I fell into the job by accident, really. I had just finished school and wanted a year out, so took a part time job at the local part time cinema, where i learned how to work the machines. Then i left and went to university, but i alway's kept my hand in when i was back in town. I dropped out of uni for various reasons, the main one being boredome, and went back to work while i figured out what to do next.

Thats when i learned we had aquired an old 1 screen that used to be a theatre (as in plays) to be refurbished to a four screen, and would i be interested in taking a position as senior proj? I thought, what the hell, and here i am, 7 years on! Although a lot of the time during refurbishment (it took a year) was spent keeping the old place ticking over, i was actively involved in helping to 'build up' the four screen, and it really was the most amazing thing to be see the place changing over time. That was a great summer even though sometimes we were in at 9am and coming out at 2am at times. I thought i'd leave once i saw the project through, but i never got round to it! I've been close a few times though (either by choice or some monumental **** up!). But, hey, i get to sleep in a lot, have late nites and you couldn't ask for better management.

I was fortunate living in New York, where a lot of live TV shows were done in the early 60's, Studio One, so I was constantly auditioning for parts with my real interest in becoming a producer and/or director.

I picked up a job as the second assistant manager for a newsreel theatre in Times Square. This allowed me days off to audition and work the late shift from 8PM to 3AM. The theatre also had a nice little room where I could sleep after closing the theatre. I worked there until In 1961 my number was pick from the draft and after passing the physical I joined the Marine Corps before I was drafted in the Army.I enjoyed my time in the Marine Corps ( Not Basic training) but after that experience I unlike Paul who was in the Navy got to work at the Base Theatre at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

In 1963 they started building the New York World Fair which would run for two summers in 1964 and 1965. The company that I had worked for at the newsreel theatre signed an agreement to run two exhibits at the Worlds Fair. One In the United States Pavillion, called the American Journey and the other for Cinerama in the Travel and Transportation Building. I was asked by the company to head up these projects for them and with some pull from the US Ambassador to the World's Fair I was assigned to the United States Pavillion by the Marine Corps. This was great duty and I reported directly to the Ambassador at the American Journey and worked closely with the Cinerama Executive VP Howard Minsky on the exhibit "To The Moon and Beyond". This was a 360 degree theatre Dome Theatre. After the Worlds Fair was given of of General Manager of the theatre circuit which was in an expansion program. I gave up my thoughts of Hollywood and married my high school sweetheart and that is how I got started. Semper Fi.

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