In A.D. 1928, she was beautiful. Elegant sconces on the walls of the lobby, a grand art deco proscenium framing a giant silver screen.

And she came at the right time. Lonely People from all over came to her, seeking shelter from the Depression. I was just a kid with Too Much Time On My Hands when I first entered Paradise. I got a job there, first as an usher, then selling Half-Penny, Two Penny snacks at concessions, and later as a projectionist and manager of the Paradise.

It certainly was The Best of Times. No matter what was going on in the outside world, inside we were Rocking the Paradise. And we would forever.

Of course, Nothing Ever Goes As Planned. By the 50’s, TV had taken over and people stopped coming to the Paradise. I felt Snowblind as nothing I tried could make them return. It broke my heart when I closed her for good in A.D. 1958. I felt her weeping as I walked away for the last time. I know. She Cares.

Somewhere, someone was playing “State Street Sadie...”