Movie Magnate T.G. Solomon-Deceased!

My father-in law was quite a guy, and he quietly passed away this past weekend. He was called a Movie theater magnate. T.G. “Teddy” Solomon, who expanded a family theater empire to more than 600 theaters in eight states before introducing the megaplex concept to south Louisiana with his Palace theaters, was 93.

“I’ve been in the theater business all my life, and my daddy before me,” T.G. told the Houma Courier in 2002. “We started out with drive-ins, then went to downtown theaters and then shopping center theaters. But, the Palace theaters are the finest theaters yet in my opinion.””¨”¨Named after the Solomon family’s first theater, other Palace theaters would follow at Clearview Mall in Metairie, on the West Bank, in Hammond and Houma.

“There’s no business like show business,””¨”¨ he would proudly say” “¨”¨After selling his movie theater company, T.G.  remained active in the motion picture industry, serving on the board of the National Association of Theatre Owners and chairman of the Louisiana Film and Video Commission, an entity he helped pass into law.  He loved dancing to Hello Dolly, and his favorite song is on our jukebox on the left side of this page.

T.G.Solomon is survived by his wife, Doris, their six children, 16 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.”¨”¨Funeral services will be held Thursday at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 6249 Canal Blvd., New Orleans. A Mass will be said at 11 a.m. Visitation will begin at 9 a.m.”¨”¨In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Solomon Episcopal Conference Center, 54296 Louisiana 445, Loranger, La. 70446, or to the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation, 10045 Riverside Drive, Third Floor, Toluca Lake, Ca. 91602.