1963 London, United Kingdom
Donald Legget
Year born: 1942
London, United Kingdom
Interviewed on 28th January 2019
by Archie McChesney
The first movie I can clearly remember seeing was Lawrence of Arabia, in London. This film was released in December 1962 and I went to watch it, as a twenty year old, during the first few weeks of 1963. Myself, mother, my fourteen year old brother and my twelve year old sister travelled from our house, in Walton upon Thames, to London Waterloo, by train, and then took a cab to the theatre.
I cannot remember the name of the theatre, but I can recall that it was very plush, grand and vast. There were also ushers, who wore a red and gold uniform, and there was a concession; both my brother and sister got in for free. The movie theatres at that time consisted of one big auditorium with a vast capacity and a huge screen, much more like a venue where today one might watch the opera or the ballet; they were dissimilar from the multi-screened cinemas we have in the twenty first century.
Another difference back then was that going to the movies was, for many, a regular occurrence; I would go to the theatre about once every fortnight. This was because no one had televisions, with multiple channels, or DVD players in their homes; people would have to leave the house to seek this kind of entertainment.
The movie itself was incredibly long, about three and a half hours, and there was a fifteen minute intermission, like you might have in a play. I do not recall being a great fan of candy, but can recollect buying a banana ice cream during the interval. The story line was about T.E. Lawrence, who later changed his name to T.E. Shaw, and his work in Arabia, where he acted as a connection between the Arabs and the British in their battle against the Turks.
It was a very exciting and gripping film, despite its long length, and the acting was incredible. I can remember Alec Guinness (the Prince) and Peter O’Toole (Lawrence of Arabia) most clearly. Guinness was at the heart of British conformity at the time and O’Toole had the most striking eyes; he did an excellent job at portraying the way Lawrence looked and acted like an Arab.
Overall the movie was a great success in both the public’s and mine own eyes; it was highly critically acclaimed and won a number of Oscar and BAFTA awards.
