Cinema in the Park

Someone asked me recently if I've always liked old movies. I thought about it for a moment... I mean, I remember in college just loving Audrey Hepburn and it was Roman Holiday that started the dream of living overseas and learning languages. (In fact, when I placed my hand in the Mouth of Truth in Rome, just like Audrey had done in the film, I began to cry because I was only 25 and "all my dreams had come true already." My friends laughed at me and told me to dream bigger dreams.) I finally answered my friend that yes, I supposed I have always liked old movies...I just forgot for awhile that I did, and in the last two years or so, that old interest has resurfaced.

Something that goes along with the liking old movies is a small dream I've always had and somehow never did when I lived in San Francisco...to go to the cinema in the park. Well, one day, I was scrolling on the internet looking for stuff to do in Paris that I hadn't done before, and stumbled upon...cinema in the park, for free...every night for a month every summer! How had I not discovered this before?! As I've talked with other friends who live here, none of them had known about it either.

I looked through what was showing each night, and to my joy and delight, found that they were showing a 1949 classic called On the Town.

I sent out a text to a bunch of people to invite them to join me, but...Hugs tends to fall asleep during movies, the Superheroes were busy catching up from returning from vacation, the Trainers had guests in town, and so it ended up being Tusc and me. The website had said that the movie would start just after sundown, and I wasn't sure exactly what time that would be, or how crowded the lawn would be, so we got there around 9 and spread our blanket out in a prime spot. At 9:30, they blew up the giant inflatable screen.
Turns out, cinema in the park is a very Parisian thing to do! There were almost no tourists there at all. The Parisians had their picnic dinners with them (baguettes, cheese, deli meat, wine, and fruit), and just lounged around talking, laughing, and enjoying the evening. I was thrilled to be somewhere the tourists didn't seem to know about, to see Parisians being Parisian, and to have a nice evening with no clouds in the sky. As it got darker, I even saw some shooting stars! When does that ever happen in Paris?!

We thought it was dark enough for the movie to start at 10, but apparently the girl running the reel did not agree, so it didn't start until 10:30. Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Vera Ellen, Ann Miller, all filmed on location in New York...it was so good! I clapped my hands in giggly delight several times. Like in the pretty ridiculous song, Prehistoric Man, when Ann Miller wears the prettiest dress ever, and shows why she was one of the best dancers of the 20th century. Another fun moment was laughing with all the metro-riding Parisians about Miss Turnstiles (translated in the subtitles as Mademoiselle Metro).

I had to leave a little early, because, when the clock struck midnight, I was worried about not being able to catch the metro home in time. As I rode home on the metro, still thinking about Miss Turnstiles, I was amazed to see a different Paris than I normally do. I'm not usually out after midnight...but the Parisians were! They were smiling and laughing (not normal during the day on the metro), waving goodbye (instead of giving the little cheek kisses), dressed uber-casual (instead of uber-chic), and talking up a storm. It added a little more bliss to my evening.

Should I return to Paris next summer, I will be hitting up the cinema in the park again.