Last week’s picture of the old Bishops Beach Skyview Theatre triggered an ancient memory for me wherein four or five of our family attended a showing there, probably in 1955, of the “Creature from the Black Lagoon.” 

It was a long time ago, but I recall a bare Quonset building with perhaps eight rows of fold-up chairs inside. Having no idea what to expect from our first horror movie, we kids fearlessly headed for the front row while my mother took a seat in the back.

I distinctly remember the next sequence of events:  First, of the beautiful young Julie Adams enjoying a swim in a revealing snow-white swim suit, while the unseen repulsive Creature swam just beneath her, surreptitiously playing with her toes. Second, as the evil Monster gradually escalated his level of malevolence against the pure and innocent Julie, my siblings and I just as gradually drifted back, row by row, toward mother’s protective presence.

Things haven’t gotten much better since. Ain’t no way I’ll watch, again,  “Exorcist,” “Alien” or even “Creature …” by myself — Julie’s appeal notwithstanding.

Larry Slone