Perhaps we can share some stories, funny or otherwise, that occured while we were at a movie theater. It could be fun.
I recall the time when I actually got thrown out of a theater.
One Easter Sunday I went to the Rogers, our neighborhood movie in Brooklyn, where "Easter Parade" was playing.
Once seated, with both my arms on the arm rests, along comes this guy to my left. I began slowly getting nudged for an arm rest. I held tight and struggled but he was bigger than me, and I relented. Upset at my actions, he reported me to the matron.
Come to find out he was related to the owner of the theater, and I found myself out in the bright sunlight before the movie ended. Ugh.
Next time I'll tell ya about the time I went into the ladies room...by mistake.
It Happened at the Movies
It wasn't me but a very good friend of mine who took her two girls about 8 and 10 to see Bambi. At one point they both said they were going to the ladies room and she was so into the movie that it was a few minutes before she realized they still weren't back. She turned to see if they were in the aisle and saw them about 3 or 4 rows back. She had been sobbing so loudly at Bambi's mother being shot, she had embarrassed them and they didn't want to acknowledge they were with her.
Anne
Anne
Anne
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cinemalover
- Posts: 1594
- Joined: April 17th, 2007, 10:57 am
- Location: Seattle, Washington
Around 1981, I was in college, and I went to see the Cagney film "The Strawberry Blonde" at the New Mayfield Cinema, the one place in Cleveland that showed classic films.
The movie took me by storm. I loved it. When the movie ended, there were these title cards that asked the audience to sing "Casey would waltz with a strawberry blonde...." and I started singing it, and everybody in the audience started singing along too. It was a magical time at the movies.
The movie took me by storm. I loved it. When the movie ended, there were these title cards that asked the audience to sing "Casey would waltz with a strawberry blonde...." and I started singing it, and everybody in the audience started singing along too. It was a magical time at the movies.
Some good recollections thus far.
Anne, I would imagine that the scene of Bambi's mother brought many sobs at the movies. However I doubt that even Disney would have expected the kids to take a powder from the parent. Funny.
Chris, indeed Drive-In movies are also included (discretion advised). How about getting back into the wrong car after intermission?
Mike, I recall following that bouncing ball and singing a tune. It certainly was a happy time at the movies, and we sounded darn good too.
I believe that TCM aired "The Strawberry Blonde" sing-a-long in the past.
Anne, I would imagine that the scene of Bambi's mother brought many sobs at the movies. However I doubt that even Disney would have expected the kids to take a powder from the parent. Funny.
Chris, indeed Drive-In movies are also included (discretion advised). How about getting back into the wrong car after intermission?
Mike, I recall following that bouncing ball and singing a tune. It certainly was a happy time at the movies, and we sounded darn good too.
I believe that TCM aired "The Strawberry Blonde" sing-a-long in the past.
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Moraldo Rubini
- Posts: 1094
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What? This is what I'd hoped would catch on here:
http://silverscreenoasis.com/oasis/view ... =1494#1494
Ah well, it's great to see these stories anywhere!
http://silverscreenoasis.com/oasis/view ... =1494#1494
Ah well, it's great to see these stories anywhere!
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moira finnie
- Administrator
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The Red Balloon, (1956) a lovely French movie was playing in revival at a local theatre. Apparently Mom thought that workaholic Dad needed some bonding time with his brood of four young 'uns, all under the age of ten, (I was the youngest at about 4 or 5). It could also be that Mom wanted some "alone time" and in retrospect, who can blame her?
We go to the movies, a place we'd never visited with my father, whose active life led to enjoyable trips to such exotic and interesting places as hardware stores, lumber yards, warehouses, junkyards, his office after hours, and even political rallies and the occasional bar, ("Just to see a baseball game" he would explain during those "dark" years when the parents decided that no tv was best. No, we didn't entirely swallow that ball game story either, but loved being with him most of the time anyway). It could be that my Pop also wanted to sit down somewhere quietly for a moment, since he easily worked about 60 hours every week back then.
Settling in, my siblings and I, as usual, started to bicker over the popcorn or whatever, and after a few dark looks from the old man, we piped down, and started to get into the movie. Soon, however, the tale of the lonely French boy and his beloved balloon is not enough to make us ignore the familiar sound of sawing wood emitting from Dad, followed by his inevitable, long, drawn out snores--complete with an unsettling break in mid-snore--followed by a crescendo of oral & nasal vibrations that shook the balcony of the ol' Babcock Bijou Palace.
Soon we sank deeper and deeper in our seats, more and more embarrassed yet laughing uncontrollably after trying desperately to rouse our tired sire. Eventually, the manager of the theatre, Mr. Babcock himself, hurtles down the aisle and shakes Dad awake, asking him to please cease and desist or leave. We leave, but I eventually got to see The Red Balloon in its entirety on the tube, (after the tv ban was lifted, oddly, around the time when the NY Mets won the Series in '69).
No, we never did go see to the movies again with my father.
We go to the movies, a place we'd never visited with my father, whose active life led to enjoyable trips to such exotic and interesting places as hardware stores, lumber yards, warehouses, junkyards, his office after hours, and even political rallies and the occasional bar, ("Just to see a baseball game" he would explain during those "dark" years when the parents decided that no tv was best. No, we didn't entirely swallow that ball game story either, but loved being with him most of the time anyway). It could be that my Pop also wanted to sit down somewhere quietly for a moment, since he easily worked about 60 hours every week back then.
Settling in, my siblings and I, as usual, started to bicker over the popcorn or whatever, and after a few dark looks from the old man, we piped down, and started to get into the movie. Soon, however, the tale of the lonely French boy and his beloved balloon is not enough to make us ignore the familiar sound of sawing wood emitting from Dad, followed by his inevitable, long, drawn out snores--complete with an unsettling break in mid-snore--followed by a crescendo of oral & nasal vibrations that shook the balcony of the ol' Babcock Bijou Palace.
Soon we sank deeper and deeper in our seats, more and more embarrassed yet laughing uncontrollably after trying desperately to rouse our tired sire. Eventually, the manager of the theatre, Mr. Babcock himself, hurtles down the aisle and shakes Dad awake, asking him to please cease and desist or leave. We leave, but I eventually got to see The Red Balloon in its entirety on the tube, (after the tv ban was lifted, oddly, around the time when the NY Mets won the Series in '69).
No, we never did go see to the movies again with my father.
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jdb1
I've been going to movies for almost 60 years now, and I can't for the life of me think of very many amusing anecdotes. My mother always took me with her, probably even when I was a baby. I wonder why I don't have more stories - was I concentrating to hard on what was going on in the movie itself? Or maybe I wasn't paying attention at all.
One I've told before: the climax of Forbidden Planet scared me so that I jumped up out of my seat and ran. My mother asked me where I was going, what was the matter. "Bathroom!" I shouted, while I was on the run. I stayed until I heard what sounded like closing music. Uncharacteristically for my mother, she didn't ask questions or taunt me about it. Maybe she was scared, too.
Now that I'm writing this, most of what I remember about the movies was the nice cool feeling you got when you made your way to your seat. Even those theaters that didn't have air conditioning were nice and cool in the summer, because of the constant darkness. And I remember the smell of the salty popcorn, like dirty feet, and that the floors around the seats were always sticky. Those movie houses that had Saturday "Kiddie Matinees" always had the most unfriendly and humorless matrons, who shut us up immediately, should we dare to venture a comment to a friend. They carried the old-fashioned, big metal flashlights, and swung them around threateningly. They had no hesitation at all in bodily throwing out kids who misbehaved.
One I've told before: the climax of Forbidden Planet scared me so that I jumped up out of my seat and ran. My mother asked me where I was going, what was the matter. "Bathroom!" I shouted, while I was on the run. I stayed until I heard what sounded like closing music. Uncharacteristically for my mother, she didn't ask questions or taunt me about it. Maybe she was scared, too.
Now that I'm writing this, most of what I remember about the movies was the nice cool feeling you got when you made your way to your seat. Even those theaters that didn't have air conditioning were nice and cool in the summer, because of the constant darkness. And I remember the smell of the salty popcorn, like dirty feet, and that the floors around the seats were always sticky. Those movie houses that had Saturday "Kiddie Matinees" always had the most unfriendly and humorless matrons, who shut us up immediately, should we dare to venture a comment to a friend. They carried the old-fashioned, big metal flashlights, and swung them around threateningly. They had no hesitation at all in bodily throwing out kids who misbehaved.
Moraldo, sorry I stepped on your toes. Your thread of the old theaters is a dandy. I have one on TCM titled 'Fabulous' featuring art deco theaters. I cherish them.
Moira, your story was a dilly and typical of the all-American family. Boy, do I recall the snorers at the movies in my day, especially my sister-in-law and my uncle.
It's nice to know that you got your tv back, thanks to the METS.
Judith, I too recall that cool feeling when entering the theater, and there was always a distinctive aroma. In some of the so called neighborhood 'dumps' it was usually CN.
And some of those matrons were typical of matron Harper in "Caged". Yikes!
Moira, your story was a dilly and typical of the all-American family. Boy, do I recall the snorers at the movies in my day, especially my sister-in-law and my uncle.
It's nice to know that you got your tv back, thanks to the METS.
Judith, I too recall that cool feeling when entering the theater, and there was always a distinctive aroma. In some of the so called neighborhood 'dumps' it was usually CN.
And some of those matrons were typical of matron Harper in "Caged". Yikes!
When I was 13, a group of girlfriends and I went to see "Psycho" at a downtown theater. It wasn't my choice, but I wanted to be "cool", so I went along. I was pushed into the row first, clear down in the 3rd row or so from the front. There were 5 of us, as I remember. The girl sitting on the end had a bag of unshelled peanuts, and was throwing the shells on the floor.
I hated scary movies then, and still do. When poor old Martin Balsam started up that staircase, I had had enough. I crept out of my seat, trying to be quiet, but when I stepped on those peanut shells, all my girlfriends screamed, then I screamed, then everyone in the house screamed....all while I ran up the aisle. I waited out the rest of the movie in the lobby.
I hated scary movies then, and still do. When poor old Martin Balsam started up that staircase, I had had enough. I crept out of my seat, trying to be quiet, but when I stepped on those peanut shells, all my girlfriends screamed, then I screamed, then everyone in the house screamed....all while I ran up the aisle. I waited out the rest of the movie in the lobby.
Okay...I believe it was at the Loew's Broadway in Brooklyn when I accidently walked into the ladies rest room.
Once in there I was perplexed since I couldn't find a urinal. Then once into the stall I heard motion and then some women talking...I began to sweat.
I waited until there was complete silence before I made my break, hoping I wouldn't bump into a female on my way out the door.
Luckily I escaped before anyone realized I was ever in there. You can bet that thereafter I checked the appropriate signs before entering.
Once in there I was perplexed since I couldn't find a urinal. Then once into the stall I heard motion and then some women talking...I began to sweat.
I waited until there was complete silence before I made my break, hoping I wouldn't bump into a female on my way out the door.
Luckily I escaped before anyone realized I was ever in there. You can bet that thereafter I checked the appropriate signs before entering.
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bradtexasranger
- Posts: 51
- Joined: June 5th, 2007, 2:13 pm
- Location: Dallas, Texas
Along time ago while living with my grandparents in Williamsburg, Brooklyn is when I got the movie bug.
We lived about 6 blocks from Broadway where there was 4 theaters to choose from.
Once inside I didn't want to leave although the rule was that all kids had to be out of the theater by 4PM (does anyone recall that rule?).
That's when I went over to the adult section and sat next to someone so as to fool the matron.
As time grew late my grandfather would eventually track me down and take me home.
This ritual happened numerous times and I expect that the poor man was relieved when we finally moved after my dad got out of the Army.
Those were the days.
We lived about 6 blocks from Broadway where there was 4 theaters to choose from.
Once inside I didn't want to leave although the rule was that all kids had to be out of the theater by 4PM (does anyone recall that rule?).
That's when I went over to the adult section and sat next to someone so as to fool the matron.
As time grew late my grandfather would eventually track me down and take me home.
This ritual happened numerous times and I expect that the poor man was relieved when we finally moved after my dad got out of the Army.
Those were the days.