Movies and memories: Movie Magic to close after 30 years

A busy, emotional evening marked the beginning of the end for Maryville video staple Movie Magic.

For almost 30 years, Lewis and Kathy Rice have owned and operated the video store.

Sometime in the next week or so, the doors at their location on West Third Street will be locked for the last time.

Thursday night saw a huge outpouring of support from the community during a potluck supper and get-together for friends of the Rice's and loyal customers.

The store hasn't just been a source of movie rentals - over the course of its long tenure it has become something much more meaningful to Maryville and Nodaway County residents.

And the Rice's haven't just ran the business, they have truly become friends to the community.

Though she has roughly 30,000 movies to keep stock of, Kathy and her employees know most of the loyal customers by name. And the number of customers has grown over the years, just like the collection of titles.

Most video stores will sell their copies of movies after they are no longer considered new releases to save space.

Kathy and Lewis have kept at least one copy of each, building on the inventory and recognizing the importance of maintaining pieces of history.

"We always thought about Movie Magic as a video library," an emotional Kathy said on Thursday night. "We always tried to save at least one copy, that's the thing that made us different."

But according to many, that isn't the only thing that made Movie Magic different. It also wasn't the fact that they sold and rented video games, music, or hosted game nights and even had room to host dance nights.

It was that they cared. And many around the area knew that without question.

Kathy has been the organizer of the downtown Trick-or-Treat night on Halloween for many years, and is a member of the city's Planning and Zoning commission.

"Kathy has been very active in the community over the years," Greater Maryville Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Luke Reven said. "She has been a great resource to Maryville, we're very sad to see Movie Magic go."

The Halloween event has grown bigger and bigger over the years, and despite the fact that Movie Magic moved from their location on the north end of the square more than six years ago, Rice has continued to help facilitate the event.

The closing of Movie Magic will mark the last movie rental business in town.

The popularity of streaming movies online and cheap rentals such as Redbox have put businesses like Movie Magic in a difficult position.

Some may chalk it up to a technology or generational change, but according to some that attended the gathering, many people don't realize what they are missing until it's gone.

Many at the potluck dinner commented that the vast selection is one of the reasons that made Movie Magic so special.

Others stated it was the customer service, friendliness and knowledge of the employees, and the fact that they were always willing to help someone find the right movie for the evening.

As of now, Rice is selling her collection - with the exception of new releases.

It was an emotional evening for Kathy, Lewis and their family, but the outpouring of support was encouraging.

"We are so happy that everyone is showing up to say goodbye," Lewis said. "It is great to see so many people come by to show support."

Though the store will remain open for at least the next week, Kathy said she is still reflecting on the years.

"I've always loved these people," Kathy said with tears in her eyes. "There are just too many good memories."