Veteran Viewers

When I was a teenager, our age group had very little economic clout. I was hard put to come up with a dime for the Saturday-night movie. In a good month, I could buy a record. The entertainment media was controlled by our elders. The movies, music and books that we were exposed to were aimed at a mature audience. Certainly, there was a healthy regard for quality in popular entertainment that is not required by today’s economically empowered youthful audience.

Tom Tugend puts on the table some interesting demographics that would seem to encourage entertainment executives to increase quality projects aimed at the post-50 population (“Older, Wiser and Virtually Ignored,” Jan. 31). But it is a lot easier to entertain kids. I have often thought it a good idea to simply take the money away from the children. That thought only serves satire, not real life.

I suppose the age of affluence will end in some future time, and adults will reclaim popular music and movie fare.

DON MAC BROWN

West Hills

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By making the arbitrary decision that a lucrative market may only be found among young people, those in control of the movie and TV industries have driven away the very lucrative market of those who have the time and resources to take advantage of their product. And by allowing the expenses of production to go through the roof, they are in the unenviable position of having to opt for trash that sells, rather than to fulfill the very real potential of these industries to provide quality entertainment and education.

Or as someone once said, “What am I, chopped liver?”

JOAN PETERSON

Culver City

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I’ve been a movie fan for a lot of years but I don’t want to see them on videotape. I want that thrill of going to the theater.

I want a real story with real people, with real problems, and believable solutions. I want love stories with suspense. How I used to love it when Charles Boyer looked across a crowded room at Bette Davis or Irene Dunne and the vein in his temple throbbed. I knew what he was thinking and what was going to happen and I never saw him with his shirt off.

How in the world did Hollywood decide that 30 was old? I guess there’s not much hope for us. We’re still young at heart, though, and we want to go to the movies, we want to like them, we want to get that thrill again when the lights dim, the curtains part, and we suspend disbelief while beautiful people, hair nicely combed and fully dressed, entertain us on the screen.

RUTH HENNING

North Hollywood

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At last! Someone recognizes that people over 50 are not only alive but even go to the movies. I have been going since the age of 7 (60 years ago). My motto is “a week without a movie is like a day without sunshine!” I read many types of reviews but use my own judgment. My pet peeves are steadily increasing prices, overly long previews and too-loud sound.

KATHARINE ALTANER

Duarte