While waiting for the pizza to arrive, we watched drive-in theater intermissions. Ads for yummy BBQ beef sandwiches, like the ones you get in junior high. And there were a lot of "countdown" cartoons ("6 minutes till showtime! You still have time to visit our snackbar!") We were so hoping that when it got to "Showtime!" the pizza guy would ring the bell. But he was off by about 5 minutes. Man, I dig these intermissions. Maybe I'm having my midlife crisis (doubtful, considering the serious state of arrested development I have), but again I'm hit with that tidal wave of nostalgia. I guess you don't have to be a psych major to figure me out. Anyway, I remember these ads (not these exact ones) from going to the drive-in when I was a kid.
Some are territorial ads (a concrete company in Ohio). But most of this part of the reel had a lot of seasonal stuff, like Santa Claus, and fireworks shows, and scary live shows with "monsters that make Dracula and Frankenstein look like sissies!" They're low budget and wonderful.
The movie that was selected was the 1951 version of A CHRISTMAS CAROL, starring Alistair Sim. Again, I'm going to get personal here. I love, and have always loved this story, even though it's a bit Dickensian (sorry, I couldn't resist). I have the Reginald Owen version, the George C. Scott version, and of course MR. MAGOO'S CHRISTMAS CAROL. But as much fun as Magoo is (and it is), Sim nails Scrooge. His delivery is matchless in Act 1. And he sets it up so well that Act 3 is pure joy. Watching him wake up on Christmas morning is worth the entire movie. You get the feeling the director just turned the camera on and said, okay, Sim.....riff! And let him improvise.
One thing always troubles me, though. Just how dead IS a doornail?
So, between Santa in the Drive-In Intermissions, and A CHRISTMAS CAROL, RMC really did have Christmas in July.
