'Saturday Morning Pictures'

[Roger Dyer]

Hello Shipmates,

Something that member, Rodney D.R. Mills mentioned a couple of weeks back reminded me of that world of escapism many of us experienced as a child - 'Saturday Morning Pictures'.

Like Rodney, I spent part of my childhood growing up in Southend-on-sea, Essex, which, then, was a favourite seaside resort for London's East End. For me, as with most other kids, the place to be on Saturday morning was the 'Gaumont' cinema in Southchurch Road. Several hundred screaming kids queued up outside until about 9.30am, when the doors were opened signalling the start of 2+ hours of wonderful entertainment.

To get us into the swing they'd have us singing along to the bouncing ball for ten minutes always starting with "We come along on Saturday morning greeting everybody with a smile, We come along......" and other perennial kiddies' favourites . These were usually sung at the tops of our voices with a total lack of harmony. Typically this would be followed by a cartoon or two, featuring Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Joe E.Brown, The Three Stooges, Laurel & Hardy, Abbot & Costello, not forgetting 'Old Mother Riley' etc. Then it would be time for the weekly serial.....Episode 54 of 'Brick' Bradford, Superman or similar......at some stage during the morning Johnnie Weissmuller would put in an appearance as either Jungle Jim or Tarzan (J.W. was always very busy in those days). Finally it was time for the main feature, which was invariably a western starring any one or combination of the following, Roy Rogers, Gene Autrey, Hopalong Cassidy, Wild Bill Elliott, Johnny Mack Brown, George 'Gabby' Hayes, Fuzzy Knight, Smiley Burnette, and Andy Devine ( a gentle giant with an unusual croaky whine in his voice, the favourite of many).

During the course of the mornings's entertainment to be struck by something, usually sticky, was not an unusual occurrence. I distinctly recall one particular occasion when responding to a tap on the shoulder, on cue, I turned round in my seat to receive a wet and sticky ice-cream wrapper full in the face. Amid howls of laughter from those in on the joke, sat the culprit in the seat immediately behind. Grinning broadly, he was about three years older than me and much larger which immediately dispelled any thoughts of retaliation, so I had to grin and bear it - wonderfully character forming for a little boy. I have recently pondered the possibility that the culprit may have been our own member, Rodney !!! well the age is about right

When it was all over, we'd stream through the doors, spilling out onto the pavement, yelling and screaming - I can still hear them. As for me I'd do as I always did and go galloping off down Southchurch Road pointing a 'loaded' finger at pedestrians and stall-holders, shooting anything that took my fancy before repeatedly smacking my own backside to urge 'Trigger' into greater effort.

It may well be a judgement distorted by my own feelings of nostalgia, but it does seem to me that we now live in an age where children have little need to leave their homes in order to be entertained. Modern age entertainment for children is, perhaps, as it has been for the past 100 years, controlled by the mercenary interests of an adult world. Nowadays, increasingly, the child is told what to enjoy and what to think. In most electronic games, the presence of a strong violent aspect seems essential. That these type of games are sending the wrong message to the child matters not. Games designed to channel the development of the child's mind towards a healthier outlook do not sell well, apparently. Before I'm accused of being hypercritical, might I suggest that the 'Cowboys and Indians' and toy soldiers of my own childhood presented a far less harmful influence than the aggression and violence to which today's child is exposed.

There are some aspects of my childhood I look back upon fondly. Although I didn't always have, or feel the need to have, a never ending supply of 'new' things with which to interest or entertain myself, like many kids I did possess a good imagination which, sometimes, allowed me to create much to amuse myself. It proved to be a wonderful companion for a single child. Again, it is probably a misguided belief, but I can't help thinking that many of today's children lack the ability to amuse themselves and miss out on so many things we as kids once enjoyed, most of which took place in the open air. For me, Saturday morning pictures was a happiness shared, a constant in our lives, something that fueled the imagination, at least until the following Saturday and sometimes even way beyond that.


.................................................. . cheers, Roger.

[Gulliver]

Another eloquently written and evocative post,Roger !

For me,it would have been a few years later, in the late 50’s when,as a 5 year old,I would tightly clutch my elder sister’s hand and catch the little red ‘Ribble ‘bus from our village into Lancaster. Destination:Odeon-and the Saturday Club.I think it was 6d., Or 9d. in the balcony.
Menu: Raffle prize(based on your entry ticket), Cartoons, a British Pathe News programme, then Zorro !,then another short film.

I remember :- the smell, of the air fresheners,(probably from the loos) ;the plush corporate-Odeon upholstery,the ice lolly(Mivvy) in the interval; being bombarded with lolly sticks and spat -out sweeties from the Balcony Mob above(,my sister’s long hair catching most of the half-sucked boiled sweets followed by her accompanying shrieks of horror) ;the ciggy smoke making swirling patterns in the projector beam - we were all supposed to be kids,so I suppose the projectionist was having a sly one.Then there were the usherettes - Saturday Club always seemed to get the tyrannical Granny type who marched up and down the aisles keeping law and order…..
　
Talking about cinema movies…to this day my knowledge of most of them is very,very limited,much to my shame whenever a quiz question involving films is asked.
The reason ?…. Well,my Dad,being a policeman ,on his days off used to take us to that very same Odeon (no doubt he got free entry I would think ).
Between the ages of 6 and 10 I would be ‘forced’ to sit through such epics as Ben Hur,Exodus,South Pacific…and horror of horrors(for a 6 year old),the whole bloody gory showing of The Bridge on the River Kwai. I had nightmares after that - and which I’m sure was the reason why a rubber undersheet duly appeared in my bed for about a year afterwards…..


That was my Dad though - he must have thought it was a real treat for his precious kids. I used to always fall asleep,and remember him half carrying me,and dragging my sister -two very zombie -like youngsters -out into the bright midweek afternoon daylight.
So Bless my Dad even if it was only him who enjoyed them !

To this day,I really can’t sit through a movie lasting more than about two hours,and I'm usually exhausted afterwards...
　

Gulliver

[Ian Walker]

This link is to a song called Saturday cowboys sung and composed by Bernard Wrigley a folk singer from Bolton.
The lyrics exlain everything about being a Saturday Cowboy.
Enjoy.
Cheers Ian.

YouTube - ‪SATURDAY COWBOYS‬‏
If this link fails then just search youtube for the title and composeres name.

[Neville Roberts]

I remember going to the kenny pic house in liverpool and they would take 6 empty jam jars sometimes to get in . and we used to send one of us in and he would open the side door wich was covered by a curtain too keep the light out , and let the others in when the usher was busy on the other side ,never did like roy rogers as he sang songs . I liked the rough and tumble cowboys better , and the fights in the salloons . after sat afternoons, we used too go at night with Mum& Dad too the posh pic house the casino further down kensington, that was a real treat with ice cream WOW .when I look at all the technology that we have today it is pure science fiction compared with what we had , a wet cell radio was the . thing then , and most houses still had gas lights ,with mantles . oh boy I must be gettin old l

[Colin Hawken]

I remember one of our local fleapits,The Regent. The front row of seats in the cheapies (The Shillings ) was loose and often if a film was boring (to us) and there was nobody sitting in them we would put our feet against the back and shove.The result being the row would tip over with a resounding crash. By the time the Usherettes arrived with flashing torches there was nobody nearer to these seats than at least three or four rows back. All sitting there with innocent,nothing to do with me looks on our faces.It was known as the usual riot in the Shillings.I hasten to add that I,of course,never got involved in such hooliganism. I never understood why the didn't secure those seats. To the best of my knowledge right up to the day it was demolished,those seats were still not secured.

[alf corbyn]

hi roger i used to deliver to a timber company in southchurch street, i think called southchurch timber. haha. didn't your little girlfriend knit you a set of reins using her cotton reel?. we used to have treasure island as our serial plus all the cartoons and another serial with hopalong cassidy.

Neil sorry i haven't replied to your message on facebook but i do not use it as i think it is a bit childish.alf

[Captain Kong]

Remember Flash Gordon?
He was ahead of the game. He had Skype, he could talk to and see Ming on Mars. Fantastic.
I can only do Australia and Arizona.


In our Bug Hut the man came around with a Flit Gun, every Saturday afternoon. and sprayed us all before the film started, from around 1939 to 1947 when I stopped going. I never knew what was in it but the chemicals in those days never had a health warning on them. We just came under a gas attack every week.
I wonder if that caused a lot of cancer, all my mates of that era are all dead, most with cancer.
The cinema is now demolished and replaced by a big Mosque. I guess times are a changing.
They certainly will not the fun we had when it was the Bug Hut.

[alf corbyn]

captain. why can't they use the flit gun in the mosque? that should get rid of a few. alf

[happy daze john in oz]

Roger mate you have done it again, stirred up the old mamaries of years gone by.
Yes I well remember the Saturday Morning Cinema, took my first girl friend to one Saturday, must have been all of about eight years old. Had some great times like all of us did, remember buying icy poles and leaving the wrapper on so they would last longer. Not quite sure how we sucked it through the paper but guess we did.
Also recall seeing movies at school, always one at the end of the year, think we saw 'The Life and Times of Colonel Blimp' about five times. On Friday at junior school last year students were treated to a movies show. One movie would be a documentary with questions at the end, then the big one. "What happens next' was the title. It was a short five minute show which ended in mid story, we then had to write the ending, part of our English language teaching. Most weeks we would write something stupid and the teacher would then read out what she considered the best.
That was until young Melvin handed his in one Monday morning. Mr. Froome the headmaster sent for his parents and wanted to know what sort of a depraved life style they lived, their son handing in such filth? It was not Melvin but his older brother we later found out who wrote it for him.
The story had been about three lads and two girls, bit like the famous Five of Enid Blyton. But with Melvin's brother the ending was hardly Enid Blyton. No, he had two of the lads with two of the girls behind the bicycle shed, saying the third one did not like girls. That was the last time we had 'What happens next".
It was a couple of years later we queued outside The Odeon Cinema in Eltham waiting to see The tommy Steele story.
Down the road in Lee was The Savoy cinema, a short fifteen minute bus ride from school in New Cross. Many the day we wagged school to go in the afternoon to see a movie.No problem getting in to see X rated movies as the girl on the desk at that time of day was very often only a couple of years older than us. Took one afternoon off the see, "The law and Jake Wade' the last movie there before they closed it for good.
They were indeed great times and yes the kids of today are, in my opinion, missing a real treat.
But times have changed, only one show now, no B movie to go with the big one, just adds, and no ice cream girl in the intermission. But come to think of it no intermission now!

[Dennis McGuckin]

Remember when I was a kid growing up in Durham City.
The Globe picture house charged fourpence to get in. If I took my kid sister, who I had to carry, mam would let me go and give me the money [cheap way to get a baby sitter]
This next bit should maybe be under the RAT post.
Anyway, after you knocked the rats off the seat you could settle in for some fun.
This usually entailed trying to shoot rats [in the dark] with your catapult.
We would change our target to the screen when the bad guys showed up.
Writing this for the first time, I have just realised I must have been a bit of a hooligan!!
Innocent fun though compared with what goes on these days.
The old Globe lasted for years, and ended it's day as a XX rated movie house.
Last visit home, it was gone.
Rats an all one hopes.
Den.