Archive

The following section is a collection of motion pictures in my archive. I started collecting movies at National Screen Service when I was in grade school

These are not necessarily pictures I own the rights to, however some are included and noted.

This collection come from many parts of the world, England, Australia, Italy, Mexico, South America, Canada and mostly here in America. They were acquired from industry insiders, directors, producers, actors, major collectors and from locals in Dodge City and all parts east and west.

It was during this time away from home that Wade decided what he wanted to do with his life. With his love of movies, he knew he wanted to be in the film business in some way.

After finishing his stint in the military, Wade got to know other film collectors in Boston, Chicago, Detroit and Hollywood. These collectors traded and sold movies among themselves. Wade made many important industry connections both in New York and Hollywood. He was offered many motion pictures both science fiction and other genres.

The following year, Wade co-wrote, produced and directed a 35mm color sci fi feature film entitled, TERROR FROM THE STARS. He organized a group of fledging filmmakers, including Jerry Panza, up-and-coming actors, including Rick Henry and businessmen, including James Dalton, to form his small production company. They raised $25,000 and the movie was shot and completed. Despite their high hopes, the low-budget film failed to find a distributor and still sets in a film vault . This would be Wade's first experience in making movies, but it certainly wouldn't be his last. He had been bitten by the film bug. He'd be back for more.

Wade with Martin Scorsese at the Ft Lauderdale Film Festival

The Dream Theatre

By the 70s, color had taken over television and film buyers for TV wanted color films, so most of Wade's favorite black and white films disappeared from broadcast stations. Wade decided to locate the owners of many of these films and buy the rights, hoping the new venue of "Cable TV" might need movies to show. He was right. His first cable license was with the USA Network. It was the beginning of THE WADE WILLIAMS COLLECTION.

Many owners of these older black and white "B" movies were anxious to sell them to Wade. Adrian Weiss sold him ROCKETSHIP X-M. Richard Rosenfeld sold him INVADERS FROM MARS. Others, like George Pal, NTA and the estates of Jack Broder and Harry M. Popkin sold their films and libraries to Wade.

Television shows were not left out. Stanley Wolf, of Rockhill Radio sold Wade the rights to TOM CORBETT-SPACE CADET. George Foley sold him the rights to TALES OF TOMORROW and the estate of Mike Moser sold him SPACE PATROL.

Technological advances of the 1970s made the concept of watching movies at home a reality. "Home video" was born. By the 80s, almost every household had a VCR and consumers were buying and renting VHS tapes of their favorite movies in record numbers.

That year, the remake of DETOUR was filmed and completed, with Wade serving as producer and director on the production. The film starred Tom Neal, Jr., playing the same role his father played in the 1945 original. It also brought Susanna Foster, star of the 1943 PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, out of retirement to guest star. The film played the festival circuit and was acclaimed by critics, winning The Golden Palm Award for Outstanding Cinematic Achievement at the Ft. Lauderdale Film Festival. Wade was presented the award by his friend and collegue, director Martin Scorsese.

Before DETOUR was released theatrically, Wade was approached by a Hollywood production company that wanted to produce their own remake of the film with a major star and director attached. They offered Wade a lucrative deal if he would shelve his version of the film for a period of time. Wade agreed to the deal.

Wade's Mansion on Ward Parkway

In 1966, Wade bought a 50-room mansion on prestigious Ward Parkway in Kansas City and converted the grand ballroom into a private 100 seat movie theatre. On Sunday nights, Wade would screen movies for his friends and neighbors, as well as visiting celebrities, such as Martin Scorcese, Frank Capra, Alice Faye, Ann Robinson and many others. He was able to screen many new films before they even played local theatres.

In 1970, Wade got back into the film production business with filmmaker Frank Howard and produced the daring docu-drama, THE HELTER SKELTER MURDERS (aka THE OTHER SIDE OF MADNESS). The film was based on the Charles Manson murder trial. Wade sat in on the trial in Los Angeles and got to interview Manson in jail. He bought the rights to two of Manson's songs and subsequently used in the motion picture. That summer, the film played the Drive-In movie circuits and garnered an excellent write-up on the front page of VARIETY.

Simplex Carbon Arc Projector

In the summer of 1964, with the Vietnam War looming on the horizon, Wade joined the Air Force Reserve and left for basic training in Texas to become a Loadmaster on a C-124 Transport Plane. It was a grueling yet rewarding experience for him.

Wade in the Air Force Reserve

Wade's friend and collegue, Kerry O. Quinn, Editor of the famed sci-fi magazine, STARLOG, was the first to license Wade's science fiction films for the new entertainment medium. Other licenses would follow, including the Englewood Entertainment collector's edition videos, making many of Wade's films available for over three decades for home-use, television, theatrical and non-theatrical.

In 1977, two motion pictures -- STAR WARS and CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND would not only revitalize the movie industry, but re-start the science fiction craze all over again. Wade had just aquired the rights to ROCKETSHIP X-M and INVADERS FROM MARS and was searching for more intellectual properties to acquire.

In 1980, Harry and Michael Medved's book, THE GOLDEN TURKEY AWARDS comes out and introduces the world to the forgotten films of Ed Wood, and especially PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE, which they bequeath the Golden Turket Award for "The Worst Movie of All-Time." (Wood got the Golden Turkey Award for "The Worst DIrector of All-Time").

The following year, Paramount Pictures hired producer Jeff Stein (famous for The Who film, THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT) to put together a screen comedy using film clips from bad movies featured in the Medved book. The film would be called IT CAME FROM HOLLYWOOD and starred Dan Akroyd, Gilda Radner, John Candy and Cheech & Chong. Wade was hired as a consultant and sent to New York to assist in the acquisition of clip rights for the film. It was an opportunity for Wade to acquire the rights to many other films, especially science fiction.

The Film Vault

Englewood's videobox cover

By 1983, Wade teamed up with Ben and Brian Mossman to open The Fine Arts Theatre, a single-screen reportory theatre in Mission, Kansas. It was the first theatre in the suburbs to offer "art house" fare. The business venture was a huge success and achieved a loyal following of filmgoers who preferred the independently-owned theatre over the multiplexes which dominated the area.

About this time, Wade acquired the rights to two popular sci-fi TV series of the 50s: SPACE PATROL and TOM CORBETT-SPACE CADET. With the rights secured, Wade and the Mossman's decided to produce a feature version of SPACE PATROL with Ann Robinson from WAR OF THE WORLDS and Robert Clarke of MAN FROM PLANET X fame. From the beginning, the production was problematic, hampered by script issues, multiple screenwriters and two directors. After being re-worked as a comedy about the alien invasion of a movie theatre (with the SPACE PATROL footage used as the feature being shown at the besieged theatre) the film was released as MIDNIGHT MOVIE MASSACRE and screened at the Cannes Film Festival.

The original Fine Arts Theatre

In 1986, Wade and producer Edward L. Alperson, Jr., made a deal with director Tobe Hooper (TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE) to remake the 1953 classic, INVADERS FROM MARS, which Wade and Eddie owned jointly. The remake, starring Karen Black and Timothy Bottoms would proved to be a box-office success. Wade and Eddie served as associate producers. While in Hollywood working on the production, Wade's friend, Tom Cooper, the operator of several revival theatres on the West Coast, suggested Wade remake the 1945 film noir classic, DETOUR. He screened the film for Wade and Wade enthusiastically agreed it had alot of potential and should be remade. Pre-production on the project commenced soon thereafter.

During this time, Wade was approached by Fox producer Kevin Burns to work on and appear in a two-hour A & E BIOGRAPHY special on science fiction films. He also appeared in the A & E BIOGRAPHY: THE MOVIE STAR NEXT DOOR, at the bequest of his friend, legendary film star Alice Faye. It was a very busy time.

Wade Williams has been buying copyrights and intellectual property rights to motion pictures and television shows for four decades. Almost twenty years ago, Wade joined forces with The David Gersh Agency in Beverly Hills, John Poole at Corinth Films and Mike Gavey of Mass Production in Great Britian, giving his holdings worldwide representation to this day.

THE WADE WILLIAMS COLLECTION is unique and diverse. Every film genre represented, but science fiction, fantasy and horror are the main attractions. Many of the films are available world-wide in all media, theatrical and non-theatrical, as are clips, posters and other ancillary rights.

Wade lives and works "Halfway to Hollywood" in Kansas City. His office is located above his private 100 seat movie theatre, aptly named The Dream Theatre (and designed after a small town picture show).

Wade's association with the Mossman Brothers also established The Filmworks (a Kansas City-based film/TV sound stage), Englewood Entertainment (a video/dvd distribution company), and The Fine Arts Theatre Group (a chain of first-run "Art House" theatres, which operates five movie theatres and thirteen screens in the greater Kansas City area). In addition, the trio also produced a musical version of PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE with music by David Smith.

Wade Williams lifelong passion for films is evident. "There is a lot more to do," he muses, "One lifetime is certainly not enough."

In 1992, Rudolph Grey's book, NIGHTMARE OF ECSTASY: THE STORY OF ED WOOD JR. is released to rave reviews. The film rights are secured by Disney as a vehicle for Johnny Depp. Wade was involved in the production and licensed the studio rights to re-create scenes from PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE. In 1994, the film ED WOOD is released and wins two Academy Awards.

The Rio Theatre

The Englewood Theatre

The Glenwood Arts Theatre

The Englewood Auditorium

UNDER CONSTRUCTION