Picture House Memories

My abiding menu is queuing to see Grease on four consecutive days. They alternated the queue direction each day, so as to reduce the disruption to neighbouring businesses. Then at a given point the manager would slowly walk the line, reach a certain point and "Let it be me, make it today", send the rest of us home.

I finally made it into the cinema to see John Travolta at the fourth attempt.

I cried my eyes out to ET in there and got so upset watching Kramer v Kramer that I made myself ill and had to take the following day off school.

Last film I saw there: Interview With A Vampire.

Much missed.

And I barely made it onto a wedding photograph. I'm afraid the closest I'll come to film, is watching one!

flossietoo said:

My abiding memory is queuing to see Grease on four consecutive days. They alternated the queue direction each day, so as to reduce the disruption to neighbouring businesses.

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The very first time i went to the flicks sans Ma 'n' Pa was to see Grease at the Picture House - the queue went down Bridge St, took a turn down Mill Bank and carried on to the old Mill at the very least. I went back to see it at least two more times, it may have been more - Olivia Neutron Bomb was more the draw for me, if memory serves...

I cried my eyes out to ET in there...

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From that moment on i was determined to get a BMX - and so began a love affair that continues to this day...

Much missed.

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Muchly so.

That was my first film without my parents, too!

I spent two days in the Mill Bank queue. The other two days we were directed to queue past the sweet shop, past Rowneys, past The Grapes and down Newport Road. Mostly I knew I wasn't going to get in but enjoyed being part of the attempt.

It was genuinely bonkers - i don't remember it being quite so bonkers for anything else.

I remember queues reaching the Coach & Horses, for example, on a fairly regular basis but they would probably all get in - it is almost too difficult to believe that 'Grease' induced some sort of collective madness?

Says the man (or rather boy) who queued several times...

Same went for The Exorcist, they were backed up to the Top of The World.

There were seven horses tied up outside for The Titfield Thunderbolt

I remember queuing out side Top of the world to see Grease at the Picture House only to get up as far as the entrance just to be told it was full

A bit more Brylcream and you could have slipped in

I have the abiding memory of going to see: "Close Encounters" and hearing that man with the very butch American voice tell
me: "We are not alone". Surprise, surprise I was the only one in the Picture House.

Withnail said:

The very first time i went to the flicks sans Ma 'n' Pa was to see Grease at the Picture House

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flossietoo said:

That was my first film without my parents, too!

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Back row?

I wonder how many other future Forumites spent a week of the summer holidays queuing in a futile attempt to see Grease?

In fairness, we didn't have iPads in 1978. Or daytime telly, unless you count The White Horses.

Darren - don't tell me that you gave up at the first attempt?

Gramaisc said:

Back row?

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Certainly not.

That was where the cool kids sat.

I went to watch Grease at the Picture House in Stone. Sadly no longer with us.
Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed in, because a week or two beforehand, my big sister had written a letter of complaint to the Newsletter, saying how she found the staff to be rude and not at all helpful.
She duly signed it J.G*******d. The manager at the time, a Mr Chell, took it to be from my dad, so I wasn't allowed go and see John Travolta bedecked in leather.............

I remember being the only people in there once when I went with my girlfriend. Thought things were looking promising, then another couple came in and sat about 4 seats from us on the back row! Spoilt my plans

I suppose looking back my luck could have really been in, I was just too young and naieve to spot the signs.....

I don't show up in mirrors or photographs - I think it's the silver...

Early memories? Can sort of remember seeing Star Wars, Superman (with my Mum who dropped off), ET, then Flashdance and Footloose and a while or so later balcony viewings with first, second and third glrlfriends of the likes of Goonies, Ghostbusters, Breakdance, Lost Boys, etc etc.
The immaculately turned out Robin in the foyer every show, the polite lady on the booth taking the money, the buzz of a full house for most shows and the mischievous mates who often finished their pop then threw the remaining ice from their cups across the tops of people sat in the stalls! Oh the nervous laughter!
You didnt mind queueing for ages and looked forward to the movie as one of your treats of the week. I seem to remember that if there was a couple of big release out you could compare the lengths of queues at the Odeon and Picture House and even decide which one to go to when you got there!
Modern memories of the Picture House include somehow sitting at a table near the bar with a mate before he left for Russia and drinking all day but somehow walking out in a straight line and being in there with mates and for some reason being stupid/brave enough to put myself between a mate and a bouncer (Johnny Chainsaw) to avert some serious trouble.

gilbert grape said:

glrlfriends of the likes of Goonies, Ghostbusters,

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As long as you learnt from your mistakes....

Gramaisc said:

As long as you learnt from your mistakes....

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Who does? No fun!

flossietoo said:

I wonder how many other future Forumites spent a week of the summer holidays queuing in a futile attempt to see Grease?

In fairness, we didn't have iPads in 1978. Or daytime telly, unless you count The White Horses.

Darren - don't tell me that you gave up at the first attempt?

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No i ended up seeing the film several times in the end, it was something about Oliver newton johns trousers that were calling me back over and over again