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Business & Tech

Ghost of Movies Past

Being the true story of how PJ Twins remade itself into PJ Cinemas, a multiplex containing seven screens, with the help of a mysterious, cigar chomping, wheelchair bound stranger.

PJ once read that the answer to many a great scientific question popped into the mind of a scientist at a moment while he or she was not actively working on the solution. For example, Einstein, it is told, conceived the theory of relativity while riding in an elevator in the patent office where he worked as a young man. He felt the pressure in his knees while descending, and, well... the rest is relativity.

And though by no means an Einstein, PJ likewise, came up with a life-changing idea while in the throes of despair regarding a big problem.

It was the early 90‘s. PJ was depressed. Big time. The PJ Twins, it appeared, was going to have to close its doors. December 31, 1992, was the expiration date of the theater’s lease and would thus be its last day of operation. The shopping center, you see, had been sold to Joe and Gary, two hands-on, no-nonsense, rough contractor type investors. They had told PJ that there was no room to expand the theater, and two screens could never support the revenue necessary to remain afloat. “Start packing,” they had told him. His rent, you see, was going to increase ten fold.  Yes, ten fold.

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PJ would miss the Twins. Sure, he loved teaching. He wouldn’t be without a job, but the movie theater had become an important part of his life. On many nights, he was a one-man-show: cashier, candy guy, projectionist, and, yes, the cleaner. Movies ran through his bloodstream. He loved the place. But, there was no way out.

That was until one weekday winter night...

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It was about 11:30 p.m. PJ was exhausted. He had taught all day, shown movies all night, and was now waiting for the last movie to end when the only three viewers would say good night.

He was behind the candy counter in his usual perch nodding on and off, when the apparition slowly rolled up. There he was: about age 55 and in a wheel chair. He was bald on top with dark brown hair around the sides, and in his mouth a three inch long cigar that had burnt out. He had once been robust. Actually he still was, but he was wheel chair bound. He was the kind of guy who didn’t feel sorry for himself, though. He had confidence, was perfectly comfortable in his own skin, and seemed to be experienced enough to come up with any answer one might need. He was a kind soul, too. And, he appeared with clarity, real as day. He looked like some kid’s favorite uncle.

“Why the long face?” he inquired.

“I’m going to have to close the place down,” PJ explained. And he listened while PJ told  the story.

“Put on a happy face,” he said almost without hesitation. “I’ve got the answer for you. Build a second floor, put theaters upstairs, and on opening night, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers will come dancing down the big staircase you’re gonna’ put in.”

And there it was.  The solution had come via ghostly means.

Well, the next morning PJ called his lawyer.

“Hey, Sonny, I had a great idea last night...”

It wasn’t until quite a while later that he divulged the idea may not quite have been entirely his. But, who else’s could it have been?

And so, folks, the rest is history. PJ went to Joe and Gary who told him if he could get the necessary approvals and permits they would give the idea their blessing.  Why wouldn’t they? Their shopping center would be eventually granted an additional 7,000 square feet, they would get a new anchor to balance out Foodtown on the other end, and not only would they get their ten-fold rent increase, they would also even get to flip the center for a nifty profit two years later.

Well, PJ went to work. He visited the civic associations and made his pitch for responsible development: new multi-screen theater that would be an asset to the community without even the removal of a single tree. He already had the necessary parking spaces, and lo and behold, a special use permit was granted.

And on June 24, 1994, the PJ Cinemas reopened as a 7 screen facility.

Fred and Ginger never showed.

But the people did.

To this day some old timers still refer to it as the PJ Twins.

But one old timer PJ never saw again was the guy in the chair. He who had made it all possible. The “guy” with the solution.

The guy who had vanished into thin air.

Oh, and by the way, that’s exactly how it happened.

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