I might have seen a ghost AKA Buddy the Friendly Ghost

I apologize for the glare. Why were glossy photos all the rage in the late 80’s. Also the lights make it look red but the seats, curtains and walls were all gold colored.

I don’t know if I would classify this as a ghost story.  It happened to me years ago, and I often think about it.

A little background.  One of my Dad’s many mentors in the theater business was a man named Buddy Brown. A diehard movie manager. He lived and breathed the business.

He was an old timer and one of my favorite guys.  He was just cool.

He passed away after fighting with emphysema for years.  I was a teenager working at the Mall Cinema on East Harry at the time.

This is not me, but its the concession stand, same set up and register.

One evening I was working the concession stand.  The line was long, but we were moving fairly quick.  I started to ring up a small popcorn and a medium drink.  I looked at the customer and it was Buddy.  I was taken back by it, the man flashed a strange smile.  I said, “I’m sorry you look like an old friend of mine.  It just caught me off guard.”  The man smiled again and said, “You never know Kevin.”  That may not be too big of a deal, as I was wearing my standard issue name tag at the time.  But it was the way he said it, it was like he knew me.

The more I thought about it the more I wanted to chat with this guy.  Maybe he was a nephew of Buddy’s.  I waited for him by the exit door as the movie let out.  I never did see him come out of the auditorium.

I told my dad about it when I got home from work that night.  Dad kind of chuckled and said, “Leave it to Buddy to come back and see a movie.”

I know it looks a little ghostly, but its just a glare, thanks to the glossy prints.
%d bloggers like this: