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Between Berchtesgaden and Chiemsee:

How many bowling alleys were there and where?

How many movie theaters were there and where?

Just wonder how many of you can think back that far.

JIM

There  was  a bowling  alley  near the  Bahnhof in B'Gaden, I  believe  there  was  one also  in the basement  of the  General walker.  Two lanes

Movie theaters in B'Gaden   There were two.  One  near the PX. and the other  was at the  General Walker shown in the basement.  I was  the projectionist  at  both.   At  the  General  Walker,  16mm films  were shown.  No popcorn sales or the alike.  Show intermission   due to  the reel changes. If my  memory  is  correct the  site  was  formally an indoor   shooting  range converted to a bowling alley.  Near the PX   it was  the  standared   35mm and no  interruption as there   was the standard dual  projector.....How  many remember  the little  circles  in the  upper   right of  the screen which  was  the signal to start up (rev up  the   projector if you  prefer) the   2nd  projector.   When the   2nd   set of circles  appeared  you   did  the   transfer.  A guy that was with the  medical team at  B'gaden  was  the manager, his wife  did the concession stand.  Regardless of  how many  people were in attendance, the  movies played on.   I can remember  showing one viewing for only two  people.  Diming the lights, drawing of  the curtain, playing the  national anthiem.   Curtains redrawn once again, and then the previews  etc etc.   

After the  spent   reel was  inspected, by  hand, you repaired  if necessary,  repacked for  pick  up late at  night.  and added any comments to condition of   reel (s).  When I had  MP  duties,  I  had a  German National  who   took  my place.   Magic Tetres at times. 

Dave  66-67

I remember the two lane bowling alley in the basement of the General Walker.  In the summer of 1973, the alley was managed by Chuck Johnson.  I worked at the tennis courts at the Gen Walker and would hideout in the bowling alley on rainy days.  The two most overlooked recreational activities at B-Gaden were the bowling and golf.

I also remember attending a lot of movies during that time of 1973-1974.  The theater was located across from the Hof.  John Gevais was a projectionist at the theater.

Mike Glass

Between B'gaden and Chiemsee?

Depending if you count the German theaters...? If you do, there used to be the one next to the American PX in Berchtesgaden.  = 1. And oh yes the one in Chiemsee = 2

But if you count the German shows, you have that one, plus, two German shows in B'gaden,   + plus one in Bad Reichenhall, and plus + another one in the town of Prien. .

Totalling -

= 5

Bowling alles? One one in B'gaden, but every one uses the brand new 35 lane alley that opened in 93. near the Airport in Salzburg now.

Did I pass???

CHIEMSEE

Only one theather downstairs under the main lobby. (building). I had to kick out a German when I worked there in 1993 before moving to Ansbach. The girl, refused to stand during the National Athem playing before the movie started. --She didn't have an ID and was arrogent as hell about showing respect. So she was asked to leave.

B'GADEN;

That one is too easy....directly above the PX which was next to the Aral Gas Station. The bowling alley was located below the Billeting office (which was across the street from the “Bahnhof.” 

-- The building was not torn down...it still stands today as some sort of business?

Now a question you might know: Who lived in the house (which had a long driveway) 1971-1974 directly accross from the PX? There was a party there in New Years Eve, 1972/73, and when we returne to B'gaden in 1990 just before I got deployed to Kuwait, my wife started working in that building - it was for a Dentist named  (Dr. Rohmhild) who later moved in 1998 to Salzburg. I think his wife still has a praxis there.

I have been trying to figure it out I mean its not a big deal, but I have always wondered who it was that invited me and a few of the guys there???  I  indistinctly recall someone named Bill and I think he was retired military, some sort of 1st Sgt, as he was living there he had all sorts of Nazi WWII souvenirs’, and I think he worked at the Warehouse in Strub?

Fast forward to 1975. My dad, SSGT Tim May was the manager then at  Berchtesgaden's Watzmann theater and it was great.  I thought it was awesome to know what went on behind the scenes of the theater and upstairs in the projection room.

 I believe the films came in 8 metal cases and the first thing the guys did, or my dad did sometimes, was run through each film by hand, on hand operated reels, checking for breaks. They would splice them if needed. Then they'd put them back on another machine and rewind them. The projectors themselves had metal rods inside them which produced the arc that made the light that projected the films onto the screen. They'd put the first 2 reels on and switch over when they saw the little circles as was mentioned earlier.

 When people started seating, I would start the music . It was an old turn table and I think I wore out Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Rd album. Benny and the Jets was my favorite song at the time. A fun part of the whole theater thing was after we closed and everyone had gone. I would sweep the entire theater and look for things left behind. Of course, it all went into the lost and found but if no one claimed it, depending on what it was, I'd get to keep it.  This was the theater where I saw American Graffiti for the first time.

  I remember many times standing at the wrought iron fencing looking down the hill and watching the Krumpus march down the street. And hearing someone playing “the entertainer“ on their piano somewhere across the street from the PX.

Thanks you guys for talking this up. My dad has been gone 1 year on Sept. 25th. It's so good to stroll down memory lane to the best years of my life.