Things I Will Miss #3

When I was a kid, all the other kids and I would go to Saturday matinees at the State Theater. The moms would just drop their kids off with some money and go across Alvarado Street to do some shopping at JC Penney or Woolworth's. The State had a big balcony and we would always sit in it and throw Hot Tamales or Good and Plenty candies at our friends in the main floor seats. Boy those were fun days. Probably not for the theater owners, though. When I was a teenager they closed off the balcony and made two tiny theaters out of it. That was awful. Anyway, a few years ago the multiplex came to town and the old State Theater fell on hard times. Too bad, too. It was a grand old theater in it's day.
THEN... about two years ago they closed it and began restoration on it. This restoration involved re-opening the balcony, hooray! About a year ago they opened back up and started showing old movies in it. I wasn't sure that our town was big enough to support this kind of theater, but it is and it's great! I have seen the Beatles in "Help", "The Haunting", "The Maltese Falcon", and my favorite "The Wizard of Oz"--Sing Along! I tell you , you have not lived until you have sung "We Represent the Lollypop Guild" with about 350 people. I have sat in the balcony every time I have gone, and yes, my kids and I have launched candy off of it. Don't worry, we made sure not to hit anyone!
Anyway, the next, and perhaps last, movie I will be seeing there is also a sing along:


This will be fun! I have already been practicing singing "Just a Spoonful of Sugar".

If there is a theater like this in Spokane, I have yet to find it.

State Theater, I will miss you!