In the mid -to late 1950s in Los Angeles, my sisters and I often went to Saturday matinee movies (for a dime), double-features with cartoons in between. I don’t recall serials, so maybe they were a bit outdated by then.
I am about Lynn Johnston’s age and we had serials until the late 50’s, usually westerns or super hero serials. we ate a lot of candy but I’ve never heard of the ones they ate and we drank coke or Nehei. They were fun times-we didn’t have to go with our parents.
Horseshoe suckers had a loop of twisted paper in place of a stick. Thus the “horseshoe” in the name. What their actual brand name was I don’t know, they most often, at least in my area, came in a long strip of sideways attached suckers.
Price about 1 penny depending upon where you got them.
Back In my day, the Saturday matinee consisted of a western, a cartoon and a serial of Flash Gordon or some other series. The theater was a dime; Italian water ice was 3 cents, 2 stick pretzels for a penny and 5 cents for a box black crows, boy were we happy and we took all this in to watch the movie, all this for 25 cents, our allowance.
anybody with even a minor degree in yo yo performance knows that a yo-yo is not operated with any degree of control or speed with the palm facing down. All you can do with it is make it go up and down ,slowly. Palm up, with a flick of the wrist and the fingers pointing to the floor; that’s the ticket to a ‘walk the dog’ an ‘around the world’ and of course the more difficult ‘rock the baby’
Yeah, I went to Saturday matinee movies until 1953 or 54. Broke my heart when I reached my teens and admission went from 10 cents to 40. We never called them horseshoe suckers, it was the handle that was horseshoe shaped so if a little kid fell on it, he didn’t get the stick crammed into his throat. I’m remembering root beer flavor, mainly. I broke a permanent tooth on a jujube. Our matinees had drawings for prizes, based on pulling ticket stubs out of a hat. I nearly always came home with some kind of small toy from that. It was a clever way to not have ticket stubs all over the floor of the theatre. Also watched the newsreels, lots of Ike playing golf. Once, when sthe movie was over, I grabbed my little brother’s hand and dragged him through the crowded lobby, out into the bright sun, just to realize…..not my brother! Some other confused little kid. Good times, good times.
then there was the ‘wax’ candies: lips, black mustaches, little soda bottles containing sickly-sweet syrup; lick-m-aide, dots(can be used in place of polygrip, for its superior adhesion to teeth), chuckles, chocolate sugar babies, red and black licorice sticks (from tall glass canisters) and more:
We used to go to the Saturday matinee (for a quarter!) in the mid-60s. I remember seeing Batman with Adam West & Burt Ward! Once they had a poster for a coming attraction, a car racing movie called “Grand Prix.” I went home & asked Dad if we could go see it – but, being 8 and unfamiliar with French, pronounced it phonetically! I can still picture & hear my Dad cracking up with laughter! (Miss you Dad, happy Father’s Day in Heaven!) ;)
Ah-ha! Never knew they were called horseshoe pops, but my pediatrician used to give them out after you got a shot…seem to remember them being touted as safe to eat in a car (if you had to slam on the brakes, the whole thing, stick and all couldn’t go down!), but horseshoe pops makes a lot more sense. Oh, and just down the road from where I live (in eastern TX), we have a drive-in…and everytime you go by, they are FULL!
I remember the horseshoe pos, but that’s not what they were called. I liked them because my fingers were little enough I could make a ring out of it and not drop it in the dirt!
Just remembered it was a Saturday matinee newsreel where I saw the Queen’s Coronation in vivid technicolor. It was like seeing a real-life Cinderella with the golden coach. We had no TV at the time, most of our neighbors did, but they would only have seen it in B&W. Oh, it was exciting!
Actually, many do. This strip was originally published June 19, 1983, the day Father’s Day was observed in Canada that year (see table at end of 1st link). I didn’t check if FBOFW Father’s Day strips in other years reflected it.Happy Father’s Day
To see images of safety pops, go to Google and type safety pops images in the search line. Then click on it, and the little dickenses will pop up on Google Images. (It says “Google Images” in the line of stuff at the top.)
Soft drink story: In St. Petersburg, there was a movie theater that had the screen located next to where you went in, so that you had to go find your seat, then turn around to face the screen. Once I was seeing a revival of Gone with the Wind, when I got a couple of Cokes at intermission, one for a friend. I was a little late in returning, so turned to look at the movie while still walking toward my seat. I bumped into a fellow leaving the theater, and spilled Coke all over him. The poor man took the name of the Lord in vain.
@TheMaven – That was about 20 years past the time I was dealing with them. And as I mentioned, I don’t know what their “Offical” name was. Just that they came in strings of about 5 or 6 and the merchant would separate off however many you were buying. But then back then comics were a dime or 5 pop bottles. :)
Here is a link to SAF-T-POPS ( http://www.saftpops.com/ ) aka, her horseshoe pops. Keep in mind Lynn is from Canada so Little League may not have had the same presence there as in the U.S. The SAF-T-POPs were common when I was a kid and I’m barely 30. @The Maven I grew up in East TN too. I looked forward to getting the SAF-T-POPS or dum-dums at the bank with my dad.
hsawlrae about 12 years ago
S U R P R I S E !!!
Badfisherman about 12 years ago
Hope they always stay young at heart.
pelican47 about 12 years ago
In the mid -to late 1950s in Los Angeles, my sisters and I often went to Saturday matinee movies (for a dime), double-features with cartoons in between. I don’t recall serials, so maybe they were a bit outdated by then.
psychlady about 12 years ago
Yeah, they were actually kids once, too!
Taste the air Premium Member about 12 years ago
I am about Lynn Johnston’s age and we had serials until the late 50’s, usually westerns or super hero serials. we ate a lot of candy but I’ve never heard of the ones they ate and we drank coke or Nehei. They were fun times-we didn’t have to go with our parents.
woodwork about 12 years ago
SUPERMAN AND THE MOLE MEN!!!!!!
KenTheCoffinDweller about 12 years ago
Horseshoe suckers had a loop of twisted paper in place of a stick. Thus the “horseshoe” in the name. What their actual brand name was I don’t know, they most often, at least in my area, came in a long strip of sideways attached suckers.
Price about 1 penny depending upon where you got them.
Aaberon about 12 years ago
That horseshoe sucker is vaguely, vaguely familiar: yes, I’d love a link to a picture, if possible.
Foghorn Leghorn about 12 years ago
Back In my day, the Saturday matinee consisted of a western, a cartoon and a serial of Flash Gordon or some other series. The theater was a dime; Italian water ice was 3 cents, 2 stick pretzels for a penny and 5 cents for a box black crows, boy were we happy and we took all this in to watch the movie, all this for 25 cents, our allowance.
celeconecca about 12 years ago
I went to matinees in the 60’s. Of course it was in a small city, and we had to (gasp) walk or ride our bicycles.
dkoch59 about 12 years ago
Saf-T-Pops: http://www.saftpops.com/downloads/wallpapers
Nighthawks Premium Member about 12 years ago
anybody with even a minor degree in yo yo performance knows that a yo-yo is not operated with any degree of control or speed with the palm facing down. All you can do with it is make it go up and down ,slowly. Palm up, with a flick of the wrist and the fingers pointing to the floor; that’s the ticket to a ‘walk the dog’ an ‘around the world’ and of course the more difficult ‘rock the baby’
NE1956 about 12 years ago
Seems to me they’re being kids all over again. Sweet.
LuvThemPluggers about 12 years ago
Yeah, I went to Saturday matinee movies until 1953 or 54. Broke my heart when I reached my teens and admission went from 10 cents to 40. We never called them horseshoe suckers, it was the handle that was horseshoe shaped so if a little kid fell on it, he didn’t get the stick crammed into his throat. I’m remembering root beer flavor, mainly. I broke a permanent tooth on a jujube. Our matinees had drawings for prizes, based on pulling ticket stubs out of a hat. I nearly always came home with some kind of small toy from that. It was a clever way to not have ticket stubs all over the floor of the theatre. Also watched the newsreels, lots of Ike playing golf. Once, when sthe movie was over, I grabbed my little brother’s hand and dragged him through the crowded lobby, out into the bright sun, just to realize…..not my brother! Some other confused little kid. Good times, good times.
Nighthawks Premium Member about 12 years ago
then there was the ‘wax’ candies: lips, black mustaches, little soda bottles containing sickly-sweet syrup; lick-m-aide, dots(can be used in place of polygrip, for its superior adhesion to teeth), chuckles, chocolate sugar babies, red and black licorice sticks (from tall glass canisters) and more:
TheWildSow about 12 years ago
We used to go to the Saturday matinee (for a quarter!) in the mid-60s. I remember seeing Batman with Adam West & Burt Ward! Once they had a poster for a coming attraction, a car racing movie called “Grand Prix.” I went home & asked Dad if we could go see it – but, being 8 and unfamiliar with French, pronounced it phonetically! I can still picture & hear my Dad cracking up with laughter! (Miss you Dad, happy Father’s Day in Heaven!) ;)
Texas_Rose90 about 12 years ago
Ah-ha! Never knew they were called horseshoe pops, but my pediatrician used to give them out after you got a shot…seem to remember them being touted as safe to eat in a car (if you had to slam on the brakes, the whole thing, stick and all couldn’t go down!), but horseshoe pops makes a lot more sense. Oh, and just down the road from where I live (in eastern TX), we have a drive-in…and everytime you go by, they are FULL!
Chepi89 about 12 years ago
I remember the horseshoe pos, but that’s not what they were called. I liked them because my fingers were little enough I could make a ring out of it and not drop it in the dirt!
kab2rb about 12 years ago
I never new what those were called, just suckers to us kids back then. Off the topic to John for BOFW
To my wonder husband father of our two adult kids, and in remeberance of my departed dad.
Perkycat about 12 years ago
Good n Plenty!
LuvThemPluggers about 12 years ago
Just remembered it was a Saturday matinee newsreel where I saw the Queen’s Coronation in vivid technicolor. It was like seeing a real-life Cinderella with the golden coach. We had no TV at the time, most of our neighbors did, but they would only have seen it in B&W. Oh, it was exciting!
richardkel about 12 years ago
I have a picture, but I don’t know how to include it in the comment section. The copy and paste command don’t work for me.
whenlifewassimpler about 12 years ago
What great memories and I still get to enjoy the old time radio shows too, plus the Saturday serials too!
featherweight about 12 years ago
:)
mabrndt Premium Member about 12 years ago
Actually, many do. This strip was originally published June 19, 1983, the day Father’s Day was observed in Canada that year (see table at end of 1st link). I didn’t check if FBOFW Father’s Day strips in other years reflected it.Happy Father’s Day
Gokie5 about 12 years ago
To see images of safety pops, go to Google and type safety pops images in the search line. Then click on it, and the little dickenses will pop up on Google Images. (It says “Google Images” in the line of stuff at the top.)
Gokie5 about 12 years ago
Soft drink story: In St. Petersburg, there was a movie theater that had the screen located next to where you went in, so that you had to go find your seat, then turn around to face the screen. Once I was seeing a revival of Gone with the Wind, when I got a couple of Cokes at intermission, one for a friend. I was a little late in returning, so turned to look at the movie while still walking toward my seat. I bumped into a fellow leaving the theater, and spilled Coke all over him. The poor man took the name of the Lord in vain.
zobabe about 12 years ago
http://www.amazon.com/Saf-T-Pops-100-box-assorted-flavors/dp/B004MTWQ4S/ref=sr_1_1?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1339987659&sr=1-1&keywords=safe+t+pops
KenTheCoffinDweller about 12 years ago
@TheMaven – That was about 20 years past the time I was dealing with them. And as I mentioned, I don’t know what their “Offical” name was. Just that they came in strings of about 5 or 6 and the merchant would separate off however many you were buying. But then back then comics were a dime or 5 pop bottles. :)
sheepdawg about 12 years ago
Here is a link to SAF-T-POPS ( http://www.saftpops.com/ ) aka, her horseshoe pops. Keep in mind Lynn is from Canada so Little League may not have had the same presence there as in the U.S. The SAF-T-POPs were common when I was a kid and I’m barely 30. @The Maven I grew up in East TN too. I looked forward to getting the SAF-T-POPS or dum-dums at the bank with my dad.
clgray about 12 years ago
I remember playing scrub baseball in the 80’s…yes, kids still played outdoors, back then.
onespiceybbw about 12 years ago
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=safe-t-pops&hl=en&safe=off&sa=X&biw=1253&bih=784&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=JXsQ6f1JaDih4M:&imgrefurl=http://www.oldtimecandy.com/saf-t-pops.htm&docid=8NT9S6s6mFp-M&imgurl=http://www.oldtimecandy.com/assets/images/singles/saf_tpops.jpg&w=640&h=480&ei=1rziT8LaHYms9ASBxf2FCA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=528&vpy=148&dur=848&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=64&ty=88&sig=101351778366434559365&page=1&tbnh=136&tbnw=196&start=0&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0,i:80