Growing up – the charm of English movies

Going to college was all about growing up, facing new challenges and meeting new people. These were the stepping stones to gain new experience that helps one to gain confidence to step forward in the world. Some of the people one meets would turn out to be good company, others would be those one would not like to touch with a ten-foot pole.
Anyway, to me, it were the English movies that changed my outlook on life and gave me an insight into how the world moves – not a world of superstitious beliefs but a world that is practical, that does not hesitate to call a spade a spade.
Most of the movie halls had three daily shows – 3pm, 6pm and 9pm. The 3pm or matinee show was my most preferred slot because attending that show would mean I would be home in time and would not need to explain any delay to my mother.
Therefore, I would select such days of the week when my classes would end by 2pm and would give me enough time to walk down Free School Street and end up in the New Market (Hogg Market) area which was home to all the cinema halls that showed English movies. (to be continued ..)

Growing up days – the charm of English movies

In the 1960s, the influence of Western cultures was there in all spheres of life and English movies were no exception because, firstly, the duration would be short – usually all movies would end in one and half-hour’ time maximum. In rare cases would the duration go up to two hours. And – there would be a story that would be held together tautly by the actors who excelled in their spheres. In contrast Indian movies, especially the Hindi ones, would have heroines running around trees.

Addition attractions were the beautiful locales and the carefree lifestyles that were a far cry from the rigid rules that had to be followed in the Indian context.
A pet genre for me was the Westerns with cowboys riding horses with guns in their holsters, sharp shooters who could shoot by just observing movements in the overhead mirrors installed in the bars and knife throwers who could hit a target blindfolded.

Some of the best were Four for Texas with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Ursula Andress, the Magnificent Seven, Gunfight at the OK Corral, For a few Dollars More, Cat Ballou etcetera. Each of these was a movie that I would want to see again and again. (to be continued …)