What is the oldest movie you paid to see in a theater?

Question

This may either be a testament to your age or your love of old movies revived. Although cable makes so many old movies available, and we see old movies all the time, I actually paid to see "The General" from 1927 in Fort Worth being show with full orchestral accompaniment. So cool.

What about you? Be honest.

Answer 1

That sounds awesome. I missed out (why toddlers don't like movies like this I don't know) but our local independent theater was playing "Beckett" last week. I'm just hoping (since again I missed out) that the other small theater in town will repeat last halloween's showing of "The Cabinet of Dr. Calagari" with live musicians.

Answer 2

My oldest movie I paid to see would be the first movie I paid to see, but I'm not sure I really remember that. The first movie I do remember paying for is Star Wars when it first came out.
Two things make me remember that clearly. First that movie was that start of the really great special effects and sound movies, they had just got Dolby sound just special for this movie, and the other reason I remember it so clearly that I was so excited talking about it after leaving the theater that I didn't pay enough attention and hit the car next to mine as I pulled out, so I had to wait and exchange insurance information with the owner of that car.

And if you drop the "paid" part there are certainly a few more I saw as a kid.

Answer 3

When Buster Keaton's shorts and features were being revived in the early '70's, I was taken to see the full series, as well as to a revival of Chaplin's The Gold Rush, and a special showing of Lilac Time, the WWI Gary Cooper and Colleen Moore epic, with organ accompaniment by Gaylord Carter.
As for paying my own way, back in around 1965 or so, I went to see a wonderful double-bill: Greta Garbo in "Ninotchka" and the Marx Brothers in "The Big Store" at one of the smallest theaters in San Francisco. Those are the actual earliest ones I paid to see myself. It was like time traveling back to the early '40's.
No getting around it---movies were made to be seen larger than life, with an audience.
(does projecting scenes from Bride of Frankenstein onto the apartment house across the street on Halloween count?)

Answer 4

I'd love to see ALL of the Star Wars movies in theaters again (originals and prequels) the only ones I saw were the prequels, Phantom Menace was my second ever movie (I was 3), I remember seeing Attack of the Clones and I remember seeing Revenge of the Sith, I would LOVE to see Star Wars on the big screen again.

Answer 5

The same as several others here, I saw the 1978 (I think) revival of Gone With the Wind. The funny thing was that I didn't really like it the first time I saw it, but it grew on me so that I finally read the book, which now I've read at least a dozen times and the sequel maybe a half-dozen.

Answer 6

It was many years ago..but went to see Gone with the Wind on the big screen and it was so marvelous..what a lot of people dont get if they have grown up in the cable age, is that "they" have edited and cut these original movies to fit time frames and commercials etc...and scenes just end up disappearing...SO if you have a chance to see an old classic in the theater by all means take advantage of it and see it...

Answer 7

Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs was the oldest I can remember. I did see a 1920s B&W flick at a theater about 5-7 years ago with a friend of mine but I can't remember the name. I've seen Casablanca but that was on video.

Answer 8

I would like to say the first release of Star Wars, but in truth I paid for a Saturday morning matinee. It was a series of cartoons with a full length movie, (I do not recall the movie). This was right before they stopped doing all morning matinees. I think I was either blessed to be able to see one of the last ones before they went extinct, or I was cursed, maybe both. Anyway, it was wacky, but great for a kid.

Answer 9

Such a great question! :-)
The 'oldest' movie I personally paid to see was in 1982. It was when they re-released the full 3D version of 1953's House Of Wax. That yo-yo startled me...lol!

The oldest movie I ever saw in a theatre (my parents paid) was a special showing in 1979 of 1940's The Grapes Of Wrath, at the Tivoli in Chattanooga, TN (complete with real life organ player!).

The first movie I ever saw at a theatre (well actually a drive-in) was 1969's Planet Of The Apes/Beneath The Planet Of The Apes Double Feature at the Sunset Drive-in in Morristown, TN. in 1970 (I was in first grade).

The first movie I ever saw 'inside' a movie theatre was in 1971 and was 'Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory'.

:-)

Answer 10

Song of the South ,in the forties, for a quarter I got popcorn a drink and saw the movie! The Strand movie thearter on Congress Street in Portland,Maine. I may be old but I still remember good things.