How much did it cost to go to the movies when you where a kid.

[texanwitch]

It cost 35 cents for the under 12 crowd, 50 cents for teenagers.

I got $3 to spend, it went a long way.

Popcorn was 15 cents

Hot dogs 25 cents

Hamburger 35 cents

large drink 35 cents

candy between 5 and 15 cents

Hard to believe isn't it.

I went to the Yale Theater in Houston.

[mykpart]

1. 25 cents for children under 12,

75 cents for adults at the neighborhood theater, $1.25 downtown (where the movies played first). Popcorn was 15 cents, soda pop a dime, most candy was a nickel or a dime. I never got the hot dogs. They used to have giant dill pickles, but I can't remember how much they were.

[texanwitch]

2. We had 3 shows to watch.

A kiddie show and two regular shows, went in a noon came out about 6 or 7 in the evening.

[mykpart]

4. Yeah, and about six or seven cartoons!

There were 3 kids in our family, and my sister swears we got to go to the show every Saturday because that's the only time my parents had sex!

Someone should revive the Saturday Kid Show and advertise it as Mommy & Daddy's special alone time!

[texanwitch]

5. The movies were baby sitters.

I don't thiink there was a kid left in the neighborhood on Saturdays.

The best show was the teenagers walking around and around the seats, the girls in front and boys following.

The noise had to be great with all the kids in the theater.

[IChing]

3. I don't know I snuck in from the back sidedoors

Until I had to pay
$2.45, we had a gang.

A hours work. or more.....is what it cost.

[texanwitch]

6. I didn't write this but it is right happened at the Yale Theater.

Some of my most vivid and happy childhood memories revolve around this old theater located at the entrance to the Heights section of Houston.
I think the first time I went there was in 1959 with my two older brothers and continued going there with them until the start of the Viet Nam war when they both got drafted and I began going alone.
The first movies I actually remember seeing there were the Elvis movies which were followed by the Surfer movies and the Horror movies and then the Hells Angels on Wheels type movies following later. The last movie I remember seeing there was the original showing of Bonnie and Clyde with Warren Beaty and Faye Dunnaway
..a true first run at that time.
I learned to twist at the Yale as Mr. Bodenhiemer (not Gugenhiemer), the manager, actually had a twist contest during the intermissions during the Saturday matinees programs (which consited of a cartoon, a re-run and then the main feature). Yes, Mr. Bodenhiemer would jump up on the stage there in front of the screen on Saturdays and thank us all for showing up and then go into his famous "I'll give two movie passes for anyone who is wearing one red sock and one blue sock!!" And sure enough there would be a winner!! Then he would say "Alright Boys and Girls who can do the twist?" Come on up here and we will have a twist contest and the winner will get five movie passes and a free popcorn and soda from the conssecion stand!!" Man it was the cats meow and the most hillarious thing I ever saw to see a line of 8 to 14 year olds up on that stage doing the twist to the old Chubby Checkers song...and I too even went up to try to win at the urgings of a girl I had met there that day. What fun those intermission activities use to be. Eventually Mr. Bodenhiemr even let area garage bands up on the stage to play two or three songs and Louie Louie and Wild Thing and Wooly Bully never sounded so good as being played by kids with out of tune guitars and missed drum licks..but you couldn't tell as the kids were wild.
Eventually the lights Mr. Bodenhiemer would remind us how great we all were and that it was time for the next show and that good behaviour was the best way to stay for the next show...what fun we had at that theater. I learned to sing like Elvis, dance like I was at the Beach with Annette Funnichello, and kick like Billy Jack and ride my bicycle like I was a Hells Angel Unchained!! Yes the Yale theater was a classic and God Bless Mr. Bodenhiemer and his crew for allowing us kids to have such a good time on Saturday.

posted by swampsterman on Dec 14, 2005 at 8:44am

[leftofthedial]

7. air force brat overseas

free or a nickel, depending on the show.

[Rosemary2205]

8. We did the drive in. $1 per carload.

A grocery bag full of popcorn from home and 2 gallons of green koolaid (because that's the only flavor Mom would drink)

[Broken_Hero]

9. Free!

Cause my parents paid for it!...:P In all honesty, I cannot remember...

[Richard Steele]

10. Kids under 12 were still a buck.

Even in the mid-80s I could find matinees for $1.50

[China_cat]

11. Twelve and half cents.

Yes, I know that sounds ridiculous but that's what it was for kids under 12. Over 12 it was $.25. And you didn't get chased out when the picture was over. You could stay to see it again if you wanted to.

[texanwitch]

12. Kicking for the almost afternoon crowd.

I posted this early in the morning so many people didn't see it.

Happy childhood memories.

[Silver Swan]

13. A long time ago

I believe my hometown theater was twenty cents for children under twelve, back when I was under twelve.

Popcorn was ten cents.

I have never, ever, eaten anything but popcorn in a theater.

[texanwitch]

14. Theater popcorn has a certain taste that you cannot get at home.

:9

[MorningGlow]

15. I remember one price

I don't recall the average price--I think it was about $1.75 for a Sunday afternoon Disney matinee at the second-run theater (Bedknobs and Broomsticks, all the Herbie movies, etc.--LOVED 'em!) but I do remember the most exorbitant price I had to pay out of my own pocket: $4.25 for The Return of the Jedi. Highway robbery!! I was most offended. It caused quite a stir at the time--most expensive movie price EVER. Um, back then, anyway.

[ceile]

16. I think $3.50

for the matiness and $4.25 at night.
When did the Yale close? I was born and raised in Htown and I can't place it.

[texanwitch]

17. I think it closed in the late 60's.

It was great theater, had a great run.

I have dreams about it sometimes, that it is still there.

[ceile]

20. That explains it.

Before my time.
The Heights is a great historic neighborhood. Too bad about the theater. Their trying to close the Riveroaks theater now. I hope it's saved.

[texanwitch]

21. I will be really sad if the River Oaks goes.

It is really the last of the old theaters in Houston.

[Benfea]

18. Kids were under a buck....

...but this was on overseas military bases where we paid less than moviegoers did stateside in civilian areas.

[patricia92243]

19. Ten cents for second rung movies - Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, etc.

[FILAM23]

22. On Sat afternoons under 12 got

a movie, a popcorn and a drink, all for,25 cents. At other times of the week
it was 25 cents for those under 12 and 50 cents for all ohers