William J. “Skip” Headley is president of the Ballou
Park Theatre, which has operated four screens in Danville, Va. since
1982. Headley also currently serves as president of NATO of Virginia
and as chairman and COO of Mid-Atlantic NATO, the trade association
for exhibitors in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia.
What
about you would most surprise the majority of your fellow exhibitors?
I raise hand-fed Blue Catfish in a small pond in my backyard.
What
would you wish for if a djinn offered to grant one wish (assuming
you couldn’t wish for more wishes)?
I would like to never hear the words “These are firm terms.”
What
would you be if you weren’t a cinema operator?
I would be a senior drill instructor on Paris Island USMC Recruit
Training Depot. “Hit the deck and give me 50.”
Who
is your favorite filmmaker and why?
Ron Howard, because he is in my age group and has almost as much
hair as I do. Also, he seems to be a truly nice person.
Which
TV show do you hate to miss?
“Nightline.”
What’s
your favorite book?
My favorite book is Ernest Hemingway’s “For Whom the Bell
Tolls.”
What
kind of lunchbox did you have as a kid?
A brown paper bag.
What’s
your favorite movie theatre in which you and/or your partners have
absolutely no investment?
New: Phillip’s Place – Charlotte, N.C. Old: The Bird –
Richmond, Va.
Which
sacred cow would you most like to barbeque?
Distribution to exhibition, “Build and equip more auditoriums
and you will make more profit.”
What’s
the best thing about running a cinema company?
Cleaning the auditoriums after a sellout.
What’s
the worst?
Patrons who think exhibition keeps all the admissions.
What’s
the best thing about living in Virginia?
From my home it’s two hours to the Blue Ridge Parkway or four
hours to Virginia Beach.
What’s
your most admirable quality?
Very loyal.
What’s
your least admirable quality?
Not showing more patience with people who have a hard time making
a decision.
Whom
do you most admire and why?
Dwight David Eisenhower, because he was a great leader of a great
generation.
What
drives you?
Looking forward to that big Social Security check.
What
is your single greatest accomplishment?
My family still loves me anyway.
What
do you wish someone had told you earlier?
You are marrying a beautiful woman, not a movie theatre.
What
was the single best piece of advice you ever got?
My mother would say, “The sun will rise tomorrow.”
How
do you define success?
Being engaged and feeling you are doing something important.
How
would you like to be remembered?
As a good man.
If
your personal philosophy could be summed up on a bumper sticker,
what would it say?
Movies for show, popcorn for dough. 
