1949 Westfield, Massachusetts

I was four years old when my grandmother took me to the Park Theater in Westfield, Massachusetts. My grandmother never owned a car or learned how to drive. So we walked everywhere. Westfield was a small city and the theater was located in front of the municipal park.

We went to see an afternoon screening of The Wizard of Oz.

My grandmother bought me some candies – and the ones I clearly remember are called Jujubes. They were gummy candy drops that came in all kinds of colors. They would get stuck in my teeth and I would spend the entire screening trying to dislodge them with my tongue.

I remember my grandmother’s dress that day. It was a simple white dress with small multi colored rectangles, which reminded me of the candies.

The colors. I remember the colors more than anything else. They were so vivid, and for some reason, I associated them with different emotions. For example, I remember the evil witch with her crystal ball which changed colors, and would turn to a deep red at times. She could then look into it and see everything that was happening! That absolutely terrified me.

Her laugh was scary too. I remember flying creatures. I remember the witch melting.

For some reason, I don’t recall the happy moments in the movie – what really stuck with me were the traumatic, sensational moments, enhanced by the colors and the sounds. It was an all-around powerful experience, both visually and emotionally.

At one point in the screening I had to get up to go use the bathroom. It was difficult to orient myself in the dark, especially with the sounds of the movie still playing. I was scared of falling or of not being able to find my grandmother on my way back. I don’t remember any ushers – but there were probably some. It was actually my grandmother who ushered me to my seat before the movie started.

I remember the excitement in the theater – the electric atmosphere. But also the comfortable seating, the luxurious interior, and the carpeting.

When we left at the end of the movie, we walked outside into broad daylight. I was shocked by the contrast between the darkness of the theater and the brightness of the day.