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Think those annoying pre show commercials are a recent addition to the movie going experience? Well, here is a 1947 trade publication advertisement for the Movie Advertising Bureau, promoting the benefits of running sixty to eighty second spots in movie theatres. Yes, even in the “good old days”, there were television style commercials, hawking everything [...]

This week, the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) convenes in Las Vegas for the organization’s yearly meeting/trade show/schmooze fest, Cinema Con. Eighty-two years ago, one of NATO’s predecessors, The Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America, came together at Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre, for the day’s premiere industry convention. While separated by some nine decades, there [...]

The celebrity prints immortalized at Grauman’s Chinese have been a Hollywood landmark and “must see” tourist stop for nearly a century. However, unbeknownst to most, the Chinese isn’t the only theatre in Hollywood where notables have left their mark in concrete. A little over a mile away, there stands another collection of forecourt prints, which [...]

Today’s unique picture captures Grauman’s Chinese Theatre doorman (circa 1949), Joseph Lockard Martin Jr. Better known by his stage name, Lock Martin, the 7’1” – 7’7” (accounts vary on his height) actor worked in various public relations/promotional roles and appeared in a handful of movies, before being hired as Grauman’s doorman in the late 1940’s; [...]

Today’s picture, from a 1978 edition of Box Office Magazine, captures that dark time when exhibitors felt compelled to “economically” plex their single screen holdings. One hates to even contemplate how many formerly grand auditoriums were hacked up with “TWINNING, TRIPLEXING, or QUADING” after this advertisement ran.

Time was, today marked the start of “National Relaxation Week” and the opportunity for theatres to advertise their relaxing amenities. Holding true to the fast paced lifestyles and short attention spans of today, “National Relaxation Week” has been whittled down to “National Relaxation Day” (recognized on August 15).

This month marked the forty-fifth anniversary of the long gone Fountain Valley Drive In.      While grand opening boasts of “world’s largest” and “most spectacular” were typically exaggerated exhibitor hype (check out the Westminister 4 for a humorous example), Fountain Valley truly lived up to the marketing spin.

On this day in 1933, Richard Hollingshead (along with Willie Warren Smith, Edward Ellis, and Oliver Willets) opened the world’s first drive-in theater, in Camden, New Jersey. Built for $30,000, the aptly named “Drive-In Theatre”, featured inclined slots for 400 cars and a “60 foot talkie screen”; unlike later drive-ins, sound was produced via large [...]

In recognition of the 85th anniversary of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre (May 18, 1927), I wanted to share a couple of pictures from the grand opening dedication/“King of Kings” premiere program.      As with the Grauman’s Egyptian program, I will be posting a PDF file of the full program soon.

The Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation conducted another one of their fascinating “All About” tours this past weekend; covering Grauman’s Chinese this time around. Among the numerous non public areas featured was the theatre’s subterranean level. While presently serving as a standard basement (storage and support system duties), prior to the theatre’s late 50’s “Windjammer”/Cinemiracle [...]