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CT member Dave Grau passes away
posted by
Michael Zoldessy
on
October 6, 2010 at 4:05 pm
Cinema Treasures has lost a friend. Dave “Norelco” Grau passed away recently in Nashville, Tennessee. Dave grew up in the theater business, helping out at his father’s small drive-in near Hummelstown PA, the Midway. Dave’s younger years were spent working the booths at very nearly every theater in Harrisburg, PA and South Central Pennsylvania; large and small, first-run and neighborhood, indoor and outdoor.
He later manned the booths at theaters in the Pittsburgh area. The observations of this former projectionist were informative, sometimes pithy, often amusing, and always illuminating. Dave Grau’s obituary appeared in the Harrisburg Patriot-News on Sunday, October 10th, and can be found at here and searching by last name.
Take a moment to sign the guest book. I’m sure his family would appreciate the thoughts of Dave’s many Cinema Treasures friends.
John Simmers,
York, PA
READ MORE FOR UPDATE
Message from daughter courtesy of CT Member Chuck1231:
David Allen Grau aka Mungo passed away September 6, 2010 of a heart attack in
Nashville TN. He was 64 years old. His memorial service will be held in New
Cumberland Pennsylvania at Parthemore Funeral Home on Tuesday October 12,2010.
Visitation at 5:30 pm and the service will be held at 6:30pm.
My Dad loved running movies and was very good at it. Dad started when he was 10
years old. He would go to a local drive-in and instead of watching the movie he
would hang out by the booth looking at the projectors. Finally one day the man
running the movie asked him if he would like to learn to run them. My father was
very excited and said yes and that started his great love for theatres. He would
go everyday and help run the movies.
Dave worked at many theatres over the years some in Harrisburg and Pittsburgh
PA, Washington D.C, El Paso Texas, and Nashville TN just to name a few.
I know my father loved the Cinema Treasures website. He enjoyed talking with
people who also worked in theatres and looking at the pictures on the site.
Sincerely,
Maria Grau-Lonkart
Comments (7)
My prayers and sympathy to the family. You’ll be missed. I wonder if they’ll have movie theaters in heaven…if they do, they’ll need a darn good projectionist like you, Norelco. If St Peter tries to give you a harp as you pass the pearly gates, ask for a darn good movie projector, instead. :D
RIP Dave “Norelco” Grau.
RIP CT user. He never commented on any of the theaters that I commented on.
R.I.P. Dave.
Another real showman gone.Very few left.God Bless Grau Family.
Another one passes on. Rest peacefully. Perhaps you will meet my dad or some of the other projectionists who have passed before you.
I knew Mungo in Washington DC. True and funny story… I knew Mungo at the local watering hole. I had obtained a few high end firecrackers “M160’s”.. so powerful in design they would launch 60 feet into the air and explode. I ended up giving Mungo one of these after giving him warning on how powerful they were. Backstory: He was living in the projectionist booth. 4000 Wisconsin Ave NW. I ran into him a few days later and asked him what he thought of it. Apparently he went outside one early rainy morning after the theater closed and decided to set it off. Since it was raining, he stayed under the tiled ceiling and lit the bomb. It propelled into the ceiling and exploded. I asked him about what he did next. He apparently went immediately back inside and acted puzzled when questioned about the hole in the ceiling the next day.
I’m not certain if I have it anymore, but I will check but Mungo was featured in the Washington Post in the early 90’s when the Uptown Theater finally got rid of their Cinerama screen. I believe there were 2 photos of him in the article. I also have video proof of his claimed drumming skill at the Zebra Room. Mungo left the DC area after I knew him for a few years. I don’t think he ever came back to DC. It’s a shame on his passing; I actually tried to contact him through a displayed email a few years back on this board. No response back. RIP Mungo