MOVING MEMORIES A Cinema-themed Rem inisc enc e Resource
CON T E NT S Introduction
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About the Resource
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Creative Activities
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Using Sensory Items
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Making a Session a Success
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Working with Individuals with Impairments or Dementia
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Moving Memories
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Kids’ Clubs and Saturday Matinees
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Children’s films and Entertainment
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Cinema Advertising
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Live music and Variety at the Cinema
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Film Technologies
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Refreshments at the Cinema
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Dating
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Iconic Film Stars and Films
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Staff and Uniforms
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Newsreels and The National Anthem
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Cinema and Film Quiz
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Key films of the 1940s
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Key films of the 1950s
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Key films of the 1960s
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Acknowledgements and Useful Links
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About Norfolk at the Pictures and Cinema Plus
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MOVING MEMORIES | A CINEMA-THEMED REMINISCENCE RESOURCE
Music is a very powerful communication tool for people with dementia so well-known songs they could sing along to, enhanced by the relative clips from the films, would be a superb session. DIANE COLLINS AGE UK
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INT R O DUCT IO N Many older people have fond memories of when cinema was the most prevalent social pastime. By 1946 there were 1650 million attendances at UK cinemas with 73% of the population regular cinemagoers. Half of these people attended a cinema once a week or more. Therefore, many people’s personal identities and social histories are interconnected with their experiences of cinemagoing. This resource has been developed to encourage people to reminisce about cinemagoing, recalling happy memories for fun and enjoyment. It is mainly aimed at people who organise groups in the community or in care settings, to help them to have an understanding of what cinemagoing was like in the past and its importance as a social activity. The resource includes guidance on how to run an effective and stimulating reminiscence and activity session. The resource pack itself contains historical information in relation to cinemagoing as well as links to existing resources and recommended films for screenings. All of these resources have
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been developed by education and reminiscence professionals. The resource pack can be used alongside other materials, equipment and guidance, available through Cinema Plus, a film education charity based at Cinema City in Norwich. These materials include; a selection of multisensory and tactile objects, a selection of photographs of Norfolk cinemas, facsimile cinema programmes, archive film of cinemagoing in East Anglia from The East Anglian Film Archive and a mini projector and tablet. Online materials are also available at www.norfolkatthepictures.org.uk/ moving-memories Cinema Plus delivered several pilot sessions in 2013 and 2014 at locations across Norfolk. These sessions informed this resource which has been made possible through generous grants from the Big Lottery Fund, Heritage Lottery Fund and Norwich Town Close Estate Charity.
MOVING MEMORIES | A CINEMA-THEMED REMINISCENCE RESOURCE
Soft pop up seats, queuing with friends outside before it opened, being shown to your seat by the usherette, ice creams at the interval, coming out into the light after being in the dark for so long, the Pathé Newsreels, trailers, the B movie first – and then the full feature. Of course the girls were in one row and the boys in the row behind. DENNIS BISHOP
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AB O U T T H E R E S O U RCE How to use this resource There are several sections to this resource, including guidance on factors to consider when running a reminiscence session. The resource also contains historical information to help you to understand more about the topic. The themed sections can be looked at in any order. The pack is meant as a starting point as often reminiscence can lead us on diverting and fascinating journeys.
Initially I was allowed to go to the cinema on Saturday mornings with my friends at about age 7 years. It was an adventure. Cycle to the cinema, meet friends on the way, park your cycle in the cycle shed and then go into this dimly lit huge cinema and wait for the film. No trailers and no newsreel – just the main film. Cartoons like Mickey Mouse and Popeye and films with Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy and others. DENNIS BISHOP
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Reminiscence tips Anyone of any age and ability can enjoy sharing memories of cinemagoing, but reminiscing can be very valuable for a person with sensory impairments, dementia or communication difficulties. The sharing of memories and reminiscing about the past involves working with long term memories. Therefore it is an ideal activity for individuals experiencing memory loss, which affects their short-term memory, such as people experiencing dementia. Reminiscing can benefit people by MOVING MEMORIES | A CINEMA-THEMED REMINISCENCE RESOURCE
Individuals with communication difficulties can benefit greatly from reminiscing, provided that they are provided with the correct tools and understanding from others. Creative activities are a good way for everyone to communicate their memories as they allow for the expression of memories in forms other than talking (which might not suit everyone). Memories can be expressed through drawing, creative writing, painting, craft or drama. Memories can also be expressed by singing, dancing, tapping feet or clapping to music. emphasising and building on their longterm memory skills and raising their confidence and pride in recounting their memories to others. This resource encourages the use of multi-sensory memorabilia, items which recall sight, smell, taste, hearing and touch, to help stimulate memories. It is therefore ideal for individuals with sensory impairments, who are encouraged to reminisce by engaging with these items. However it is important to match each individual to items of memorabilia which best stimulate their functioning senses.
Similarly pointing, smiling, laughing, touching or handling objects, nodding and thinking are all forms of memory expression. Smiling or pointing at a photograph may indicate that someone has strong memories, however they might not be able to find the correct words to express themselves. Thus, even if a person is unable or unwilling to verbally communicate their memories with others, they can still participate in reminiscence sessions in many other ways and can gain great benefit and enjoyment from it.
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CR E ATIVE AC TI V I T I ES Arrange a vintage cinema experience
Film quotes quiz
Set out the room like a cinema, with seats in rows facing the television or film screen. Hand out a cinema ticket to the participants. Dress as an usherette/ usher (an old suit will do) or play the role of an usherette/usher and show people to their seats using a torch. Watch a classic film on the television or a DVD. Arrange an interval and offer sweets, popcorn and ice creams from your usherette’s tray. After the film, have a discussion about the film or discuss the memories the experience brought back.
Find a book or website that lists famous film quotes. Here are a few to get you started: ‘But I want to be alone’ Gretta Garbo Grand Hotel (1932) ‘Why don’t you come up and see me sometime?’ Mae West She Done Him Wrong (1933) ‘Well here’s another fine mess you’ve gotten got me into!’ Laurel and Hardy Sons of the Desert (1933) ‘Rhett, if you go, where shall I go, what shall I do?’.... ‘Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn!’ Clark Gable Gone With The Wind (1939) ‘I’ll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too!’ The Wicked Witch The Wizard of Oz (1939) ‘Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.’ Humphrey Bogart Casablanca (1942) ‘A kiss on the hand may be quite continental, but diamonds are a girl’s best friend’ Marilyn Monroe Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) ‘Eliza, where the devil are my slippers?’ Rex Harrison My Fair Lady (1964)
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MOVING MEMORIES | A CINEMA-THEMED REMINISCENCE RESOURCE
US I N G SENSO RY IT E M S cinema you could fill a jar with spent matches, vanilla pods for ice cream, popcorn etc.
Consider collecting some multisensory items to use in reminiscence sessions (a selection can be borrowed from Cinema Plus), it will be highly beneficial for individuals as it will aid memory recall particularly for individuals with dementia or sensory impairments. You should have at least three items making sure that they cover a variety of the senses (taste, smell, touch, sight, hearing.) These might include: photographs of cinemas, film posters, cinema magazines, usherette’s refreshment tray, ice cream, popcorn and sweets, cinema tickets, torch, velvet seat cushion material, LP’s relating to film themes and musicals, DVDs and CDs relating to films and film themes. It is easy to create your own sensory items using small jars such as empty herb and spice pots. As many older people will remember smoking at the
You could bring along a selection of hats to remind people of different genres of film such as Westerns or Gangster films. Pieces of maroon or red material can be touched and held and may remind people of cinema curtains and seat covers. Strips of 35mm film may be available through online auction sites (or from your local cinema) and can be held up to the light or touched. Film star scrapbooks can be found online or easily made up for different decades. You could pick a selection of pictures of film stars or scenes from famous films. Large picture books of film stars are useful for people with limited vision. Old film magazines like Photoplay can be purchased through online auction sites. Try holding up record covers from film soundtracks or playing trailers or songs online from musicals. Popcorn, even if just opened and put on show, has a very evocative smell.
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MA K I N G A SESS ION A SU C CESS The films, items and images that you show should relate to the age, gender and nationality of the person. Make sure there is something for the women as well as the men and also think about the background of the people in your group and how you can include them. The theory of the ‘reminiscence bump’ states that individuals will remember their late childhood through to their teens and early twenties the most. Make sure you have a wide selection of materials from different decades to suit the different age ranges within your group. There is no point talking about films or stars from the 1930s, if members of the group were not born until the 1940s.
The whole session was much enjoyed and feedback from members/carers and volunteers was highly positive – the particular touches e.g. popcorn, tickets etc. were appreciated. TREVOR BROWN WYMONDHAM DEMENTIA SUPPORT GROUP
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Beginning the session It is important to have a clear beginning, middle and end to your session, as it will make it more successful. Start the session clearly, trying to get everyone focussed and engaged. Playing a piece of music from a film, singing a song from a film or reading a relevant extract from a book, is a good way to start the process.
Main Activity Look at and handle the memorabilia items together and discuss them. It is important to give the participants lots of time to do this, do not try to rush them. This is especially important in the case of people with impairments or dementia. Similarly, don’t rush the memories to be recalled. Have fun together looking through the pictures, handling the objects, watching film clips and listening to the music. When they are ready, the memories will flow. You can also move onto another topic if the group is not responding. Sometimes this will take a long time, perhaps, in some cases, until the end of the session. MOVING MEMORIES | A CINEMA-THEMED REMINISCENCE RESOURCE
Ending the session At the end of the session, recap on the memories people have shared, praise the efforts of every person in the group and thank them for sharing their memories. Remember that no one is wrong when reminiscing. It is not a point-scoring exercise or a competition. Accept what individuals share, it is a chance for them to express themselves. Sometimes individuals do not feel like reminiscing for a variety of reasons: they might feel ill, tired, uncomfortable or the subject just doesn’t interest them
or stimulate them on that day. Don’t give up or feel a failure, try again another day, perhaps try a different way of doing things. Keep going and enjoy and value the times when a session goes well.
It was a very interesting and entertaining session. The Poringland Carers Group really enjoyed the afternoon and it triggered some good memories. CHRISTINE BUTLER NORFOLK CARERS SUPPORT
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W O RK I NG WI T H IND I V I DUALS WITH IMPA I R MENT S OR D E M E N TIA Pictures or photographs should be large and clear. Be prepared to change or vary the activity, it might be too difficult for the person to understand what to do. Singing well-known songs from films can engage and relax people. Dressing-up clothes can be another good activity for people with dementia; the staff could also dress up. Remember that individuals express memories in various ways, encourage and facilitate them to do this.
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Creating a suitable environment Ensure good lighting and a comfortable room temperature. Organise seating arrangements so that participants can see and hear each other. Arrange a circle of chairs around a table, at the correct height for participants to see and handle the items. You can also arrange the seats like a cinema in a curve with a gangway. You could give each member of the group a cinema ticket at the beginning of the session. Play some Wurlitzer music whilst people settle. Use a projector and screen (which can be borrowed from Cinema Plus) to create more of an effect of a cinema. Make sure that the room is free from distractions such as televisions, vacuum cleaners, and noisy visitors. Offer ice cream, popcorn so that everyone feels relaxed.
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M O VI NG MEMOR IE S The following themes can be referred to before and whilst running a session. You can use the images and presentation available online to illustrate each of the themes if necessary. www.norfolkatthepictures.org.uk/moving-memories
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KID S ’ C LU BS AND SAT U R D AY M AT INEE S screen would unite the children, The first Saturday matinee What is your fir before they watched the screening for children was s memory t weekly film show. This show held in 1927. Most cinemas of g o i n g would consist of a cartoon, a since the 1930s encouraged to th cinema e main film and an episode or children to attend by adding ? two from a serial. children’s films and matinee shows to their programme. It was a In Norfolk it wasn’t unknown for familiar experience to be part of a long children to throw the heads off their rowdy queue on a Saturday morning or devoured pint of prawns or roll a mint afternoon waiting to go into the screen. imperial from the back row to the front Young children would often make to the frustration of cinema staff. their own way via walking or public transport to the shows. Up until the late The larger national chain cinemas 1970s it could be argued that children such as Odeon, Gaumont and later lived in more authoritarian times and ABC had their own special Kids’ the cinema shows would have been Club up until the 1960s. These more a welcome dose of escapism and, as formalised clubs had their own badges, often described, slight mayhem. After a membership cards with promises and frantic dash for seats, it would be up to theme song. Kids’ Clubs would hold the Cinema Manager and competitions and celebrate birthdays. stewards to control and u e yo of r They would also have some form of entertain the rabble. A e W ber y m e live entertainment such as a comedian sing-along encouraged a m aturda ? or compere. by a bouncing ball on aS lub
s’ C
Kid
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ABC We are the boys and girls well known as Minors of the ABC And every Saturday all line up To see the films we like and shout aloud with glee We love to laugh and have a sing-song What a happy crowd are we We’re all pals together We’re Minors of the ABC
GAU MON T Remind your group about cinema Kids’ Clubs. You can go online and watch a related clip here: www.britishpathe.com/ video/childrens-cinemaaka-childrens-matinee
We come along on Saturday morning, greeting everybody with a smile We come along on Saturday morning, knowing it is well worthwhile As members of the GB (Gaumont British) club, we all intend to be Good citizens when we grow up, and always long to be We come along on Saturday morning, greeting everybody with a smi-i-ile, smile, smile. Greeting everybody with a smile
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CH I LDREN’S FI LMS AN D E NT ERTA INME NT Until the 1940s there were still no feature films made specifically for children. Films shown were generally old U certificate films edited down to a shorter running time. Older people often remember watching Westerns and Gangster films, which rarely featured characters their own age. Cinemas would also show American serials like Batman, Tarzan, Flash Gordon and Zorro. Each week the episode would be left with a cliff-hanger, where the hero would be left in some form of peril. To find out what would happen next, the children would have to return the following week. Stars that older people may remember include Gene Autry, Hop Along Cassidy, Roy Rogers and Buster Crabbe. How
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did you get to th e cinema ?
Did misb you eh whil ave you st w ther ere e? One of the earliest ‘family’ films was the Wizard of Oz in 1939. Disney released several classic feature length children’s cartoons – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1934), Pinocchio, Fantasia (1940) and Bambi (1943). All of these films were repeated endlessly. Audiences in their sixties and seventies may remember films produced by the Children’s Film Foundation in the 1950s and 1960s which were made especially for Saturday Matinees. Films featured adventures where children would discover escaped convicts or solve cases involving stolen jewels similar to Enid Blyton’s Famous Five. MOVING MEMORIES | A CINEMA-THEMED REMINISCENCE RESOURCE
Remind the group of the types of films children watched at the cinema in the past. If you have internet access it is possible to find clips from many serials online. Playing the intro to serials like The Lone Ranger can be very evocative with their memorable theme tunes.
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CINE M A ADV E RT ISING Adverts have been a quintessential aspect of cinemagoing since the early days of silent film. However, advertising in the past was far more amateur than the slick and expensive short films we see today.
What did you eat a n drink at d the cinema?
Initially items including cigarettes, alcohol, cleaning products as well as those for all types of local company’s were shown. Cinemas relied on neighbouring shops to sell confectionary and drinks. In the 1930s with the introduction of kiosks, cafes, bars and restaurants into cinemas, a variety of familiar products were introduced, sold
Remind the group about the types of products advertised at the cinema. You can watch a selection of early cinema adverts on the East Anglian Film Archive website www.eafa.org.uk catalogue/789
and advertised on-screen in cinemas. Starting with products like Eldorado ice cream (which featured an animated polar bear) and Kia-ora squash, later adverts featured the now familiar Wall’s Ice Cream and Sunkist popcorn brands. During the 1970s and ‘80s Rank and Pearl and Dean with its classic logo and signature tune became one of the most iconic advertising companies with an instantly recognisable theme tune and logo. Many of their advert reels featured local companies – butchers, bakers, florists and of course curry houses.
Cinemas, and in particular the larger national chains, had notices – including those familiar to today’s audiences – instructing patrons to be quiet, or in regards to vandalism which Do you was a common occurrence remem at cinemas. Cinemas would any ad ber vertisin g also display cheerier notices at the wishing their customers a cinema ? Happy Christmas or New Year.
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L I V E M U SI C A ND VA RI E TY AT T H E CINEMA Live music performance has always Some cinemagoers had a strong connection to the cinema may also remember since the early days of film. Initially, sporting events large film theatres would feature a pit (boxing being orchestra, whilst smaller venues had an example) a pit pianist. Cinema organs were being staged installed and prevalent from 1910 and or screened at used to create sound effects cinemas. for silent films as well Do yo as music. After sound rememb u cinema er the was introduced to or How di gans? cinemas, theatre dt appear hey organs still prevailed an what di d providing music d they pla before the show and y? during interludes. The most recognised brand of organ was the Wurlitzer, which was often built to rise out of the oor of theatres for dramatic effect.
ou Did y ands ny b see a other or s rmer perfo ema at cin es? venu
From the 1960s onwards cinema buildings, having the capacity to hold hundreds of audience members were also used as music venues accommodating scores of screaming Beatles and Rolling Stones fans. Many of the UK’s most famous music venues were also once Picture you Did any Theatres.
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see events ting spor cinema? s in ding buil
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Remind the group about the ways you could hear live music at the cinema. You can watch a clip of a cinema organist online www.britishpathe.com/ video/cinema-organist/ query/cinema+organist
THE GIRL CAN’T HELP IT
My mother was a rock ‘n’ roll fan (who saw Bill Haley when he came to Norwich), so I was taken to the Regal to see ‘Rock Around the Clock’, ‘Don’t Knock the Rock’, & ‘Rock, Rock, Rock’. Also, the ‘Girl Can’t Help It’ (at the Theatre Royal) and then Elvis films in the early 1960s, usually at the ABC Regent. I could never admit this at school in those days, as I played the violin (badly) and one wasn’t supposed to like such music. ROBIN COUSINS
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F I LM T E C HN OLOG I ES Older audiences may well remember the experience of seeing or hearing a new cinema technology for the first time. It is possible to show clips or pictures that they may well remember.
from this period are House of Wax with Vincent Price and Alfred Hitchcock’s Dial M for Murder.
3D films are actually a very early cinema technology and there were experiments and versions of the technology since the late 1890s. The first was What d and boom period for 3D un the so quality cinema was in the e pictur Did it early 1950s. Some like? where of the most famous end
dep t? you sa
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Do you rememb e seeing a r ny particul ar films in 3D?
Other technologies like Cinerama, Cinemascope, Technicolor and VistaVision were introduced around this time in response to the threat of television. Although we are used to seeing films in colour and in a widescreen format, it wasn’t until 1949 that audiences in Norfolk experienced this wider field of vision and colour. Some older people will remember that film soundtracks used to be a lot quieter than they are today. Speakers were generally positioned at the front, meaning that the further back in the cinema you sat the quieter the film would be.
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Remind the group about the different innovations cinemas used to attract audiences. You can find trailers to early 3D films online.
During the 1950s, the cinema was in its heyday as it was everywhere, but TV slowly got a stranglehold and the cinema eventually closed. An exciting time was had when Cinemascope was installed in 1953…every aspect ratio was catered for....1.33, 1.75, 1.85, 2.35 and a narrower version of Cinemascope... Superscope. VistaVision also. TREVOR WRIGHT
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R E F RE SH MENT S AT T H E CI NEMA
Remind the group about older brands of refreshments. You can find old cinema adverts available online.
Can you rememb how you er go your ice t creams at t cinema he ?
early days of cinema, people were served homemade sandwiches, tea, biscuits and cakes such as custard tarts. Post 1940s older people will remember forgotten and familiar ice cream brands like Eldorado, Lyons Maid and Wall’s. Ice cream was served by a uniformed usherette during the interval. The usherette would make their way down to the front of the auditorium and stand with a tray around their necks. The display would be neatly arranged and lit by a torch or light. The flavour was usually vanilla served in a paper tub with a wooden spoon.
Eating popcorn and soft drinks at the cinema is a relatively recent phenomenon and would have been unfamiliar to early cinema audiences. In fact sweets were rationed until 1953 after the war so were a rare treat. Some larger and more luxurious cinemas from the 1940s might have had their own café or even t Wha ings restaurant, where r th othe you eat customers could did drink enjoy food and drink, d an the before or after a at a? m e n screening. In the very i c
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Ice lollies, popcorn and orange and blackcurrant drinks made by Kia Ora were also later served from plastic cartons. Some cinemas would also have a kiosk, where an usherette would sell refreshments as well as cigarettes and tobacco products before the smoking ban.
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D AT I N G There rent diffe were d seats. price ere Wh u o did y ? t si Before the prevalence of nightclubs and bars, the cinema was one of the only places where young people went on dates together. Many older people will have memories of being teenagers going to the cinema with their friends on either a weekday or Saturday. If you were on a date, you would break off from your group and sit in another part of the cinema which might be the ou y o back row. Some older D mber people may remember reme ble dou ? meeting their future seats partner at the cinema.
Some cinemas even featured double Did yo go on d u seats for couples to ates to the sit together. It was cinema often the usherette’s ? job to tell couples off if they were getting a bit too frisky.
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ICO N I C FILM STAR S AN D FI LMS Although many older film stars like Humphrey Bogart or Marilyn Monroe are familiar to us today, there are many more that have not stood the test of time. These actors and actresses influenced older people’s lives and particularly tastes in fashion. Names of film stars that resonate with older audiences include John Barrymore, Nelson Eddy, Jeanette MacDonald, Johnny Weissmuller and Jean Harlow. Cinemagoers would keep up to date with their favourite stars by buying film magazines like Picturegoer, Kinematograph Weekly and Photoplay.
G
LEM ENT
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EN PREFER BLONDES
Who r ou were y ite r favou film stars?
It was also possible to be part of film star fan clubs and many teenagers will remember creating scrapbooks of their favourite film stars. Some film magazines were available from kiosks in the cinema. In the 1960s the major cinema chains had their own film magazines. The magazines featured film reviews, articles on fashion and interviews with film and pop stars. The ABC chain had a magazine called ABC Film Review. Rank Cinemas briefly had a rival magazine Did you called Showtime.
buy fil magazi m keep a s nes or cra or autog pbook raph book?
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V I VA LAS VEGA S
BLUE STEEL
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It is possible to find many images of film stars online and it can be a fun exercise to look at these images in a group to remember their names and films they starred in. For individuals with dementia who might not remember the names, you might comment on the hairstyles and fashions.
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STA F F A ND UN I F O R MS Although there are still a variety of roles in the cinema exhibition industry, positions within cinemas were much more formalised than they are today. In general cinema staff had a smart, often military style uniform. The colour of the uniform would depend on the particular cinema that they worked for.
The Commissionaire
Usherette
Early Commissionaires wore military styled uniforms with peaked caps and sometimes epaulettes. Their role was to keep order and their uniform helped to enforce this. This was a male role and they were generally positioned on the doors of the cinema to keep the queues in order and not let anyone in until the manager agreed it was time. They were also called upon to throw anyone making trouble out of the cinema. Some audiences may remember these members of staff as quite fearsome and others recall them joking with audiences as they waited to go in.
This again was a women-only role and there would be a number of usherettes depending on the size of the cinema. This role involved showing customers to their seats with a torch. As some cinemas programmed continuous showings, they would be necessary to help the customer find their seat in the dark. Usherettes wore a uniform and as they were
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You could remind the group of the different types of staff at the cinema. Members of the group may well have stories about particular commissionaires or usherettes that they liked or who may have told them off for misbehaving.
generally young girls, they often received comments from teenage boys who had come to the cinema especially to see them instead of the film. They also served ice cream during the interval.
Box office staff Women primarily worked in this role selling tickets in a small glass-topped kiosk. Sometimes the manager’s wife might have taken this role. In the early days, tickets were stored on a length of string until ticket machines were developed which would dispense different coloured tickets to the cinemagoer depending on which area you chose to sit in.
The Manager The manager would generally be a man and wear a suit. He would occasionally talk to customers and be seen around the cinema and perhaps in the local paper promoting shows.
Projectionist Another generally male role and although hidden from view, older audiences may remember looking back at the projector beam and seeing the projectionist in his booth. Children may remember shouting at the projectionist whenever the film broke down and even calling him names!
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NEWS REELS A ND T H E N AT IO NAL ANTHE M Another familiar u Do yo the aspect of going r e b remem d Queen to the cinema n King a rs or the for early e l i a g tr cinemagoers playin inema tional c was the patriotic the Na em? Pathé playing of the Anth French Pathé News National Anthem was at the forefront at the end of the film of providing news programme of the day. At first the and had an iconic tradition began with just music, but logo in the form of a cockerel on developed into a short still, a weather vane. By the 1930s animation and then colour Do you rememb British Pathé not only covered film as each new monarch watchin er news items for the cinema was crowned. Although g the n e w s at th audience but also entertainment, some audiences might cinema e sports and culture. The newsreels stand and sing-along, in ? continued until the 1970s. general most would leave as soon as possible.
Cinemas showed newsreels in silent form as part of a programme of cinevariety, serials and cartoons as early as 1908. These were short segments of perhaps around ten or fifteen minutes.
British Movietone News
The Coronation was also shown in 1953 and many older people may remember watching this at the cinema.
Older audiences might also remember this other popular newsreel provider.
Gaumont British News Gaumont produced newsreels up until 1956 and then a popular colour cinemagazine series called Look at Life.
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You can watch King and Queen trailers online www.britishpathe.com/video/god-save-thequeen-trailer/query/King
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CINE M A AND F I LM Q UI Z 1. Can you name one or more chains of cinemas that operated across Britain before 1970? ABC, Rank, Odeon, Granada, Gaumont. 2. What do we call the kiosk where we buy the cinema or theatre tickets? The Box Office. 3. Can you name some of the seating areas at the pictures? Which seats were the cheapest, and which were the most expensive? Stalls, Rear stalls, Dress circle, Upper circle, Balcony. 4. What is the name of the female attendant in cinemas who would show you to your seats and sell refreshments? Usherette. 5. What could you buy from the usherette’s tray during the interval? Cigarettes, ice cream, tubs, choc-ices, popcorn, sweets, matches, lollies, orange juice in plastic cartons.
6. What is the name of the older gentleman, often dressed in a smart uniform, who would ensure the cinema queue was orderly and manage the foyer area? Commissionaire. 7. What was the name of the person who showed the films and changed the reels? Projectionist. 8. What was the difference between an ‘A’ film and a ‘B’ film? An ‘A’ film was the main film and a ‘B’ film was the supporting film. 9. What was an ‘X’ film? A film for adults only. 10. What was a ‘U’ film? A film for children who could go to the cinema unaccompanied. 11. What were the logos of these famous film companies, which were shown at the start of the films? J. Arthur Rank – A bronzed man in a loincloth banging a gong. M.G.M. or Metro Goldwyn Mayer – A roaring lion.
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KEY FI L MS e of th
1940s
Pinocchio
Meet Me in St Louis
(1940) A living puppet, with the help of a cricket as his conscience, must prove himself worthy to become a real boy.
Casablanca
(1942) Starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. Set in unoccupied Africa during the early days of World War II. An American expatriate meets a former lover, with unforeseen complications.
Bambi
(1942) The story of a young deer growing up in the forest after his mother is shot by hunters.
MEET
32
ME IN ST LOUIS
(1944) Starring Judy Garland. In the year before the 1904 St Louis World’s Fair, the four Smith daughters learn lessons of life and love, even as they prepare for a reluctant move to New York.
It’s a Wonderful Life
(1946) Starring James Stewart and Donna Reed. An angel helps a compassionate but despairingly frustrated businessman by showing what life would have been like if he never existed.
You could show trailers from the above film or any others the group might mention by searching for them online.
MOVING MEMORIES | A CINEMA-THEMED REMINISCENCE RESOURCE
IT’S
A WON
DERFUL LIFE
KEY FI L MS e of th
1950s
Singin’ in the Rain
Sabrina
(1952) Starring Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds. A silent film production company and cast make a difficult transition to sound.
Peter Pan
(1953) Wendy and her brothers are whisked away to the magical world of Neverland with the hero of their stories, Peter Pan.
White Christmas
(1954) Starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye. A successful song-and-dance team become romantically involved with a sister act and team up to save the failing Vermont inn of their former Commanding General.
(1954) Starring Humphrey Bogart and Audrey Hepburn. A playboy becomes interested in the daughter of his family’s chauffeur. But it’s his more serious brother who would be the better man for her.
Ben-Hur
(1959) Starring Charlton Heston. When a Jewish prince is betrayed and sent into slavery by a Roman friend, he regains his freedom and returns for revenge.
WHITE CHRISTMAS
34
MOVING MEMORIES | A CINEMA-THEMED REMINISCENCE RESOURCE
SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN
KEY FI L MS e of th
1960s
Psycho
(1960) Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. A Phoenix secretary steals $40,000 from her employer’s client, goes on the run and checks into a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s
(1961) Starring Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard. A young New York socialite becomes interested in a young man who has moved into her apartment building.
Mary Poppins
(1964) Starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. A magic nanny comes to work for a cold banker’s unhappy family.
The Sound of Music
(1965) Starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. A woman leaves an Austrian convent to become a governess to the children of a naval officer widower.
THE SOUND OF MUSIC
36
MOVING MEMORIES | A CINEMA-THEMED REMINISCENCE RESOURCE
BREAK FA S T AT TIFFANY’S
AC K N OWLEDG EME NTS AN D U SEFUL LINKS Developed by Cinema Plus. Written and compiled by Marc Atkinson, Angela Bishop and Guy Martin. Resource pack designed by www.georgiakingdesign.com Photography by Katherine Mager. Funded through grants from the Big Lottery Fund, Heritage Lottery Fund and the Norwich Town Close Estate Charity. Archive images courtesy of: Norfolk County Council library and information service – enjoy thousands of images of Norfolk’s unique history at www.picture.norfolk.gov.uk The Ronald Grant Archive www.ronaldgrantarchive.com Additional images courtesy of the George Plunkett Archive and Stephen Peart. Archive film courtesy of the East Anglia Film Archive www.eafa.org.uk Special thanks to Diane Collins, Claire Kerrison, AGE UK, Town Close Partnership, the staff and residents of Marion Road Day Centre and Philadelphia House.
Useful links to free archive film resources: East Anglian Film Archive www.eafa.org.uk British Pathé www.britishpathe.com Norfolk at the Pictures website www.norfolkatthepictures.org.uk Reel History of Britain beta.bfi.org.uk/reelhistory Regional and National Film Archives www.movinghistory.ac.uk Links to helpful organisations involved with dementia care www.dementia-alliance.com www.reminiscenceeast.co.uk www.alzheimers.org.uk A film accompanying this resource is available to watch online at vimeo.com/109435120
About Norfolk at the Pictures
Norfolk at the Pictures is a project to collect and preserve memories of cinemagoing in Norfolk. It is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and delivered by Cinema Plus at Cinema City in Norwich. www.norfolkatthepictures.org.uk
About Cinema Plus
Cinema Plus is a film education charity based at Cinema City in the centre of Norwich. Working with our partners, Cinema Plus delivers a wide range of activities and courses for people of all ages, both at Cinema City and around the county via our outreach strategy. www.cinemaplus.org.uk
The whole session was much enjoyed and feedback from members/carers and volunteers was highly positive TREVOR BROWN WYMONDHAM DEMENTIA SUPPORT GROUP
Moving Memories is a resource designed to encourage people to reminisce about cinemagoing, recalling happy memories for fun and enjoyment. It is mainly aimed at people who organise groups in the community or in care settings, to help them to have an understanding of what cinemagoing was like in the past and its importance as a social activity. It could equally be used by a family member or friend.