The Longest-Running Movie at the Malco Isn’t On Screen — It’s Camilla

When I was sixteen, my friend Jeanette and I went to Owensboro's Plaza Twin to watch an R-rated movie. I can't remember what the movie was, but I do vividly remember this. Camilla, the person who was working the ticket booth that night, must have had a hunch that I was underage. So, she refused to sell me a ticket.

That was decades ago. A lot has changed in the movie industry since then, but one thing has remained a constant here in Owensboro. Camilla. She's still at the Malco and just celebrated her 41st anniversary with the company. She's been seen by more local moviegoers than Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Sandra Bullock, Keanu Reeves, Meryl Streep, Jack Nicholson, and Kevin Costner combined.

Camilla started working for the Malco back in 1985. She was first hired to work in concessions. It must not have taken her long to work her way up to the ticket booth, because that's where she greeted (and thwarted) me just a couple of years later. Her early years with the Malco had her at the Plaza Twin, then Lincoln Mall (the Mall Twin), back to the Plaza, then, eventually, the Malco Cinema 16 on Frederica Street - where she would be promoted to manager.

Today, Camilla is managing the Owensboro Cinema Grill and MXT.

Camilla Lighton/MALCO

You know, there's a popular question that goes something like this - "If you could describe your life using a movie title, what would it be?" For Camilla, that would be an impossible task. Her life IS the movies and thousands upon thousands have come and gone during her tenure.

Camilla admits, "I used to watch ALL the movies that came to town. But, now? Not so much."

That said, there's one franchise that has stood out among the best of the best over the course of her career. She says, "I'm a Star Wars fan, so I will always watch those movies."

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Star Wars has certainly been a constant fixture of Camilla's 41-years in movies. But there have been a ton of changes in the industry and she's been there to navigate through them. She says, "The biggest change is definitely in the projection system. There is no film. It's all digital projection and there's no projectionist anymore.

She laughs, "All the modern upgrades with computers. When I started, everything was handwritten."

That includes those old-school newspaper ads the Malco used to run in the Messenger-Inquirer. Remember those? Back in the 80s, popular movies were 'held over' and that was usually noted in the ads. Here's an example, in the late 80s, Dirty Dancing was held over for about half a year. In fact, I am pretty sure I saw it for the first time in its 26th week of release.

Camilla recalls, "I remember building those ads for awhile! It was crazy trying to fit all those ads into a certain amount of space."

Today, the Malco has its own app. Movie schedules and times are literally at your fingertips. Like Camilla mentions, "Computers."

After all these years, it's not the movies that drive Camilla at the Malco. It's the guests, the movie buffs. She says, "My favorite part of working is just the people I work with and being able to provide a quality product for the public. That's my favorite part."

Eventually, I suppose, there will be some closing credits on Camilla's incredible career with the Malco and the movies. But, for now, she's still enjoying the ride and the popcorn.