Early Theaters

Theater operators capitalized on the blue-collar worker’s different working hours by screening programs all day long and often times all night long as well.

Edison’s vitascope was being introduced to communities across the country, and immediately found a home with the working class folk who could sit down and be transported away from the rest of their lives and retreat to a world that only exists on the screen. This too was reflected in the theaters, as little thought or effort was put into the improvement of conditions inside these theaters.

Had it not been for these fundamental changes in society, it is unlikely that the moving picture theater would have had the impact that it did. Operators generally did not make a lot of money, and the expense of adding ventilation and proper lighting was too much to consider. The cinema presented moving pictures that could be understood by anyone. Central to these changes were the movement of people from rural towns to urban cities, and the shift towards the unfulfilling factory type work. Large tenements were constructed to accommodate the large number of people, but these buildings resulted in dirty, dank environments, which most people ended up having to share with rodents such as rats. This meant that regardless of when a worker was ready to go to the cinema, once inside they were not early or late, but could simply enjoy the show from where they picked up and watch everything until they had seen the entire show. Many people used this time to escape their everyday existence with some form of entertainment. People chose to find other ways to find meaning in their lives, and the cinema of attractions was a prime example of working class people finding outlets to entertain themselves.