You wanna know about da movies kid? I’ll tell you about the movies. We started back here in uh ’53 and— well I’ll take you back a little farther - cause when I was a kid, my father (God rest his soul) used to take me to see a movie. He used to take me every Saturday (which is my favourite day of the week), every Saturday bless him to see a new picture. And my gosh was it ever the most beeeautiful movie theatre you ever did see, it had carpets and chandeliers and you could smell the popcorn, fresh popcorn on the way in… And the movies, oh God, well they were beautif- amazing really – just astounding! Oh but they had action and dancing and cars and the goils! The ladies! Just gorgeous and oh my, yes. He used to take me on a Saturday and we would buy our tickets from the pretty goil at the stand.
And I think, I think my first true memory was of watching Gail Clarke singing “You Don’t Feel Anything Like My Baby” – oh but she was beautiful…
But yes, I digress I know, I know. But yes we set up shop here in ’53 and back then people didn’t really know what to expect from the movies. People told me I was crazy, and yes maybe I was a little nuts, but by God did I try. I had a primitive movie projector I’d found in a dumpster back in the States and I brought it with me when we relocated, and then we bought up all the chairs from Mr Ikea across the street and for a long while it did just fine.
And then we had the grand opening, which we held on a Saturday, naturally. And I remember on the day my wife- well I say my wife I guess she’s more my ex-wife (she’s dead now), she turned to me-but oh she was a beautiful woman – beautiful - but anyway anyway she is dead. No, no don’t worry I have a new wife now, but yeh, she turned to me and she said to me “Louis… Louis, Louis, Louis, Louis… Louis. Louis? Louis? Louis! Louis!!” And I said “What?” And she said to me “Louis, this is it Louis, we’re going to make it big. This is going to be the big one!” She was a wonderful woman, my wife… but she is dead now God bless her.
Of course we hit hard times, especially in the 70s during the great celluloid scare when people were getting polio from the film reels. We went through nine projectionists in a year until I decided to do it myself. Luckily I pulled through but sadly my wife, well that’s another story, we should never have experimented with the soft drink combinations at the popcorn stand, but back then who was to know? I mean, dah!
Of course these days it’s all over the news now y’know… “Don’t mix your drinks yadda yadda yadda” but as if nine projectionists wasn’t enough I had to deal with angry parents, court appeals – I even did a little time in jail – but how was I to know? How? I am shocked that they don’t even have a warning on the label.
So now it’s just you and me, kid – you, me and the theatre. So get mopping.
― Mr Vermicelli, Tuesday, 26 July 2005 14:45 (twenty years ago)
Heya kiddo, how's that floor polishing up? Ah, you're a good kid. A good kid. You remind me of myself when i was your age. Of course, i was married back then to my first wife (god rest her soul she is dead, she is dead). Just starting out in the movie-theatre business, still wet behind the ears. Fortunately for you, you have something that i did not have: namely someone who knows the ropes and who will take you under their wing. I did not have that, that is something that i did not have.
Now, let's suppose a guy like you were to come up to me and say: "Louis, if you could give me just one ... Louis? Louis! ... just one piece of advice to a ... Louis!! ... young rookie starting out in ... LOUIS DAMN IT LISTEN TO ME!! ... the movie theatre business ... OH FORGET IT!" Then i would say: "Wait, come back. I'm sorry kid i guess i just ain't all that good at listening. Ever since my wife died - i mean times change, i moved on, but oh my she was a beautiful woman. Beautiful. But anyway, since she died, I just can't seem ta focus no more." To which you may reply, and quite rightly so, you may say to me: "But Louis, that doesn't answer my ... LOUIS! ... my question!". And, you know what, kid, you know what? At that point you would have my complete and utter attention and ... um ...
You're doing a great job of that floor there, kid.
― Mr Vermicelli, Tuesday, 26 July 2005 16:04 (twenty years ago)