Brent J. Donaway's the Grand Old Lady

An old movie palace sits abandoned in southern New Jersey, waiting to die. Brent J. Donaway, a recent film-school graduate, grew up in its shadow, a few blocks away, too young to have set foot inside. Curiosity and the knowledge that his generation will never experience a special way of theatre-going inspired his quest to document this Grand Old Lady, the Westmont Theatre in Haddon Township, New Jersey, from vaudeville to today. What might have been a simple biography of a local theatre turns into a remarkable journey: a microcosm of many local movie palaces, from the glory days through take-overs by large movie chains, failed competition with multiplexing, grassroots efforts to re-use the building for local live theatre and ultimate abandonment. The Westmont is different because it is still standing in its original form. It has not been altered or converted into an unrecognizable monstrosity. It is a rare boarded-up time capsule. Donaways tour guidea movie house historian, who grew up in a theater family working at the Westmontwalks us through the theatres past, documenting how the theatre worked and giving insights into what caused it to change. Donaway encounters others with fascinating tales of why the Westmont was no ordinary local theatre: from the story of how a young Steven Spielberg was inspired to become a filmmaker here; to how Michael Landons film work really began here; to the hysteria that reigned when The Exorcist had its World Premiere; to the balcony preview of Kramer v. Kramer that resulted in changing the films ending. This is a true documentary with no posed backdrops or rehearsed lines. Donaway and his crew track down former patrons, a box-office girl and ushers. Speaking from experience, they tell real theatre stories: funny, shocking, and sad; all nostalgic and interesting. In 48 minutes, Donaway captures a slice of the film industry rarely examined, recording a Grand Old Ladys life for the first time, as she fades away.