I grew up on Grafton Street in the 1930s and the Ambassador was the “go-to” destination on Saturday afternoons. Admission was 10 cents for kids, but during WWII, a penny “war tax” was added. Many times, a Filipino yo-yo expert would perform remarkable tricks on stage with that popular toy. Friday nights were “dish nights,” and my parents would attend the show as much to add a piece to our dinnerware as see a double feature. They also played “Screeno” in which patrons holding lucky number tickets would get to pop balloons containing mostly $1 bills, but there would be a $5 or $10. For my own first Friday night attendance, at the age of 10 in 1939, mom and dad took me to see Walt Disney’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” When my kid sister was old enough, I’d take her with me and we’d dine at the Chinese restaurant two doors down. Our lunches and movie admissions came to less than $1.
I grew up on Grafton Street in the 1930s and the Ambassador was the “go-to” destination on Saturday afternoons. Admission was 10 cents for kids, but during WWII, a penny “war tax” was added. Many times, a Filipino yo-yo expert would perform remarkable tricks on stage with that popular toy. Friday nights were “dish nights,” and my parents would attend the show as much to add a piece to our dinnerware as see a double feature. They also played “Screeno” in which patrons holding lucky number tickets would get to pop balloons containing mostly $1 bills, but there would be a $5 or $10. For my own first Friday night attendance, at the age of 10 in 1939, mom and dad took me to see Walt Disney’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” When my kid sister was old enough, I’d take her with me and we’d dine at the Chinese restaurant two doors down. Our lunches and movie admissions came to less than $1.