I doubt that I am the only one who used to go to the cinema sometimes when on a night out. I usually finished around 1400 when up the road and did not intend to start particularly early the next morning.
Prompted by the news that Peter Fonda has died got me thinking about the films I still reckon as classics, some of them were too early for my driving career, but in those days films would get a second round a few years later. 1969 particularly was a really good year with: Easy Rider, Battle of Britain,The Italian Job, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Midnight Cowboy, True Grit, Paint your Wagon and second showings of some of the Clint Eastwood Spaghetti Westerns.
When On a night out in Grays (many years ago) I used to enjoy going to the cinema there, they had an organ that came up from, I presume. the cellar, an organist would play for 10 minutes or so during the interval and then it was back to the cellar for him.
I was trailer mate to George Betts in a Fridged Freight 8 wheeler and drag waiting to load out of Liverpool docks in the mid sixties. We ended up in Liverpool Empire watching (live) the Hollies, the Tremeloes, Paul Jones and Freddie and the Dreamers. Not Cinema I know but what a night out!! Jim.
From when I was 5 years old I sometimes went on my dad’s regular weekly night out in digs in Ramsgate, I remember the landlady used to spoil me rotten. Father used to take me to the pictures, in particular I can remember seeing The Dambusters when it was new out, 1955.
Bernard
Now i think back on it i would occasionally go to the films on nights out, remember seeing ‘Where eagles dare’ in Edinburgh, great film.
And just a personal note but i don’t think the ‘Italian job’ remake in 2003 should have been called the ‘Italian job’ as it had no connection with the original one with Sir Micheal ‘your only supposed to blow the bloody doors off’ Cain. It was a passable movie but not a patch on the ‘real’ one.
Hi, Folks , I remember early 70s loaded early out of Bristol found a car park so looking round across the road a cinama , got changed had some scran ,of to go said to girl a single she said 12and 6 ,i said to go to the pics ,she said this is a theatre ,not picture house felling a fool said ok whats on ,Have your cake and eat it Alfie Bass and bill frazer ,the best laugh i had for a long time so after the end went round the back to a little pub ,all the cast were having few ,Cheers Barry
grumpy old man:
When On a night out in Grays (many years ago) I used to enjoy going to the cinema there, they had an organ that came up from, I presume. the cellar, an organist would play for 10 minutes or so during the interval and then it was back to the cellar for him.
happy days.
Then in 1927 ‘talkies’ appeared at the cinema and that chap became redundant virtually overnight, hadn’t realised that you were quite that old Rof?
grumpy old man:
When On a night out in Grays (many years ago) I used to enjoy going to the cinema there, they had an organ that came up from, I presume. the cellar, an organist would play for 10 minutes or so during the interval and then it was back to the cellar for him.
happy days.
Then in 1927 ‘talkies’ appeared at the cinema and that chap became redundant virtually overnight, hadn’t realised that you were quite that old Rof?
Pete.
I remember pop-up organs in cinemas and I wasn´t even in a glint in my Dads eye in 1927. I recall that I was taken to the cinema by the school to see “Chocolate Odessy”, a PR puff job for Cadbury. I have no idea how they managed to persuade the school to troop (we had to walk a couple of miles to get there) all the kids there!
I wonder when organs did finish performing in cinemas?
grumpy old man:
When On a night out in Grays (many years ago) I used to enjoy going to the cinema there, they had an organ that came up from, I presume. the cellar, an organist would play for 10 minutes or so during the interval and then it was back to the cellar for him.
happy days.
Then in 1927 ‘talkies’ appeared at the cinema and that chap became redundant virtually overnight, hadn’t realised that you were quite that old Rof?
Pete.
I remember pop-up organs in cinemas and I wasn´t even in a glint in my Dads eye in 1927. I recall that I was taken to the cinema by the school to see “Chocolate Odessy”, a PR puff job for Cadbury. I have no idea how they managed to persuade the school to troop (we had to walk a couple of miles to get there) all the kids there!
I wonder when organs did finish performing in cinemas?
First saw “Alien” with a couple of other drivers when parked in The Smoke. All jumped out of our seats of course.
Being sat immersed in a film in the dark is much more involving than a TV movie at home.
(We weren`t frit, honest)
cav551:
Prompted by the news that Peter Fonda has died got me thinking about the films I still reckon as classics, some of them were too early for my driving career, but in those days films would get a second round a few years later. 1969 particularly was a really good year with: Easy Rider, Battle of Britain,The Italian Job, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Midnight Cowboy, True Grit, Paint your Wagon and second showings of some of the Clint Eastwood Spaghetti Westerns.
We should also remember the quality of ‘proper’ filming out on location and proper stunts and the brilliant colour processing provided by such as ‘De Luxe’ as opposed to the modern day CGI garbage.As for Spaghetti Westerns Once upon a Time in the West and Fistful of Dynamite were arguably as good as the genre ever got 68’ and 71’ respectively.As for Battle of Britain even the scenes which had to be made using models were still better than CGI and more than compensated for by the real air filming scenes using Spanish Airforce surplus.The only criticism being that they should have at least made the effort to find and intersperse a few or even just one ‘proper’ DB 601 powered versions of the 109 in the air scenes.Also Murphys War being another classic of the day even allowing for the dodgy modern ‘U Boat’,Von Ryan’s Express with Frank Sinatra,Battle of the Bulge ( shame about the impossibility of using genuine German tanks in it ),Anzio with Robert Mitcham,.Also Bullitt and the Great Escape and Le Mans with McQueen at his best.Grand Prix with James Garner being another motoring classic.
Also others like the Wild Bunch but which was marred by the obvious casual shocking animal cruelty inflicted on horses in the making of it and Emperor of the North being a Lee Marvin and Ernest Borgnine classic.
How I miss those days and generations in every respect.
grumpy old man:
When On a night out in Grays (many years ago) I used to enjoy going to the cinema there, they had an organ that came up from, I presume. the cellar, an organist would play for 10 minutes or so during the interval and then it was back to the cellar for him.
happy days.
Then in 1927 ‘talkies’ appeared at the cinema and that chap became redundant virtually overnight, hadn’t realised that you were quite that old Rof?
Pete.
Don’t mock the afflicted. AS most of you know I’m waiting for even more surgery and my…ahem…‘new knee’ I’ve had to buy a b loody walking stick. In days gone by I used to be able to leap into an Atky or an ERF like a young gazelle, not any more, I couldn’t get mounted now if there was an escalator up into the cab. Last week it was windy, there’s me staggering about like a b loody old man… I’m only 80, the wind ■■■■ near blew me off my stick.
No no no, she terrifies me on the rare occasion she drives when I’m in the car, there’s something VERY wrong with that woman she loves lighting the turbos up…she’s 79.
When stopping in Carlisle which was which was quite often when running Scotland, the Odeon? (can’t quite remember) on the main drag, Botchergate mebbe, Leyland600 will put me right, anything James Bond was a must see then.
Oily
