Western Oz Words: Magic Of The Movies
In this effervescent and nostalgic column Margaret Dunn conveys a lifetime's excitement and delight in going to the cinema.
Ever since I was a child I have enjoyed the thrill of entering some dark space, away from the light of day, to be transported to another world. Sometimes I make this journey with others, but I’m quite happy to travel alone.
Since I was first taken to the cinema as a small child to watch the adventures of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, I have been completely hooked on going to the cinema.
There were two cinemas in our village, and as there was no television at that time, everybody went to "the pictures'' which were mostly from Hollywood.
There were cowboy films, with Hopalong Cassidy, Gene Autry and Roy Rogers (the singing cowboy), galloping across the prairie on their wonderful horses. Or you could be thrilled by City Crime, where gangsters in long black overcoats would roam the city streets, gunning down their victims as police cars went screaming after them in hot pursuit. George Raft, James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart were the stars.
Weepie’ films were popular - family dramas or war stories, with Bette Davis, Barbara Stanwyck, Tyrone Power, Cary Grant. The British stars most loved were Margaret Lockwood and James Mason. Who could forget The Wicked Lady!
From time to time I have been deprived of films, but in this latter stage of life I can indulge my passion to the full. Here in Perth, we enjoy a variety of cinemas, from the giant multi-screen palaces to the old-fashioned family picture houses, with the best of foreign films brought to us by the independent art house venues.
My favourite local cinema is The Cygnet, which of course is near the Swan River. Still in its original art deco style, this independent has been bringing the magic of the Silver screen to Como and South Perth since 1937.
Cinema gives us a chance to leave behind the cares and troubles of everyday life. We can pamper ourselves with the feast of treats on offer - cold drinks, or piping hot coffee. a splendid array of sweets and chocolate, or go for an icecream cone - five flavours to choose from.
Clutching our treats, we enter the inner sanctum, relaxing into a seat specially designed for our comfort. Everyone settles down, then the lights dim and we are in the comforting dark, safe and protected -back in the womb!
The curtains open and the screen blazes into life. A short spell of adverts, then the big moment - the movie of the year - the one you dare not miss - or whatever the publicity hype says about it. For the next 90 minutes or so, we will enjoy the magic of another existence. We might be hot on the trail of a serial killer - where will he strike next! We could be caught up in a family drama - will the husband leave his sleazy girlfriend and go back to his wife and children? Or we could be tense with horror - have the aliens come in peace or do they mean to destroy planet earth?
As the last scene fades we must return to the realities of life, but for a little while we are still in that other world. What a dramatic ending! Wasn't the camera work wonderful!
Reaching home, we feel satisfied, stimulated, entertained. Some might say it's more convenient to watch films at home. You can have drinks and snacks before you on the coffee table. But that is tame and mediocre stuff. Why not make it an adventure! Expand your horizons.
Come to the pictures with me!
