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Memoirs: What movies were like when tickets cost fifteen cents


During World War II I lived part of the time in Miami, Florida and part of the time in Savannah, Georgia. This was roughly between second and sixth grade. The tickets were, indeed, just fifteen cents and there was usually a neighborhood theater within walking distance from where ever I lived.


The first thing that was different about the movies then, besides the price of admission, was the way that they were programed. There were often two features shown, along with a short subject, a cartoon, and a newsreel. On Saturdays, one of the movies would often be a cowboy movie, featuring Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Bill Elliot (he had two guns which were worn backwards in his holsters so that he could draw cross armed. The right hand would reach to the gun on his left hip and the left hand would reach to the gun on his right hip. He would almost always fall forward on the ground as he began firing. All of us guys practiced that maneuver constantly.)


The short subject on Saturday would always be a serial adventure and would run the same character for several weeks using a continuation of the same adventure. It would always end just as the hero was in a predicament that he could not possibly survive. Yet he always did. My favorite was Captain Marvel. When young Billy Batson would see some crime being committed or someone in great danger, he would go into an alley somewhere and say, "Shazam!" and there would be a flash and a clap of thunder and Captain Marvel would be standing in the place of Billy.


There was also Superman, Zorro (who always carved a big Z on the culprit's rear end to show that Zorro had been there), Captain Midnight, and the Phantam.


The short subjects during the week were usually funny but they could also be travelogues or visits to movie celebrities' homes or different movie studios as they were making up coming films. These film connections were very important to the fans and filled the gap that such TV features as "Entertainment Tonight" fill today.


The cartoons were very important and consisted mostly of such characters as Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Pluto, Tweety Bird, Woody Woodpecker, Porky Pig, and Pop Eye.


The main feature, beside the cowboy classics, consisted of black and white war movies, mysteries, dramas, and especially the musicals. The musicals featured the great singing and dancing stars, like Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Betty Grable, Judy Garland, June Haver, Alice Faye and many others. These were often in color. They also featured


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Memoirs: What movies were like when tickets cost fifteen cents

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    by Donald Hancock


    During World War II I lived part of the time in Miami, Florida and part of the time in Savannah, Georgia. This was roughly

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