If memory serves, the admission price was ten cents until we turned 12 years old; then we had to pay 25 cents. The girl who sold the tickets (she sat at a window just to the right of the entrance on the outside of the theatre--just under the Y in ROXY in the photo) used to try to make me pay 25 cents when I was 10 and 11 because I was tall for my age. Popcorn was 5 cents for a bag, a Pepsi was a dime. 
We loved scary movies like "The Tingler," "House on Haunted Hill," "The Blob," "The Thing," and "It Came From Outer Space." But I think the one we remember most is "The Tingler." 
screen and we just knew at any minute, it would be down where we were, attaching its awful self to our spine. Scream! Scream! Scream if you don't want the tingler to get you. And scream we did. We all, everyone in the audience I think, pulled our feet up in the seats and let loose blood-curdling screams.
But not all movies that have impacted me have been B movies. One of my favorites, "The Godfather," (book and movie) began my 
interest in the history of the mafia. "Old Yeller" made me stop watching movies in which the dog dies. They tricked me with "Turner and Hooch." I didn't see that one coming. And I voluntarily watched "Marley and Me," even though I knew the ending. I wanted to see the funny stuff.
out story-book wonderful in the end. But "Where the Boys Are" disabused us of that notion when Paula Prentiss or Delores Hart or whoever walked out into traffic after sleeping with Jim Hutton or some cute guy. I think we were probably the last generation to buy that message.
But the two movies that have had the greatest impact on
me as a woman have to be "Thelma and Louise" and "The Stepford Wives." (Although it was really the Stepford Wives book that first ticked me off.) I at once admired and condemned Thelma and Louise for their leap into the canyon. I under- stand that they felt death would be better than being dominated by less than perfect men. But why didn't they just leave 'em? "The Stepford Wives" just made me mad. That any man could even conceive of a culture where men would value robots over real imperfect women just made me want to kick something.This post was migrated from the old blog. To see the comments on the original post, CLICK HERE. To add a new comment, click "Post a Comment", below.
On 06/18/2009, Laurie said ...
I'll never forget sitting in our cavernous old movie theater in my hometown listening to the music being played in between movies...one day all they played was Lynryd Skynyrd and we thought that was strange until we found out later about the crash.
Hey, I found your blog when we both did the Cottage Charm giveaway and I'm finally getting back to visiting again. I am now following!
On 06/18/2009, Lisa A said ...
My Dog Skip was the last traumatic dog movie I watched. It was just before I got Maisy.
On 06/18/2009, Nicole said ...
What a thoughtful response to my challenge Susan. I knew you would come up with great stuff. My mom had to remove me from the theater during Old Yeller because I was sobbing so loud. I can't believe I never saw The Tingler, but I remember shaking in my seat during The Haunting of Hill House. To Kill A Mockingbird should have been on my list too, as well as A Patch of Blue. More recently, a movie that made me think a lot was Crash--did you see it? Many people go to movies to be entertained, but I guess I have to say I want a movie to make me think.
On 06/19/2009, Beverly said ...
I remember so many of these movies. I don't like to be scared, and The Exorcist was the scariest movie I've ever seen, too. Eew!!!
I enjoyed reading this, Susan. I'll have to give my list some thought.
On 06/19/2009, Kristine said ...
1. The Exorcist...my all-time favorite, most frightening movie ever
2. Wizard of Oz...there's no place like home
3. Gone With the Wind... I wish I could be as kind and gentle as Melanie
4. Platoon...war is he!!
5. Mean Girls...captures the spite of cliques so accurately. If you haven't been a "plastic", you've known them.
6. Heathers...what girls wished they could do to snotty cliques
7.Natural Born Killers....serial killer as celebrity in the tabloid age
8. Anne of Green Gables (the Megan Followes series) just plain heartwarming, made me want to move to Prince Edward Island
9. Amadeus... Imagine having a burning, passionate desire and lacking the talent
10.Pan's Labyrinth...heartbreaking
On 06/20/2009, Nancy said ...
Susan, on Nicoles blog I mentioned A Patch Of Blue because I grew up in an area that was relatively free of discriminations...of course we had kids in school of many nationalities and races but we didn't see the issues that accompanied 'Civil Rights' problems until later in life and that was mainly on TV so it opened my eyes to things I had not really thought about. Including true poverty. We were not wealthy by any means but I lived in a very loving home. Then you mentioned the Stepford Wives, I have both book and original Movie and your right about that one. Kristine mentions "Platoon"...my husband had been back from Vietnam for just about a year or so when that came out and he took my arm about 45 minutes into the movie and said, "I just got back from that mess, and I don't need to sit here and be reminded of what it was like" so it had quite an impact on him. After that he refused to go to any of the new 'war' movies.
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