ahhh- the Graham! my neighborhood cinema; I lived in the nearby projects on W and Batchelder and nearly EVERY saturday of my childhood was spent in that darkened palace for the matinees (only $.35, later $.50). Mom used to give us $1.00 for the show, and there was enough left over to buy a sugar daddy, hot dog and soda and then go buy a comic book at the corner store on knapp and ave X on the way home. my favorite schedules always seemed to include Abbot & Costello films as part of the double feature, which began with the great B&W screener for “previews of Coming Attraction” loads of cartoons (usually Merrie Melodies) and then two films; an afternoon of pleasure, enter at 12 or 1230 and home in time for dinner by 530!
my friends and I used to “tightwalk” the railing at the adjacent driveway; sometimes, we’d sneak someone in but often got nailed by the stern Matrons in their blue and white uniforms as they flashed the torchlights looking for those who opened the exit doors to allow “interlopers” to steal in without paying. I saw “the thing from another world” there at the age of 7 and it gave me nightmares for weeks thereafter; (it’s one of my favorite sci-fi films to this day). in fact, many of my favorite films today are the result of the education garnered from drowsy afternoons at the Graham, the Tarzan double features, musicals, westerns (that I took my grandfather to see – he loved “cowboy and indian movies”). Though we had a plethora of Century owned theaters in sheepshead bay, such as the Marine, Nostrand, Sheepshead, Brook, Mayfair et al, the Graham was our neighborhood palace- not ornate in any way, mind you, but a few short walking blocks from home. it was also where I took my first “date” at the age of 9 – the twins, maureen and madeline to see Oklahoma!
My dream as a child was to grow up and buy the Graham, turn it into my own bijou and show the films I wanted to see and share with other patrons. When I travel back to the old neighborhood, I always drive by, and park in front of the sad looking condos that replaced my childhood pleasure palace and reminisce. God Bless that old movie house, and thanks for the memories!
hope all habitual visitors and moviegoers like the picture I posted – I took it back in the 80s (?)
ahhh- the Graham! my neighborhood cinema; I lived in the nearby projects on W and Batchelder and nearly EVERY saturday of my childhood was spent in that darkened palace for the matinees (only $.35, later $.50). Mom used to give us $1.00 for the show, and there was enough left over to buy a sugar daddy, hot dog and soda and then go buy a comic book at the corner store on knapp and ave X on the way home. my favorite schedules always seemed to include Abbot & Costello films as part of the double feature, which began with the great B&W screener for “previews of Coming Attraction” loads of cartoons (usually Merrie Melodies) and then two films; an afternoon of pleasure, enter at 12 or 1230 and home in time for dinner by 530! my friends and I used to “tightwalk” the railing at the adjacent driveway; sometimes, we’d sneak someone in but often got nailed by the stern Matrons in their blue and white uniforms as they flashed the torchlights looking for those who opened the exit doors to allow “interlopers” to steal in without paying. I saw “the thing from another world” there at the age of 7 and it gave me nightmares for weeks thereafter; (it’s one of my favorite sci-fi films to this day). in fact, many of my favorite films today are the result of the education garnered from drowsy afternoons at the Graham, the Tarzan double features, musicals, westerns (that I took my grandfather to see – he loved “cowboy and indian movies”). Though we had a plethora of Century owned theaters in sheepshead bay, such as the Marine, Nostrand, Sheepshead, Brook, Mayfair et al, the Graham was our neighborhood palace- not ornate in any way, mind you, but a few short walking blocks from home. it was also where I took my first “date” at the age of 9 – the twins, maureen and madeline to see Oklahoma! My dream as a child was to grow up and buy the Graham, turn it into my own bijou and show the films I wanted to see and share with other patrons. When I travel back to the old neighborhood, I always drive by, and park in front of the sad looking condos that replaced my childhood pleasure palace and reminisce. God Bless that old movie house, and thanks for the memories!