned the drive-in facilities, he did not own the land on which the drive-in is located. The property's owners want to sell the land, which is located off the west side of Highway 70 near Erle Road in Olivehurst.

The Marysville Drive-In was expected to close Oct. 30, but a message left on the theater's answering machine says it is not going to close. Golding had planned to keep the theater open as long as possible by leasing the property month-to-month starting in November.

"We're refusing to walk away from it," the message states.

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Joseph L. Kleiman
Master Film Handler

Posts: 380
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Apr 2005

posted 09-15-2005 01:25 PM

The Marysville Drivein was my favorite of the Sacramento area drivein theaters. Both the Sacramento and Sunrise Driveins had really gone downhill (with the Sunrise now demolished and being prepped for replacement by condos). The Marysville drivein was well run and clean by comparison and my favorite part was that if you look up showtimes on their website, there's a special code that will get you a discount on concessions.

RIP [Frown]

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Bob Koch
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 183
From: williams ca
Registered: Nov 2001

posted 09-15-2005 02:22 PM

Bob was a good friend and I had known him for many years. I installed the drive-in in 1966 and serviced it for many years afterward. Bob was the victim of a tragic accident in that the bucket of a tractor he was operating in his orchard somehow fell on him. Hell of a thing.

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Tim Reed
Better Projection Pays

Posts: 5246
From: Northampton, PA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 09-15-2005 03:56 PM

I was so sorry to hear this, and it is particularly troubling to know that it was due to a freak accident. You just never know.

I liked the heck out of Bob and always felt we were birds of a feather. I envied him for going out there, making it happen, and doing what he loved to do. He was a knowledgable man, forthright, well-spoken, and he loved drive-ins. I will certainly miss him.

The community has lost a beloved member. This is so sad.

Here's the updated story...

Golding's death ruled accidental
By Rob Young/Appeal-Democrat

Marysville Drive-In Theater owner Robert Golding died when the bucket of a tractor he was operating fell on him, a Sutter County Sheriff's Department official said Wednesday.

A friend found Golding's body under the bucket at about 4 p.m. Tuesday at Golding's home on Butte Avenue in Sutter.

The hydraulically-operated bucket apparently "released" and was lying on Golding's neck and chest, said Undersheriff Bill Grove.

An autopsy was performed Wednesday. Preliminary results showed Golding, 59, died of "traumatic asphyxiation." Toxicology test results will take weeks to arrive, he said.

Scrapes on Golding's arms indicated he tried to free himself, said Grove.

No funeral arrangements had been announced as of Wednesday.

Golding had operated the Marysville Drive-In since 1978 on leased land at Highway 70 and Erle Road. The theater, one of just 20 drive-ins left in California, was scheduled to close Oct. 30.

Golding was one of the earliest members of the six-year-old United Drive-In Theatre Owners Association, said Steve Wilson of Mitchell, Ind., a member of the group. Wilson said he also operates a drive-in theater on leased land.

"Robert kept members from all across the USA up to date on the leasing problems with his theater. I know how devastating these lease arrangements can be and how they hamper the growth of theaters," said Wilson.

Less than 400 drive-in theaters remain in the U.S., he said.

"Robert Golding was one of our most active and respected members. He loved - and lived to be - in the drive-in business," said Wilson.

"This guy was a real American hero in that he tried his best to keep open an American icon, a profitable drive-in theater whose only fault in closing was high land values," he said.

"We shall remember and talk about Robert for some time to come," said Wilson.

Golding's death was a shock for 17-year-old Brittney Mitchell of Linda, who said she and a friend collected more than 5,000 signatures on petitions to keep the drive-in open.

"The drive-in has been there for a really long time, and ever since - I think it was February - I have been talking to (Golding) and I have been helping him in every way that I possibly could," said Mitchell.

"I'm not going to let them have the drive-in because I know he would want me to fight for it with all that I have," she said.

"Bob was the best person I knew and he was kind and he didn't like people messing around with his stuff like the drive-in, for instance," said Mitchell.

Mitchell said she and other residents who live near the drive-in "won't be able to sleep at night and they will have lots of nightmares."

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Wolff King Morrow
Master Film Handler

Posts: 490
From: Denton, TX, USA
Registered: Feb 2004

posted 09-15-2005 04:45 PM

I used to live in Marysville and went to drive-in movies all the time there. Sorry to hear about the accident.

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Michael Wilkinson
The Entertainment King of Colusa and Beyond

Posts: 89
From: Colusa, CA USA
Registered: Apr 2004

posted 09-16-2005 06:33 PM

I will be assisting the family with theatre operations this weekend and plan to assist in helping find a way to keep the drive-in operating for the time being.
SO FOR NOW, AT LEAST, THE MARYSVILLE DRIVE IN IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS!

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 09-16-2005 06:39 PM

Yay Mike!

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Michael Wilkinson
The Entertainment King of Colusa and Beyond

Posts: 89
From: Colusa, CA USA
Registered: Apr 2004

posted 09-21-2005 05:38 PM

Unfortunately "OPEN" was short lived. Sunday, September 16th, may have indeed been the last day for the Marysville Drive In.

Kevin Golding (Bob's oldest son) along with family, friends, and the drive in staff, ran the place in Bob's memory. The atmosphere was "business as usual" combined with sadness in the air.

As far as the status of the drive in is concerned; it is closed for now and, quite possibly, forever.

I will post more information soon.

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