From: edwinphoenix-AT-aol.com Date: Tue, 19 Jan 2010 13:44:38 EST To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] puptcrit Digest, Vol 63, Issue 16 I think of the old 50s sci-fi films I saw on the big theatre screen, back when most of us had 21 inch b & w TVs, and many of the films in theatres were in b & w. A lot of the effects were cheesy by today's standards, sometimes the acting was not up to par, but of course that is what we had, and being kids, we were not so critical. They took us away from the thoughts of school, bad weather, maybe not enough money to jingle in our pockets - I remember when my allowance was 25 cents per week! I could go to the movies, see two cowboy flicks, or jungle adventure flicks, see a chapter of Captain Marvel, Batman or Superman serial, and buy a box of popcorn or a Coke. And I was happy. Wichita, Kansas was a very active town in the late 30s and 40s (I am giving away my age here!) and my Dad had a good job at Beech Aircraft Co. My late brother was president of the local I.B.M. ring (International Brotherhood of Magicians) at age 17 and was demonstrator for a local magic shop. We saw stage shows with Spike Jones, Blackstone (Sr.) the magician, Jack Gwynne, Ormond McGill, Tarbell (all magicians) Dr. Silkini and his Asylum of Horrors, and on and on. We did not have TV until we moved to an ancestral home in Iowa. We were less critical then. We had fascinating films with Errol Flynn, Olivia DeHavilland, Bette Davis, Fred and Ginger, Gene Tierney (wow!) and so many more. These people were real stars. We did not know about every time someone had too much to drink and was indiscreet, we did not know or care about who they were sleeping with. They were special folks, and we looked up to them. Now it seems, some people just love to talk about the tawdry. And we've lost a lot, I think. Too many films, not enough quality. Oh, my favorite cartoons were Geo. Pal's Puppetoons, with Jasper and the scarecrow, and all in beautiful color, labor-intensive stop-motion. we will not see there like again. Ed Rogers _______________________________________________ List address: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org Admin interface: http://lists.puptcrit.org/mailman/listinfo/puptcrit Archives: http://www.driftline.org
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