I love movies. Animation, drama, comedy, an action adventure on occasion, never a horror film because I am such a weenie. I love movies. I like thinking about them, watching them, re casting in my head. I have watched so many movies that I recognize some props and locations from other films or television shows. I love how the camera moves, the lighting,the sound, the editing.

My relationship to the silver screen ( why is it called the silver screen?) started when I was a little girl and I went to movies with my mother. She was a real movie buff. In fact, my mom would take me out of school to see a movie. Jennie would arrive at my classroom door and motion to the teacher. They would pow wow for a moment and the teacher would excuse me for the rest of the day. I have NO idea what lie my mother told - but as we walked down the hall toward the exit, she would say," A double feature at RKO today" or " Brigadoon!" When we lived in New York we went all over Staten Island and Manhattan. Never any of the other boroughs.We never bought candy or popcorn. Just the movie.

In the 70's I told my mom I thought she would enjoy seeing this new movie by Fellini's protege - Lina Wertmeuller... a deckhand and wealthy woman are stranded on a desert island...My mom looked at me and said, " Bing Crosby, Carole Lombard 1939"
She had been there and done THAT movie.

My father was in the Coast Guard and I was allowed to go to movies on the base. My father usually walked me into the show. All the sailors were sitting on benches or folding chairs. I sat on the end of the row and never budged.No other kids. It was 25 cents. At the end of the movie, my dad reappeared and took my hand and we went home. He never discussed the movies the way my mother and I did. But I knew he couldn't stand Judy Garland. At home we watched Friday night movies that sometimes conflicted with the Friday Night Fights. I recently heard Meryl Streep who remembered how she loved watching old movies on TV every afternoon. Scorsese too. All in NYC. Creature Feature and Zachary, the ghoul/vampire TV featured B horror films. It seemed normal in NY to talk to other kids about movies. Not so much anyplace else. Although I lived in California for a short time when I was little - we were invested in radio at the time and devoted to shows like the Breakfast Club and The Arthur Godfrey Show ( Hahwhyah hahwhyah hahwhya...)

I went to the movies whenever visiting my grandmother, here in Baltimore, every Saturday after my chores were completed. I went by myself. I walked down to the Avenue to the Ideal or Hampden theatre. For a mere 35 cents I could watch a cowboy movie, a short , a newsreel and a cartoon plus a real live announcer who was pelted with jujus and milk duds. I don't remember what the man on stage had to say because I couldn't believe kids had the nerve to throw candy at him. He looked like his head was too small for his body. He was encased in an old zoot suit.
The gal in the ticket booth at the Ideal had a powdered face that made her look like a corpse. Her hair was wavy and stuck to her scalp. Two heavily rouged cheeks.
Not that this twosome impressed me much! That movie house had a gold fish pond in the entrance. It was really something. Set the mood - You knew something great was about to happen. Ushers with flashlights and uniforms!

To be continued. . .