A few years ago, Jordan Stancil returned to his hometown of Grayling to save the town’s historic movie theater, the Rialto.
The theater has been in his family since 1915, founded by his great grandfather.
That was after a long career with many twists and turns — working for the State Department, running political campaigns in New York, and teaching at universities.
What brought him back?
"Well, I wasn't good at any of those things," he said, laughing. "I should have just stayed at the theater when I was 14. I would have all the tuition dollars back."
Stancil has also helped revive the Sanctuary Cinema in Alpena and the Big Rapids Theater.
And now he’s set his sights on the 400 Theater in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood.
"It's just a cool community," he said. "A lot of different languages are spoken in the area. Loyola University is nearby. It's a cool place."
He spoke with IPR about his plans there and growing up in the movie business here. Listen to our conversation through the audio player at the top of this post, and read some highlights below.
Interview highlights
On why he restores old theaters: "I can't separate it from my own background. I worked at the Rialto Theater starting when I was 14. I worked there all through high school, I grew up there, I worked with my grandparents, my dad. ... For me it's not really possible to separate it from the meaning of our family experience in the industry. We always were just raised with the idea that it's something you're just supposed to maintain. Grayling is really a place that most people would say shouldn't have a movie theater at all. Almost everybody would look at that market and say 'Not viable, not doable.'"
On the public reaction: "People in the communities where we do this are more than receptive. They really, really want these places there. They will go to the movies. I completely disagree with this narrative that it's outmoded or it's not something that's viable. I'm seeing the exact opposite. We're seeing great responses."
"I just want you to come in there as much as you possibly can. I don't think it needs to be a big deal. It's one of those everyday things that is still fairly small but still awesome."JORDAN STANCIL | cinema owner
On what a theater should feel like: "You shouldn't really have to think about going there from a financial perspective. ... A lot of times in the industry there's a movement toward more of an event sort of thing, where they're almost encouraging you to consider it like a splurge that you do rarely. I'm the opposite. I just want you to come in there as much as you possibly can. I don't think it needs to be a big deal. It's one of those everyday things that is still fairly small but still awesome."
Best movie you've ever seen in a theater: "I'm going to have to go with 'Unforgiven,' which was the last movie we played at the Rialto in Grayling in 1992 before I left for college. I loved that movie and I still love it, and it played for two weeks, at 7 and 9 every night and I watched all 28 of those or however many that added up to. The very next day, after the last one, I moved down to Ann Arbor."
Have you ever walked out of a movie?: "Yeah, the truth is, a lot of them I don't get that into. Some of my leisure time, I don't really want to go to the theater."
Where do you sit?: "I like to sit off to the side a little bit."
Favorite candy?: "I'm going to have to do Junior Mints."
Butter or no butter?: "We have real butter in Grayling, so when you have the real butter, then butter."
