March 2009
From: Rick Callahan
My best friend and I used to walk to the Franklin Park Theater in the early 1950’s when we were both about 7. It was a 10-15 minute walk and we went alone. No one worried about child molesters in those days. I don’t remember what the cost was but I’m guessing 25-50 cents to get in. You could get popcorn and a candy and I’m sure the whole thing cost less than $1. For that price you got a newsreel, several cartoons, coming attractions, a serial (Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon come to mind) with a cliffhanger every week, and 2 feature films – mostly westerns and science fiction as I recall. The theater had a balcony I think although it was always closed. Occasionally my parents would take me to see a movie at night and that was a special thrill. Every so often my friend and I take a ride into Dorchester to see what the old neighborhood looks like and I see that the theater is now a church. It helps to relive good memories just to see the building is still standing. Kids today can!
have their computers and iPods. To me, THOSE were the best of times.