The curtain drops

Generations of memories play on, but tonight will be Dedham cinema's final act

Richard Juskewicz in a projection booth in the 1960s (above left) at the VFW Drive-in in West Roxbury and (right) at Dedham Showcase a few weeks ago. (National Amusements (left); Matthew J. Lee / Globe Staff)

Tonight Richard Juskewicz will climb the stairs to the projection booth at Dedham's Showcase Cinemas for the last time. The films on tap are the Martin Scorsese documentary on the Rolling Stones, "Shine a Light," and, fittingly, "The Last Picture Show."

It will indeed be the last picture show. Tomorrow, Showcase Cinemas Dedham closes for good. National Amusements Inc. plans to demolish its aging 12-screen theater to make way for a shopping plaza called Legacy Place, and a new 15-screen movie theater, "Showcase Cinema de Lux," to open in late 2009.

The old Showcase Cinemas Dedham may not have historically significant architecture, but the squat white building on Route 1 holds plenty of memories. Over almost four decades, it has served as a gathering spot for moviegoers of all ages. No one knows how many romances got their start there, or how many marriages were proposed. But there's little doubt that the theater - which served one million people a year at its peak - figures prominently in area family memories.

"There's so many stories in that place," says Janet Moore, who, as a sophomore in 1979, got a job selling popcorn there and eventually became a manager.

Since the cinema opened in 1973, it has been more than just a place to see movies. During the blizzard of '78, it opened its doors to 450 motorists stranded on Route 128, and ended up serving as an emergency shelter.

It made national headlines in 1990, when it refused to show "Henry & June," the first movie rated NC-17. In doing so, the cinema won points with selectmen intent on protecting the town's morals.

"If it is X-rated or worse, it is not coming into this town," said Selectwoman Marie-Louise Kehoe in an interview with the Globe. "We want pure, clean entertainment, not filth." That was 18 years ago.

The cinema began with its own small controversy, recalls Dedham resident Peter Carroll, "because a small ice cream and food place named Frosty's was leveled in order to make room for the movie theater." But the three-screen cinema, he said in an e-mail, was a welcome development. "It was such a boon for kids to go to the movies when there were three movies to pick from. That was unheard of in those days . . . three movies under one roof!"

As the cinema grew and more screens were added, the sign out front changed "from Showcase 1-2-3 to Showcase 1-2-3-4, Showcase 1-2-3-4-5," he recalled. "The owners finally changed the name of the operation to simply Showcase Cinemas," so no more updating was required.

"Now the Showcase shutters its doors in order to be leveled, setting the table for Legacy Place construction," said Carroll. And once again, a "bigger and better" draw will be constructed on the desirable Route 1 site.

But Showcase Cinema memories will remain part of local family lore. To this day, Terri Hansen of Beverly remembers her 3-year-old son's first visit to the Showcase Cinemas, in 1980, to see "Superman II."

"In the theater, he went wild: talking, crying, running, hollering, climbing over the seats. . . . All my warnings were to no avail, and finally, I had to drag him - kicking and screaming as only a 3-year-old in full tantrum mode can be - physically drag him out of the theater," she said in an e-mail. " 'That's it,' I stated, 'No more movies for you!' "

Hansen said her son, who is now 30 years old, makes his living as a film director and TV producer.

The Showcase Cinemas was also known as a popular after-school destination for teens. Marianne Tierney remembers spending "an incredible amount of time" at the theater, which was only a mile from her alma mater, Ursuline Academy. On Friday afternoons, she and her friends would walk to the cinema straight from school.

"For really good girls who were pretty low-thrill seekers in high school, it was perfect," she said in an e-mail. "The boys we knew who went to Xaverian or Catholic Memorial or St. Sebastian's all knew how to get there, too."

Sumner Redstone, who owns National Amusements Inc., would call the Dedham theater every night to get the sales figures for all the theaters, recalls Moore, the former manager.

"Sumner Redstone himself was a frequent visitor," she said in an e-mail.

Juskewicz, the 71-year-old projectionist from Stoughton, has watched all the changes. He worked at the Dedham Drive-In Theatre, once located at the corner of Elm Street and Route 1 (where the Showcase Cinema parking lot is today). He ran the projectors at the Showcase when it first opened as a triplex in 1973. That was back when tickets cost less than $2. And he was invited back this week to roll the film for the theater's final stretch.

On Thursday of last week, Juskewicz ran the projection booth for the final afternoon of the theater's Silver Screen Classics program, which the Dedham cinemaplex hosts on the first Thursday of each month.

"My favorite part about working here is showing those classic movies, for the old people," he said. "I like looking down and seeing people happy.

"This is the last one," he said, as he carefully fed a strip of 35mm film from a large circular spool, and threaded it through the film projection system. It was "Breakfast at Tiffany's."

"We're going to miss this place."

The final screenings at the Showcase Cinemas Dedham will start at 9:30 tonight; tickets will be at the 1970s price of $2.50. The monthly Silver Screen Classics program will be moved to the Showcase Cinemas in Randolph. A ceremonial groundbreaking for the new Showcase Cinema de Lux is set for today.

Emily Sweeney can be reached at esweeney@globe.com.