Friday, January 12, 2024

On Area Movie Screens – January 10, 1964

We'll close out the week here on the blog with yet another look at what movies were playing at the local theaters – in this case, a mere sixty years ago. Above is the movie page from the January 10, 1964 Journal.

The main reason I posted it is because it includes an ad for It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World – one of my favorite movies (which I wrote about here). Our family saw it in Cleveland at the Palace and it's a cherished memory of mine (and an early one too since I was only about five years old). I watch the movie on DVD every few years and it always makes me happy, as well as making me want to visit California to see some of the locations where it was filmed.

Here's a promotion for the movie that I've never seen before. It's pretty funny.

Elsewhere on the page, there was quite a variety. James Garner, one of my father's favorite actors (who he always referred to as 'Rockford') was starring with Doris Day in Move Over, Darling (1963) at the Tivoli. It's interesting that even at that late date, the movie ad promotes that 'news and color cartoon' were part of the bill. Animated cartoons made for the big screen were pretty bad by that time.

At the Palace in Lorain was a pretty good horror comedy, The Comedy of Terrors, starring Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff and Basil Rathbone. Joe E. Brown was listed as a 'special guest star.' He was a busy guy apparently, because he was in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World too.

Over at the Ohio Theatre was one of the popular British 'Carry On' films, Carry On Regardless.
Also on the bill was another British comedy, Dentist on the Job (released in the U. S. as Get On With It). I guess Lorainites' tastes in movie comedy had to evolve, since the last Bowery Boys movie had been released in 1958.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Doris Day was a real class act.Sing,dance,act.Had it all.Not like today's one trick pony actresses.And I see that the 1956 classic "Giant" was playing at the Dreamland starring the late great James Dean.I just watched it last week on 4K bluray.James Dean still resonates with today's youths.Every year there is a big car show in James Deans hometown of Fairmount, Indiana.People come from all over the world celebrating him.They have look-alike contests,celebrities appear,people that knew James Dean,etc.I go every year.If anyone likes James Dean,I guarantee you will like it.

Don Hilton said...

Sorry, Dan, old pal, but I've never made it through MMMMW despite multiple tries.

Milton Berle and Ethel Merman: I can only take either in very small doses. Especially Ms. Merman. I think I inherited that from Dad who, whenever she appeared on the T.V., would immediately order us to "change the channel, or better yet, turn that damned thing off!"

I don't think I've seen any of the others. I'll have to see if they're streaming.

Anonymous said...

Hi Dan - Thanks for stirring up another fond memory of my youth...I loved the way you could buy tickets to various events (see MMMMMW ad) at the box office or for convenience at your local department store. I vividly remember going to the Men's Shop in downtown Elyria in the late 60's with my Mom to buy Indians tickets. The ticket office in the basement was right out of the 1930's, a little cage with a wall of bars where the clerk stood and behind the clerk were little wooded cubby holes with your tickets inside. Like something you'd see in my favorite movie "The Sting" or in Sam's General Store in Hooterville. Even though the internet has made ticket purchases easier I we lost some charm along the way. Thanks, Todd

Anonymous said...

Dan, Loved watching IaMMMMW! Kind of reminded me of T&J. With my daughter living in LA, we have been looking for old show locations. Still haven't found the big W. Also didn't find Rockford's trailer in Malibu.