TOM GLOVER'S HAMILTON LIBRARY SCRAPBOOK: LOCAL HISTORY WITH A PERSONAL TOUCH.

MY RECENT "SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY" COLUMN RESULTED IN THIS FASCINATING LOOK BACK AT THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE MOVIE THEATERS IN TRENTON.
THANKS, ELMER!

Dear Tom:

I was born in 1930 and grew up on the other side of Hamilton Township
in Colonial Manor and White Horse. I, too, have Saturday afternoon
movie memories, some a little different from yours.

It all began with my brothers and I taking the long walk down South
Broad Street toward the Broad Theater. It was like a caravan of kids
as more friends kept joining the group along the way, and the
laughing and horsing around were the first joy of the day. When we
got there, the crowd divided into two groups, one stayed at the
Broad, the other headed for the nearby Bijou (always pronounced By-
Joe, never Bee-Zhoo).

The Broad, which we always chose, was a big theater with a balcony,
so the first decision was whether to head for the orchestra or the
balcony, the latter being a place where more rowdy behavior was
tolerated. (I notice that your column has been sanitized of any
rowdiness.)

The Broad always had a double feature in addition to all the things
you mention (cartoon, serial, coming attractions, shorts) and a
newsreel as well, especially after the war started. The Broad kept
showing the same material over and over until midnight. We never
stayed that long, of course, but if the main feature was great we
might stay to see it twice, or at least the juicy bits. Then there
was the walk home, chattering about what we had seen -- a time to
decompress before returning to the bosom of the family.

Another thing I remember well is the way the audience, especially
kids, talked back to the screen. Such warnings as, "Look out behind
you!" and, "He's got a gun!" were signs that we were part of the
show, not just spectators.

You give eleven cents as the price of admission, and that is correct
for the summer of 1941. But do you remember how another cent was
added to the tax after the war started? We groaned at first, but soon
became proud of doing our bit for the war effort.

Regards,

Elmer L. Sullivan