...I can't imagine this is on many Top Tens.Never being much of a Lucille Ball fan there is one hilarious scene in this that made it memorable and seeing that poster took me back to the days of the Saturday afternoon matinee at the Dolphin theater in North Burnaby. It was just one screen then and since has been split into two where you can view first run films for cheap-- now it's a cinema...
When I was a kid, my Grandpa used to give me $1.25 allowance every Saturday--Mom didn't believe in allowance for some reason, I guess she felt I had to earn my money. Anyway, admission to the theater was 35 cents for an average film like the one above (or Martin and Lewis, Don Knotts...I can't remember any others now) and 50 cents for bigger movies like Planet of the Apes, James Bond double features (Thunderball and To Russia With Love...awesome!), 2001- A Space Odyssey and The Andromeda Strain. I'd also buy popcorn for a dime and a box of either Strawberry Twizzlers, Cherry Nibs or Licorice Goodies depending on my ever-changing mood. For some reason I never remember buying pop but I know Mom wouldn't let me drink Coke--probably afraid I was going to get caught.
After what seemed like an eternity the curtain would rise for the opening cartoon and the screen would be assaulted with a barrage of empty containers and cups, with the anxious throng cheering, whistling and blowing into empty candy boxes (they made that "honking" sound). Loved those matinees, had my first "date" there (at least I thought it was), my friends and I would start a laughing uncontrollably about something and the usher (a "teenager") would separate us all to different parts of the theater...nuthin' but good times.
Talk about heaven when the first McDonalds in North Burnaby opened right across the street from the theater. The occasional Saturday Mom and Dad would be heading out on the town for an "evening" so that meant I'd get an extra 50 cents for a couple of hamburgers-- dinner wasn't going to be on the table and I would get to stay over at Grandma's house...now that's what I call livin' the dream.
2 comments:
That takes me back, . . . We used to get $1, plenty for the bus, the matinee, and candy (never a black licorice fan; chocolate is my weakness). Walt Disney was pumping out features like crazy and the cartoons--who can forget Mr. Magoo? The Capital Theatre in downtown Moose Jaw was a beautiful early 1900s building with a balcony, beautiful plaster mouldings. Under appreciated in the 70s and probably has been gutted since (haven't been to that theatre for 30+ years). Anyway, Saturday afternoon matinees were a huge part of my early youth and something that my boys can't really participate in these days.
That was some good times and it's all lost today...
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