About the Filmmaker
Producer/Director Jeffrey Mills has been a commercial filmmaker in Houston for nearly thirty years. Before the Curtain Rises marks his debut as a documentary producer for television. The story of Interstate piqued his interest almost ten years ago when a friend, Dan Sessions, recounted his first job as a movie theater usher at Houston's Majestic Theatre.

When the Majestic was slated for demolition in the 70's, Manager Ross Valone and Dan sat together and tearfully watched the wrecking ball destroy a a beautiful movie palace and icon of the golden era of motion picture exhibition.

Researching the Story
Jeffrey's research unearthed an incredible story behind the Majestic: a huge circuit of magnificent theatres run by the powerful Interstate Theatre Company, a story populated by a host of colorful showmen and women who had cut their teeth in Vaudeville. Interstate became not only the largest chain of ornate movie palaces in the southwest, but a major player in Hollywood and a force in Texas politics. Then, during a family dinner, Jeffrey learned that his father had worked summers for Interstate in El Paso. A shy and quiet man, Jeffrey's Dad suddenly had dozens of stories he wanted to tell.

The El Paso Plaza
And so, since 1996, Jeffrey has been dedicated to filming this important slice of Texas and motion picture history. Included in the film is also the story of one Interstate theater, the Plaza in El Paso. For nearly 30 El Pasoans have struggled to save it and in 2002, the El Paso Community Foundation and the city partnered to fund its restoration. In Before the Curtain Rises, audiences will experience its rebirth step by step, and the stage will be set once more to celebrate one of our most essential arts, motion pictures.