George came home to New York, to his family and his stationery store. But all was not well with the store: his brother had married and not given it the attention needed. George felt he needed a change.A cousin worked for Columbia pictures and suggested to George that he manage one of his (the cousin's) theaters. George gave it a try and found that it suited him well. A few years later, he decided to find a theater of his own.
He found it in the Fine Arts Theater in Westport, Conn. He bought the buisiness, (but not the building) and settled down in Westport, renting a house on Maplewood Ave. 
In 1936 George married Charlotte Katz of New York, and brought her to Westport. A year later, their son Laurence (Larry)was born.
The Comdens were very much involved in Westport affairs, George as one of the major merchants in town, and Charlotte as the executive secretary to the publisher of the Westport Town Crier. George had a close circle of friends among the merchants of downtown Westport, and gathered with them in Colgan's Drug Store to drink coffee and tell stories -- George was famous for recounting the stories that are contained in the letters published on this site.
During World War II, George opened the doors of his theater to families of servicemen, letting them enjoy his movies for free. He was instrumental in bringing in celebrities for the Bond Drives, held in Jessup Square.
Eventually, the popularity of television spelled the end of the privately owned movie theater. In the mid '50s, George sold out to a chain. After several years, George bought The Cheese Shop in Saugatuck, the neighborhood near the train station and a good location for the commuter traffic.
It was a family business. Charlotte came in for the busy evening hours. Daughter-in-law Tippi clerked during the day. And grandson Mark, the apple of George's eye, accompanied his "Papa George" on his errands during the morning hours.
