I had my first date there ...... it was with Brad Little. He was cute and blonde and sweet. My Dad drove us there, waited for us and drove us back home. I must have been 14 or 15 and I remember I put on fake fingernails because I wanted to seem grown up and mine were always chewed down like a little kid's.
It was a Saturday afternoon and the place was packed. I have no idea what the movie was and it was difficult to concentrate because up in the balcony (remember when they HAD a balcony) there was a bunch of you boys throwing popcorn on us and making fun because we were on a daa-ate.
But brave little Brad ignored the comments from the peanut gallery and actually somehow slipped his hand over mine and held it. I kinda liked it, cause I really liked Brad, but he never let it up for air or anything and then my hand started to sweat and I was afraid to pull it away because I didn't want him to think I didn't like it but, boy, it was getting hot and bit sweaty.
So, I came up with a way to make my move, I decided to give him a playful little squeeze and then slip my hand away so I could air it out for a bit. But when I pressed his palm with my fingertips ... my fake nails started to lift off my stubby real ones.
I was living a teenage NIGHTMARE!!! It was like one of those dreams where your teeth start dropping out of your mouth while you talk (am I the ONLY one who has THOSE dreams???)
I have NO idea what Brad thought as my nails peeled off into his hand, but I am pleased to say he was a perfect gentleman. I surreptitiously gathered them up, flicked off the rest and stuffed the whole mess into my jacket pocket. Whew.
I learned a life lesson in the Rialto that Saturday afternoon,
"Don't try to be something you're not.
And, if you must, at least use better GLUE."
And, if you must, at least use better GLUE."
It has held me in good stead these last 40 years.
_____________________________________
Do YOU have a Rialto story from your past?
Please share it with us ... every last salty, popcorn-y detail.
It doesn't have to be brilliant ... just true!
Please share it with us ... every last salty, popcorn-y detail.
It doesn't have to be brilliant ... just true!
Bruce Tapley writes
ReplyDeleteOK, I should be working right now, but this is too good to pass up. So many memories of the Rialto, from the time the guy threw a brick through the screen, launching spitballs at Victor Mature, Juliet Prowse doing the Can-can!! Yikes, what's that feeling? Starting a brawl by putting a cigarette out on Nicky Constantino's chest in the Men's room. But a few of the best I can come up with: 1- Wacky Races!!! On Saturday Matinees, probably around 1960 - 64? when you were admitted, you were given a number from 1- 8, or 1-12 or so. Then, before the movies began, there were silent film races, kind of like the Keystone Cops, with all the same characters, but different modes of transportation and different costumes each week. These movie races had voice overs calling the races, and usually the least expected number would win the race. I always picture the theatre going wild, like the kids in the front row of "Andy's Gang" on TV when Froggy the Gremlin would "Plunk his Magic Twanger" Anyway, those who had a winning number could collect prizes either right after the race was over or before they left the theatre that day. I remember going home with a one foot tall plastic Gorilla. Very exciting.
2- Another big memory was being dropped off at the Rialto at 11 years old by my mother for the matinee, and having been told to just hang out there till she came to pick me up, even if it was late. I sat through the movies I went to see, and then the evening movie started. It was "To Kill a Mockingbird" and as I started watching it, I remember thinking. This is important, and different than most of the movies I saw there. (more like the older movies that used to be shown on Million Dollar Movie" on TV) Well, this one was of course about racism and deep abiding love in the south. My mother showed up soon after, and I told her that I couldn't leave, and so she sat down with me to watch it. I also remember the next day going out and buying my first book that I purchased for myself. "To Kill a Mockingbird"
"Putting a cigarette out on Nicky Constantino's chest????" I am SURPRISED to discover this side of you, I always thought you were such a well-behaved young man, now I find you were a ruffian just like the rest! :)
ReplyDeleteI never got a plastic Gorilla from the Rialto. Thanks a lot, I feel gypped now.
That's a great story about you and your mother watching "To Kill a Mockingbird" together - yea, it really was a true landmark film and book - reading or watching it is one of those things that's almost holy. (I got that from my mother who once told me that listening to Nat King Cole sing felt "holy" to her.)
Thank you for taking the time to remember, Bruce. I've been finding it's always worth it to spare a few minutes to reflect about my life and the people and places in it, seems to make the present moment a little richer.
Steve Jones, again. I also have so so many memories of the Rialto. 1st, sneaking in. Up the outside fireescape stairs, open the door, walk thru the second door which led you into the projector room, then into the balcony. It was a snap and we never paid after we discovered that way in.
ReplyDeleteAnother Memory: My first french kiss with Sue >>>>>, it was great. I found out later she threw up when she went home that day.
another: Watching Hard Days Night and deciding that I wanted to play music. I loved the Beatles and they got me into music.
Today, I am working on my first CD, at 60yrs old, my daughter is producing, we are recording in baltimore. I wrote all the words and music and I have the Beatles, the Rialto and A Hard DAys Night to thank, cuase that's where it started!
You really bought back some for me.It was the fifties and tarrangula was showing.I should not have seen that movie,did't sleep without looking out the window for a giant spider to crush our house.My neighbor's son,Jonny A,took me too see it.He went to use the urinal and i thought he peed in the sink.We threw cracker balls from the balcony.Years later,in the 90's I ran into Karl steinheim in florida.He became a great support for me.We first met at jefferson school yard where,him being a greasser and me anything but,we were not exactly friends.But times had changed and so did we.The point i'm getting too is we were talking about old times and westfield and he told me he was the guy who through the brick at the screen.That rip had to be 3 feet long.I remember the 10 cent coke machine and 25 cent sat.double feature.those races were the best.The kids would go crazy jumpimg up and down and your right the least one expected to win would usually win.When we were a little older we got someone to go in and open the side door for us.
ReplyDeleteWant my memories at the Rialto? Got hundreds of them. All distill down to one word and one girl for me ... Wendy.
ReplyDeleteThat's all I remember about that dark place. Never saw any movies there and never wanted to. If I did, can't remember a one. The dark was well worth the price of admission. Pardon my indiscretion here. Robt McGeary
Wow, the memories. I just found this site, and before I comment or write a story, I'll pass this link on to some others. But Hi, Joy and Bruce and anyone else here. I wasn't there in 64 but do remember 67,68,69 at Shades!
ReplyDeleteBonnie
spent many an hour in the front row burning my eyes out and adding dialog to bad movies...
ReplyDeleteWhen I was eighteen I dropped out of college and formed an indie band. This was 1983. John Schwartz -- the singer in the band -- and I both got jobs at The Rialto and this god awful apartment down the street. We decorated the apartment with items we pilfered from the storage room at the Rialto and even painted it like the lobby. We both had usher shifts and we were porters, cleaning the lobby and two of the theaters. It was awful work but the job was flexible enough that we could go out on the road for a week at a time and get one of the other porters to cover for us. George Karos was the manager. The assistant manager was a PhD student named Randy Jenkins who was doing his dissertation on some kind of medieval history. The projectionists were a strange bunch. One guy, "Happy Harry", turned out to have this strange, right wing political views. The other guy, Al, was a card carrying communist. For some bizarre reason the two of them got on fine.
ReplyDelete