Today it is possible to buy or hire a video and watch a film athome, but millions of people all over the world still prefer togo to their town or city cinema for a 'night out'. And beforetelevision arrived in people's homes, a visit to the cinemawas something really special to look forward to.
The 'golden age' of film-making - and going to the cinema - was between about 1930 and 1950. Film stars seemed likekings and queens. Cinemas were 'picture palaces' where, for the price of a ticket, you could enter into a magicalworld where anything and everything was possible.
In 1946, 1,650,000,000 cinema tickets were sold in GreatBritain. That's thirty-three tickets for every man, womanand child in the country.
In 1946, 1,650,000,000 cinema tickets were sold in GreatBritain. That's thirty-three tickets for every man, womanand child in the country.
And in the year 1939 - the year when audiences first sawGone With The Wind - 30,000 people were employed bythe big film studios in Hollywood. They made 400 filmsevery year. Americans called the moving pictures, 'themovies', and fifty million of them went to the cinema everyweek. They wanted to see the magic of the movies!
But how did it all begin...?
