old movies
I have this friend, Stewart, in the office who doesn't forget to drop by my desk daily to talk about football, movies (old movies and new movies especially westerns) and the latest news. We sort of exchange views and shoot the breeze for a while before he gets back to his desk at 9. Well this fellow is actually an old friend whom I met in an advertising class over 30 years ago. I remembered him when he first joined the organisation except that I could'nt place him till one day when we were talking about advertising I remembered where we had met. He still has the same gruff voice and hairstyle albeit less hair and grey.
The other day we were speaking about old movies and some of the old classics and he suggested that I write about it in my blog. Swell idea I thought.
So here goes.
But before I name some great movies and actors, I would like to reminisce on the old days and the black and white movies that some of us would have seen in our small towns and kampongs. Most of the old movies that I saw were the cheap matinees at the Star theatre, Cathay, Pavilion or Rex. It would be shown on Sunday mornings at about 10 and costed only 40 cents for a seat. I would always look forward to going for the shows after Sunday mass. I would quietly sneak out of the house and ride my bike to the theatre and buy the ticket, always alone. If I had money to spend then I would get some 'cuaci'. I loved to get in early to see the supporting shows. My elder brothers would always talk about the good shows with their friends and I would listen in and then save some money and go for it. Most of the time they were right and I would come back satisfied and tell my kampong friends. Movies were the only form of entertainment then, besides the games we played in the evenings. I remember in the fifties when TV wasn't around yet, my elder brother who worked in the Information Department would bring home a projector and films from the office. Word would go round that there would be a film show that night at the cement court where we played badminton. At around 6pm my brother and I would pack the films and projector into a friends car and drive to the screening area. Boy, what a crowd there would be waiting for us. Old folk, kids ( for the cartoons that would be normally be screened before the feature for the night) and ladies would be seated on the ground with packets of kacang and cuaci. I used to swell with pride when we arrived at the place. My brother was the star attraction. Everyone used to watch his every movement as he put the projector on a table and then adjust the screen ( a white piece of cloth). Then the reels would come out and he would slowly feed them into the projector. How much fun we would have then.
The other day we were speaking about old movies and some of the old classics and he suggested that I write about it in my blog. Swell idea I thought.
So here goes.
But before I name some great movies and actors, I would like to reminisce on the old days and the black and white movies that some of us would have seen in our small towns and kampongs. Most of the old movies that I saw were the cheap matinees at the Star theatre, Cathay, Pavilion or Rex. It would be shown on Sunday mornings at about 10 and costed only 40 cents for a seat. I would always look forward to going for the shows after Sunday mass. I would quietly sneak out of the house and ride my bike to the theatre and buy the ticket, always alone. If I had money to spend then I would get some 'cuaci'. I loved to get in early to see the supporting shows. My elder brothers would always talk about the good shows with their friends and I would listen in and then save some money and go for it. Most of the time they were right and I would come back satisfied and tell my kampong friends. Movies were the only form of entertainment then, besides the games we played in the evenings. I remember in the fifties when TV wasn't around yet, my elder brother who worked in the Information Department would bring home a projector and films from the office. Word would go round that there would be a film show that night at the cement court where we played badminton. At around 6pm my brother and I would pack the films and projector into a friends car and drive to the screening area. Boy, what a crowd there would be waiting for us. Old folk, kids ( for the cartoons that would be normally be screened before the feature for the night) and ladies would be seated on the ground with packets of kacang and cuaci. I used to swell with pride when we arrived at the place. My brother was the star attraction. Everyone used to watch his every movement as he put the projector on a table and then adjust the screen ( a white piece of cloth). Then the reels would come out and he would slowly feed them into the projector. How much fun we would have then.
Stewart is one of the few persons I know who remembers quite a lot about the old movies and actors(westerns). Some of the names he mentions I can remember , some I can't. So I aked him to list the them out. Here they are:
John Wayne - The Searchers/North to Alaska/Rio Bravo
Burt Lancaster - Lawman
Steve Mc Queen- Nevada Smith/Magnificient Seven
Kirk Douglas-Last Train from Gun Hill
Henry Fonda - Once upon a time in the west
Robert Taylor - The law and Jake Wayde
Richard Widmark- Warlock/Last wagon
Glen Ford- The fastest gun alive
Charles Bronson- Chato's Land/ Magnificient Seven
Gregory Peck-The Bravados
Richard Boone - Have gun will travel (TV)
Alad Ladd -Shane/Drumbeat
James Garner- Hour of the Gun
Robert Rayan-The Professionals
Lee Marvin - The man who shot Liberty Valance/Cat Ballou
James Stewart-The man who shot Liberty Valance (remember the song)
Lee Van Cleef-The Good, Bad and Ugly
If any of you guys remember some good ones we left out, we would be pleased to hear from you.
So long!
posted by Dave's Delight | 1:06 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home