The Hunchback Rang Twice

The district manager for the movie theater was a hunchback who had a chip on his shoulder, even though that sounds physically impossible.

Douglas (let’s call him) supervised six theaters on Long Island and our triplex was the smallest location. Thankfully we saw him less often. But when Douglas showed up, it generally meant trouble, as he had it in for our particular venue.

The assistant manager, dubbed “Mrs. P” in a past story, had the savvy to actually run her own theater, but was thwarted by top management who didn’t like her. Plus there was the rumor that she “had something” on one of the VPs. When I asked a longer-tenured clerk, he shrugged and said, “I heard she knew a VP was sleeping with a friend of his teenage daughter.” Okay, pretty good kompromat to me.

As for Dory, the theater manager, it was well known she got her job without a day of college. She was having an open affair with a VP who would show up and lock the door to her office. From the noises that reached our ears, they were expending enough dynamic energy for a triathlon. Dory was protected in her position unless there was a major crisis that made ticket or concessions sales plummet.

Naturally, Douglas was furious at having no input into the hirings of the two top positions at that theater. Which made it more stressful for the rest of the staff…