The following references to talking during movies may not be helpful in understanding or writing about the phenomenon, but I can pretty well guarantee that they're interesting. 1) The 1974 Carlo Lizzani movie CRAZY JOE (a biography of gangster Joey Gallo, with Peter Boyle in the title role) begins with Joey sitting in a (42nd Street?) moviehouse watching the original version of KISS OF DEATH. On the screen, Richard Widmark is threatening Victor Mature with his insane "Big man! Big man! You know what I do to big men?" speech, and in the audience Joey is saying it right along with him. A patron in the row behind Joey asks him to be quiet, and Joey turns around, sticks a gun in his face, and continues with his recitation. 2) In a collection of his non-fiction writing (sorry, I don't recall the title off-hand), Harlan Ellison tells of the time he and a friend were sitting in the balcony of an old (42nd Street?) moviehouse and actually witnessed someone flung from the balcony for failing to shut up during the film. --Richard J. Leskosky Richard J. Leskosky office phone: (217) 244-2704 Assistant Director FAX: (217) 244-2223 Unit for Cinema Studies University of Illinois ---- To signoff SCREEN-L, e-mail [log in to unmask] and put SIGNOFF SCREEN-L in the message. Problems? Contact [log in to unmask]