CityNews cartoonist PAUL DORIN comes out from behind the easel to reminisce about his first encounters with movies.

The first movie l ever got to see was in Wollongong, at the Southline drive-in movie theatre. 

Drive-ins were always exciting to go to with family or friends and we were lucky that we didn’t have to travel far to get there, it was just up the road.
People smuggling into the drive-in was always well planned and I’ve heard all the stories of turning up with four in the car but only paying for two, with two in the boot. 

And having a family of five and getting the youngest kid in for free by having them curl up into a ball low in the footwell with the feet of other kids and blankets piled on top of them. 

We packed blankets and pillows and us kids were dressed in our pyjamas so that when we got tired, we’d fall asleep on the back seat. You’d see people dressed in pyjamas and slippers going to the toilet or getting munchies.

Anyone with a station wagon reversed into the spot and lay in the back, wrapped up cosy in a blanket. Some patrons would even bring along picnic chairs and sit at the front of their car and watch the movie out in the open air.

And always trying to remember not to drive off with the heavy duty, hook-on speaker that hung off the window of the car. Then came modernised technology with the sound coming through car radios. After the movie, cars would often honk their horns giving applause.

The most memorable movie l have ever seen, even to this day, was while on a summer holiday with family in Gosford camping on the beach. My Aunty Lorraine and Uncle Rob decided to have a movie night at the local cinema. I was about nine or 10 and we older kids went to see Jaws. 

During the movie I remember the people sitting behind asking a couple of times for me to: “Please sit back down!”. l was standing as far back on the seat as l could  trying to escape the jaws of that big angry shark.

Seeing that movie changed my life; I still won’t go too deep while swimming in the ocean. 

I’ve heard stories from people who were kids at the time that after watching Jaws they wouldn’t sit on the toilet for fear of shark bites!

Another great movie memory was with my Uncle John. He took all the cousins to “‘Superman: The Movie” starring Christopher Reeve. 

After the movie Uncle John planned to take us to lunch at the Woolworths’ cafeteria. To keep eight young cousins together, my uncle got us all to hold hands as he didn’t want any kid flying off once we got outside. I remember holding on so tight.

I’ve had many fond memories going to the movies and these days most are kids’ movies with my son, laying back in the recliner watching parts of the movie from under my eyelids, it’s always a great escapism while enjoying popcorn.