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August 18,
2002
To Whom It May Concern:
I am honored to endorse Jeffrey Mills' project to produce a documentary
film on the legendary Interstate Theatre chain of Texas.
As a native Houstonian growing up in the 1950s and l960s, Interstate
Theatres were very much a part of my life. In those days, the
theatres themselves were as much a part of the show as the movie
on the screen, and I cherish the memories of the grand old Houston
Theatres and the managers who took pride in them, display a flair
of showmanship that has all but vanished, from today's movie exhibition.
A dream came true for me when I began working at Austin's historic
Paramount Theatre, once a flagship Interstate house, in 1985,
after the theatre had been restored to its former physical glory
and re-christened as a primary performing arts venue. In everything
that we do here at the Paramount - plays, concerts, and, yes,
still some film - my staff and I do our best to demonstrate love
and care for this beautiful theatre and offer the same sense of
showmanship as my predecessors would have.
With the disappearance of far too many old theatres and what they
meant to their communities - a social magnet, a cultural heartbeat
for the city - the opportunity to re-visit this lost majesty through
Mr. Mills' project is something we should support and rejoice
in.
Yours truly,
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