I did it frequently with a friend or two. There was not a single theater in Oakland, Ca. that I could not get into with out paying or going in the front door. We figured ways to get in by way of the heavy exit doors. Our tool of entry was a ordinary coat hanger The T&D, Paramount, Orpheum and Telenews theatres presented a real challenge because of their long metal fire escapes. My senior year of high school I was a doorman at one of the theaters that I never had crashed and did no more illegal theater entry.
No, but during one summer whilst working at Arnaud’s in New Orleans during the day, I was able to work at the RKO Orpheum at night. It was better than sneaking in and I still watched the movies and ate popcorn for free on my nights off.
Nope. I recall being about 6, putting my money in one of those Lance cookie machines, pulling the long handle under my selection, and having the entire contents dump like some one-armed bandit hitting the jackpot...this was at a gas station. My dad let me keep the one I paid for and had me carry the rest inside to give to the manager. I recall watching a movie and having the daylight from those sneaking in via the exit ruin it for us. Maybe only a couple of kids did it, and it wasn't every movie.
Never, nor did I ever shoplift. At a turning fifty years old reunion of my best friends from elementary school, I was amazed when everyone there admitted to shoplifting, as if it was simply a right of passage. I was taken aback, no lie. My folks did a good job teaching me about honesty and following the law, I believe. I was taught that you don't take things that you don't pay for.
Yeah, because the drive-in theater charged by the person rather than by the car, we'd hide a couple of people in the trunk. One time, we didn't let them out until they started banging on the inside of the trunk lid so loud that we couldn't hear the movie. As a teenager, I only went to a regular theater one time.
We did the friends in the trunk at the drive-in too as Ken mentioned. We also would sneak into our high school football games on Saturdays by crawling under a hole under the fence. The hole was up on a hill in one corner of the stadium and it was too much trouble for someone to chase us.
Yes, growing up in a small, rural s.w. Va. town, we had a drive-in close to town, and the charge was $1 per person in the car. Much as I hate to admit it, one night there were 4 or 5 of us in an old Dodge, 4-door car and we couldn't all ride in it very well. We were all sophomores in our high school, and one girl who was very tall and a member of the basketball team dared me to get into the trunk with her and hide as the main culprit was the driver and drove through the main gate. Well, you know how it is, just as today, you want to protect your image and not be the nerdy type and come off as one with no courage. So we did. What's bad is that we were all members of churches in town. I still hate to confess it even today, but they say its good for the soul to confess.
Our high school football games were free but I only went to find someone, preferably female, who'd rather be doing something other than watching a football game. I don't remember ever looking at the field.
I did sneak in to the drive-in a couple of times, yes in the trunk with others!! hahaha. stupid kids! Just so happens it is still open just up the road from me!!
Oakland California had at quite a few movie theaters and my favorite was the T &D on 11th street. I lived on 15th so it was a four block walk. The largest was the Paramount and my favorite to Sneak into.