Our parents took us all to see “Invaders From Mars” at the Bay Theater in downtown Panama City around 1953. I had the same reaction as you. I thought it was the greatest movie ever made.
I saw it again, maybe 30 years later. I was really disappointed. I had built it up too high and remembered some of the scenes a little off. A couple of years later, I saw it again and realized it actually was a pretty good movie. I had just built it up to an impossible level in my mind.
I had the same reaction as you when I saw again on TV in the ‘70s. Then I watched it again on DVD a few years ago, I realized that it was quite well made for a SciFi flick made in the early ‘50s.
Parents took us to the drive in in Denver back around 1953 or 54.
Double feature.
INVADERS FROM MARS
BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS.
Scared the U-no-watt out of me! Especially when the creature ate the policeman!
I believe I spent most of that evening hiding in the back seat floorboards.
My favorite Si-fi movie..20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH.