Childhood Memory

Actor Peter Boyle died last night at the age of seventy-one. I know most people will probably think of Everybody Love's Raymond when they think of Peter Boyle. For me it's Young Frankenstein and later Johnny Dangerously.

I can remember seeing him for the first time in a movie called "Young Frankenstien". The year was 1975 and I was very young, in fact, it was the very first movie I was allowed to see alone. The movie theater in San Marcos was new and I sat in the front row. I can remember some people in the sparse audience complaining that the film was in black and white as the show began. But what did I know, just about everything I saw was in black and white. At the time, my family had only a twelve inch black and white television. at this point in my young life, I had only seen a couple of movies at the old drive in movie theater that were in color. It was located where the Wal-mart now stands.

I remember now how much I enjoyed the film. My favorite scene takes place in the blind hermit's (Gene Hackman) hut and Frankenstien's Monster (Peter Boyle) is invited in. I never laughed so much and rarely do I laugh that hard when I watch a movie. I was hooked on comedies from a very early age because of that movie. It wasn't until much later in life that I discovered other movies in which Mr. Boyle worked on that I came to realize that he wasn't a comedic actor.

This is one childhood memory that I will always cherish. I think I'll order up that movie today. For a few minutes I'll pretend that I am sitting in a little movie theater where it's 1975 and it's safe for a little kid to go to the movies alone.


Gartias Tibi Ago Deus

Wonko's Bud