That’s the movie that made me afraid to go to movies for a while. I asked to go to the bathroom, and my dad poked me in the eye. At least that’s how I remember it. We joked about that as long as he lived.
I remember that too. My little sister and I went to see the Nicholas Hammond Spider-Man movie, which were released theatrically in overseas territories. I must have been 9 years old. I was so proud of myself for not messing it up.
Born in 1951. I must have been 5 or 6 years old. My grandmother and my older cousin were visiting, and my parents let my cousin, who was 9 or 10, take me to see “The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms at our neighborhood theater. I was in the midst of being dinosaur-crazy at the time, so it thrilled me!
I remember kids at Saturday matinees sometimes getting rowdy and flinging popcorn and flattened popcorn boxes around the auditorium. The cinema’s manager would stop the movie, turn up the lights, and tell everyone to knock it off over the PA system. The film would resume once it was quiet again.
Born 1950, San Diego, the Saturday “Kiddy Matinees”. My “Old Yeller” event was at the old majestic Orpheum Theater downtown, just a few miles from our house. Every subsequent KM I went to (must have been dozens of times) was at either the Bay Theater in National City, or the Abilee Theater just a couple of blocks away.
I was three years old when I first saw a movie in a theater. That might seem too young, but my parents explained the rules for movie-going beforehand (i.e., sit down and be quiet except when the audience is laughing, in which case it’s okay). I’m pretty sure the first two films I saw in a theater were a re-release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and the initial release of 2001: A Space Odyssey (not together, BTW). Surprisingly, I wasn’t scared by the dark moments in Snow White or bored by 2001. I don’t know what that says about me as a small child.
In retrospect, I’m surprised about how many movies my parents took me to when I was three. In addition to Snow White and 2001, I saw in theaters and drive-ins Disney’s The Jungle Book, The Odd Couple, Dr. Doolittle, The Shakiest Gun in the West, Funny Girl, Did You Hear the One About the Traveling Saleslady?, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and The Party before my fourth birthday.
Gorgo (1961). I was four. After that, Gorgo was my hero. I got it in my head that I could just summon the lizard-beast at will to fight my battles, and I convinced the neighborhood kids I could as well. They respected my bodyguard. And if I needed more muscle, I could summon Gorgo’s mom.
The next movie I remember is It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963). Funniest thing I’d ever seen—but I could never keep track of how many “Mads” were in the title. When I retold it, the title ballooned to It’s a Mad x 12 World, with half of Hollywood in the cast.
Then came Cat Ballou (1965). A Western so funny it made Jane Fonda an outlaw, Lee Marvin an Oscar-winner, and Nat King Cole my favorite narrator.
Lastly, Bonnie and Clyde (1967). The first movie that made crime look cool—until the ending reminded me why I should stick to Hopalong Cassidy.
I was four years old. My first movie was Mary Poppins. My Mom took me; I think she wanted a break from the demands of my baby sister. Dad was left in charge.
It didn’t affect me in any way, except to make sure that I have loved movies ever since. “It’s in colour! And there are no commercials!” At a time when we got only two channels on black-and-white TV, and one of them always snowy, this was something special.
That makes 2 of us here.
Does anyone remember the 3D classic The Thirteen Ghosts? I saw it with my brother at one Saturday matinee, but those cheap cardboard-and-cellophane 3D glasses never seemed to work properly. When the creepy guy who delivers the family’s invitation to spend the night at the haunted house knocks (or rings) at the front door, Mike would always say “Telegram for Mr. Bunny” in an appropriately macabre voice.
I remember Swiss Family Robinson too, along with a biopic about The Brothers Grimm.
My dad took me to see Mary Poppins several times in one week over Thanksgiving of 1964. Another cherished childhood memory, but I was unable to reconcile the Julie Andrews in that movie with the one in The Americanization of Emily, which came out around the same time.
I loved Mary Poppins so much that my dad gave me the soundtrack album for Christmas that year. I listened to it incessantly until I knew every word of every song, though I had no idea of what “Noblesse Oblige” was.
I think it was Mary Poppins and The Three Lives of Thomasina that gave me my love of British accents.
Gorgo was possibly the only Godzilla clone who wiggled his ears comically.
Funniest thing I’d ever seen—but I could never keep track of how many “Mads” were in the title.
JUst repeat mentally the theme song – it fits perfectly, as I’m sure it was intended to (one of the little amniimated figures in the opening credit sings the title to the music – or tries to, before it’s stifled.
Repeat after me – “It’s a ..Mad…Mad…MAD… Mad … World”
Sadly, I didn’t care for it much.
It was the first movie I ever watched from the projection booth.
Born in 1969 - the first movie I remember i remember seeing at the theatre vividly is Halloween. My cousin took me. And that start a life long obsession with Michael Myers.
Wow. THAT’S a heck of an initiation !!!
It says something about that William Shatner mask as well as the actor underneath it that THAT is what lingers !!
I was born in 1962. I had a bit of a crush on Jamie Lee Curtis. 
And- Welcome to The Straight Dope !!! It’s a heck of a great community.
–Cartooniverse
Yes! Welcome.
I still haven’t seen that one to this day.
i don’t watch horrour movies.
at home, i did not do well during “the fly” with vincent price. when the wife revealed the husband’s fly head, i went running. reoccurring nightmares for years.
first theatr movie was disney’s dr doolittle from 1967. it was kid movie time at a discount theatr.
welcome kryptongirl!
The Rex Harrison wasn’t made by Disney – it was released by Fox.
If Disney had made it, it would be very different. Although I have to admit that making the Pushme-Pullyu a llama-like creature is exactly the kinf of thing the folks at Disney would have come up with.
(Disney apparently tried to get the rights, but failed. And the producers were looking into having the brothers Sherman, Disney’s songsmiths, to do the music, but that didn’t happen either. The director, Richard Fleischer, had directed Disney’s version of 20,000 Leagues, but nothing else for them.)
thank you for that info. ah, the pushme-pullyu… you reminded me of the wee toy i had of that, and the ponderings of how it “went”.
For me the earliest films I can remember watching are the Keaton/Kilmer/Clooney Batman films. I would have been 3 or 4 and I just loved Batman. As well as the original 3 Pokemon movies. Oh, and Ace Ventura When Nature Calls. I’m not sure how those movies affected my early childhood psyche but films I saw when I was too young, that probably messed me up were definitely Child’s Play, The Exorcist, The Ring (which i saw in theaters when I was 7), Mommie Dearest, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, and Misery. Which I would have all seen those movies before I turned 10, I don’t know what my mother’s deal was for showing me those movies… Ironically enough as an adult now, Horror is my favorite genre of film. 