1979 Golden Age

Changping is still a county town. Although there is a movie theater, you can't get in the first round, so you can only eat leftovers.

Wang Xiaomei is an employee of a thermos factory. She heard that a movie called "Love in Lushan" was recently released and it was very good. It happened to be a day off today, so she asked two co-workers to go to the city to watch a movie and go shopping.

These days, it takes a long time to take a bus from the suburbs to the city.

They walked around the city for a whole morning and happened to be near Qianmen. They ate something at a cooperative under the arrow tower.

"Wontons are here!"

Huang Zhanying quickly brought the wontons to the table and served three large bowls. He smiled and said, "It's hot, this is the tea we gave you to quench your thirst!"

"Thank you, comrade!"

Wang Xiaomei was very surprised that tea was given with wontons. The Qianmen Cooperative was indeed well-deserved. She tasted a wonton and thought it was good. She asked, "Where are we going to watch a movie later?"

"It's nearby, called Daguan Tower."

"Xiao Li went to the city to watch "Lush Mountain Love" last time. He bragged about it when he got back. Look how proud he is!"

"I heard that the filming was very bold. The actress' skirt is up to here!"

Wang Xiaomei compared her legs. The eyes of her two friends sparkled and they scolded, "Oh my God, that's too capitalistic. Aren't your legs exposed?"

"Yes, yes. We are not like us who are simple and frugal and are praised by everyone!"

The three of them looked down at their pants at the same time. They were all gray trousers. At most, they rolled up the trouser legs a little to show their ankles.

"Are you going to see "Romance in Lushan Mountain"?"

Huang Zhanying suddenly came over and interjected: "It's already noon. I definitely can't buy tickets. Let's come back another day."

"Ah? How come there are no tickets?"

"If you stand guard outside early in the morning, you might still be able to buy it. At this point, let alone the afternoon show, there won't be any evening show."

"But we only have one day off. We won't come back until next week. We are from Changping."

"This is how to do?"

Wang Xiaomei and the other three looked sad and disappointed. When Huang Zhanying saw this, he simply said: "Forget it, forget it, we were planning to go see it in the evening. It's not easy for you guys to come all the way. I'll give you three evenly and give me the original price." ”

"Really? Then you can't watch it anymore?"

"It's okay. I'm familiar with the screenwriter. I'll ask him to get me the tickets, or I'll beat him up!"

Huang Zhanying generously handed out three tickets. Wang Xiaomei and others hurriedly finished their wontons, walked south, and soon saw the Daguanlou Cinema.

After checking their tickets and entering the theater, the three young people were extremely excited. They finally got to enjoy "Love in Lushan Mountain". The movie did not disappoint them. The beautiful scenery of Lushan Mountain, the fashion show of the heroine, and the handsome and cute hero all attracted them deeply.

In the blink of an eye, 20 minutes had passed. The audience was silent. Countless eyes were cast on the screen, all immersed in the movie.

In the screening room on the second floor, it was a different scene.

"Hurry up! Hurry up! Give me the copy!"

"Take it, take it, don't disperse! Come back on time, otherwise you and I will be in trouble!"

"Then ask the cinema to install a lift, my legs are almost useless!"

Xiao Zhang rushed downstairs with two copies in a hurry, put the copies in the hanging bag on the back seat of the bicycle, and pedaled with sparks, rushing to another theater with lightning and thunder.

He is the film runner of Daguanlou.

One copy of "Love in Lushan" is shared by four cinemas. Each copy is about 10 minutes long, so a 90-minute movie means 9 copies. The four cinemas discuss, for example, to screen the movie at 30-minute intervals.

Daguanlou will first show two copies, and the runner will deliver the copies to the next cinema. The next cinema also has its own runner, and after watching the movie, the runner will deliver the copies to the next cinema...

Ge You and Xie Yuan made a movie "Street Rider" in 1990, which is about runners.

Xiao Zhang is very skilled in riding a bicycle, and he can go to the Tour de France without any problem. He can reach the 10-minute journey in 8 minutes. The next cinema has good conditions, so he doesn't need to go upstairs, but has a "lift" outside the building.    He puts the copy up there, and there is a bell. When he presses it, the people above will know that the copy has been delivered, and will directly lift it up.

Xiao Zhang pedaled back in a hurry, more anxious than before, because from now on, he had to go back and forth between the two theaters until the last show of "Love in Lushan" was over - a young life was consumed in countless cycles, like a ghost wall.

"Where are the copies? Where are the copies?"

"Here, here!"

He went upstairs and took two more copies without stopping.

This time he pedaled too fast, and the chain fell off. Xiao Zhang's body tilted and he almost fell to death. He jumped down cursing and put the chain back on.

The next theater went crazy!

The first two copies were finished, but the new ones were not delivered. They could only show the words "The running film has not arrived, please wait patiently" on the screen. The theater was booed, whistled, and booed.

…

“This movie is really good. Let’s watch it again next week, shall we?”

“Sure, I’m still not satisfied!”

“I can’t describe it, but I like the scenery, dialogues, men and women in it!”

After a screening of “Love in Lushan”, Wang Xiaomei and her friends came out happily, happily discussing various details. Xiao Zhang dragged his tired body past them without noticing.

There is no such thing as a peaceful time when watching a movie. It’s the runners who are carrying the burden for you.

At the end of the show, Xiao Zhang got a short break. He sat in the screening room panting heavily and slammed the table: "I can't survive a day like this! Where is the manager? I want to report it to him! "

"Why don't you order more copies? You guys are short of brains, but we are the ones who are tired!"

"What do movie companies do for food?"

He was shouting from inside, but the manager was listening outside and didn't even dare to fart. The movie runners were better than top sellers. As soon as they put down their picks, a chain reaction caused the cinema to be completely destroyed.

The manager was in a good mood and pushed the door in. He smiled and said, "Is our Comrade Zhang getting emotional again? You're right. The company really didn't understand it. They knew "Lushan Love" would be a hit, but they didn't order more. , deserve to be scolded by the audience!”

"You don't need to say this, I want a copy, otherwise I will die from exhaustion!"

"There are copies! We are not fools. In the current situation, of course we have to order more, but it takes time to develop the copies. There is no way. You are the mainstay of the theater, and you have to lead everyone to overcome difficulties!"

Xiao Zhang was finally comforted.

I rested for a while in the screening room, waited for the next show to start, and played for another 20 minutes. I rushed downstairs with two copies in my arms and started my endless cycle of life.

…

These days, there are no conditions for a unified nationwide release. The specific release time of "Lushan Love" varies from place to place, but it is always between early to mid-July.

Taking Beijing as an example, it has been a week since "Blink of an Eye" was released. Managers from dozens of movie theaters went to the city company to block the door, and the city company went to China Film Group to block the door. They also met representatives from nearby provincial companies such as Liaoning, Hebei, and Shanxi.

At the same time, calls and telegrams flew in like snow.

There is only one demand: order additional copies, otherwise the audience and film runners will rebel!

China Film and Television took everyone to block the film bureau leaders again, because they had to give permission.

"How much more?"

"180?!!"

The leader looked very embarrassed and embarrassed because he was the one who rejected the order for 360 copies of "Lushan Love" and only approved 200 copies. Now there are 20 more.

I'm so tired, 380 copies!

"This is going to be a record!"