A star shines again in Geneva (11/21/07)

Once a month, James Briggs Jr. gets to be a kid again.

He sits in the front row with his sweetheart, munches on cheap refreshments and watches the black and white films of his childhood.

"I just have nice memories" at the theater, he said.

This is the same attraction that many Geneva residents have to the Star Theatre, said Scott Smith, co-owner of the movie theater.

"The older people come and sit in the same place" as they did when they were children, Smith said.

"It seems like a lot of older people enjoy" coming here, said Lynn Steen, co-owner. "It takes them back," she said.

Steen and Smith purchased the Star Theatre about four years ago. The two showed the first movie this year on May 5. Gene Stratton Porter films were shown.

Most of those who attend the movies at the theater, located at 453 E. Line St., are age 40 and older, Smith said. However, for certain showings, there is a broad mix of people.

For Halloween, for instance, people ages 7 to 80 attended the showing of the 1925 silent version of "Phantom of the Opera." Some of those who attended the event dressed in their Halloween costumes. Sixty-eight of the 96 seats were sold.

"I have been told we're the smallest in the state," Smith said.

One movie per month is shown at the theater, which first opened in 1920. Cost for a seat is about $7. Popcorn, pops and candy are sold for $1 each. Most of the films being shown at the theater were made in the '30s and '40s.

Stars such as Mickey Rooney and Gene Audrey now grace the screen at the one-room theater.

"With the small seating that we have, it's really hard to justify" showing new movies, Smith said.

Steen said new films can be rented. However, the production companies take 90 percent of ticket sales for the first showing, then 80 percent for the second showing, etc.

Smith said the theater has always had the same name.

"It's been there forever," Briggs said. A man named Walter Cross owned it at one time. The theater has had several owners and has opened and closed several times.

Briggs said he enjoys coming to the theater because it triggers certain childhood memories.

"I had my first date there," Briggs said. "She was 9 and I was 7," he said with a chuckle. "I always sat in the front row." Now, he takes his wife Sara to the shows.

Most of the time, he went to the movies with his older brother, William. His neighbor played the piano during the silent movies and he sometimes got to sit on the bench next to her.

Now age 86, Briggs said his favorite part about going to movies at the Star is the fact that he can socialize.

Smith admits that also is one of the perks of owning the theater.

"You couldn't ask for a better group" of people, Smith said. "It's a fantastic group of people that come in."

On show nights, Steen, her daughter and granddaughter man the refreshment counter, while her son-in-law runs the ticket booth. Smith greets people at the door, and Eric Grayson, Indianapolis, runs the movie projector. Steen also does all of the promotional work for the theater.

"I get a lot of satisfaction when I see people smile and ask when" the next show will be, Smith said.

"I think we've met about everyone in the community," Steen said.

Steen and Smith initially purchased the theater so they would have a larger place to live. They renovated the second floor of the theater into an apartment and lived there for about three years. A tenant currently lives on the second floor.

The work on the apartment was just the beginning.

"When we first purchased it, water came up to the second row in the theater," Smith said. At that time, the town had a problem with its sewer system. The problem turned out to be a plugged tile in a nearby alley.

"We actually fought water for two years," Steen said.

After the water problem was fixed, the two set to work.

The theater had been a church for several years, so a stage at the front of the auditorium had to be removed. Also, Smith installed an overhead movie projector that plays DVDs and VHS tapes, and put wood trim on the already-painted walls.

Families and groups can rent the theater for a day or a weekend to watch their favorite movies or hold special events.

Briggs approves of the theater's appearance.

"It's much nicer there as it's ever been," he said.

Smith said someone recently gave him the original neon sign that hung on the front of the theater. He hopes to replace all of the broken glass soon and put the sign back up.

Having the sign restored and hung isn't the only change in store for the theater.

Steen and Smith are considering showing some more-recent movies next year, and maybe have matinee shows for kids.

The next movie shown at the theater will be the 1954 version of "A Christmas Carol." It will play Dec. 15.

"We're just kind of slowly getting into it and seeing what the community wants," Steen said. "We're doing a lot of soul searching."

Smith said he encourages local residents to give him their ideas for future showings. "I'm willing to do versatile things," he said. "If people approach (me) with ideas I would pursue it."[[In-content Ad]]