Phillip Virden shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Phillip, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: Are you walking a path—or wandering?
I am definitely walking a path…however, I’m not rigid and am open to taking a new road when it may make sense.
A good example of this is that 52 years ago, I “should” have been on a path to pursue a career based upon my college degree (BFA in Communication Arts – Journalism, Public Relations, Marketing, Advertising, Film, Radio TV, Public speaking). Such a degree usually would mean a position in a large metropolitan city.
However, I had an opportunity to have a part-time job in a small mountain town in Colorado. As it turned out, I fell in love with the town and the rest is history. I’ve lived here since 1973, have a wife of 50 years, and two lovely daughters.
Surprisingly, I’ve been able to use all the skills I learned from my degree in college in a town with a population of less than 500!
Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken” certainly is in my heart…”Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the road less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I moved to Lake City, Colorado, in 1973. It is a beautiful small mountain town in the northwest San Juan Mountains. I had just graduated from college in Texas with a degree in communications (journalism, speech, theatre, public relations, radio tv, advertising, marketing, and film). I should have been on a path to a career in a major metropolitan area. However, I fell in love with Lake City – its tall mountains, its trout-filled streams, and endless hiking trails.
In 1974, my boss and I were told the Mountaineer Theatre in Gunnison, Colorado, was for sale. We expressed our interest and brought together a group of investors to purchase the business and construct a theatre. We wanted it to be a community movie theatre for young people, families, townspeople, and visitors. We opened our cinema in the fall of 1975.
Since that time, we have developed “Mountaineer Magic” for our clientele. It’s a combination of reminding folks what a hometown theatre is all about…good films…hot popcorn…great customer service. When we started, we didn’t even know what a “brand was”. However, our commitment to staying true to our mission has helped us weather the storm versus multi screen franchise movie theatres, cable TV, streaming services, and the tightening window by distributors with booking films. We are just finished celebrating our 50th anniversary!
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
My mom and I loved going to movies in Dallas, especially to the Palace and Majestic theaters in downtown Dallas. When we saw Lawrence of Arabia at the Majestic, I was totally transformed. David Lean’s incredible direction and passion for high-quality cinematography, the incredible acting by Peter O’Toole, Anthony Quinn, Alec Guinness, Omar Sharif, et al., brought a story to the screen like no other.
When I came out of the movie, I told my mom how much I loved that movie and that it stirred something in me that I had never felt before. My mom said that that’s what a good movie does; when you come out of the theatre, you see the world in a whole different way.
What she has said has stayed with me and when I have a top-notch film at the Mountaineer, it is gratifying to hear our customers applaud and tell us what an incredible experience it was to see it.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
The first two years of our business were extremely tough…the lack of getting good movies for a new movie theatre…the competition of music from a youth group…the challenges of operating our equipment (our carbon arc projectors were from the 1930s) became daunting. It crossed my mind if this was a good idea to bring a cinema to a town with just a few hundred people in it. However, when we showed the Star Wars movie in 1977, we sold out for the first time. That was a game-changer for us and slowly but surely, we established a foothold in our community where folks started coming on a regular basis.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
It is a part of me…I love our customers, and when I welcome them at the beginning of the movie, I think they see a person who genuinely cares for them and is happy to have them at the show. I think they see me as extremely extroverted because I am a good speaker who brings heartfelt joy and humor to everyone. However, when the show is over, I’m exhausted. I’m an introvert at heart. As a result, when I need to recharge, I enjoy quiet time at home, taking walks, being with family, and spending time in nature. The majority of people don’t know this about me.
It’s a fine balance that I have learned to work with…from being in the public’s eye to honoring my own private time.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
It is pretty simple…I hope that they see a person who served his community and the world well, that I may have inspired some people along the way, and that I brought joy into people’s lives.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mountaineertheatre.com
- Instagram: mountaineertheatre
- Facebook: Mountaineer Theatre
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
