Changing times for trips to the cinema

When I was a lad '“ in the previous century '“ it was still possible to bag a bargain at the cinema and to catch a short film in support of the main feature, writes Tony Earnshaw

Those were the days of the Children’s Film Foundation and its output, of mini documentaries, news specials and cartoons. It was even possible to revel in a double-bill, snapping up two films for the price of one.

Alas, those days are long gone. Double-bills are non-existent. And the humble short subject? Perhaps bizarrely, it lives on. And just occasionally it emerges as superior to the main movie.

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Proof of this comes courtesy of Mower Minions, the bite-sized laughfest that precedes one of this week’s big releases, The Secret Life of Pets. As a bonus it works in several ways, not least in propagating the anarchic appeal of one of the most popular character creations in modern cinema. But it’s also a throwback to times of cinema past. And arguably that’s more important because it’s a reminder that, back in the day, going to the pictures wasn’t just about being force-fed the latest studio behemoth. Instead there was an array of delights on offer.

Way back in 1978 I saw a crime comedy called Too Many Chefs at my local ABC. Tucked away on the poster outside the cinema was a tiny sticker advertising something called The Detour. I saw it once and then never again but I remembered it forever after because the voice that narrated it belonged to Peter Cushing.

I was reminded of that last weekend when my kids were guffawing at the Minions short. And I was reminded of it again when seeking some modern comedy shorts for a forthcoming event. Of course there are oodles of them out there. The film festival circuit is festooned with them, good, bad and indifferent, many seeking awards and many more acting as a calling card for new talent. But how many of them make it onto our multiplex screens? Precious few. And so I found myself reaching back to those masters of the art whose innovation and inventiveness ensure their work is as timeless now as it was in the 1920s, 1940s and 1960s. Their names will be familiar: Buster Keaton, Jacques Tati, Eric Sykes. All different and yet strangely similar in style and content. Watching Keaton’s 1922 one-reeler Cops I found myself giggling and tittering uncontrollably. It was sublime stuff, and as funny now as it was 94 years ago. His comedy is masterful and complex and utterly brilliant. Watching Cops made me smile. I followed up with Tati’s School for Postmen. Next up: The Plank, from Eric Sykes. With Tommy Cooper. I can feel a chortle coming on already…