 His siblings in order were A. J., Ida, John, Max, Dave, Harry and Elmer.Balaban worked as a messenger boy and a cold storage company employee until 1908, when he was persuaded, at age 21, to go into the cinema business.According to a 1945 article in "Forbes" magazine, his mother came home from her first picture show and commented, "The customers pay before they even see what they're paying for!