A coincidence here about some of the OLD FILMS of my 1965-1967 Football Team disappearing. Those films disappeared as did trophies, etc. from our High School trophy case during one particular administrators term. Some think that it may be only a coincidence that those as well as many that my grandfather made also disappearing, but I know differently. It has a lot to do with who owned and ran the first THEATER hereabouts.

Click on Right Arrow to begin - (wait to load)
Notice misspelling of Main Street. My grandfather, Joseph Phillips, was a part of the American forces in the Philippines during the Spanish American War, and I am guessing that this was in reference to the sinking of the battleship Maine and not really a misspelling.) Also from my mother's remembrance the cat did survive.

This should give you a close up of some of the faces. Look for Hodge, Bumgardner, Robinson, Hughes and of course Stone-Phillips.

This film was made by my Grandfather Joe Phillips somewhere between 1916 and 1918. Grandfather had a production company from California come to Tazewell in hopes of making movies. My mother said that he built a large shed to store the equipment beside his house in Tazewell which would have been where my father, Al Payne built his house in the middle of Tazewell. Among some of his films were the Barren Creek Flood and various locations in and around Claiborne County. He showed the films at his theater located on Main Street in Tazewell, located near the present offices of Lawyer Danny Stone and James Estep, III.

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This is a short video of my mother, Betty Phillips Payne's memorial service in May 1999 (camera had wrong date). You must wait for a while for the video to load then click on the right arrow when it appears. Other excerpts can be found by clicking here