I enjoyed many wonderful hours of wide-eye excitement watching films at the State Theater in Manchester, Connecticut in the early and mid nineteen forties. The State was an elegant setting to enjoy a film, with thick carpeting, and comfortable seats. Jack Sanson was the manager, and he ran a tight ship.
The attitude of the audience was somewhat different in those days. It was common to have a “sing-a-long” as part of the bill, with the audience members following “the bouncing ball” on the screen as all joined together to sing some well known tune.
Many people got much of their news about the second world war from the news-reels. There were usually two films, a cartoon and the news on every show.
It was common for the audience to clap in appreciation, when a film ended.
For a time, there was a Frankenstein movie and a live Frankenstein show at midnight on Halloween night. The “monster” would revolt, rise from the operating table, would walk to the stairs at the one side of the stage, and begin to descend toward the audience. The masses would be screaming and those in the front rows clutched the armrests in fear. As the noise rose and the monster got closer, the lights would suddenly go out and all hell would break loose. The power of suggestion took over and the screams were deafening.
A child’s admission was $0.18 cents so if you had a quarter, you could get in plus buy a snack.
Seems like there was also a “State Theater” in Hartford, so it may have been a chain.
I enjoyed many wonderful hours of wide-eye excitement watching films at the State Theater in Manchester, Connecticut in the early and mid nineteen forties. The State was an elegant setting to enjoy a film, with thick carpeting, and comfortable seats. Jack Sanson was the manager, and he ran a tight ship.
The attitude of the audience was somewhat different in those days. It was common to have a “sing-a-long” as part of the bill, with the audience members following “the bouncing ball” on the screen as all joined together to sing some well known tune.
Many people got much of their news about the second world war from the news-reels. There were usually two films, a cartoon and the news on every show.
It was common for the audience to clap in appreciation, when a film ended.
For a time, there was a Frankenstein movie and a live Frankenstein show at midnight on Halloween night. The “monster” would revolt, rise from the operating table, would walk to the stairs at the one side of the stage, and begin to descend toward the audience. The masses would be screaming and those in the front rows clutched the armrests in fear. As the noise rose and the monster got closer, the lights would suddenly go out and all hell would break loose. The power of suggestion took over and the screams were deafening.
A child’s admission was $0.18 cents so if you had a quarter, you could get in plus buy a snack.
Seems like there was also a “State Theater” in Hartford, so it may have been a chain.
Those were wondrous years.
George A. McGraw