A screen gem: Movie lover inspires film series and fund-raiser for ALS research

BYLINE: EGERTON JUDITH

John Patterson was a movie fanatic who owned a replica of the Maltese falcon seen in the classic 1941 film noir. He had a home theater with the latest electronic gizmos and so many videos, DVDs, laser discs and recordings of movie soundtracks that his girlfriend and daughter are still sorting through them months after his May 6 death.

Patterson, 53, was an employee of Baxter Avenue Theatres from the time it opened in the fall of 1996 until he was diagnosed last fall with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Regular visitors to the Mid City Mall theaters will remember the slim, gray-haired manager who sold tickets, swept out the theaters and sometimes ran the movie projectors. He loved his job because it allowed him to earn a living while indulging his passion for films. Anyone who talked with Patterson about movies quickly discovered that he had an encyclopedic knowledge of the cinematic arts. To honor Patterson and to raise money for ALS research, the Baxter Avenue Theatres will show three of his favorite movies beginning this week in its inaugural John S. Patterson Memorial Film Series.

Moviegoers will pay the regular admission price of $5 for matinees and $7 for evening shows. The Kentucky chapter of the ALS Association will receive a portion of the proceeds from the series after expenses are paid.

The scheduled movies are "Bullitt,'' starring Steve McQueen, Friday through Aug. 22; "The Adventures of Robin Hood,'' the 1938 classic with Errol Flynn as the daring archer and Olivia de Havilland as Maid Marian, Aug. 23-29; and "Patton,'' with George C. Scott as the famous World War II general, Aug. 30-Sept. 5.

Each movie features a forceful and charismatic character with a rebellious streak. Baxter Avenue manager Dave Conover, who knew Patterson for 10 years, said his friend and colleague was a bit of a rebel himself.

"He didn't live a conventional life'' - he and his daughter, Amy, celebrated her 18th birthday by going skydiving - "and he strove for perfection in his work - the presentation of movies to the public - and his home theater system,'' Conover said.

"This place was important to him, and I think this is the way he would like to be remembered.'' Conover said he thought Patterson would endorse a film series to help further ALS research. "It's the most fitting thing we can do.''

Last October, Patterson's legs crumpled underneath him. The fall led to a trip to a doctor and then more doctors at the University of Kentucky, who told him that his motor neurons were not firing. It was a shock.

"He was athletic and healthy,'' said Betty Boswell, who was Patterson's girlfriend for more than 15 years. But the disease progressed rapidly, she said. "It was a really sad day when he called, crying, and said he couldn't walk anymore.'' The disease eventually destroys a person's ability to walk, talk and breathe.

Patterson continued to find comfort and pleasure in movies until the end of his life. For many ALS patients, the disease attacks the motor neurons but doesn't affect the senses of sight, sound, touch, hearing, taste and smell. The cause of the disease is unknown and a cure has not been found. ALS patients live an average of three to five years after diagnosis.

Patterson came by his affection for movies naturally. You might say it was in his blood. His grandfather, George Rausch, once managed the old Baxter Theatre, and his mother, Loretta Patterson, used to play the organ for silent movies shown in Louisville, Boswell said.

Amy Patterson is grateful that Baxter Avenue is holding the film series, she said, because it will increase awareness about ALS. When her father was diagnosed with the disease, "I had no idea what it was,'' she said.

And a film series is the perfect way to honor her father. When she was growing up, she said, Patterson watched musicals with her. And every Christmas holiday without fail, they screened "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.''

The John S. Patterson Memorial Film Series is expected to be an annual event, which means you can be sure that in the future the Baxter Avenue Theatres will try to book "Forbidden Planet,'' a sci-fi version of Shakespeare's "The Tempest,'' and "Casablanca,'' one of the greatest romance movies ever made.

Those two movies ranked at the top of Patterson's list of favorites, said Boswell, who now treasures many of the movies that once belonged to Patterson, including "Casablanca,'' a movie they often watched together.

As for the Baxter Avenue fund-raiser for ALS named for Patterson, Boswell said, "It touches my heart. It's wonderful. We're very appreciative of the tribute and John would be too. He always underestimated himself and how much people loved him.''

How to help
To make a donation or get more information about ALS, contact the ALS Association, Kentucky Chapter, P.O. Box 910130, Lexington, Ky. 405910130. The phone number is (859) 263-1306; the e-mail address is: alsakentucky@msn.com.
The Baxter Avenue Theatres are in the Mid City Mall, 1250 Bardstown Road. The phone number is 459-2288.

"Patton,'' with George C. Scott as the famous World War II general, will be shown Aug. 30 to Sept. 5 as part of the inaugural John S. Patterson Memorial Film Series.