Bring on the Moolah!

Last night, I had so much fun at the Moolah! What, you ask, is the Moolah? Well, don’t worry, I asked the same thing when I found out that it was playing the movie that my husband and I wanted to see. In fact, we’d wanted to see the movie at the same place that our daughter was attending a party so that we could pick her up right after the show but, alas! The movie was not playing there. So, I searched for the next closest theatre showing the movie and ... well, up popped The Moolah.

I thought there must have been some mistake. I’ve been here in St. Louis nearly one and a half years and I’d never even heard of it, despite my best efforts to visit everything this city has to offer in the way of museums, parks, art galleries, music, and live theatre. Well, an online search showed me that it was, indeed, a movie theatre and it was less than a mile from our daughter’s party, so off we went. From the Central West End, we drove east on Lindell until we hit St. Louis University, the large, mid-town, Jesuit university founded nearly two centuries ago. We parked and followed signs indicating the way to the theatre.

As we came around the side of the building toward the entrance, I stopped in stunned silence. The building is obviously old; no-one spends that much on beauty as well as function anymore. Its face is completely symmetrical, with three very tall, narrow, blue doors in the middle framed on either side by identical sets of three narrow windows. One tall, graceful arch of decorative stone reaches from one side of the entrance to the other, while two smaller, matching ones enclose the windows. A miniature arch above each door and window ties in with the larger arches. Between each window and each doors stretch tall, delicate, decorative columns, lending the building a Moorish feel. The building is made of dark brown brick, but adorned with pale blue tiles and a dark gold paint. I believe the design, with its repeated use of threes must be intentional for the Moolah Temple of the Mystic Shrine – as it is actually called – was built between 1912 and 1914 by the Shriners, who are Masons.

When I could finally stopped gawking and trying to soak up every detail of the facade, my husband led me inside, where other wonderful surprises awaited! I fell even deeper in love with the Moolah when I glanced into the intimate lounge on the left of the high-ceilinged, elegant entrance hall where a handful of young adults sipping drinks were nestled into big leather club seats and sofas watching an old Bugs Bunny rerun (remember the one where he’s a matador in Spain...?)! Yes, that’s right: feet up, slouched deep into the cushions, watching ... Bugs Bunny!

Straight ahead was the ticket counter and a small concession popping buttery popcorn, which promised that a movie theatre did indeed lurk somewhere in the building. I could barely take it all in; I was like a kid in a candy shop! To the right of the entrance hall, through a curved arch, a bar beckoned to us. It was like a movie set itself: a handsome, young bartender wiping down the counter; high shelves jammed with various bottles, mirrors and movie posters on the wall, and a long, curved, wooden bar anchored by a long line of stools. The bartender quietly cared for the couples huddled together toasting each other and the old guy nursing a whiskey, reading a newspaper. We found a quiet corner table by the massive wooden doorframe. “You can take them in”, said the bartender, nodding to the drinks he served us. (Can you believe this place?!)

Well, at this point, I barely needed to see a movie but my husband dragged me out of the bar when he saw a long line forming by the concession stand. They must have come out of the woodwork, those folks, because I have no idea where they all came from so suddenly! Anyway, they – the ones who beat us to the line – knew what they were doing. Let’s just say they were Moolah experts! You see, the Moolah theatre is a massive 500-person theatre with a wide balcony running all along the back of the theatre, two sets of movie seats on either side and a floor area stuffed with massive leather sofas, club chairs, side and coffee tables. I felt like a kid playing Musical Chairs, as my husband and I hustled to find an open loveseat amidst the crowd of regulars making a beeline for their favourite spot!

Well, the movie was great but the theatre ... well, it was simply spectacular.