It was the highlight of many children’s week growing up and a place where they learnt and saw new views on the world. It is estimated that over 1 million children a week enjoyed the Saturday matinees at the cinema, { source media statistics website} each week the same children would return to see their friends and find out what had happened to their hero’s from the serial, and get carried away and lost in the land of cinema and make believe.

Children’s cinema matinees have been around since the early days of cinema. One of the first recorded children’s film screenings took place in Derbyshire in 1900 in a schoolroom in Mickemore. Posters released by London Gaumont in 1906 referred to special children’s matinee screenings . {source The Powell and Pressburger Pages website}

The latest animated or film performances would often be screened for children on a Saturday morning or afternoon. As cinema and the popularity of films grew, a program formula was adopted in many cinemas, usually taking the form of a cartoon, a main feature film and a serialization. Popular serials would range from the singing cowboy Gene Autry to the perils of Batman and Flash Gordon.

Each week the episode would be left with a cliff hanger – the hero left in peril – would he be captured by the evil villain? Would he be saved? To be continued. To find out return next week only at your local cinema – this would have the children in wonderment all week and see the children flock back the next week to see what had happened to the star – was he safe- course he was, what relief!

I say he because most of the hero’s in the serials and films shown at the matinees were male, with the odd exception such as Dale Evans who featured in several films starring Roy Rogers such as ‘Twilight in the Sierras’ and ‘Apache Rose’. She would be seen as an idol to the young girls watching the cinema shows.

In the earlier days of the Children’s Cinema Matinees the main film would often be a cowboy or gangster film, generally of American origin. Stars such as Gene Autry, Hop Along Cassidy, Roy Rogers and Buster Crabb became household names.

Children would get absorbed into the films and get excited banging their feet and cheering the goodies and booing the baddies.

Involvement at the cinema was encouraged through things such as cinema club songs and badges and members of the cinema club would often get a birthday card on their birthday.

“My brother and I would run as fast as we could on our 5 and 6yr old legs from Bark Road to the Regal on Church Rd. with our sixpenny bit cluched in our hands It was the high light of our week Don’t recall what was my fav show (my brother loved The lone ranger and Tonto)I think I just loved the feeling of belonging Loved the bits when the bad guys were winning and we all had to ‘BOOOOOOOO’ or when the good guys were winning the ‘HURRAY’  We came out tired but Happy.

Here’s the naughty bit!! for some reason I was fixated with English Martyrs Catholic church, It was always open back then. I would drag my brother in with threats of his life if he dared to speak once inside. Off we would wander in awe of the many statues inside. Aaaaaah bliss. Then back home to reality.

Can’t imagine a 5-6 yr old being allowed to make that track these days different world, different times back then. Forgot to add the bit about after the film was over (wonder if they still do this in England now?) There was about a 60 second delay after the movie before they started playing ‘God Save The Queen‘ there was a mad dash for the exits in that 60secs. Interestingly enough as soon as the first note struck, not a single child moved,  Also forgot, the ice lolly of the day was a Twicer (it had 2 sticks and you could bash it on the side of the seat and get 2 perfect lollies If you were rich you could get a little tub of ice cream with a wooden spoon

I now live in Canada but still consider Litherland my home.”

Dot Sharp