Going to the movies was quite a tradition when I lived in the PMQs in Clinton in the 60s. The theater
was called The Pegasus, and had a large flying horse on the front of it. Way cool.
The movie cost 5 cents, popcorn and drinks were 10 cents each so our weekly allowance of a quarter was perfect. We went pretty much every Saturday. The movies changed daily and a play-bill was delivered to our house each month, showing all the movies.
There was generally a group of us who would go, at least my two older brothers, myself, and my next younger. We would arrive, get our popcorn and drinks, then race for the front row. It was our preferred place to sit. Sometimes we would go up to the balcony and sit at the front of it. Sometimes I thought about setting my drink on the balcony rail and then accidentally knocking it off, so it would drench the kids in the seats below, but I never did. I wasn't THAT much of a brat. Other kids were though so you never wanted to sit in the seats directly beneath the front of the balcony.
Popcorn came in a box. Once it was all eaten, tradition dictated that you flatten the box and then toss it, Frisbee style, at the movie screen. If you managed to strike the screen, every kid in the theater would cheer.
And going to the movies wasn't just a movie, it was an experience. First there were previews of upcoming movies, like they tend to have now. This was followed by a cartoon, like they don't have now. After that was a serial, a continuing story that had left you hanging the week before, again like they don't have now. Then you got into the main feature, no blatant advertising like they do have now.
There was always anticipation while the house lights were up. Kids calling out to each other, looking for friends to get close to, or bullies to stay away from. Then the lights would dim and the heavy curtain would be drawn back. Everyone would cheer because the ride was about to begin.
After the movie got out, we would be excited and talk about it, re-enact favorite scenes, sometimes continuing the adventure or playing out alternate endings. It was a lot of entertainment for our quarter. If we hadn't spent all our money, sometimes I would forgo the soda, we might head to the base store, the PX, Exchange, Canex, whatever we wanted to call it that day, and get some candy, or maybe a comic or two.
What were your favorite activities when you were a kid?
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