Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: National Anthem

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Posted by Derek Maxwell (Member # 234) on 09-21-2001, 01:15 AM:

Is your theatre running the National Anthem? The local Drive-in here is getting ready to close it's doors for good and I let them borrow one of my new prints and I was touched when people got out of their cars, stood up, and started singing along and after it was done, everybody beeped their horns. It was a great moment and I felt I did my small part to help out.

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http://www.drive-infilm.com

Posted by Richard C. Wolfe (Member # 431) on 09-22-2001, 11:46 PM:

Yes, we are running the National Anthem as I had already noted in an earlier posting under a different topic (Showing Your colors). On Saturday nights we also use the WurliTzer organ for preshow music, so the past two Saturdays we played patriotic numbers for the final ten minutes before each show. Tonights 7 PM show was quite full, and as we were playing "America's Sweethearts" the audience was mostly over 40. Not only did everyone stand for the anthem, but they sang it as well. I haven't seen that in a long time. However, the 9 PM show was a much younger audience, and not only did they not sing, but they didn't stand either. That is the age group that has grown up without the anthem, the pledge or prayer in our schools, and they don't know what to do. Anyone surprised?

Posted by System Notices (Member # 2357) on 02-10-2006, 08:49 PM:

It has been 1601 days since the last post.

Posted by Timothy Eiler (Member # 383) on 02-10-2006, 08:49 PM:

quote:
Is your theatre running the National Anthem?

We Run It on all five screens in the intermission reel that runs before the First Feature

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 02-11-2006, 12:22 PM:

Growing up, I was used to seeing the National Anthem played before every show at theaters aboard Marine Corps bases where we were stationed.

Best ones were the Sakura Theater in Iwakuni, Japan and the Little Hall Theater at mainside, Quantico, VA. Both theaters were pretty large (Little Hall even had a balcony) and had really good anthem clips. As the anthem ended, the auditorium would erupt with "ohh-rah" barks from all the Marines. It was actually pretty cool.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 02-11-2006, 02:55 PM:

I wouldn't mind running one, just to clear my head from all the horrendous butcherings of the Anthem at the various sports events, like Aretha Franklin's recent Super Bowl mangling of it.

Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 02-11-2006, 03:36 PM:

As a tyke in the 50s I can remember people standing up at the theater when the anthem came on. But then they also used to clap when the curtains went up and pulled opened (they did both) and when the film was over. What a different world now

Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 02-11-2006, 04:06 PM:

Our organist plays "it's A Grand Old Flag" while the flag blows in a spot light, and usually one other patriotic piece every Saturday night, usually gets great response. As noted above though the 16 to 24 age group doesn't recognize the "Star Spangled Banner" One of our employees who is in that group believes the naation will be in deep shit when her group gets old enough to wield influence.

Posted by Jeremy Jorgenson (Member # 2989) on 02-11-2006, 05:38 PM:

Isn't that the same fear each generation?

Posted by Carl Martin (Member # 1146) on 02-13-2006, 05:53 AM:

quote: Mike Blakesley
all the horrendous butcherings of the Anthem at the various sports events, like Aretha Franklin's recent Super Bowl mangling of it.

i actually thought the neville/franklin "mangling" was pretty good. it was given a bit of r&b groove without too much of that mariah carey-style caterwauling.

in general i don't like the way the anthem is used, be it in front of sporting events or movies (which i've never experienced, thankfully). same with "moments of silence". you're basically a captive audience, asked to show respect for something whether or not that's what you really feel. it's false.

similarly, administering the pledge of allegiance or a prayer or what-have-you to a school class is meaningless (among other things), but the same act done voluntarily by an individual does have meaning, to that person at least.

carl

carl

Posted by Bob Maar (Member # 763) on 02-14-2006, 03:03 PM:

During World War II, I was living with my Grandparents in Aurora, Ontario.

Like Clockwork we attended the movies every Saturday. The Program aways started with the audience standing and singing
"God Save The King."

After the war when I returned to New York City where the National Anthem was not played.

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 02-14-2006, 03:07 PM:

Which theatre in Aurora did you go to Bob?

Posted by Bob Maar (Member # 763) on 02-14-2006, 03:11 PM:

The only theatre in Aurora was located across from Cousins Dairy on Centre Street about 50' west of Younge Street. I don't recall the name and I believe it was torn down in the late sixties. Single screen theatre. About 300 seats.

Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 02-14-2006, 07:53 PM:

During WWII all the theatres here that were part of the Neighborhood Theatres Inc. chain played the Star Spangled Banner either recorded or on the organ before every feature.

Posted by Wayne Keyser (Member # 2420) on 02-14-2006, 10:15 PM:

Allow me to recommend the short story "The Anthem Sprinters" by Ray Bradbury (written back when he was at the height of his skill). Available in many anthologies, it's the story of some workaday Irishmen, friends whose private "in-joke" is a contest to see if you can be out of the theater by the time the national anthem plays. Of course there's fine character writing and an interesting development or two...

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 02-14-2006, 11:29 PM:

quote:
Tonights 7 PM show was quite full, and as we were playing "America's Sweethearts" the audience was mostly over 40. Not only did everyone stand for the anthem, but they sang it as well. I haven't seen that in a long time. However, the 9 PM show was a much younger audience, and not only did they not sing, but they didn't stand either. That is the age group that has grown up without the anthem, the pledge or prayer in our schools, and they don't know what to do. Anyone surprised?

Richard, it's all just customs and how people express themselves differently. Sure, the teens and 20s, 30s crowd don't stand and sing, but that shouldn't be interpreted to mean they don't have as much love for their country as the folks who do. Let's not forget when they run those names up on the memorial crawl each week on Face the Nation or Meet the Press or Night Line, the numbers after all those names are 19s, 20s, 21s, 25s....not a hellofa lot of 50s and 60s. It's our youngsters who are the ones sent off to war to be maimed and who die for our country, which, I submit, is a hellofalot more meaningful than standing for a song or waving a flag.

Wanna show support for the those kids? Better than standing up for a national anthem, stand up and tell our government of monumental incompetence to BRING THEM HOME.

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 02-15-2006, 11:20 AM:

Small town Indiana in the '70s (Shelbyville, Connersville, and others) people stood and sang with the Anthem before every show. Louis

Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 02-16-2006, 01:00 PM:

Derek,

What is your source material for your reprints? I recently came across some old IB tech sprite trailors and some coke stuff from the 60's/70's that are in almost virgin state.

Josh

Posted by Steve Scott (Member # 630) on 02-16-2006, 01:51 PM:

www.drive-infilm.com

We use it to open the trailer show before Atomic Midnights.