The Movies

Remember the days when you went to a darkened movie theater, sat down, heard the clickity- click-click of the projectionists' reels, and the honky-tonk melodies played on an upright piano as you watched silent movies with sub captions? You don't? Well neither do I.

But I do remember my mom telling me about those days gone by j no, not the good old days, just the old days. Those were the days where names like Buster Keaton, Lon Chaney, Rudolph Valentino, Douglas Fairbanks, Buster Keaton, Roscoe Arbuckle (A.K.A. Fatty Arbuckle), Clara Bow, Lillian Gish, Mary Pickford, The Little Rascals, and Laurel and Hardy were on everyone's lips. The Great Train Robbery was a one man film with Edwin S. Porter writing, producing, directing and photographing the nine minute long film made in 1903. Hardly enough time to down a 5-cent Hershey bar.

As I said, this, of course, was all before my time. However, as a child, I do remember going to the Main Street Theater on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Here I watched Fu Man Chu, the Dragon Lady, and a slew of action serials week after week after week. Old overweight matrons who looked like Attila the Hun, constantly marched up and down the isles chastising us for throwing candy wrappers. More often than not, she would take her trusty flashlight and knock our feet from the seat in front.

Uniformed ushers constantly surveyed the isles looking for someone who might just open the side door to let some friends in for free. Not that going to the movies was expensive. If you were under 12, you paid 10 cents -- those who told the truth and admitted to being older, paid a tad more.

Candy selection, included Milky Ways, Clarke Bars, Mounds, Hershey Bars, Ju-Jubes, Goobers, Good and Plenty, Milk Duds, and teeny tiny Chocolate babies. Mmmmmmm. The smell of hot pop corn saturated with melted butter permeated the entire building. Ah yes, those were the days before we worried about calories and cholesterol levels.

Evenings were set aside for the "old folks." After hiring a baby sitter, my parents would be off to watch Gone with the Wind, A Love Affair, Wuthering Heights, Beau Geste, Gunga Din, or The Rains Came. Not only did they get to watch the likes of James Stewart, Irene Dunne, Charles Boyer, Greer Garson, Greta Garbo, Bela Lugosi, Hattie McDaniel, Olivia DeHaviland, Merle Oberon, Leo G. Carroll, David Nivin, and Lawrence Olivier f but included in the price of a movie one took home a dish or two. It wasn't long before, we had a full service of six f plates, serving dishes, creamer and sugar bowl, cups and saucers.

Well we've come a long way baby since the days of one movie theater, one movie or that value packed "double feature." Going to the movies today, is an excursion. Right here in my hometown of Pompano Beach Muvico just opened a new movie theater. You have a choice of as many as 18 new full length motion pictures playing throughout the day and evening. You sit in comfortable stadium type seats with leg room unheard of in years gone by. There's even a place to hold your gigantic cup of soda or whatever. Of course, prior to the viewing the movie of your choice, the lobby is filled with a plethora of eatables. Candy and popcorn are joined with pizza, chicken, cookies, salad, and oh so much more. There are tables and chairs and even a special room with full babysitting services. Wow! Oh, yes, one more thing f forget your wallet or out of cash? No problem! Just take a Visa, MasterCard, or Discover and place it into one of the many ATM machines f select your movie, the number of tickets you wish to purchase, and the time you want to see -- in a matter of seconds the machine spits out your tickets and you're on your way to chow down and watch the big screen with acoustics comparable to none.

Yes, we've certainly come a long way, baby. But with all this, there are many who will agree that just because the movies are bigger than ever, they are not necessarily better than ever. However, all will agree that going to a 18-plex movie is an experience.

Marianne V. Shackles 

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