TOD Re-visited: Just before my 9th birthday, my parents moved us from the small town of Johnston SC (where my mom now lives and where I plan on retiring) to the city of Greenville SC. Johnston had one movie theater (and now has none). Greenville had 4 on the main street alone (all of which are gone...they're all in shopping centers now), plus another 4 or 5 drive-ins (also all gone).
In Johnston, my Saturdays always included the children's matinee at the local theater. I was given $.25 with which I gained admission and had money for popcorn and a coke.
In Greenville, however, I was not allowed to go to theaters alone at age 9. In Johnston, everyone knew everyone else. In Greenville, we barely knew anyone.
My mom would take me to see movies like "Old Yeller", and she arranged for me to see "Sleeping Beauty" on a Saturday afternoon with the older-than-me son of one of her co-workers. Funny thing: I guess he wasn't too happy baby-sitting a 10-year-old (my age at time of "Sleeping Beauty's" playing in Greenville). He never showed up...although he later claimed he did show up and that I wasn't there. I went into the theater before the movie started (having waited outside well past the time he was supposed to be there).
From that time, my parents weren't too worried about my being alone in theaters on Saturdays, but getting to main street WAS a concern. I was still too young, in their minds, to ride the bus alone, so if one of them had time to take me (and pick me up later), I could go. I don't recall missing any of the Disney films I wanted to see. Once I had to start taking a city bus to get to school (when I was 12), all the prohibitions ended and Saturdays became my "holy days for films".
