Page 13 - Wayne Dispatch Pages

State Wayne, Continued from page 4 dentist for a long period of time, and
you need to get your teeth cleaned,”
by the 1975 20th Century Fox musi- explains Jacobson. “We’ll replace all
cal comedy horror film, The Rocky of the electronics inside with new
Horror Picture Show and is pre- LEDs.”
sented by The Michigan Rocky Hor- If any marquee deserves such ten-
ror Preservation Society on the der loving care, it’s this one.
second and fourth Saturday of every A little-known fact: If one were to
month. unroll the half-circle-shaped mar-
But, wait, it gets better. quee and put a tape measure to it, he
Says Jacobson, “The State Wayne or she would find that the marquee
actually exceeded its October busi- is the largest in Michigan.
ness [this year] from [October] 2019. But as far as the theater’s an-
We can’t really look at October 2020 niversary celebration goes, that’s just
because we were closed, but if you the beginning.
compare October 2019 to October From December 3 through De-
2021, we had more attendance, cember 9, tickets to the famed holi-
more customers, higher box office day classic, The Polar Express, will
revenues, and higher concession rev- be just $1 for all patrons during all
enues [in 2021]. So, that is a wonder- viewings.
ful turn of events.” And, currently, Jacobson says
And that brings us to the the- that a party—much like the one held
ater’s seventy-fifth anniversary. in honor of the theater’s seventieth
Perhaps the biggest celebratory anniversary—is in the works for
act isn’t taking place inside, it’ll, in spring 2022. Says Jacobson, “We’re
fact, be outside: just last month, Ja- going to try to re-enact that party. We
cobson signed an agreement with the brought some of the employees from
State Wayne’s sign company to every decade the theater was open,
change all the (yellow and quite and I want to do that again.”
aged) faces on the front of the mar- And that’s arguably the best an-
quee. niversary gift any movie-goer could
“It’s like if you haven’t gone to the possibly receive.

The Wayne Dispatch · December 2021 · 13