Catch ‘Yellow Submarine’ on Aug. 8 at The Bing

When the animated film “Yellow Submarine” screens at The Bing Crosby Theater on Aug. 8, I’ll be as interested in seeing the film as anyone. I’ve yet to see it on the big screen.

In fact, the only time I did see the film — which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this summer — was at a special screening at the University of California, San Diego, a few years after its premiere.

Why did it take so long? I was serving in the U.S. Army when the film debuted and don’t remember its playing anywhere near where I was stationed at Fort Eustis, Va. That October I received orders for Vietnam and didn’t return until a few weeks before 1970. By then, the film was long out of circulation.

As I say, though, this was the early ‘70s, and the film showed up occasionally at special screenings. And those events were typically ones at which strange smoke drifted through the crowd — the same kind of smoke that is legal to inhale today (but, of course, wasn’t then).

So not only haven’t I seen the film on a big screen, I haven’t seen it straight. So I am looking forward to an unencumbered experience.

By the way, Mary Pat Treuthart, Nathan Weinbender and I — who tape “Movies 101” weekly for Spokane Public Radio — will be do a live taping of the show before the Aug. 8 screening, which will take place just before the 7:30 p.m. event at The Bing. The taping begins at 6:30.

Show up if you want and applaud loudly (and laugh at Nathan’s jokes). Then you’ll be on the radio, too.