A NIGHT AT THE MOVIES

In the days when there was no electricity at Popham Beach, and the winters were long and dull, the town elders decided it would be an asset if they formed a Cinema Club that would present moving “pitchers” to the towns people.  Many of them had never seen a moving picture in their lives, and this had some interesting results at times.

This particular night, the club had decided to present a silent film starring Tom Mix and Victoria Forde with the typical western theme about bandits and a damsel in distress.

Everyone in town was excited about the event. The towns people decorated Grange Hall, setting up the screen and folding chairs while members of the Cinema Club took care of setting up the film projector, rolls of films, and the gas motor they had rented to provide the electricity for it.

At seven thirty, everything was ready.  The whole village was crowded into the hall. Some of the villagers had been to the cinema house in the nearest town, but the Oliver brothers didn’t have a clue.

The Oliver brothers, or “boys” as they were called by the town folk, had lived in Popham Beach all their lives, in a house on the point, high up on the cliffs. At age 70, they had rarely left their house, farming their small 20 acre piece of land, and only coming into town for supplies or to sell their crops.  They now sat transfixed watching as the drama unfolded upon the screen.

Sitting on the edge of their seats, they watched as the villains robbed the bank and were pursued by the sheriff and his posse. They watched as the robbers outwitted the sheriff by hiding in the trees. They watched as the outlaws broke into the home of a young widow and held her hostage. They watched as the gunfight broke out between the sheriff’s men and the robbers. They watched as the bandits fell, one by one, until only their leader was left. They watched as the young hero made his way all the way up to the door and was about to burst into the house. Then, they could watch no longer. Standing up, they began to yell at the screen, waving their arms:

“Look out!  He’s waitin’ fer ye behind the door!”

The hero opened the door and was knocked down by the villain. 

“We told ye! We told ye! And ye didn’t listen! Next time we won’t say nottun.” 

The Oliver brothers were happy that everything ended happily with the hero rescuing the young widow. And they never got over their experience. 

When the Cinema Club was offering another night at the movies, they declined the invitation. When asked why, they simply replied: “No point in watchin’ sumun who won’t listen t’ the advice ye givin’ um.”