The ABC Minors

For kids like me, in Northenden and Wythenshawe around 1947, Saturday morning meant the ABC Minors at the Forum Cinema. We lined up chattering excitedly to hand over our sixpences, pushing each other to get in first. Once inside we were in our own little world, but it must have been an usherette's nightmare. Hundreds of exuberant, yelling children hushed only by the appearance of balding, kindly "Uncle Bill" (the manager) walking onto the stage.

Before that we were entertained by a man playing the huge, majestic theatre organ which had a deep, booming sound that filled the whole theatre. It came up slowly from the depths
below stage like a surfacing submarine, flashing coloured lights, and the organist waving to everyone. He got the kind of cheer usually reserved for Manchester United.

After he got us in the mood it was time for Uncle Bill, and he certainly had a way with
children. Somehow he kept our attention until it was time for the main event. We all learned our theme song "We're the Minors of the ABC" with the words up on the screen, and the organ accompaniment. They were no fools, we were the moviegoers of the future. Anyway, I'm sure people heard us a mile away. I remember the words fifty years later:
"We are the boys and girls well known as, Minors of the ABC,
And every Saturday we all line up, to see the films we love and shout aloud with glee;
We like to laugh and have our sing-song, just a happy crowd are we,
We're all pals together, we're the minors of the ABC."

Then the lights gradually faded and the huge screen was filled with Laurel & Hardy, Abbott &
Costello, the Three Stooges. We loved it and laughed ourselves silly.

We probably knew as much about America as the Americans did-- especially the badlands of Arizona and Wyoming when Johnny Mack Brown, Roy Rogers (with his white horse Trigger) Gene Autry and others galloped into our lives. There wasn't much of a story to those westerns, they stuck to a tried-and-trusted formula of the goodies in white gear chasing the baddies in black.

There'd be a two-group horseback ride with the camera constantly switching from one to another. This brought on the vocals from us--a cheer each time the goodies came on screen, then boos for the baddies.The chase usually ended with the baddies hauled off the saddle followed by a series of fist fights. No-one did it better than Hollywood, with that tremendous thwack when the punch landed. Every time Roy Rogers landed a blow it brought huge cheers from us all.

Those wonderful Saturday mornings at the Forum expanded my world, and how I looked forward to Saturday and "the flicks" while sitting in school. Thank you Uncle Bill !