Things in living memory which seem very anachronistic now

[75A]

Back in the day most town centres would have at least two or three cinemas, all showing different films (they barred each other from showing the same film). The passing trade was important, hence the display of posters and stills on the front of house. Performances were continuous, so you could buy a ticket at any time, go in in the middle of the film and see it through to the "this is where we came in" point. Films were only on for a week, which was actually six days in many places as Sunday was reserved for old reissues. In smaller towns many cinemas played split weeks with one programme from Monday to Wednesday and another from Thursday to Saturday.

My Sister and I were regulars @ Saturday morning pictures can anyone remind me of what we warched in the late 60's early 70's?

 

[dangie]

My Sister and I were regulars @ Saturday morning pictures can anyone remind me of what we warched in the late 60's early 70's?

Saturday morning matinees. Always good fun. Going to the pictures in the 50’s/60’s meant watching two films. There was the main film preceded by a ‘B’ film which was often rubbish but sometimes better than the main film.

 

[Ediswan]

My Sister and I were regulars @ Saturday morning pictures can anyone remind me of what we warched in the late 60's early 70's?

Anything from the Children's Film Foundation.

 

[AM9]

My Sister and I were regulars @ Saturday morning pictures can anyone remind me of what we warched in the late 60's early 70's?

I remember the normal running sequence in the '50s:

1) cartoon, - usually Looney Toons​

2) short documentory film, e.g. wildlife/space exploration/certain events​

3) a running serial e.g. thriller/western, either with 'goodies' and 'badies'​

4) a 'feature film', (usually a B movie that was a few years old)​

 

[najaB]

Always good fun. Going to the pictures in the 50’s/60’s meant watching two films. There was the main film preceded by a ‘B’ film which was often rubbish but sometimes better than the main film.

Up until fairly recently that was the case back home. Now that The Globe cinema has closed it's only the drive-in that offers two films for the price of one.

It's normally main film, B film then the main film repeated. Presumably for those couples who missed it the first time round, having had their attention on other matters.

 

[pdq]

On the subject of cinema, I remember the intermission (why not an interval), often in the middle of the main feature. Was this commonplace, or just a feature of small cinemas, or of showings aimed at children?

 

[Ediswan]

On the subject of cinema, I remember the intermission (why not an interval), often in the middle of the main feature. Was this commonplace, or just a feature of small cinemas, or of showings aimed at children?

Normal at the Odeon, Florida and ABC in Enfield, none of which were what I think of as small. Time to buy a small, slightly melted tub of ice cream.

Site of the Odeon is now Tesco, Florida part of the one-way system, ABC is flats.

 

[najaB]

On the subject of cinema, I remember the intermission (why not an interval), often in the middle of the main feature. Was this commonplace, or just a feature of small cinemas, or of showings aimed at children?

If I'm not mistake, the practice orginiated in days when cinemas only had one projector and the reels of film were so bulky that it wasn't possible to fit a whole feature-length presentation on a single reel. So the internmission existed as much for the convenience of the the projectionist as to allow sales of refreshments.

 

[Western Lord]

On the subject of cinema, I remember the intermission (why not an interval), often in the middle of the main feature. Was this commonplace, or just a feature of small cinemas, or of showings aimed at children?

Intermissions were a feature of the long epic films which featured in the roadshow era. When these films went on general release they usually still featured an intermission.
Intermissions were always good for kiosk and ice cream sales and some small town independent cinema owners put them (unauthorised) into normal releases for this reason. If the distributor found out they would have been in trouble. The major circuits would never dare do this.

Normal at the Odeon, Florida and ABC in Enfield, none of which were what I think of as small. Time to buy a small, slightly melted tub of ice cream.

Site of the Odeon is now Tesco, Florida part of the one-way system, ABC is flats.

Well, there was never an Odeon in Enfield. It is the Former ABC that is the entrance to Tesco. The Florida was run by Granada. There is no way that these major circuits would be putting unauthorised intermissions in films. Of course, all programmes had a sales interval between films.

 

[McRhu]

I well remember going to “The Pictures” in Perth to see ’The Killer Whale Namu’ which had a lovely theme song and may have been the B film to The Nutty Professor. It cost 2/6d to get the bus there and back, see the film, have a meal and spend half an hour in the paddle boats on the North Inch. Anyway - surely the best bit of the whole cinema experience was to sit right at the edge of the balcony and drop ice cream on the unfortunates within range in the stalls below.

 

[dangie]

Off Topic question: is that Joule as in the SI unit of energy?

The physicist himself did come from a family of brewers, I believe.

No I don’t think it is. If you type ‘joule’s brewery stone history’ into Google (or other Search Engine) there is quite a bit of information available.

 

[Ediswan]

Well, there was never an Odeon in Enfield. It is the Former ABC that is the entrance to Tesco. The Florida was run by Granada.

Having checked further, I agree. In which case what was the third called (at the end of Burleigh Way, off Church Street) ?

 

[Western Lord]

Having checked further, I agree. In which case what was the third called (at the end of Burleigh Way, off Church Street) ?

That was the Rialto, later renamed Granada. The Florida was an independent until 1974 when Granada took it over but closed it two years later.

 

[simonw]

On the subject of cinema, I remember the intermission (why not an interval), often in the middle of the main feature. Was this commonplace, or just a feature of small cinemas, or of showings aimed at children?

Still a thing in some cinemas in the netherlands

 

[philthetube]

I remember going to see "Champions" at the Woodbridge Riverside Theatre on a midweek afternoon, I deliberately arrived a few minutes late to avoid some of the pearl and dean ads, paid my money to a lady who gave me a funny look, at the time I had no idea why, then followed her through to the cinema, as she entered she turned on the lights, there was not a sole in the place, I sat down and she went to start the film. nobody else entered through out the show.

Anyway, relevant to the thread, at the intermission she entered the cinema, and I got personal service on the Ice cream, drinks front, It would have felt churlish not to buy something.

 

[GordonT]

Works foremen of a manual labour force employed in a fairly grubby environment coming to work whose wearing apparel included smart shirt, tie and flat cap.

 

[Springs Branch]

Works foremen of a manual labour force employed in a fairly grubby environment coming to work whose wearing apparel included smart shirt, tie and flat cap.

Ah yes, I've seen a few 'old railway' photos of permanent way gangs - when this was a heavily manual activity - with men in shirtsleeves with shovels and giant crowbars at work on the track, and the gaffer in tweed jacket, collar & tie and flat cap overseeing proceedings. I suspect that although he might be standing by looking 'in charge' for the camera, this breed of foreman would put his 'shoulder to the wheel' every now and then to help his men.

Another character which might also feature in this type of photo - if the particular job was a big or important one - was the man in suit (or mackintosh) and trilby hat. This would be the relevant Inspector.

So there's another anachronism - common use of the job title "Inspector" for on-the-ground operations management roles. Various railway memoirs mention encounters, rules tests and the like with the local Traction Inspector, Platform Inspector, or Signalling Inspector, depending on what story was being told.

I'm sure most of these are now re-named "Driver Manager", "Station Operations Manager", or maybe some impenetrable title where you have no idea what their job is.

Are there still many Inspectors out and about on today's railway? Apart from the well-travelled Inspector Sands, of course.

 

[Harpo]

So there's another anachronism - common use of the job title "Inspector" for on-the-ground operations management roles.

Still very much in use as a police rank although in my workplace dealings with BTP, an Inspector was always referred to as a supervisor. Is that common?

 

[PeterC]

Saturday morning matinees. Always good fun. Going to the pictures in the 50’s/60’s meant watching two films. There was the main film preceded by a ‘B’ film which was often rubbish but sometimes better than the main film.

I remember being caught out when the main feature was a "U" but the second was an "A".

Thinking about those old classifications reminded me that Moving Pictures on Freeview are showing the only black and white Robin Hood shows with Richard Greene. These were first broadcast as childrems' programmes but are now classified as PG.

 

[najaB]

Thinking about those old classifications reminded me that Moving Pictures on Freeview are showing the only black and white Robin Hood shows with Richard Greene. These were first broadcast as childrems' programmes but are now classified as PG.

There's not a huge difference. According to the BBFC:

PG-rated content is suitable for general viewing. A PG should generally not unsettle a child aged around eight, although parents and caregivers should be aware that some scenes may be unsuitable for more sensitive children.

So it's still classed as suitable for children other than the very youngest/most sensitive.

 

[TUC]

Movies where someone woke up in the middle of nowhere and could not contact anyone.

Intermissions were a feature of the long epic films which featured in the roadshow era. When these films went on general release they usually still featured an intermission.
Intermissions were always good for kiosk and ice cream sales

My dad was a cinema projectionist. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and The Sound Of Music were two films with intermissions. For The Sound Of Music, in an era before multiscreens and so where it was the only film showing, this resulted in my dad seeing it over 700 times, by when it was starting to lose its appeal to him...

 

[Harpo]

I can remember when Home Alone or The Italian Job were a TV viewing highlight. Now they seem to be on more frequently than some adverts.

 

[Indigo Soup]

Intermissions were a feature of the long epic films which featured in the roadshow era. When these films went on general release they usually still featured an intermission.

I used to have a two-disc DVD of Doctor Zhivago, which instructed the viewer to change discs during the intermission!

Movies where someone woke up in the middle of nowhere and could not contact anyone.

It's a common problem in crime and horror fiction these days to contrive a reason why the cast can't just phone for help...

 

[Peter Mugridge]

...The Italian Job.... seem to be on more frequently than some adverts.

The problem is, it's usually the awful remake rather than the original in this case.

 

[AM9]

I can remember when Home Alone or The Italian Job were a TV viewing highlight. Now they seem to be on more frequently than some adverts.

Probably because their lack of demand make them cheap to show. I remember the orginal (1969) Italian Job was a popular film of its time and probably still get's reasonable viewing audiences. Same as the 1971 original film of Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, despite having Johnny Depp in it the 2005 remake didn't have the story impact of the original Gene Wilder version.

 

[gg1]

It's a common problem in crime and horror fiction these days to contrive a reason why the cast can't just phone for help...

They could just give the characters a Giffgaff SIM.

 

[Killingworth]

My dad was a cinema projectionist. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and The Sound Of Music were two films with intermissions. For The Sound Of Music, in an era before multiscreens and so where it was the only film showing, this resulted in my dad seeing it over 700 times, by when it was starting to lose its appeal to him...

My economics master at school worked evenings as a projectionist at his local cinema when studying. Some films went to two reels loaded on 2 projectors. The art was to have both running so the two were at exactly the same place in the film when the first was covered and the second uncovered so a viewer would hardly notice. Combining this with his economics studies required very good timing

When giving film shows to old folks homes 50 years ago (before they all had colour tv) I dreaded a film snap and having to splice it together again.

 

[Ediswan]

When giving film shows to old folks homes 50 years ago (before they all had colour tv) I dreaded a film snap and having to splice it together again.

That is one of those tasks where a 'professional' tool is much easier than the 'occasional use' budget option.

 

[DelW]

My economics master at school worked evenings as a projectionist at his local cinema when studying. Some films went to two reels loaded on 2 projectors. The art was to have both running so the two were at exactly the same place in the film when the first was covered and the second uncovered so a viewer would hardly notice. Combining this with his economics studies required very good timing

If you watch old films on TV, you'll sometimes see a couple of circular or elliptical dots appear briefly in the top corner of the frame, a couple of seconds apart. Those are "change-over dots" that are set (iirc) five and three seconds before the end of the reel. If the second projector has the film leader correctly positioned, starting it as the second dot appears should give a seamless changeover. It does need good concentration.

 

[simonw]

If you watch old films on TV, you'll sometimes see a couple of circular or elliptical dots appear briefly in the top corner of the frame, a couple of seconds apart. Those are "change-over dots" that are set (iirc) five and three seconds before the end of the reel. If the second projector has the film leader correctly positioned, starting it as the second dot appears should give a seamless changeover. It does need good concentration.

You can still see them on tv shows

Cue mark - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org