My first job was an usher at North Park Cinema in 1967. It was a class place… two actual theaters under one roof! We wore black tuxedo-type outfits, and actually escorted people that arrived a little late down the isles with flashlights! It was an exciting, popular, and wonderful place for a kid to work.
I saw The Graduate and Gone With the Wind (and multitude of others) so many times that I had every line memorized! I made many friends there along with my very cute girl friend that worked concessions. I remember sneaking away with her for a few minutes in the storage room behind the popcorn stand… Ah youth!
I went to Hillcrest High at the time and worked mainly nights and weekends. We made minimum wage at the Cinema, which I think was 1.25 an hour. We’d work two weeks and would bring home a whopping 35.00! For most of us, it was a good thing they paid us; otherwise we would’ve had to work there for free!
My imagination flourished at North Park Cinema and I became a life long movie lover. As I grew into adulthood, I returned many, many times and was always reminded of the magical times I had when I worked there.
The last film I saw at NPC was the newly restored version of Vertigo in 1996. I always took for granted that the theater would be there, and I was genuinely stunned and saddened when it closed two years later. A real slice of Dallas history had vanished.
Professionally, my experience at North Park had a profound impression on me… I spent many years in the film and video industry as an actor, writer, director and producer.
I’m 56 now and so many years have past, but the memories of my youth and my time at the North Park Cinema are as vivid as ever.
My first job was an usher at North Park Cinema in 1967. It was a class place… two actual theaters under one roof! We wore black tuxedo-type outfits, and actually escorted people that arrived a little late down the isles with flashlights! It was an exciting, popular, and wonderful place for a kid to work.
I saw The Graduate and Gone With the Wind (and multitude of others) so many times that I had every line memorized! I made many friends there along with my very cute girl friend that worked concessions. I remember sneaking away with her for a few minutes in the storage room behind the popcorn stand… Ah youth!
I went to Hillcrest High at the time and worked mainly nights and weekends. We made minimum wage at the Cinema, which I think was 1.25 an hour. We’d work two weeks and would bring home a whopping 35.00! For most of us, it was a good thing they paid us; otherwise we would’ve had to work there for free!
My imagination flourished at North Park Cinema and I became a life long movie lover. As I grew into adulthood, I returned many, many times and was always reminded of the magical times I had when I worked there.
The last film I saw at NPC was the newly restored version of Vertigo in 1996. I always took for granted that the theater would be there, and I was genuinely stunned and saddened when it closed two years later. A real slice of Dallas history had vanished.
Professionally, my experience at North Park had a profound impression on me… I spent many years in the film and video industry as an actor, writer, director and producer.
I’m 56 now and so many years have past, but the memories of my youth and my time at the North Park Cinema are as vivid as ever.
Jim