Movie Memories - My Night at the Oscars

Yes, I did watch the entire Oscar show and YES, I enjoyed every minute of it. Drama, talent, beauty, joy, and for me, a good show. I especially liked Madonna singing. I surely enjoyed and loved the comments and exuberant movements of Jamie Lee Curtis (one of my most favorite actresses.) The movies were part of my young life and I'll tell you why.

We had four theaters in the town about 2 miles from my childhood home. One high-end, one still affordable but middle, one inexpensive with questionable entertainment and the last not too good to visit. The high-end theater was where my mother bought the tickets to many cultural series plus Disney productions. It was there where I saw Dumbo, Pinocchio, Bambi, Cinderella, Lassie, Tom Sawyer, Frankenstein, and so many others. It was a Saturday thing.

The next theater showed mostly cowboy movies and that is where I preferred to go. Think Hopalong Cassidy, Tom Mix, Roy Rogers, Tonto, Tex Ritter, Gabby Hayes, Gene Autry - well you get the point. It was the action and the music that got me hooked, and of course the horses!

If you went to the less costly theaters you saw corny stuff but could toss your empty popcorn box or candy wrapper from the balcony seats onto the floor customers. Rule: no liquids in cups! It was a fun time and I always went with girlfriends to keep "safe." Screwball comedies were usually the features: Charlie Chaplin, Three Stooges, Buster Keaton and so many others. 

When I was in my mid-teens the heartthrobs surfaced in my favorites including the beautiful actresses. I really loved Charlton Heston, Burt Lancaster, Humphrey Bogart, and several others! Fred Astaire the dancer was always fantastic and enjoyable when both dancing and acting. There were so many wonderfully talented and gorgeous women too. My favorites were Rita Hayworth, Elizabeth Taylor, Veronica Lake, Jane Russell, Lana Turner, Ann Sheridan, Janet Leigh, Betty Grable and so many others. It wasn't just their beauty, it was also their talent and charisma that grabbed me. 

I used to write letters requesting movie star photos (in those days it was usual and surprisingly rewarding) and black and white portraits were sent to me, mostly in 8" x 10" formats!!!!! I had scrapbooks filled with them.  You might wonder where they went, eh? Well I left them all in an old desk drawer when I married and have NO IDEA what ever happened to them!  Sorry for that!

Eat your heart out you younger folk! Try to understand the work of so many in the past that continues today. (Tell the Oscars that I like the red carpet better.)