It’s a trip to the movies this week.

In the 1940s movies were popular entertainment. In Edwardsburg there were two opportunities to see movies. Free movies were shown once a week at the Library Park and at Allen’s Corners at M-205 and Cassopolis Street. A blanket was needed because the seats were on the ground. The movies were in black and white and usually “B” movies. Not of first run Oscar quality.

So in order to see a first run movie we had to go to South Bend. There we had a choice of movies theaters. On Michigan Street there were four theaters: Palace, State, Granada and the little old Avon. Around the corner was the Colfax. The Granada had a ceiling of moving clouds and the Palace had twinkling stars on the ceiling.

All of these old theaters were architectural marvels of the times. The Palace had a powder room that was beautiful. There were several balconies and climbing up the stairs was a long but worthwhile trip.

There were other theaters in the area. River Park had its own theater and Mishawaka had two, the Northside and the Tivioli.

But getting back to our trip to the movies. In 1948, what movies were showing?

“Harvey Girls,” “The Best Years of Our Life,” “The Farmer’s Daughter,” “Gentlemen’s Agreement,” “Song of the South,” “Hamlet,” “Johnny Belinda,” “Citizen Kane,” “Casablanca,” “Key Largo,” “Easter Parade,” “Sorry,” “Wrong Number” and “Treasure of Sierra Madre.” Some of these films are shown today on two TV channels, TCM and AMC.

Featured movie actors were Bing Crosby, John Garfield, Jack Carson, Sidney Greenstreet, Peter Lorrie, Joseph Cotton, Humphrey Bogart and Edward G. Robinson.

The lovely ladies were Betty Grable, Loretta Young, Gloria Swanson, Bette Davis, Agnes Morehead, Ingrid Bergman and Joan Crawford.

Visiting a movie theater at that time was a long evening of entertainment. Double features (two movies shown back-to-back) were customary along with a newsreel and a cartoon.

The cartoons might be “Mighty Mouse,” “Mickey Mouse,” “Daffy Duck,” “Elmer Fudd,” “Bugs Bunny” or “the Road Runner and Wyle Coyote.”

In those days you got your money’s worth, the movie was 10 cents and so was the popcorn.