What was the very first movie you remember seeing on the big screen?

[Wheres Toto]

Star Wars.  The original one.  I was 9 years old and went to see it with a bunch of family (aunts, uncles, cousins).  We ended up sitting in the front row so practically lying down looking up at the screen.

[Mama Geek]

Grease at the drive in movie theater when I was pretty young and in the backseat of my parents' car.

[UncleEJ]

Oh my word! This makes me feel really young, but The Lion King was the first I remember. My moms says she had taken me before that though. Also, Jurassic Park, when I was like 7. My mom sent me with one of her friends DD's who was 15 or 16. She didn't have any clue what it was! I remember watching after it came out with my mom and she freaked out that she sent me to see it in the theater. I loved it though, still one of my favorite movies ever.

[kewb]

I have no idea what my first movie was.  I have 2 childhood movie memories.  The first one involves my mother calling the babysitter to see if she could take me to see Mary Poppins.  I have no idea why my mother wasn't taking me but I remember the sting of her having the sitter take me.  The 2nd memory is seeing a double feature with my grandma-The Aristocats and Song of the South. Come to think of it, grandma also took me to see Dumbo.

[Brenda in FL]

I *think* it was Snow White for me too. I was 3 or so when it was re-released in 1975.

 

For a theater - I think it was Snow White. (maybe it was Bambi - both re-released in 1975).

 

But the first big screen movie I remember was Pinocchio at the Drive-in in 1971 when I was 5.  I think most of the movies we saw were at the Drive-in, because our town was still a baby in the early 70s - no movie theaters yet! But they were built in time for Grease and Star Wars.

 

Oh - I just remembered going to see A Christmas Carol with my Kindergarten class - that scared me to death!!

 

 

 

[Lisa in SC]

Charlotte's Web ... and I cried and cried. I can't remember how old I was, but I was very young and a sensitive little soul. :)

[KRG]

The Apple Dumpling Gang.  I was 4.

[PrairieSong]

Mary Poppins when it first came out! I think I was four.

[umsami]

It was a Disney film called "The Apple Dumpling Gang" or something like that. :)

[clarkacademy]

Orphan Annie

[Susan in TN]

I can't remember if it was Pete's Dragon or Your a Good Man Charlie Brown.

[OhanaBee]

Mary Poppins when it was rereleased in the 1970s.  Don't know the year but I do remember feeling very grownup because my brother was too young to go to the movies......but I wasn't.  I'm guessing I was about 5 at the time.

[HollyB]

Empire Strikes Back. It was just my dad and me, which made it even better.

[gardenmom5]

Jaws. It was 1975. I was 4.

There was some great parenting going on there.

 

 

OK the first ones that came to mind were Jaws, .  I was 11

 

I'm sure my parents took me to see Disney films when I was younger, but the scary/violent ones popped into my memory first, go figure..

 

 

I remember seeing jaws in a drive-in.  going swimming in anything other than a pool wasn't fun that summer. and I was older than you.  kept looking for fins.  my mom didn't have the best discretion on what movies to expose a child to.

 

 

2001 space odyssey.  my parents didn't get a babysitter.  there are scenes I remember, and I remember being bored and wanting to sleep.   I've seen it as an adult - and it's still weird.

 

eta: there may have been Disney movies before that or sound of music, but I don't remember.

[Jenn121]

I can't remember if it was Pete's Dragon or Your a Good Man Charlie Brown.

 

 

Mine was Pete's Dragon. It was released in 1977 and I was only 3 then but we lived in England on a military base so I could have seen it some time in 1978.

[Kakids]

It was either Snow White or ET.  I don't know which came first, just that those are my earliest movie memories.  I remember my dad getting me snowcaps at ET.

[MrsMommy]

Follow that Bird. And frankly, I'm still a little traumatized. Making Big Bird leave Sesame Street...what were they thinking?!?

[fraidycat]

E.T.

[Liberty]

Herbie the Love Bug

[ElizabethB]

I had to look at the list--my mom enjoys kids movies so she took us to a lot as an excuse to watch them LOL.

 

It was most likely either Benjii or Herbie. I am sure I watched Escape to Witch Mountain, too.

 

They played Where the Red Fern Grows for the end of the year movie at elementary school several years in a row, I cried every time.

 

When we were a bit older, we went into the big city with dad to see one of the first showings of Star Wars before it hit my small town. We stood in line for 3 blocks and all felt it was worth it. (Mom is not a sci-fi fan, any other movie she would have come.)

[MistyMountain]

I think the first movie I saw was a re-showing of ET. I remember seeing that in the theaters but I was born the year it first came out. It was re shown in 1985 so I must of seen it then. I was really young. I also saw a re-showing of Bambi when I was in kindergarten. The Little Mermaid and All Dogs Go to Heaven were also one of the earliest movies I saw.

[TravelingChris]

I missed Bambi because I refused to eat my soup.  My mom stayed home with me while my dad took my older brother.  I know I had gone to movies before that but not sure which ones.  The earliest memory I have is of some Santa Claus and Martians type of movie.

[Ewe Mama]

Star Wars. I don't remember it making much of an impression. To be honest, it still doesn't.

[ChocolateReignRemix]

Bambi.

[skeeterbug]

E.T. is the first one I remember.

[Barb_]

Oh my word! This makes me feel really young, but The Lion King was the first I remember.

Lol, that movie came out the day my second child was born!

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

Star Wars but I don't really remember it.

 

E.T is the first one I really remember. I was in second grade I think.

[AndyJoy]

The first movie I remember seeing in the theater was The Jungle Book.  I doubted my memory at first because I know that movie is much older than I am, but I discovered it was re-released in theaters in 1990 when I was 8-9.  My grandma came with my mom, sister, and me and she fell asleep very early on.  My sister and I thought that was so weird.   I totally get it now!

 

The first PG-13 movie I saw was The Mask when I was 13.  My dad and I watched it while my mom and younger sister saw Andre.  My sister was jealous, but I assured her I greatly regretted my choice.  The Mask was bizarre and stupid and forgettable.

 

The first R-rated movie I saw in a theater was The Patriot when I was a freshman in college.  I looked up reviews/spoilers ahead of time so I would know what to expect.  I had only seen The Matrix (not realizing it was R-rated) and an edited-for-TV version of Schindler's List.  I expected to be asked for ID (since I was a young-looking 19), but wasn't.  It was one of those strange-feeling, I'm-really-an-adult-now moments.

[Seasider]

Jaws. It was 1975. I was 4. I also saw The Godfather at the drive-in.

 

There was some great parenting going on there.

Jaws is the one I remember, too! I'm sure i saw other movies before it, i just don't remember anything like I remember that fisherman's head popping out of the hole in the bottom of his boat. I was in fourth grade.

 

My parents were pretty strict, but the young aunt who was babysitting for us that day had different sense of what was appropriate for kids.

 

The movie experience that really sticks with me is when I was in first grade and the babysitter made us kids stay up and watch The House on Haunted Hill (original b&w version) with her. She was too scared to watch it by herself.

 

Yet another baby sitter brought over a cigar she had swiped from her dad and took us out in the back yard and taught us how to smoke.

 

It's no wonder my dh and others think I'm wound too tight when it comes to who I let babysit my kids.

[Word Nerd]

I know it was a Disney movie that had been rereleased, but I don't remember which one. Snow White or Bambi.

[Chelli]

Snow White apparently one that was rereleased in the early '80's since I was born in '78.

[Tap]

On Golden Pond.

 

I was about 10yo. We lived in Silt Colorado but I think we had to go to either Rifle or Parachute to see it. 

[Arcadia]

Star Wars. Kids were allowed to share seats and kids cinema ticket was $1.50 and adult ticket was $2.50.

My parents brought me to the cinema when they watch Jaws and my dad said I kicked a fuss. I was a toddler.

[LostSurprise]

Pete's Dragon. I was 3 or 4. They didn't tell us we were going to a movie until we got there. We waited in a line that went down the block and around the corner. We didn't have my sister with us. I wonder where my parents left her? I remembered most of the movie when I saw it again at 9. 

 

The first outdoor movie I went to was Star Wars (I think). 

[mommymilkies]

The Little Mermaid.  I remember holding an adult's hand (can't remember if it was Mom or an aunt) and we walked in late, and all the little fishies were swimming and they were GIGANTIC and I was so mesmerized!

Me, too!!  I remember it so vividly. I still have a soft spot for that movie.

[Lara in Colo]

Star wars --- in the balcony of the Cooper theater in Denver

[theYoungerMrsWarde]

Pocahontas.

[Incognito]

ET

[Molly]

The Man from Snowy River.  I was 7 or 8 and my entire family including my grandparents went to an 8pm show and I fell asleep so missed half the move anyway.

[nmoira]

The first I remember is Disney's Robin Hood. I was 6.

[myfunnybunch]

For me... it was Bambi (Disney).  I don't recall being upset at Bambi's mother's death.  I just recall being wowed by the big pic and the whole experience.  I think I was around 4 or 5 years of age and we had to travel to the next town over to see it.  There were quite a few people there.

 

Bambi for me, too. We must be near the same age. I think I was around 5 or 6.

 

I remember the fire in the forest, and that I was amazed by the movie, but my clearest memory was getting back into the car with my sister and both of us bursting into tears. I think the whole movie experience was a little overwhelming for us.

 

Cat

[mamakim]

I thought I remembered Bambi, had to look it up and sure enough, there was a 1966 re-release. I remember Sound of Music in the theater too, but I was too young when it came out in 1965 to remember seeing it, must've been later.

 

Fun thread, thanks OP! 

[twoxcell]

Ok, so I'm a nerd and I just looked it up to see what years Snow White was re-released and they were according to Wiki: "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was re-released to theaters in 1952, 1958, 1967, 1975, 1983, 1987 and 1993."

I must have seen it in 1987 for its 50th anniversary so I was 3.5. :lol:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_White_and_the_Seven_Dwarfs_%281937_film%29

[Jilly]

I believe my first movie was The Rescuers and I was 3 or so. I remember that I was absolutely in awe of the whole experience.

[Melissa in Australia]

Watership down

[Pod's mum]

Another Bambi mum here.

It was the Alice Springs Drive-In and I would probably have been around 3.

I would have been taken to the Drive-In since I was a baby, but that's the first one I remember.

I also remember being really upset about the Dad being shot and then really confused at the end when the dead dad reappears. Except it was Bambi grown up.

 

Loved the Drive-in. There were swings at the front, under the screen and the big kids, probably about 10 or 12yo would sit on the wall in front of the projection room and make shadow puppets until they got chased off.

[toawh]

Fahrenheit 911. My parents thought the theater was very worldly, though movies at home were kosher. Go figure.

[Mrs Mungo]

I also remember being really upset about the Dad being shot and then really confused at the end when the dead dad reappears. Except it was Bambi grown up.

 

Bambi's mother is killed by a hunter. His dad (the Great Prince) takes care of him.

[Pod's mum]

Bambi's mother is killed by a hunter. His dad (the Great Prince) takes care of him.

 

Might be time for a re-watch. Thanks for ending over 40 years of confusion Mrs Mungo.

 

[Mrs Mungo]

Might be time for a re-watch. Thanks for ending over 40 years of confusion Mrs Mungo.

 

No problem! :D Memory is a funny thing, isn't it?