Part Five of Father Geek's Cool Film Experiences...
11. Experiencing NORTH BY NORTHWEST with 5 friends on my Birthday in 1959 at S.A.'s cavernous Majestic. It cost us 50 cents each to get in. I was 14, we sat thru it twice, stuffed ourselves with 10 cent chili dogs, 5 cent Payday bars, and nickel Cokes; and made believe we were on Mount Rushmore escaping the Black Knight himself, James Mason by climbing all over the Rococo theatre's ornate facades stretching up to the theatre's 2nd balcony (until recently a forbidden spot for us white boys) resting high in its star filled sky and gently floating storm clouds.
We spent all our money on munches so we didn't have the cash for our 5 cent bus rides home. We decided to hoof-it the 4 miles to our houses. Something I had done many times. Our route took us by the old red sandstone Bexar co. court house, I asked my buds if they wanted to see "The Chair"? My Dad had shown it to me and some scouting friends a while before and I thought I could still find "It".
We wandered down corridors and stairwells for awhile then... there it was... "The Door". I gave the knob a cautious twist, the portal swung open, there in the middle of the basement windowless room it stood, Bexar county's original Electric Chair used to execute the worst of the badguys before the state took over the job from local authorities years before. We stared quietly for several minutes, each boy lost in his own thoughts. I don't think anyone said a word while in that room. After a few moments we continued home. I have since seen this Hitchcock masterwork probably 25 or 30 times including once with the writer, but this was the time I will invariably remember my entire life.
10. The Spaghetti Western night at Austin's now defunct Longhorn Drive-in during the Fall of 1967. On our 1st real date Harry's Mom and I watched Leone's magnum opus trilogy of western glory A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS, FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE, and THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY from the front seat of "BARON", her loaded, purple muscle car, a 67 Olds Cutlass Supreme. God, I miss that car, her too!
We parked 4th row center and pulled 2 speakers in each side of the car (one for every window), adjusted the 5 way electric seat, pushed the review mirror against the roof, and laid back to enjoy the evening. In keeping with the films' feel we were belting down Southern Comfort straight from the quart bottle, till it ran out about half way through the 2nd picture.
I still feel this is the best western triple feature you could watch, followed of course by Ford's great frontier cavalry trilogy with Wayne. Eastwood's man with no name is pure genius and those haunting scores will stay in my head forever. The films were classic yet exaggerated, violent, and very beautiful.
9. Attending the regional premiere of THE 10 COMMANDMENTS in 1956 at San Antonio's phantastic movie palace, the great Aztec Theatre (long gone, but never to be forgotten). Ann Baxter, Edward G. Robinson, and DeMille were there along with others. The uber plush, torch-lit outdoor pyramid decor with it's "New Moon" hanging over head among the twinkling stars 3 balconies high, our seats flanked by several 35' Toltec Warrior Gods with flaming eyes, and the eminent presence of the theatre's mammoth sacrificial stone stained with the blood of thousands added to the mystique of the event. No one seemed to care that the surroundings were not Egyptian.
The lobby was full of props and Egyptian costumed ushers. My parents bought me some repro Egyptian relics like ones used in the movie; Rameses' Horsehair Fly Flicker, that Jackals game Baxter played, a great 12"x18" program, etc.... but what I really wanted was Yul's Blue Helmet and Eagle-winged Chest piece. As an 11 year-old this motion picture quite simply, blew my mind!
8. Watching a completely restored masterprint of 1925's LOST WORLD by Willis O'Brien at the big Dallas Comic Convention in the summer of 1993. There were only 12 people in the audience other than Harry and me, 2 of them were Forrey Ackerman, founder/editor of Famous Monsters of Filmland Magazine,and Stop-motion Animation Genius Ray Harryhausen.
Ray gave an informal running commentary throughout the film, with his lifetime buddy Forrey chiming in from time to time. These two guys told marvelous stories about O'Brien, KING KONG, Lost World, the 60's remake, the VALLEY OF GWANGI, the just released JURASSIC PARK, and themselves. Four or five of us stood around in the low lit screening room talking with them for ages. We could have hung out there forever. Ray gave us his London address and Forrey invited us to visit the Ackermansion later that summer. (which we did) This was all just TOO geeky for words!
Part Four of An Exploration of the Greatest Film Experiences Known In Father Geek’s Life Span!!!
Part Six of An Exploration of the Greatest Film Experiences Known In Father Geek’s Life Span!!!
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