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Without a doubt... The Movies were one of the biggest entertainment venues when we were growing upl.
Saturday Night and The Movies were the most popular activity I can remember. In high school especially our senior year, a date needed to have a distenation as and there wasn't a better offering. If you were lucky and you had a car you could go someplace afterwards for a while as well.
For me, Saturday Night during my Senior Year was often spent at the tiny Herricks Theater, near the Herrill Lanes Bowling Alley off Herricks Road and Hillside Avenue. A long walk when you live off Old Country Road! However, it was an easily walk to the Herricks Theater from Gloria Miller's home. I still remember what a long walk home... in the rain and snow I had after those dates! Ah... youth.
Then there were the "Big" movie dates to the Calderon and Syosset Theaters and the "Biggest" Movie date of all... a trip into the city to see a top film and the show at Radio City Music Hall.
I remember going into Radio City at least twice during my Senior year. It was a double date with Buzz Franquemont and Susie Fink and we saw Leonard Burnstein's "West Side Story" and the famous Christmas Show and to see "Lawrence of Arabia".
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| The Famous Radio City Music Hall Rockettes |  |
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Radio City's 4/36 Wurlitzer Theater Organ |
Radio City Music Hall is enormous in scale and the Theater Organ Music, played on a 4/36 Wurlitzer Pipe Organ has a sound that is incredible. Yes, when I could afford it, Radio City Music Hall and the New York City became my big date. The Movies were my "Date Distination" of choice, there is no doubt... even after I got my license when I enjoyed going to the little RosynTheater in Roslyn Harbor on Northern Blvd. Radio City has survived as a concert hall but no longer as the famous showcase of the Movies.
I also recall Saturday afternoons when I was in elemenarty school going into the village to the Mineola Theater (The Itch) to see cowboy flicks and cartoons for hours for a quarter with a bunch of us from our neighborhood. I remember buying Bon Bons and Nonperills; candies that I only remember eating at the movies. Back then... there were no parents suppervising us, just a bunch of good kids for the most part, doing so much on our own. Going to the movies or rollerskating at the Mineola Rink and playing street ball. These were tops on the short list for me growning up.
I have gathered a list of films from the archives between 1959 and 1963 which is a good representaion of the best when we went to The Movies in high school . It is wonderful that we can just order these on the internet now and enjoy them all over again.
Please return with me to The Movies once again
