I remember the era of the double-bill films here in the UK - and yes, you could stay and watch the whole thing again if you so wished.
As for FLASH GORDON, my Dad often waxed lyrical about going to see it every week, back in 1930's and '40's South Wales, while my Mum instead had fond memories of seeing her beloved Nelson Eddy singing with Jeanette McDonald in the regular films they brought out.
Both of them had vivid memories of seeing King Kong. For my Dad, it was the impact of his first arrival after the gong had been struck, and my mum told me that she had kicked her Dad's ankles in temper while he was shaving because she had seen the trailer for Kong and demanded to see it. In the end he gave in and she spent the rest of the night sleepless after seeing it, having been warned not to complain if it was too scary, while also expecting Kong's face to appear at the bedroom window, whereupon she would be promptly dropped to the street for not being blonde.
My Mum also told me how one of her older relatives burst out laughing when Karloff first spoke in THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, unable to contain himself, despite his embarrassment.
I had no conception of how precious anecdotes like that are at the time, because if it isn't recorded, it is of course lost and it is too late now to ask for further tales of yesteryear. Watching the Victorian lady (in the JACK THE RIPPER thread) talking about the world around her as she saw it is a lovely example.
Strangely, at no point in any of their anecdotes did my Mum or Dad mention flashing i-phones, rude, oblivious or aggressive audience members blurting out the plot, overpriced snacks or cinema staff dashing in at the end of the movie and standing there, clearly wanting you to get out so they could clean up all the garbage that people had left.
Maybe they forgot those bits.
