I saw many wonderful films at the Century Dome Theatres on Winchester in the early 1970’s. Franco Zefferelli’s Romeo & Juliet and Godfather One are a few that come to mind. A few girlfriends, my sisters and I went there to see American Graffiti, a nostalgic movie directed by the largely unknown George Lucas. The story, set in the 1950s, featured lots of teens and their hot cars. My friend Yolanda Garcia had a white, 1950’s 4 door Chevy that she and her father had just restored – and she drove it from her home in Sunnyvale to meet us at the theatre. We were surprised to find that Yolanda’s car was identical to the one Ron Howard drove around in the film. So after the film, we cruised the parking lot doing donuts, me “hanging a B.A.” (for Bare Ass) out of a window in the back seat. I’d like to think I was paying tribute to the theme of architecture in the round, but at the time, I was only showing off the ability to keep my ass-ets in the air in a spinning car while all of us laughed our heads off. The stunt inspired multiple carloads of boys to follow us (for hours) from the parking lot all around San Jose and Campbell, they, trying in vain, to get the old Chevy full of wild girls to pull over. Opportunities to party were numerous in those days, but we were not interested in stopping for any of them. Luckily Yolanda had a tankfull of cheap gas and a lead foot. Boy did my own kids have it rough when they were teens; Mom knew (almost) all the tricks! Speaking of Moms, my own often took my sisters and myself out for burgers, fries or fantastic o'rings and real chocolate milkshakes right down the street at Bob’s Big Boy after the movies. Good times! I still cringe at the sound of spoons scraping the sides of the tall, cold, metal “glasses” those shakes were served in.
Long live old friends, the Domes, Mom and big Bob, too!
~ Marina Andriola, Campbell High, Class of ‘73.
I saw many wonderful films at the Century Dome Theatres on Winchester in the early 1970’s. Franco Zefferelli’s Romeo & Juliet and Godfather One are a few that come to mind. A few girlfriends, my sisters and I went there to see American Graffiti, a nostalgic movie directed by the largely unknown George Lucas. The story, set in the 1950s, featured lots of teens and their hot cars. My friend Yolanda Garcia had a white, 1950’s 4 door Chevy that she and her father had just restored – and she drove it from her home in Sunnyvale to meet us at the theatre. We were surprised to find that Yolanda’s car was identical to the one Ron Howard drove around in the film. So after the film, we cruised the parking lot doing donuts, me “hanging a B.A.” (for Bare Ass) out of a window in the back seat. I’d like to think I was paying tribute to the theme of architecture in the round, but at the time, I was only showing off the ability to keep my ass-ets in the air in a spinning car while all of us laughed our heads off. The stunt inspired multiple carloads of boys to follow us (for hours) from the parking lot all around San Jose and Campbell, they, trying in vain, to get the old Chevy full of wild girls to pull over. Opportunities to party were numerous in those days, but we were not interested in stopping for any of them. Luckily Yolanda had a tankfull of cheap gas and a lead foot. Boy did my own kids have it rough when they were teens; Mom knew (almost) all the tricks! Speaking of Moms, my own often took my sisters and myself out for burgers, fries or fantastic o'rings and real chocolate milkshakes right down the street at Bob’s Big Boy after the movies. Good times! I still cringe at the sound of spoons scraping the sides of the tall, cold, metal “glasses” those shakes were served in.
Long live old friends, the Domes, Mom and big Bob, too!
~ Marina Andriola, Campbell High, Class of ‘73.