Comments on: Movies

By: jerry miller

jerry miller — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 19:56:27 +0000

The downtown first-run movies cost 65 cents for adults and 20 cents for kids under 12. When I turned 12, tall for my age, my parents continued to buy me a child’s ticket, and that continued until after I turned 13. I was embarrassed and would slouch down, and I was sure the ticket-taker was giving me the fish eye. Now it sounds ridiculous, but my dad was earning about $5000/year, which works out to $2.40 an hour, so it made a difference to them.

I remember scenes from a lot of movies. At the end of Public Enemy, there is a knock at the door of James Cagney’s parents. When they open it, Jimmy is there, wrapped up like a mummy except for his face, dead, with his eyes open. He totters, then falls forward. It scared the hell out of me.

The first McDonalds burger and fries (15 cents each) I ate was in Boulder in 1963. I was amazed at the price. Fat? We didn’ know nothin about no fat!

By: Joann Mahaney O'Neill

Joann Mahaney O'Neill — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 02:43:59 +0000

Interesting! It brought back vivid memories, though mine are different from yours. We too regularly ate at the Canton Cafe but I think it was between Main and Court on either 7th or 8th. A breaded veal cutlet meal that included mashed potatoes, gravey and a vegetable plus soup and a dessert was $.97. It also included a drink which was coffee, tea, or milk. I do not remember salad but it also included soup and a dessert which was a little piece of cake. Chicken Chow Mein was cheaper but I do not remember what it cost. I was surprised years later when I ordered Chicken Chow Mein in a restaurant and did not get anything that resembled what I would have been served at the Canton. My dad would order sweetbreads and that was one of the few places that served them. I do not remember what that cost either.
I think the place you were talking about was the China Lantern. My mother and I had lunch at the China Lantern several years ago. Another fond memory.
The McDonalds behind the King Lumber in the what I called the Sears shopping center was still there a couple of years ago. It is a new and improved version. The McDonalds I remember was out on the highway beyond Sunset. It had the continually changing sign that showed how many burgers had been sold and I thought that was amazing that they could count them.
I too remember going to the movies with my family in the summer. I also remember getting lost and wandering up and down the rows trying to find the car. There were some tears involved too.
Good job, Robert.

By: laurine myers mitchell

laurine myers mitchell — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 00:57:23 +0000

Indeed, there was a MacDonalds located near the Fourth Street Bridge. I recall standing in line for a long time with my dad at its grand opening. I’m guessing that I might have been about ten years old. I believe that the burgers were 15 cents each — “reasonable” from my dad’s perspective. The establishment was in the Midtown Shopping Center near the east end of the bridge, southwest of Ladd Lumber and backed up a short distance from Fourth Street.

(Okay, so maybe my directional suggestions are off a bit . . .)