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The dead-rat-covered truth about movie theater nostalgia
posted by
Michael Zoldessy
on
February 28, 2011 at 8:00 am
In this great story from IFC, the writer discovers our website and discusses how it changed his perspective on how he looks back on his childhood theaters.
That’s one of the things I love about Cinema Treasures. Each theater’s page is devoted entirely to reader submissions. Most of these readers are employees of those theaters, often writing with lenses just a shade less rose-colored than mine. It’s hilarious to compare the beautiful images in my head with their unflinching accounts of reality.
Comments (6)
yes,thank goodness we have old Theatre Employees to tell these Great Stories.I love reading every one and Like Myself i bet they wished they could go back in Time to Work a Friday night on a new release.
I’m not a former theatre employee in the strict sense, but I’ve worked on theatre restorations, and I’ve helped present silent movie shows and other events in historic theatres. I’m surprised that more people involved in theatre maintenance and operation when talking about vermin seem to focus on mice and rats. Few—if any—speak of that other bane of theatres…Rats of the Air, aka Pigeons!!
I guess one should not be surprised that a Theatre site would attact a lot of former theatre employees.
A lot of people tend to remember the good stuff and forget the bad. I think that’s true in all walks of life.
Myself, I’ve never worked in a theatre except as an actor. No I didn’t play the Palace. But did some stage acting in the L.A. area until I learned I could make more money even at MacDonalds. HA!
Anyway I am a theatre junkie. And yes not all “old” houses were great. If I wanted to dwell on the bad, I could dwell on more than a few tales of really dumpy cinemas in London, Dublin, L.A. and a few other cities. But I’d rather stay positive.
Lol. thanks Kirk. I am Stagehand local 629.Glad you guys are here so I have a job!
Dead rats huh?… Rumor had that about 1970 a rat had crawled into an air duct at the KB Cinema 5100 Wisconsin Ave, Washington D.C. to die, and smell the place up. I heard the story while working at another KB house, the KB Crystal.
I also enjoy the stories from old theatre employees,being one my self.C.T. is my new addiction,sorry to say.