Four screenings a day of John
THE DAYS WHEN YOU COULD SEE A FEATURE MOVIE – AND HAVE A SECOND ONE TO WATCH AS WELL THE YEAR
What an era the 1970s was for big screen entertainment in Sunderland Blockbuster films seemed to sell out at Wearside’s cinemas throughout the decade. Whether it was a Western, a disaster epic, or a children’s favourite, you could not beat a day at the pictures. We are taking a look at the news affecting the area over the coming weeks and we’re starting with a look at the movie heroes who were attracting the punters in their droves. In one August week alone in 1970, you could choose from a rich harvest of Hollywood heroes. The hardest part of going to the movies was deciding which picture to see. Just imagine it. You could see John Wayne in Chisum at the ABC – and get a second film thrown in. This time, it was Time Out For Sardinia. And just to give you an indication of how many film goers would get along, there were four showings a day at 12.35pm, 3.15pm, 5.55pm and 8.35pm. Who remembers stopping back to watch it all a second time around? Over at the Odeon, there was a Friday night holiday special that week. It was a double bill featuring Sean Connery in The Hill, and Elvis Presley in Jailhouse Rock – and it didn’t even start until 10.30pm! And just in case you were a little young to watch the latenight line-up, the children of Sunderland had their own feast at the flicks. Disney’s Jungle Book was a huge favourite for the kids and it was showing at Studio One where it had been retained for another week because it was so popular. And two more hits for the younger generation were proving just as popular. Oliver! was back for a third week at the Odeon and readers will remember it. This was the Lionel Bart version with Mark Lester in the title role, and Ron Moody, Oliver Reed and Harry Secombe among the other stars. And if you wanted to see it, there were plenty of showings every day. You could enjoy a 2pm matinee from Monday to Saturday with doors opening half an hour earlier. Then there was the evening showing at 7.30pm with plenty of time to get in as doors opened an hour before that. Or who fancied a trip to the Empire where Dr Dolittle was showing, with Rex Harrison, Samantha Eggar, Anthony Newley and Richard Attenborough in it. Sunderland in the 70s was a