1951 Duquesne, Pennsylvania

Carolyn Heard

1940

Duquesne, PA

Interviewed by Solia Hoegl, January 24, 2018

The first movie I would’ve gone to would’ve been in a basketball court in the projects. The department of the recreation and parks would come to our part, where it was all-black. They had a screen, a projectionist and that. I think it was a Tuesday or Thursday at nightfall, when they would come. And it was on the basketball courts that they would set it up.

Because we lived in the projects, every house had children in it, and all the children would walk there together. Everybody in the projects was there, and they’d watch the movies.

We didn’t have folding chairs then, so people would bring whatever, their living room chairs from home. Everyone in the projects was there. People went with their families, and everyone had big families.

What they played had to be family-friendly, remember. So, there would be a cartoon, or an Abbott and Costello, and then there would be something child appropriate too, like a western.

It would be during the summer, I would say I was probably about 8 or 9 when I first had that experience. So basically, the floor was the cement of the basketball court and the ceiling was the summer’s sky. I saw it with all the other people in the projects, and I did believe that that was my first experience.

The movie had to be family friendly. Sometimes they were musicals, which I loved. I remember every musical I ever saw. I remember seeing Showboat, and Ava Gardner was in that, great film. It had that song…what was it called? Old Man River! I liked that song. I don’t remember what year I saw that…maybe 1945? 1950?

Some people must’ve brought snacks, and I always liked Good and Plenty’s. To be honest, though, I don’t remember if my family ever brought candy. If we brought anything it would’ve been fresh popcorn.