Going to the Movies

This past week we have been watching some old movies being screened on t.v , great ones I should say like Guns of Navarone, Odessa File, Birds, Rear window and the like. My husband and I resided in temporary heaven watching these movies after so many years much to the surprise of our teenager. Ofcourse what greater pleasure for oldies like us than to force him to watch as well.. and much to kid's own surprise he liked them all too.. Watching these brought back memories of how we used to goto the movies which we recounted to our kid. My first memory of a going to a movie was to a place nearby where I lived. The movie was screened in a small tent made of straws and looked more like a thatched hut. There were two sections of seats, one section sat in chairs and the other on the floor. I watched the movie “Thooku Thooki” by Shivaji. Still remember vividly a poem said throughout the movie … Since my parents were conservative movie going was far and few between. And even then only Shivaji Ganesan’s movies and very rarely M.G. R. movies.also eyes would be closed on certain scenes.. by todays standards those scenes are truly innocent:) We also got to goto the children’s theatre in Anna Salai were English movies were screened for kids like Charlie Chaplin, Laurel Hardy and such greats.
Going to a movie was a real treat. The thought of the trip to the movies used to get us though the mundane school homework and school tests with ease. The movies Odessa File and Guns of Navarone, The Day of the Jackal, I first read the books then waited with bated breath for father to agree to take me to see the movie. Ofcourse getting good marks in the exams always helped.
For some reason parents tend to be reminded of these exam marks that kids get whenever a favor or request needed to be granted. Its like one is not mutually exclusive of the other.
Anyway I still remember going to see the Day of the Jackal, Eye witness, Odessa File.. It was such a treat that those thoughts are pleasant memories today.
Nowadays going to the movies is more commonplace. Though we are still not too much into movies (read “Cheap mom who doesn’t want to spend for movie tickets”- comment from ds), we do go once in a while . Fortunately for us there is a movie complex in town where it only cost less than a dollar perperson..only have to wait for movie to come there after 6 weeks of release!.. Still going to a movie is not as exciting these to kids.. Not to say its totally not.. Its not like how it was for me. also there are other distractions like buying popcorn or some other snacks..Since going to the movies itself was our expense no other buying was allowed. If the theatre was in a 20mile radius WALKing was the mode of transport. For many years we used to refer to that as Natraja service. Thank god for allt he walking I did to and fro from school it is helping me out in my old age!. So I was going to say buying snacks was unheard of. Very rarely went by taxi.Mostly bus.
Still those movies are gold movies. Those songs are golden songs.
Those lyrics of those songs... after coming back home we will tune into the only transistor we had and listened to vividhbharathi and forgot the local stations for the same movie songs to come up.. Watching Guns of Navarone brought back these pleasant memories.. Did anyone else have any such experience or ever visit the tent theatre???

Dear ac,

very nice.You have kindled my memories.
I have very sweet memories .We were in madurai for 1 year after my marriage.MY dh's job used be hectic.So we prefer to go only to night shows.
Atleast thrice in a month we would go for movies.His friends would also join us.
It was a new experience for me to watch movies amidst rural crowd with lots of whistle sounds.My papa won't get me anything when i was young because of hygiene and he would buy only popcorns and so i was totally excited in madurai.
MY dh would get bovonto, panneer soda, cone ice and kuchi ice.
Really we enjoyed great time in madurai.

Thankyou very much.

Dear Kamala
Thanks for reminding me of soda and kutchi ice, cone ice... and so mcuh fun goin to the movies right!!!!

Movies at less than a dollar per person!!!!!!!!! Hey that is a dream! In a Delhi multiplex you pay a minimum of 150 rupees (slightly less than four dollars). By the way did you live earlier in a village without any public transport?

Dear Ac,

Why do you do this............. taking us on a nostalgic trip. I felt you were writing about me because whatever you have written is so true with us also. But whenever we used to go for movies, we had food outside as mom could call that evening an off from the kitchen. No titbits during interval sometimes mom used to make pakodas at home and get the same for us. We used to enjoy waiting in the Q to get ticket and see the movie. It was real fun.

I enjoyed seeing the movies Guns of Navarone, Odessa File, Day of the Jackal, Omar Mukhtar, and not to forget the kids zone of laurel & hardey, walt disney, Jungle book, Charlie Chaplin hits etc.

Nowadays if I take my kids (no multiplexes........ just can't afford) though we go by own vehicle still the cost is more compared to our outing of eating out and cinema. I do relate all these stories to 2 pairs of eyes and ears grasping each detail.

Thanx for the journey down memory.......

Dear Chitra,

Wonderful rememberances.U brought back memories of those days gone by.Yes all these movies are my favourties too, like Guns of Navorne,Day of the Jackal,Back to the Future,Becket,And so many.

If u would like, I could suggest u some good movies of those days, like Night of the Generals ( Omar Sharif, Peter O toole), Becket (Peter O Toole) , this was remade into the hindi hit Namak Haram ( Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachan), and many other good ones I can suggest, which u can borrow from the library.

Recemntly watched Sound of Musio, and me and wife were mercimermized by it, seeing after maybe 40 years.

Regards.kamal

Dear AC
Another nice one..............We all 3 love to watch movies and usually in the theatre it is just great fun. In this country we are missing it so much as most of the theatres do have arabic movies, which unforutnately cannot understand..........hahaha. One day someone told us there is an english movie going on in some theatre, We 3 crazy people got ready and lol all 3 of us landed there, On the board outside the movie hall was a poster of english movie and we asked the fellow who give us tickets is it english he said yes yes, we were so happy and took the tickets and went inside and sat............hahahaha guess what??????????? some arabic movie was going on we came out and asked those guys and still they are saying yes english english...............we all 3 started laughing and told Welcome to Egypt, come we will go home.............
I think by the time we leave this place we are going to go will lots of jokes with us........

Dear Chitra,

Here are some of the good movies I liked in the seventies.If u trust my choice, check them out

1) Mckenna’s Gold – Gregory Peck,Omar Sharif,
2) Dr.Zivago
3) Bridge on the River Kwai –
4) To Sir With Love – Sidney Poiter,Lullu (copied by Mahesh bhatt to Sir-Nasarudin Shah)
5) Guess Who’s coming to Dinner – Sidney Poiter,
6) Dirty Harry,For a Few Dollors More,The Good Bad Ugly ( all Clint Eastwood)
7) Where Eagles Dare – Cling Eastwood,Richard Burton
The Great Escape
9) Exorcist – Gregory Peck ( Scary)
10) Pretty Dolly – Omar Sharif,Barbara Striesland
11) Bonasera Mrs.Campbell ( Gina Lollobrigida) – copied by Sawan Kumar but a flop
12) The Graduate – Dustin Hoffman – Some lovely songs
13) Love Story ( Ryan O Neil,) – copied to Ankiyon ke Jharoko Se – Superb songs
14) Papillon – Steve Mcqueen
15) Enter the Dragon – Bruce Lee
16) Midnight Cowboy ( Dustin Hoffman)
17) Godfather 1 and 2
1 Von Ryan’s Express ( Frank Sinatra)
19) Danger Diabolik
20) Death Rides a Horse ( Copied to Zanjeer of Amitabh)
21) Pretty Woman ( Julia Roberts)
22) Ghost
23) Goodbye Mr.Chips ( Peter O Toole )
24) Witness for the Prosecution
25) The Russians are Coming
26) Shot in the Dark (Peter Sellers)
27) The Party ( Peter Sellers) copied to Amitabh’s Namak Halal
2 Cactus Flower ( Jack Lemmon)

So many more , will post u later.U can get some from the library, and most those librarians would not even have heard of, but u can check out the details on the interent of how these movies must be.

Happy viewing.Regards.kamal

Originally Posted by Balajee

Movies at less than a dollar per person!!!!!!!!! Hey that is a dream! In a Delhi multiplex you pay a minimum of 150 rupees (slightly less than four dollars). By the way did you live earlier in a village without any public transport?

Balajee There was public transport.. we could not afford sometimes.. hence all the walking.. when we could afford we took the bus.. even then taxi was beyond us. There are certain movie theatres were tht e ticket will be come just short of a dollar.. only thing you have to wait for the movies to come.. no new release.

Originally Posted by lalitha shivaguru

Dear Ac,

Why do you do this............. taking us on a nostalgic trip. I felt you were writing about me because whatever you have written is so true with us also. But whenever we used to go for movies, we had food outside as mom could call that evening an off from the kitchen. No titbits during interval sometimes mom used to make pakodas at home and get the same for us. We used to enjoy waiting in the Q to get ticket and see the movie. It was real fun.

I enjoyed seeing the movies Guns of Navarone, Odessa File, Day of the Jackal, Omar Mukhtar, and not to forget the kids zone of laurel & hardey, walt disney, Jungle book, Charlie Chaplin hits etc.

Nowadays if I take my kids (no multiplexes........ just can't afford) though we go by own vehicle still the cost is more compared to our outing of eating out and cinema. I do relate all these stories to 2 pairs of eyes and ears grasping each detail.

Thanx for the journey down memory.......

Lallu I forgot the pakodas.. Eating out was extremely rare.. Glad that we both have one more thing in common..:)