Son of Michael P. and Hathleen Baber Marks, Eddie never met a stranger. An artistic bent with a knack for hand-lettering signs and banners, he would later craft his talents so that his "showmanship" made you sit up and notice.

As a young teen he was known for his Christmas "chalk drawings". A Christmas one for Piedmont (Middle) School in Charlotte, NC, was written of in great detail in the "Junior Observer", a publication of The Charlotte Observer written by school students (Dec. 22, 1940, p.1). It was 3 feet x 15 feet, a "polychromatic chalk rendition" of Christmas scenes including the Nativity, Santa Claus and "Christmas Greetings" in Olde English script. Displayed on one of the walls in the school library, it was noted that it "surpassed last year's".

He would draw for others, such as pen & ink drawings of couples that could probably be purchased for a few pennies as valentine greetings.

Things were put on hold for a bit while he served in the Army Air Corps (3 years), joining up the last year of WWII. The remainder of his service time was in the Army of Occupation in Germany where he was promoted to Staff Sergeant.

His artistic talent served him well throughout his career with theatre exhibitors (movies), his longest time spent with Stewart & Everett Theatres of Charlotte, NC.

While working with Wilby-Kincey* and assigned to the "B" house, The State, in Monroe, NC (c.1948-49), he was offered a job at a brand new theatre being built by Mr. H. B. Meisleman. He was honored and took the job at The Center on Morehead Street in Charlotte, NC. *(He was first hired by Wilby-Kincey in 1938 in Burlington, NC, where he was too young to be put on the payroll and was paid from the petty cash.)

He wrote of those early years for the 40th anniversary of Stewart & Everett Theatres, Inc., in a publication for the 1977 managers' meeting (spelling/grammar "as is"): "The Way It Wuz...popcorn was 5 cents a box and sometimes 2 boxes for 5 cents...Coca-Cola was a nickle a cup...but no drinks were sold in theatres!...and admission was 10 cents for kids, 15 - 35 cents for adults! Theatre employees were paid about 25 cents per hour, the manager's salary was $22.50 per week average, and the assistant's pay wuz $10 - $15 per week. Most theatres opened 10:45 A.M. each day with an early show at 9:00 A. M. each Saturday and owl shows each Friday & Saturday night. There were no Sunday movies. Movies changed 3 and 4 times weekly and at times daily. The popcorn machine sat out in front of the theatre and a small candy bar sat in the lobby. That is the way it was in 1938 when I started working in theatres...".

In 1955, with other endeavors and moves in-between such as owning a drive-in Brevard, NC (The Brevard Drive-In) he was sent to Wilmington, NC, by Stellings & Gossett Theatres, to run the four drive-ins. Per unidentified Charlotte newspaper clipping with the year noted, he was sent to manage four Drive-Ins (DI) and one indoor house (Manor).

At this time the company history of Stellings & Gossett and then Stewart & Everett is unclear, however, a company called Everett Enterprises (Charlotte, NC) was created by H. H. Everett in 1937 with Worth Stewart coming on board shortly after. In 1953, Worth Stewart disappeared in an airplane flight and was later declared dead (per Charles B. Trexler, writing about the history of Stewart & Everett in 1977). In January 1954, Everett sold his interest in the company to Trexler and E. G. Stellings. In 1962, Stellings sold his interest to Trexler and retired.

In Wilmington, the Starway DI was his home base; later, Stewart & Everett acquired The Colony Theatre to go along with the other indoor house (The Manor)--his office may have been moved to the Colony but he soon landed at the home office (Charlotte, NC) in the newly-created position of Advertising Manager with Stewart & Everett (c1962).

He was an "Honored Showman" at the 1966 Show-A-Rama in Denver, Colorado, where he accepted his award from actress Honor Blackman. He would again win another "Honored Showman" award from the 1981 committee for Show-A-Rama. That year he was quoted in their publication as saying, "Show business today is really not that different from those days when I first began." (Show-A-Rama was affiliated with NATO - National Assoc. of Theatre Owners, and was often referred to as a "working convention" with emphasis on improving theatre operations, showmanship and marketing.)

Who can forget the copy for a horror "B" film, "All new to scare you!...to rattle your cage! ...to freeze your gizzard!...And pickle your liver!" (patrons actually asked for tickets to "Freeze Your Gizzard"). The film title from March 1979 was: Beyond the Door #2, which apparently only did well where Stewart & Everett played it -- to the point that the distributors called and wanted to know what were they doing in North and South Carolina that was increasing ticket sales? Well, that's "showmanship!".

Other theatre companies associated with his name: Tar Heel Theatres, Litchfield, Consolidated.

He married the love of his life in 1955 whom he first met in 1948 but foolishly went in another direction (that second chance went a long way in erasing the unhappiness of that earlier marriage), had two children (a boy and a girl), loved his church (taught Sunday School for many years), loved his job, his home, family and friends - who could ask for anything more?

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Trivia of Eddie Marks

Some favorite "sayings":

Regarding frustrating situations:

"A hundred years from now, it won't make any difference."

When a day is just going the wrong way:

"Oh me, I think I'll go eat some worms."

When a table was overflowing with favorite and good foods, his eyes would light up and he would pronounce it as:

"A feast for a beast!"

If those he loved were squabbling:

"Y'all play pretty now."

While waiting to enter an endless line of traffic:

"Who let Pharoh's Army out?"

-Patricia M. Poland, daughter [updated April 2024]