ohh...maybe that's what's preventing me from getting the sleep i need! talk to your doctor about ways to manage your insomnia. passion of small town businessman. >> his dying words a century-old theater. >> dying words, don't let the theater go. >> but from here to eternity could be a long haul. >> anything that could go wrong went wrong. >> are the final credits about to roll in. >> i didn't get to tell him. i'm sorry. >> or will there be an encore performance? >> do you ever say to yourself, i wish my grandfather would have just left me the house? >> i wish that so many times, more than you know. .

♪ ♪ i'm jamie colby, and today i'm driving along the mighty susquehanna river that winds its way through central pennsylvania. i'm on my way to a population 11,000 town, a tough, old manufacturing town that built stewart tanks during world war ii. today it's best known for the wise potato chip factory and the nuclear power plant. this strange inheritance is about another, smaller business, one that goes to the heart and soul of cities like burr wick, all across america. >> i'm angela deaugustine. in july of 2013, when my father passed away, he left us an unusual inheritance that none of us knew what to do with at the time. ♪

>> this weathered movie theater looks like the sort of make you might pass and think, how does a business like this even make it in today's world? angela not only inherited the theater, but like most ber wick residents, she spent a lot of time here, especially as a teenager. >> when i came to the movies, it was hush-hush sweet charlotte with betty davis. there was one scene where her hand gets chopped off. it was so scary to me i slept with my hands tucked under the covers. >> everybody seems to have a story about this theater, whether it's the first kiss, first date, those memories hold a special place. >> jenny craig knows the history of the place as well as anyone. she meets me in the lobby. ? welcome to berwick. >> i haven't seen a movie for $4 foreve forever. >> it's certainly unique for our town. >> wow. >> in a community, you need a place that creates culture and

creates interaction with your community members, and this is what it is. this is our downtown mainstay. >> just walking inside is a blast from the past. this concession stand hearkens back to the days before large multi plexes and so do the prices. >> it was built in 1868. it has the original vaudeville stage. >> in the 1920s, it joined the silent movie era. and in the '30s, it survived a fire and reopened as the strand. the family has been here almost as long as the movie theater. like many who arrived in the town for factory jobs they were immigrants from italy. mrs. deaugustine was born in berwick in 1924. >> his mother was a professional woman, she had a hairdressing salon. across the street was a tailor.

and the tailor taught him his trade. >> after pearl harbor, the 18 year old vincent enlists in the marines. his skills attract attention of the top brass. he tailors for officers. he is on leave back in berwick and runs into a former classmate, lucille, he takes her on a date, where else, but the strand. >> when they drove home, it was a little cold out, and the windows were a little foggy, and he wrote in the steam, i'm going to marry you. . >> in 1947, vincent's prediction comes true. they go on to have four children. during the 1950s is a good time to raise a family in berwick. you could say it's a wonderful life. >> the old cliche that you never had to lock your doors was true. and we used to ride our bikes from morning until it was time

to go to bed. >> like many industrial towns of the era, berwick is booming. american car and foundry alone employs 9,000 people building railroad cars. vincent, a classic go-getter sets up his own tailor shop. >> he was a perfectionist and was very successful, because he just was determined to be successful. >> from tailoring men's suiting to selling them, vincent's reputation spreads beyond his corner store. >> he had people from all over to buy the suits from him because no one else could fit suits like my father could. >> through the '60s and early '70s, vincent is in his element. he's confident in the future and borrows money to expand. in fact, he borrows more than he should. >> he started to put women's clothing in. then when another store came available, he bought that one as well and opened up and made a bigger women's shop. >> vincent becomes so used to

things booming that he's slow to react when fablgtries like american car shut down. and big malls open up luring shoppers away from small towns. >> he was doing other things to keep the business successful, selling slot machines, jukeboxes, antique guns, anything he could. he was just trying to keep afloat. >> in 1974, vincent learns that the owner of the former strand, now called the berwick movie theater has fallen on hard times and wants to sell. at the age of 50, vincent buys it for $30,000. always a consummate host, he rules the roost with the teenage moviegoers. >> i remember when people got a little rowdy, vince would come around and tell us all to be quiet, but you always knew that he was there watching you and caring for you. and as a kid, you respected

that. >> he had a passion for this movie theater. he loved seeing the people come. he greeted everyone. there were some people that couldn't afford the tickets, and he would like, shuffle them in. >> more than 20 years passed, full of films like star wars and titanic, until is t1997, the mar up and leaves and opens a multi-plex theater, a double cross, but vincent decides at the age of 73, what the heck, he'll run it himself. >> my father would be popping popcorn for the evening, and when the reel broke he was up there splicing the film back together of the and after the movie was over, he was with a broom, sweeping up droppings of popcorn. >> by 2007, vincent is 83 years old, and his businesses, including the berwick haven't made money in years. he has $400,000 in debt and could lose everything. he has nowhere else to turn. when he appeals to his daughter angela, now 55 and an account

manager for a fragrance company, to bail him out. >> so we were in a dilemma. he wasn't making a go of it. >> is it lights out at the berwick theater? that's next. but first our strange inheritance quiz question. where was the very first modern movie theater opened? los angeles? new york? pittsburgh? or west orange, new jersey? the answer in a moment. is. feel like this. look like this. feel like this. with dreamwalk insoles, turn shoes that can be a pain into comfortable ones. their soft cushioning support means you can look like this. and feel like this. dreamwalk. i am one of the one's who discovered always discreet underwear for sensitive bladders.

it makes me feel secure, confident. i feel protected. i mean i feel comfortable to move in them, they move with me. i love always discreet underwear because of the fit. the fabric is very soft. i can wear whatever i want to wear. always discreet has made me a very happy woman. join over 500,000 women who've discovered always discreet underwear. for more stories and your free sample go to always discreet.com. so bladder leaks can feel like no big deal. have a sunset mode. and an early morning mode. and a partly sunny mode. and an outside... to clear inside mode. transitions® signature adaptive lenses ...are more responsive than ever. so why settle for a lens with just one mode? experience life well lit®. upgrade your lenses to transitions® signature. get up to ninety dollars back when you combine crizal, varilux and transitions... and buy a second pair with xperio uv polarized sun lenses. visit transitions.com to learn more.

♪ ♪ at chase, we celebrate small businesses every day through programs like mission main street grants. last years' grant recipients are achieving amazing things. carving a name for myself and creating local jobs. creating more programs for these little bookworms. bringing a taste of louisiana to the world. at chase, we're proud to support our grant recipients, and small businesses like yours. so you can take the next big step.

so where was the very first modern movie theater opened? it was in pittsburgh. the nickelodeon opened there on june 19, 1905. in 2007, it looks as if all the work 83-year-old vincent has invested over a 60-year career is about to be lost to crushing debt. then his daughter angela intervenes. she buys dad's buildings but leaves him full ownership of his businesses, including the berwick theater. >> i pitched in to help financially, because he absolutely would not hear of closing any of his businesses. >> knowing he has a reprieve, vincent starts showing grand daughter renee how to run the berwick alongside him. renee already has a good association with the family heir

loom starting as a youngster. >> i remember being allowed to pour the soda. i was so excited, because that was my first real job. >> did you ever come here on a date? >> i did when i was younger. my first date was here. his name was ryan courtingly. i had a huge crush on him. >> vincent continues to infuse his enthusiasm into running four businesses, even at the age of 89. then in january of 2013, he suffers a devastating stroke. >> he thought he was going to run the theater forever. he wouldn't just say renee, can you run things, he would say how am i going to keep this place open. his dying words were angela, don't let the theater go. >> on july 8, 2013, vincent slips away. but the question remains, who's going to honor vincent's dying wish? all eyes look to renee. >> i'm 23, just out of college.

and right before i graduated, i remember saying i just wanted to do something meaningful. >> only days after her grandfather's death, she decides to take on the challenge of running the berwick. >> did he know you would step up? >> i didn't get to tell him. i'm sorry. >> at vincent's wake, the community flocks to pay its respecting. >> a boy came by and said your father helped me, and i wouldn't be alive if not for your father. another younger boy, my father used to give him the history of the war, and he loved my father so much that he wanted to be sure to come to the viewing. >> soon renee surveys the task before her. the theater hasn't been updated since 1969. moviegoers bring pillows because the seats are uncomfortable.

the curtains are at that timeta. >> we need an additional projector. we need a $70,000-plus upgrade. >> today only a fraction of theaters have cell lloyd film projectors, and i can't resist an opportunity to look at a relic of the 20th century. >> i'm the film girl. >> love it. this is tonight's feature? >> yes, this is our full-length feature, about an hour and a half. >> how does this contraption work? >> this is the brain. and it comes through here. straight up. and over to that side. >> the new film, but are movie companies making film this way? >> they are not. that is why we have to go digital, because our choices are getting slimmer and slimmer. >> motor.

up. >> we have a movie. >> instead of these huge reels, movies are now shown electronically and stored on a hard-capacity hard drive. but at $4 a pop at the berwick, $70,000 required for a new system seems like mission impossible. renee tries one fund-raising event after another. ? we've had poster sales to raise money, other small things. some things have been very successful. some things haven't. we've been an indy go go fund rais raiser, but it takes a lot of efforts. >> she drums up money and spends it on repairs. >> anything that could go wrong went wrong. our furnace broke. so that was an immediate $500 right off the bat. >> then in october 2013, the berwick theater has a real disaster. this one's a doozy. >> what was happening? people falling out of the theater? >> some people were passing out.

it was really scary. ? that's next. here's another quiz question for you. what was the first publicly distributed digital film? was it toy story? star wars? or x men? the answer in a moment. bring us your aching and sleep deprived. bring us those who want to feel well rested. aleve pm. the only one to combine a safe sleep aid... plus the 12 hour pain relieving strength of aleve. be a morning person again with aleve pm.

right now, verizon is offering unlimited talk. and text. plus 10 gigs of shareable data. yeah, 10 gigantic gigs. for $80 a month. and $15 per line. more data than ever. for more of what you want. on the network that's #1 in speed. call. data. and reliability. so you never have to settle. $80 a month. for 10 gigs. and $15 per line. stop by or visit us online. and save without settling. only on verizon. yourfull of advice.lways usually bad. so when ron said you'd never afford a john deere tractor, you knew better. the e series. legendary quality. unexpected low price.

so what was the first publicly distributed digital film? the answer is b, star wars, the phantom menace, in 1999. renee deaugustine baugher takes over running the movie theater that her grandfather vincent had owned for more than 40 years in berwick, pennsylvania. she's trying to do him proud, but that's not easy.

first there are a series of small repairs, including a jalopy of a furnace. then during the 7:00 showing of "despicable me ii". >> i got a phone call from one of the girls that people were acting weird. there was a carbon monoxide issue. >> it turns out the berwick did not have carbon monoxide detectors. and the cause of the accident -- pigeons had gotten caught in a furnace pipe. >> my husband came down before i did. he had already done a quick sweep of the premises, and he about passed out. so i was like, oh, my gosh. what is happening. i was terrified. >> what was happening? people falling out of the theater? >> some people had carbon monoxide poisoning, and they were passing out.

i immediately got on facebook and urged everyone that was there that night to go to the hospital. it was really scary. >> did anyone sue? >> we did have to pay some medical bills. some people were upset with me. rightfully so. if i had a kid and they got carbon monoxide poisoning, i would be upset too. >> it was a huge relief when none of the people are seriously injured. the flue is cleaned out, and the furnace pipes replaced. but it's a lesson for renee in crisis management. >> did you lose business? >> i don't think so. we put in our detectors everywhere, and i showed everybody what we did. it actually kind of raised awareness in the community. my grandfather had to have been with us for that, because it sounds so terrible, and it was, but it just somehow turned out okay. >> after being continually sidetracked, renee finally sets her sights on the berwick going digital, the only way to keep the movies plague in downtown

berwick and honor her grandfather's dying wish. she looks at getting a small business loan, but the numbers don't add up. without that cash injection, the berwick theater could be just another small town, small business casualty. >> do you ever think to yourself, i wish my grandfather would have just left me the how long? ? i wish that so many times more than you know. >> what if you don't make it? >> failure isn't in my vocabulary, and it's just not an option. >> find out if that's true, next, on strange inheritance. , we got a subaru. it's where she said her first word. (little girl) no! saw her first day of school. (little girl) bye bye! made a best friend forever. the back seat of my subaru is where she grew up. what? (announcer) the 2015 subaru forester (girl) what? (announcer) built to be there for your family. love. it's what makes a subaru,

a subaru. when you do business everywhere, the challenges of keeping everyone working together can quickly become the only thing you think about. that's where at&t can help. with the tools and the network you need, to make working as one easier than ever. virtually anywhere. leaving you free to focus on what matters most. on car insurance. everybody knows that. well, did you know that game show hosts should only host game shows? samantha, do you take kevin as your lawfully wedded husband... or would you rather have a new caaaaaar!!!! say hello to the season's hottest convertible... ohhh....and say goodbye to samantha. [ male announcer ] geico. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more.

they don't worry if something's possible. [ male announcer ] geico. they just do it. at sears optical, we're committed to bringing them eyewear that works as hard as they do. right now, save up to $200 on eyeglasses. quality eyewear for doers. sears optical my hair hurts.. this is what it can be like to have shingles. a painful, blistering, rash. if you had chickenpox, the shingles virus is already inside you. 1 in 3 people will get shingles in their lifetime. well i had to go to the eye doctor last week and i have to go back today. the doctor's worried its so close to her eye. talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your risk.

that just tastes better. fresher. more flavorful. delicious. only one egg with better nutrition... like more vitamins d, e, and omega 3s. and 25% less saturated fat. only one egg good enough for my family. because why have ordinary when you can have the best. eggland's best. the only egg that gives you so much more: better taste. better nutrition. better eggs. now back to strange inheritance. less than a year after inheriting a movie theater from her grandfather in berwick, pennsylvania and promising him to keep it open, 23-year-old renee deaugustine baugher is at her wit's end the projection equipment needs upgrading to digital which

would cost $70,000. and the furnace breaks and visitors are given a dose of carbon monoxide. it looks like a horror show. luckily, there is a fairy godmother waiting in the wings. remember jenny craig? she's still in town and works at berwick's united way. she suggests the berwick go non-profit. that would allow renee to seek contributions to help fund it. >> it became clear that local businesses couldn't help them unless they became a non-profit. >> she introduces her to local business leaders equally interested in revitalizing the town. even that could take two years, and the theater's could haffers running low. united way comes up with a

stopgap. >> they allow them to accept donations under our umbrella. >> it opens the door to so many more opportunities for us. we don't have a hub for the arts, something for kids to do, something for families to do. we want to cover all the bases. the digital is first thick on our list. >> with great joy and fanfare, on july 19, 2014, renee and her family celebrate the berwick's new non-profit status and its long time owner vincent deaugustine. >> we kind of designed the stage. we remember him and dedicate this place to him shlt but also we let everyone know that the berwick theater is about to undergo some major changes. and that it's a new chapter. >> it's also a great night for me to try my hand as an entrepreneur. >> thank you very much. enjoy the show. tonight would have been vincent's 90th birthday.

ooh, maybe i'll even get my name on the marquis. >> that will be $4, please. thank you very much. what a great crowd. what's your favorite candy? >> sour patch kids. >> i have sour patch kids. and today, it's on me. may take a little longer than usual, folks, my first day on the job. i have never worked at the movie theater of about. i realize it's no cinch to run your own movie theater. you are relaxed. you're not even helping out here. here are these. enjoy it. pretty soon,'s all lights, camera and action. >> we're having a dedication. >> inside, renee holds her own as she introduces the berwick's new board of directors. >> i'd like to introduce myself not only as the grand daughter of vincent deaugustine but the executive director of the berwick theater. >> what's your approach to bringing the theater back to life?

>> now i have my dream team, which is the board. we want that downtown feeling back. >> the theater will soon close for the next year when it will be renovated and then reopen. but d worry, they'll still be playing the standard hollywood fare, including transformers 19, whenever that comes out. where there's a will, there's a way. >> i think my father's probably smiling from ear to here, aear, think he as happy and proud of us. >> i'm pretty sure with the town's support and renee's sheer determination, the berwick theater is going to be just fine. in fact, becoming a non-profrt might be just the ticket. and i did finally get my name in lights, but i'm still stuck working the ticket counter. i'm jamie colby, and i hope you enjoyed this red carpet edition of strange inheritance.

>> and rerks ymember, you can't it with you. do you have a strange inheritance story you'd love to share with us? send me an e-mail or go to our website, strange inheritance.com. >> deep in the l florida. >> we have a couple,000 deep in the swamps of central florida. >> we have a couple,0 alligator. >> lurks a strange inheritance. >> my whole idea was that i could build something i could pass down to my family. >> always in the back of your mind? >> always in the back of my mind. >> but passing down an int interprice -- enterprise like this is risky business, in more ways than one. >> what happened to your finger? >> crocodile