Do you remember the first movie you saw at the theater?
By John Roberts
@JohnRoberts (109846)
Los Angeles, California
June 14, 2018 2:17pm CST
That is a tall order for many of us meaning we who qualify for Denny’s senior specials. I come from the dark ages when drive in movie theaters were as big as indoor theaters. My parents exclusively went to drive ins while I was growing up so that was my early going movie experience. Sitting in the back seat. Speaker in the window. Popcorn and snacks from home. I have no recollection of the first movies I saw. My mother would say, You saw that movie, don’t you remember? Yeah right, I was like three and probably fell asleep.
I have racked my brain and the earliest movie I can remember seeing is 1965’s “Inside Daisy Clover.” Natalie Wood starred as a teen tomboy who can sing and groomed for movie stardom by a ruthless studio head. I know the story well having seen it several times since and read the book. What I recalled from the big drive in screen was the end when Daisy turned on the gas contemplating suicide then walks away along the beach when the house blows. “Inside Daisy Clover” must have made quite an impression at my tender age because Natalie Wood is my all time favorite and all others are beneath her.
The first movie I saw in an indoor theater was the 1967 Disney animated “The Jungle Book.” I went with a friend and stayed through it twice.
So what was your first movie going experience? Should be easy for the younger folks.
24 people like this
26 responses
@louievill (28851)
• Philippines
14 Jun 18
If I remember right it was " The ten commandments " starring Yul Brynner and Charlton Heston. It was a long movie, as a kid I was very surprised cause when we entered the theater there was still daylight and it was already dark when we came out.
4 people like this
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
14 Jun 18
That's an epic to be seen on the big screen.
1 person likes this
@inertia4 (27960)
• United States
14 Jun 18
Natalie Wood was extremely beautiful. It is a shame what happened to her back in the 1980's. The first movie I ever saw in a movie theater that I remember was The Godfather. I was young and still remember the feeling. It was amazing to me.
3 people like this
@inertia4 (27960)
• United States
15 Jun 18
@JohnRoberts Yes it is. I have all three of those movies on VHS, DVD and on my Apple Movies. When ever I get in the mood to watch them, I need to set aside some major time for it. They are all long movies.
1 person likes this
@inertia4 (27960)
• United States
15 Jun 18
@lnillerman I remember E.T. It was an amazing movie. I loved it. I do have a copy of it on DVD.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
14 Jun 18
The Godfather is a classic movie.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (181986)
• United States
15 Jun 18
I have a long memory..and one of the first movies I remember seeing, which of course was at the Drive in was The Hustler with Jackie Gleason. I still remember when they took him into a room and broke his thumb..umm mom and dad, you should have told me to avert my eyes! The actual theater I saw all the Disney movies. I think I was pretty young when I saw Cinderella, and Pinocchio. I do remember at the movie theater..when we went to see, I think it was Pinocchio, they were promoting Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? They had purple and black masks I found intriguing.
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@snowy22315 (181986)
• United States
15 Jun 18
@JohnRoberts Yeah, and I was under 4 when I saw it.
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@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
15 Jun 18
That goes back a ways! Paul Newman.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
15 Jun 18
@lnillerman The Color of Money was a sequel to The Hustler.
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (41692)
• United States
14 Jun 18
I think the first movie I saw was Bambi at the drive in with my parents.
3 people like this
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
15 Jun 18
I bet Bambi was a first for many kids.
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (41692)
• United States
16 Jun 18
@lnillerman Lots of good Disney movies back then.
1 person likes this
@louievill (28851)
• Philippines
14 Jun 18
@JohnRoberts drive in movies reached the Philippines but it did not thrive, the younger generation does not even know about it but I had been to one with my family in my dad's 50s something Dodge
2 people like this
@WorDazza (15830)
• Manchester, England
14 Jun 18
@JohnRoberts I think in certain remote parts of the UK there are mobile cinemas which can be drive-in.
Maybe I should look into this further.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
14 Jun 18
I don't think they had drives in in the UK. It's a US thing.
2 people like this
@thislittlepennyearns (62914)
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
14 Jun 18
I think Anastasia is the first one I remember going to
2 people like this
@thislittlepennyearns (62914)
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
14 Jun 18
@JohnRoberts I'm sure there was probably one before that.
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@GardenGerty (160883)
• United States
15 Jun 18
I, too, was taken to many drive ins. I remember "Tammy" movies, Jason and the Argonauts or maybe it was called Jason and the Golden Fleece. The entire neighborhood, it seems got together and went in one car for one price. I know the first movie I dreamed about was Lady and the Tramp. I had nightmares that the rats were after our parakeets. Indoor movies--my sister and I went to the Pit and the Pendulum. It cost 35 cents apiece.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
14 Jun 18
You memory is better than mine by a year. I know Disney is huge in France. I remember a cinema in Paris that specialized in just Disney.
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@topffer (42156)
• France
14 Jun 18
@JohnRoberts Disney movies are still successful among toddlers, even if we have also a lot of French made anime movies now.
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@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
16 Jun 18
mine was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Skip navigation Sign in Search Loading... Close Yeah, keep it Undo Close Watch QueueQueueWatch QueueQueue The next video is startingstop Loading... Watch Queue Queue __count__/__total__ Loading... It’s YouTube. Uninterrupted. Loading... Want music and vid
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@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
16 Jun 18
@JohnRoberts yes, though with a gadget car, Gert Frobe (Goldfinger) and Desmond Llewellyn (Q) involved too
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@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
16 Jun 18
Some Ian Fleming but not shaken or stirred.
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@hostessman (11871)
• Tucson, Arizona
15 Jun 18
i cannot help you at all i do not have any idea
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23404)
• United Kingdom
14 Jun 18
The first film I ever saw in the cinema was Zulu. It scared the life out of me!
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23404)
• United Kingdom
14 Jun 18
@JohnRoberts It certainly was! A British made film. Even still today I find it eerie!
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@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
14 Jun 18
That was Michael Caine and Stanley Baker as I recall.
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@Dena91 (16692)
• United States
15 Jun 18
My first movie in a theater was in 1976, I was 10 living in Philly, and the movie was Rocky. It was great. That said there were many drive in movies we went to as well, but honestly I can't remember my first one. My guess is that is would have been a Disney classic as well. Bambi keeps coming to mind so maybe it was that.
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@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
15 Jun 18
I saw that one. Jamie Lee Curtis.
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@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
15 Jun 18
um..i think the original last house on the left.
long time ago.
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@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
15 Jun 18
I also went to the drive-in a lot when I was growing up in the '80s and early '90s (we still had one here then, but alas it's gone now.) The first movie I really remember seeing was "The Three Amigos," with "Little Shop of Horrors" playing after it. I fell asleep during the second movie. I know those weren't the first movies I saw, but that's the first clear memory I have of seeing a movie on the big screen (I would have been about three years old.) I also recall seeing a bunch of old Disney movies when they were rereleased, but I have no idea how old I was.
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@just4him (317249)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
15 Jun 18
My first was an animated The Snow Queen. I was terrified of the Snow Queen, and it took many years before I read the book. I was even afraid then of what I would read, but I braved it, and it wasn't so bad. I was six when I saw the movie, and in fourth grade when I read the book. It's not a movie I would recommend to little kids, even if it is animated and a kids movie.
Frozen is Disney's adaptation of The Snow Queen. I recognized the underlying theme the first time I saw it. I was glad it was a lot better than The Snow Queen. I still would not watch that movie and I'm also qualified for Denny's Senior Specials.
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@pitsipeahie (5011)
•
15 Jun 18
I remember watching The Wizard of Oz and Superman (Christopher Reeve) in theaters when I was a kid. I think those were my first.
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