The Story of Joy: a NOLA institution and all around interesting dude.

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For more than half a century, those turning onto Canal Street in downtown New Orleans have been greeted by a massive marquee featuring three proud, red letters: “JOY.”

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The President of Paramount Pictures had a regional office on the second floor of the Saenger, overlooking Canal Street [at the intersection of Canal Street and Elk Place], and Uncle Joy felt it appropriate to make a courtesy call to the man, and went to his office to meet him. When Joy walked in and introduced himself, the other fellow wouldn’t stand from behind his desk, nor did he respond to Joy’s outstretched hand to shake it. All he said was, ‘I don’t need to know you, I’ll have you run out of town within two months.’

Now that kind of thing didn’t set too well with a man such as Uncle Joy, so he bought the corner lot directly across from the corner that the Saenger sat on, and he built a very large theater on that corner with a sign almost a hundred feet high, loudly proclaiming ‘JOY.’ My uncle always said, ‘Everytime that son-of-a-b**** looks out his window, he’ll know that I’m still in town.’”

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“My grandfather’s favorite steakhouse was Chris’s steakhouse, where he had his own table, and when Chris died, Chris’s wife [Ruth Fertel] changed the name to Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and eventually faced losing her business,” Cheryl explained. “Joy Houck gave her the money to save the business, and that franchise is now all over the world.”

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The United States government attempted to appropriate his massive fleet of planes for the war effort, but Joy went to court to fight the case. After winning, he offered to sell his entire fleet to the government for only one dollar, providing evidence of his unique yet intense brand or patriotism, and staunch adherence to his principles.

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