In 1954 my class walked down form Central School to Brown's Theater to see Disney's The Vanishing Prairie, a nature movie that was banned in New York schools because there was a scene showing the birth of a buffalo. Maybe because Snohomish had so many farm families that scene didn't have much of an impact. What was memorable was that one of the teachers fainted. We didn't know of course that the movie had been banned or that Disney with the help of the ACLU had the ban lifted. Disney said, "It would be a shame if NY children had to believe that the stork brings buffaloes too."
In the 50's most of the families here had a radio and at best a small black and white TV so the impact of a huge screen and color was incredible and indelible.
My parents took me to Brown's theater to see a Charlton Heston movie,The Naked Jungle, the story of a terrifying army ant invasion in South America. Mom and Dad deeply regretted taking me because I had nightmares for months and months and hallucinations about being covered in ants whenever I had a slight fever.
Ironically, I lived in a part of Ethiopia that had army ants which occasionally swarmed. Nothing could equal the movie so I was very calm when I saw the ground undulate with insects.
Big news in a small town was when the owner of the theater put in a new blue velvet curtain in front of the screen. I can see the color now.
4 years ago
Via eMail:
In 1954 my class walked down form Central School to Brown's Theater to see Disney's The Vanishing Prairie, a nature movie that was banned in New York schools because there was a scene showing the birth of a buffalo. Maybe because Snohomish had so many farm families that scene didn't have much of an impact. What was memorable was that one of the teachers fainted. We didn't know of course that the movie had been banned or that Disney with the help of the ACLU had the ban lifted. Disney said, "It would be a shame if NY children had to believe that the stork brings buffaloes too."
In the 50's most of the families here had a radio and at best a small black and white TV so the impact of a huge screen and color was incredible and indelible.
My parents took me to Brown's theater to see a Charlton Heston movie,The Naked Jungle, the story of a terrifying army ant invasion in South America. Mom and Dad deeply regretted taking me because I had nightmares for months and months and hallucinations about being covered in ants whenever I had a slight fever.
Ironically, I lived in a part of Ethiopia that had army ants which occasionally swarmed. Nothing could equal the movie so I was very calm when I saw the ground undulate with insects.
Big news in a small town was when the owner of the theater put in a new blue velvet curtain in front of the screen. I can see the color now.
Candace Jarrett