On The Silly Side by Jimmy Del Ponte

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.)

Okay kids, we’re going to the movies down in Davis Square! What’s the first thing we do? That’s right, load up our pockets with candy and snacks from home, or from the corner store.

How great was it when we were kids to be able to walk to the theatre and see first run movies? When The Somerville Theatre was just a one screen movie house, all of us kids were there, practically every Saturday afternoon watching great movies. A friend with a better memory than me recalls the following.

“My mother used to give us $1 to go to the movies. It cost 50 cents to get in. We’d get a coke and popcorn both for 25 cents, and we’d have to come home with the 25 cents change.”

I remember my mother taking my brother and sister and me to see “The Sound of Music” in 1965. It was  so cool when the train would go by outside and the whole place would shake, rattle and roll!

In 1959, when I was 6, my Dad took me to see “Ben Hur” with Charlton Heston. I also remember seeing “101 Dalmatians” in 1961. I remember taking a friend of the family (who is now in her mid 30’s)to see “E.T”. in 1982. I also took her brothers to see “Superman” in 1978.

Were you one of the people in the balcony smooching, or tossing popcorn down onto the heads of those seated on the ground floor? Did you sneak a smoke in the restroom? Did you open the back door and let your friends in for free?

Can you believe one of my friends saw “Romeo and Juliet” in 1968 five times? Another lady friend remembers seeing Elvis in “Blue Hawaii” back in 1963. My aunt and her soon to be husband took my cousin to see “Bye Bye Birdie” in 1963. Here are some more recollections of those happy times at the Somerville Theatre.

“I remember Saturday matinees were 50 cents in the 60s. We would go next door to the Rexal Drug Store and buy boxes of Rock Candy for a nickel. My dentist loved me.”

A friend recalls, “I used to go to  WT Grants and buy the jumbo popcorn with the picture of an elephant on the bag for 60 cents. Then I would sneak it in to the theatre.”

And how we loved those double features! Boy, what a deal! Someone remembers eating flat ice cream cones. I don’t remember that.  A friend of mine saw the movie “Halloween” on Halloween night. That must have been something. Someone else saw “Friday the 13^th” and was so scared she ran all the way home. Who could forget those special Halloween shows where they actually had a “live” mummy and wolfman on stage?

Here are some of the movies we saw at the Somerville Theatre. “The Way We Were”, 1973. “Carrie” in 1976, “Rocky” in 1976,”Benji” in 1974,”Jaws” in 1975, ”Towering Inferno” in 1974, ”The Poseidon Adventure” in 1972 and “A Hard Day’s Night” in 1964. “Von Ryan’s Express” in 1965 and “West Side Story” in 1961. I am sure certain movies spark a special memory of that fun filled Saturday and Sunday afternoons watching movies at the Davis Square Theatre.  There were also movie theatres in Teele Square, Ball Square, and on lower Broadway, but memories are of Davis.

Ah, those magical days of watching movies at The Somerville Theater. The Jujubes would stick to your teeth, and your feet would stick to the floor.

I am happy to announce my triumphant return to Amelia’s Kitchen on Thursday Sept. 23 from 7 to 9 pm. Come sing, laugh and eat with me and your host, Delio Susi!