Art Proctor, 'grandfather of cinema' in S.L., dies

Summary:

Arthur Charles Proctor died 15 September 2009 at age 77.

His family called him the "grandfather of cinema" and often heard him whistling and singing familiar movie tunes and repeating the line, "Good movies like good books never grow old."

“Art was the city's single greatest influence for the preservation of classic movies...  Unlike most film buffs, he didn't just talk about old movies — he showed them on the big screen in his theaters week after week for years. Then, when VHS movies came on the scene, Art opened a video store and rented those same golden oldies. I'm sure he had the largest collection of classic films in the state, and he loved to share them. His contribution to the local movie scene really can't be measured." (Chris Hicks, former Deseret News movie critic)

“We play the old classics and have a clientele that like them. They don't want to be insulted by all the trash in the movies, and I like to present good entertainment and feel good about it when I go home.” (Art Proctor, 1993)