Step into the time machine with the SJG, and turn the dial to January 16, 1964. Location: High atop Beverly Drive in the canyons. Ding dong. A bunch of six year olds arrive in party dresses, slightly damp from the rain, carrying gifts for, who else, me. There's excitement in the air that... well, let's face it... only has a little bit to do with the birthday girl. The buzz in the room is thanks to my daddy, the one, the only, Mr. Ben Starr, a Hollywood writer, who has arranged something of a miracle. There's a 16 mm projector and a huge projection screen on a tri-pod set up in the living room, and hang on, who's that lurking in the corner? According to my brother John, who remembers the most amazing stuff, that's the projectionist from Disney. The lights go off. And up comes a movie that's currently in the theaters:
Disney first released "Cinderella" in 1950, then 1957, and then 1964. John reminds me of Disney's seven-year-cycle. The reasoning: every seven years, a new generation of two to seven-year-olds comes of age. So we're seeing "Cinderella" for the very first time. It's magical. I can still see the projector and the giggling guests. I can still see my dad and my mom handing out treats in between reels. I can see it all as if it's yesterday. Today, just for a second, I get to be six again, and it feels pretty sweet.
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