When you are part of a family that owns and operates the two most prestigious movie Theatres in Owen Sound Ontario, perennial flower of the Bruce Peninsula and veritable tooth pick capital of the world, it might sound like heresy to suggest that any of us might attend those operated by the competition.

You see The Classic and the Savoy were run by our family, affiliated and franchised through The Famous Players Film studio conglomerate.  While the competition, ...The Centre and the Roxy were part of the Odeon Group.  We'd never be caught dead in the wrong cinema performance building...that is unless they were screening something we could not book at our own theatres.

You guessed it, although James Bond 007 came through Papoo's theatres, the fact of the matter was that his organization could not screen that futuristic block buster, guaranteed to perplex ...

Yep!  The Planet of the Apes.

My Uncle Jim and I loved the movies.  He would often take the time from his busy schedule, at that period in his life, driving the highways of Southern Ontario flogging The Seagram Corporation's finest like some Southern Gentleman marketing "hooch" or "moonshine" to call his nephew Chris Cross (that's me) and convince my mom, Helen, (yah, she's still alive at 97) ...that even though it was a "school night" he would take me to the show.  Odd right?

A chance to be with my hero was a gift to be sure.  

I'd jump on my meticulously cared for red and white CCM bicycle and race to 10th Street and Second Avenue. The agreement was that the first one there would buy the popcorn.  At the same moment, Uncle Jim would be driving to the show in one of the latest of his "flashy" convertibles, usually fire engine red in colour, circling the block in order to find a parking spot far enough away from "the other guy: so as to not endanger his "more than perfect paint job".  

Oh yes.  You could ride in his car, but you sure as heck would take your life in your hands if you touched the dashboard!  No smudges allowed!  I always took my bike... 

How I loved the man, my cool Uncle Jim.  The word cool, co-opted by so many others of the time, still remains an adjective that we all use to describe something noteworthy.  Kids today still use this word. Little do they know that if they would use Webster's Dictionary instead of Google and look up the derivation of "cool", they would see a picture of none other than Jimmie Georgas.

Well, we howled at the script. Ooooh.  We marvelled at the sets.  Ahhh. Super futuristic.  Raved about the costuming.  Neat.  And even had a comment or two about the musical soundtrack that blasted throughout the entire spectacle.  Now they were films worth watching.  The popcorn was smothered in hot butter, salted to perfection and the Root Beer sweet and chilled and just the way we liked it.  We'd sit in the same row all the time.  Leave a seat between the two of us in order to have an equally accessible table for the popcorn feast and leave this planet for theirs...for the next two and half hours. God I miss him.

Last summer when I had a chance to drop in on my Uncle Jim, the conversation inevitably would get around to discussing the films we saw together.  He would puff up his upper lip, bring a stone aged frown to his brow and cross his eyes ...personifying as he did, the very soul of those etherial Apes.

"Hey Barbara!?" he would shout across the room to his lovely, lively and drop dead gorgeous Aunt of mine, wife of his...

"Barbara." he would call out again.

Patiently the reply would come.  "Yes Jimmie."

"Barbara what was the name of the actor who played in The Planet of the Apes? You know the guy.  Aw come on Barbara!?!!!"

She thought for a moment and came up with a wink and a smile as though she had done it all before. ..."Roddy McDowell" was the answer. (Barbara knew it all...all the time. Lovingly so...)

"Yep.  That's it." he answered.  " I was just checking to see if you could remember."

God I loved my Uncle Jimmie.  I'm certain you did too.

Nephew Vancouver Chris Cross