1941; you could buy a brand-spanking new Studebaker "Champion" for $695. Weinman, the local Nash dealer was selling a brand new Nash "Airflyte" sedan complete with the "Weather Eye" heating and cooling system for $750. Boys and girls all over America were tuning in to "Little Orphan Annie," brought to us by "Ovaltine," "Jack Armstrong, the all American Boy," brought to us by "Wheaties," and "The Adventures of Superman," brought to us by Kellogg's "Pep." And who could forget "Terry and the Pirates," brought to us by "Quaker Puffed Wheat Sparkies," and Quaker "Puffed Rice Sparkies."

The local movie houses were screening, "Panama Hattie," with Lucille Ball, "The Grapes of Wrath," with Henry Fonda and Jane Darwell. In our neighborhood, the Gaiety Theater has just begun a series of Saturday matinees. For 11 cents, a kid could get at least three hours of solid entertainment. First, we watched a cartoon carnival, featuring "Bugs Bunny," "Elmer Fudd," and all our Looney Tunes buddies. Then along came "Heckle & Jeckle," the talking magpies, "Supermouse," and of course, one of our favorites, "Woody Woodpecker." Following the cartoon carnival, Chapter 7 of "The Adventures of Captain Marvel," with an ending that always brought us back the next week to see if Billy Batson would extricate himself from an impossible, life-threatening dilemma. And who could

forget those "Selected Short Subjects," and "Previews of Coming

Attractions?" I can still remember sitting in that well lit theater, waiting for the show to begin. We jockeyed for seats, swapped popcorn for "Jujubes," and eagerly awaited the start of the show. And then...do you remember this?...the lights go dim, dim, dimmer, and the curtain slowly parts, revealing that beautiful silver screen, The projectionist throws the switch, and the big screen comes to life. The cheers were deafening! They called them "Selected Short Subjects;" usually a boring travelogue, obviously calculated to chase us to the refreshment stand, where those of us who had the money could replenish our popcorn, "Juicy Fruit," and "Milk Duds."

As I write this, the aroma of buttered popcorn as it drops temptingly into that brightly lit glass enclosure with the silver scoop at the ready. We didn't want to miss the "PREVIEWS OF COMING ATTRACTIONS!" They were one of the highlights of those afternoon matinees. How well I remember those glitzy previews; ...big block letters filled the screen with twinkling silver beads of light, sort of like glimmering tinsel; then, just as the spot- lights are casting those silvery beams, and the silvery tinsel is glittering and gleaming on the big screen, there it is...in bigger block letters, "COMING SOON --- TO THIS THEATER! -- "All of the family will thrill to the daring and romantic story of..."Mrs. Miniver." "Never before has there been such an exciting and thrilling motion picture!"

We eagerly soaked up the compelling attractions to be seen in the coming weeks and days. But we really waited for the REAL attractions; the stuff with substance; the stuff with good guys on white horses and white hats, and the bad guys, on the black horses, black mustaches, black hats, and black hearts. The six guns, the runaway horses and trains, the fighting, the crashing trains, autos, and airplanes, and stuff like that without the romantic stuff that the girls loved as much as we loved shoot 'em up movies. They loved the movies featuring Gloria Jean, Deanna Durbin, Jane Withers, Shirley Temple, June Allyson, Peggy Ann Garner or Margaret O'Brien. What wonderful memories. Indeed, a real "Sentimental Journey!"

Born and raised in Hamilton, Tom Glover is past president of the Hamilton Township Historical Society and currently works at the Hamilton Township Public Library as local historian in the library's Local History Collection. Visit Tom's websites www.glover320.blogspot.com which has over 900,000 visits, also www.hhs51.blogspot.com. And www.kuser-school.blogspot.com and his Facebook pages for interesting links and many items of local history and nostalgia. Tom can be reached at tglover320@optimum.net.