I got to our theater (one of those huge, original, turn-of-the-century "opera houses" festooned with balconies, box seats, massive stage [with an equally massive movie screen added later in life], orchestra pit, etc.), two hours before the doors for the Saturday matinee even opened, and had the dubious honor of being second in line. By the time the shows (double-feature) began, the theater was packed with kids waiting with baited breath. The first feature was a western in which few were interested, so most of the gazillions of kids burned out their energy talking, running up and down the aisles, getting more popcorn, etc. Then came the intermission, followed by previews and a cartoon (I think it was a Baby Huey one). And then the screen went momentarily dark and so did the entire audience. MGM's Leo the Lion appeared and roared, followed by "Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer presents" with the first strains of Bob Cobert's music. Everyone went wild and started to applaud and scream in joy. From that moment on, all attention was fixated to the screen.
Gerard
