Short film before the main film?

[J4CKO]

Anyone remember when, in cinemas you used to get a short film on a random subject before the main feature ?

Was watching a YouTuber called "My Self Reliance" who lives in a cabin he built in the Wilderness with his Golden Retriever and iit put me in mind of those short films, mentioned it to my wife and she recalled one about Penguins and I can remember being fascinated by one about a scrapyard in the US which was more interesting than whatever the film was.

Anyone remember these shorts ?

[vixen1700]

We used to go to the Ace Cinema in Green Street, East Ham to see all the 'X' films when we were kids , and one short sticks in my mind.

Must have been before The Exterminator or Scanners and it was a 20-25 minute Briitish horror about a lunatic who had escaped from an asylum and was killing people. Ending with somebody having their throat cut by the lunatic in their car with the blood spurting in time with the engine revving.

Think it was called Mad House or something similar, was over 40 years ago so not entirely sure.


That's the only real short I can remember.

[croyde]

Yep, I remember always seeing two films when our dad took us, so early 70s.

Also there'd quite often be an intermission, which we really could do with now with some if these 3 hours plus films.

There was a really grumpy usher at the Croydon Odeon back in the late 70s early 80s who was a real sergeant major type who'd happily belt any trouble makers.

Ahhh, when cinema was fun

[Wacky Racer]

Always used to be two films at kids matinees on a Saturday morning in the late 50's/ early 60's.

Kids would shout and stamp on the floor when the cowboys were coming to head the Indians off at the pass.

[Monkeylegend]

The good old British "B" picture, I remember them well.

Those were the days when you sat in the back row with your girlfriend and had a fumble before the film you went to actually see came on

[Nethybridge]

Travelogues sometimes, The Riviera or Skiing in Zermatt, or maybe a tour through the West of Ireland.

[biggbn]

Nethybridge said:

Travelogues sometimes, The Riviera or Skiing in Zermatt, or maybe a tour through the West of Ireland.

Or Telly Savalas expounding the joys of Birmingham...

[1690cc]

In 1970's our local was 10p to get in the stalls or 15p for the balcony.

Always has 2 films, usually something like Abbot and Costello or similar first then main feature.

[Planet Claire]

Saw To Kill a Dead Man by Portishead before the main film (can't remember what) at The Tyneside Cinema in the mid-90s. They also used to have late night double-bills; went to a few of those, back in the day when I could stay awake through, not just one, but two films.

[renmure]

My Great Aunt used to live next door to a Cinema when I was young and she took me there every week. We always went at the same time and that was irrespective of the movie times. There was always a double bill and the odd thing (didn't seem odd at the time tho) was that we just watched the 1st film from where we came in then watched the 2nd, then watched the first film again to the point we had come in at then went away.

[Gary C]

Seem to remember there was something about grape growing in France before Jaws was on.

The uncut original film had an A certificate, I was 8 when I saw it in 1975 !

[WrekinCrew]

Pathe News, then an ice cream tub, then local ads and next week's trailers.

[eccles]

I can remember a documentary on the Radio 1 roadshow in the late 70's being shown before the latest Bond film.

[gt40steve]

The last B movie that I saw before a feature film was 'Crime in the City' starring Roger Daltrey.
Mid to late 1980's I think.

[ric19]

I remember one, this Guy was doing a load of sawing of wood, really close up so you couldnt see what he was building, this went on for perhaps 10 mins, then the great reveal.. it pulled back to show a giant Mousterap... He put his head on the trigger and blam....FIN...Also wasnt Silent Running with Bruce Dern a B movie ?

[Turn7]

Nethybridge said:

Travelogues sometimes, The Riviera or Skiing in Zermatt, or maybe a tour through the West of Ireland.

......And more fking Gondolas.......

[croyde]

renmure said:

My Great Aunt used to live next door to a Cinema when I was young and she took me there every week. We always went at the same time and that was irrespective of the movie times. There was always a double bill and the odd thing (didn't seem odd at the time tho) was that we just watched the 1st film from where we came in then watched the 2nd, then watched the first film again to the point we had come in at then went away.

We used to do that too, you've just made me remember.

Also, before streaming, Sky Movies had start times so if you tuned in part way through you just watched until the film started again and carried on till you'd seen the whole movie

[strummerville]

Loved them! My sister called them “The Monks of Thailand” and “Basket Weaving in the Congo”

[kuro]

vixen1700 said:

We used to go to the Ace Cinema in Green Street, East Ham to see all the 'X' films when we were kids , and one short sticks in my mind.

Must have been before The Exterminator or Scanners and it was a 20-25 minute Briitish horror about a lunatic who had escaped from an asylum and was killing people. Ending with somebody having their throat cut by the lunatic in their car with the blood spurting in time with the engine revving.

Think it was called Mad House or something similar, was over 40 years ago so not entirely sure.


That's the only real short I can remember.

I also remember that one.

[Richard-390a0]

Remember to purchase your Westlers Hot Dog from the foyer....