Comments from MaddieL

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MaddieL
MaddieL commented about Hart Theatre on Mar 26, 2016 at 7:42 am

My mom just told me that her mother, Lenora, worked at the Hart first as an usher and later behind the concessions counter in its early days. My mom remembers going there and also to the Paramount as a child. She has a vivid memory of one moment at the Paramount during a showing of ‘Frankenstein’. She was seated in the back row of the theatre, completely engrossed in the movie. When, out of nowhere, an actor dressed like Frankenstein reached through the curtain behind her and grabbed her by the shoulders. She said it scared her half to death and the scream it elicited was blood curdling!

The Hart also played a role in a slice of our family folklore that involves my dad, Elliott, and an old Air Force buddy reuniting in the middle of a comedy showing at the Hart one Sunday evening. My father’s laugh was rather unique and during a particularly funny part of the movie this guy stands up and shouts out ‘Hey Frenchy! That must be Frenchy, no one else in the world can laugh like that! From what I understand, that stopped the show and got the whole audience laughing and clapping as these two friends reunited. The last time they had seen each other was in Okinawa, Japan during the Korean War. Thanks to the Hart and my father’s wonderful laugh two friends got the chance to reunite after almost 14 years.

Like the Hart Theatre, my grandmother and my father are long gone, but I love the connection they all share.