Long before cineplexes and pre-popped popcorn, movie theaters had style. People would dress up in fancy clothes to see a picture.

The exquisite theaters were huge and contained only one screen and would also show double features. People would listen to live music before the show, instead of playing the asteroids game out in the lobby. With more and more cineplexes rising, it seems that style and showmanship are a part of the past.

Except in the case of The Chase Park Plaza theater and musician Gerry Marian. They combine showmanship and style to bring a touch of the golden age to today.

Stepping into the Chase lobby is like stepping into a time warp. The arcades and bowling alleys fail to make an appearance. The lobby is a sleek combination of fancy furniture and well-dressed individuals.

A quick stop at the candy counter before the show produces fresh popcorn and a box of Snocaps. You then proceed to the main theater and grab a comfortable seat. While glancing around the room, you notice a man in a suit proceed to an organ in the corner. Music starts, and the time warp begins.

The tunes continue until the movie starts, and while listening, a part of you drifts back into that golden age. That age when glamorous stars like Clark Gable and Rita Hayworth graced the silver screen. When the music stops, the man in the suit stands and takes a bow. The man is Gerry Marian.

Marian plays the organ on Friday and Saturday nights in the main theater at the Chase Park Plaza. He usually plays for about 15 minutes before the start of every movie. Marian picks the selection of music and tries to blend it into the theme of the movie.

This past week’s main theater showing was Hannibal; and the music selection before the start of the movie contained a mixture of eerie scores and a few happier tunes thrown in for good measure. The sizeable applause at the end proves that movie patrons love the music.

It all started two years ago when Marian approached the owners of The Chase about playing the organ before the movies.

He wanted to bring back a touch of the golden age of movie theaters, something that he thought Wehrenberg and AMC theaters failed to provide. He also believed that the music would fit perfectly with the classic atmosphere that the Chase exudes.

“The Chase is a kind of nostalgic type of place, and the music adds a little something extra to help make the evening. It adds a little bit of the golden age,” said Marian.

No stranger to showmanship, Marian started playing the accordion at age 6. Then at age 9 he moved to his beloved instrument, the organ. Marian graduated from Southwest High School in 1968 and latter attended Meramec Community College and Washington University.

Marion continued playing the organ through the years, which included playing it at several local theaters.

The organ that Marian uses at The Chase came from the old-noon show on KSDK TV, Channel 5. Marian still enjoys playing the organ and giving the audience that extra showmanship.

“The best part of the job is to be out there in front of the public and to show them that little extra hidden talent,” stated Marian.

The style that Marian provides to his audiences might be the last in a long line. The outdated movie houses with one huge screen and double features are gone, maybe forever. Marian might agree that the golden age of movie theaters might never return, but that won’t stop him from trying to bring back touches of the extra entertainment that the theaters once provided.

“I believe that it’s just not economically possible for movie theaters to return to what they were 50 years ago. Many of the movies don’t make a profit, and theaters can’t afford to just show one,” said Marian.

Marian plans to continue playing every Friday and Saturday night, just as he has for the past two years without missing a night.

Saint Louis University students should take a trip to The Chase, not only see a movie but also to travel through a time warp, thanks to Gerry Marian, back to a time when things like style mattered.

Even though the individual theaters are small, the extra touches that The Chase Park Plaza provides enhance any evening. Marian’s style makes one hope that the bigger theaters learn that customers should get more for the price of a ticket than video games and gum stuck to chairs.