Mickey Pierce Silverstein

“Wasn’t that a great movie?” my maternal grandmother asked us as the word INTERMISSION appeared on the enormous screen in Chicago’s Michael Todd Theater. She had taken all six grandchildren downtown to see “Around the World in Eighty Days.” Being the oldest two, my sister, Karen and I were the only ones who could read the word INTERMISSION. We were also the only ones who wanted to see the rest of the movie.

Our pleas had no effect. All the,“But Grandmas!!!” were futile. Her immortalized line was, “I’m your grandma, and when I say the movie’s over, it’s over!”

Out of the theater she marched us, straight to Henrici’s. She knew our grandfather would be at his regular table. (That’s him on the photo’s left front, smoking his pipe.) We entered the restaurant, and lo and behold who did we spot sitting with him but our dad.

Charging toward him we spilled our guts about how our boy cousins had behaved so terribly, throwing popcorn on people’s heads below us, etc. “And then Grandma claimed the movie was over when it was only INTERMISSION!!!!!!” we screamed. In one moment Dad twirled around and said goodbye to his in-laws, took both our hands and almost lifted us off the ground and out the door..

Rushing through the Michael Todd swinging doors, back into our seats, the curtain went up, and we watched the entire second half!

This is the memory I relive looking at this picture of my beloved grandfather at Henrici’s.