Indy Film Fest: Admit One: The Story of the Goshen Theater
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In an age where multiplexes are the entertainment destination for most people, it's hard to imagine grand theaters with balconies and ornate staircases being the hot spot for patrons longing for fun evening out. Most of those palaces has been lost to the march of time, but “Admit One: The Story of the Goshen Theater” reminds us that some of those historic theaters still dot the American landscape and are as viable today as they were back in their heyday.
“Admit One” tells the tale of one of those grand theaters located in the Hoosier State. The Jefferson theater was built in 1905 and stood three stories and took up a half a city block, before it was taken down by fire a year later only for the community to rally together and have it fully functional a year later. For the first 40 years the theater served as a stop for top acts traveling to Chicago and brought name talent to the small town of Goshen in northern Indiana.
When the demand for vaudeville and other travels acts started to wane, the theater switched gears and became a famed movie palace in 1948 and transformed from the Jefferson to the Goshen theater out of necessity as the new marquee couldn't accommodate its former namesake. From there the theater enjoyed success throughout the follow decades before audience attendance started to dry up in the 1980s, forcing the theater to the brink of closure.
The film highlights the fact that the Goshen Theater remains the last puzzle piece in the city of Goshen's quest to revitalize it's downtown area with community members and city leaders committed to raising the theater back to its former glory.
What I found most enjoyable about his short documentary were the stories of former moviegoers and workers who fondly remember the theater in all its glory. Bob and Peggy Hughes worked at the theaters in their youth and recalled out it was a safe haven for kids and a place where people didn't just pass the time, but made memories.
Bob is especially nostalgic when asked his feelings on the Goshen Theater and it's meaning to him. “I've been up in the attic, out back, in the auditorium and way down in the subbasement. I've been everywhere. It's just a terrific place. I love this place.”
His sentiments are echoed in the film by another member of the Goshen community named Gary Newman. “The Goshen Theater has kind of a soft spot in my heart. Had a lot of good times in here.”
I honestly could have watched a feature length documentary on the theater from the perspective of those who grew up with it and it's impact in their lives. I found those moments to be the most enjoyable moments of the movie.
The film highlights the thought that instead of communities choosing to tear down these giants from the past, they can instead embrace them and bring them back to life for future generations.