| Over forty years ago, a movie theatre didn't | | | | Illinois, sixteen miles north of Carthage. |
| need to be located in a shopping mall to | | | | The theatre, he recalled, had a "beautiful |
| attract sufficient patrons. As other small, | | | | front lobby with walk-up front steps" which |
| privately owned businesses had done before | | | | "later became illegal because it was a fire |
| them, small-town movies theatres survived -- | | | | hazard." The Dallas Theatre made a profit |
| and, in some cases, even thrived -- for | | | | during World War II but , he added, was the |
| several decades. One may still occasionally | | | | first of his three small-town theatres to |
| find independent theatres grinding away in | | | | "dry up." A quonset hut theatre was |
| small towns located far enough away from | | | | constructed in the river town of Warsaw after |
| metropolitan areas, but one is more likely to | | | | World War II. It outlasted the older theatre |
| find abandoned buildings with empty marquess | | | | in Dallas City, but it never, according to |
| that often resemble the rusted prows of old | | | | Justus, made money. A large theatre circuit |
| ships. Some old theatre buildings serve as | | | | made him a considerable offer in the early |
| shells for churches and small businesses, but | | | | 1950s for all three of his theatres, but, |
| even many of these buildings wear such skimpy | | | | despite the gradual shifting of populations |
| camouflage that someone passing through town | | | | away from small communities, he declined. He |
| can easily guess the role they once played as | | | | said that he just didn't want to get out of |
| a local center for a shared community | | | | the theatre business.Television contributed |
| experience. After the nature of the community | | | | to changes in the rural communities, |
| changed, after the local people began | | | | particularly when nearby Quincy acquired a TV |
| identifying with the national television | | | | station in the early 1950s, but a shift away |
| community, the local exhibitors stepped up | | | | from the shared experience of small-town |
| the public spectacle through promotional | | | | living was equally to blame. Justus' theatres |
| showmanship in order to revitalize not only | | | | lost customers no faster than many other |
| its role in the community but often the local | | | | local businesses, such as furniture |
| community spirit itself. These converted | | | | dealerships and dry goods stores. Despite |
| marquees remind us not only of abandoned | | | | efforts of theatre exhibitors and other |
| ships but of shabby circus tents that remain | | | | merchants to keep their integral roles alive |
| long after the circus has left town; they may | | | | in a shrinking community, transportation |
| bear few traces of their former role in the | | | | facilitated the migration of residents to |
| community rituals, but the memories of the | | | | urban areas where they established suburban |
| personal efforts of local showmen to keep the | | | | communities complete with ubiquitous shopping |
| circus alive in the face of cultural change | | | | centers and malls. New theatres cropped up |
| will keep that circus and the knowledge of | | | | inside these shopping areas, later becoming |
| the cultural significance alive within | | | | twins and multiplexes, but they generally |
| us.Before people relied so heavily on | | | | failed to offer patrons any sense of |
| automobiles, and before they were afraid to | | | | participating in communal rituals. Watching |
| walk more than a few city blocks, many towns | | | | films projected by automated equipment while |
| of less than a thousand people had their own | | | | seated among strangers in a shoebox-sized |
| theatre which residents often labeled "the | | | | shopping mall theatre (in some urban areas) |
| show house" or "the picture show." Residents | | | | bore little resemblance to the experience of |
| of the western Illinois town of Carthage, for | | | | watching a movie with neighbors and relatives |
| example, saw two show houses in its business | | | | at the local "show house."Patrons in small |
| district not long after the beginning of the | | | | communities did not have to wait sixteen |
| 20th century, but only one of them survived | | | | weeks or to drive around the city for a new |
| for long. The Woodbine Theatre, named after | | | | film because the small theatres ran several |
| the crawling vine that grew on the east side | | | | changes a week. Justus recalled that his own |
| of the brick building, was not the first | | | | theatres would run "a Sunday-Monday movie, a |
| theatre in the town of over three thousand | | | | Tuesday bank night, a Wednesday-Thursday, |
| people, but the showmanship of its owner | | | | then a Friday and Saturday. We got to the |
| caused the competition to go out of | | | | point where we were open three days a week. |
| business.The first Woodbine was converted | | | | First it was Thursday-Friday-Saturday-Sunday; |
| into a theatre in 1917 by Charles Arthur | | | | then it was Friday, Saturday, and Sunday." |
| Garard. C.A., as he was called, had already | | | | The Carthage community supported the theatre |
| operated a local dairy and a downtown ice | | | | during the week nights in the late 1950s and |
| cream parlor which offered five-cent ice | | | | early 1960s, but the Warsaw Theatre dwindled |
| cream sodas, confections, five-cent crushed | | | | down to Saturday and Sunday showings, |
| fruit souffles, and a tobacco called Garard's | | | | sometimes with a different film each night. |
| Royal Blue. He was a shrewd businessman, but | | | | Students from the local four-year liberal |
| he was also a fanciful dreamer who needed to | | | | arts college in Carthage kept Friday night |
| be held in check by his pragmatic and even | | | | attendance strong at the Woodbine, but high |
| shrewder wife. Bertha, who often accompanied | | | | school football games severely limited Friday |
| the silent movies shown in his theatre with | | | | attendance in Warsaw.Another factor that |
| her piano, kept him from selling the theatre | | | | "made it so tough for the little towns," |
| and drifting off into other projects, such as | | | | according to Justus, was that the independent |
| the growing of grapefruits in Florida. When | | | | exhibitors "couldn't get the product until it |
| C.A. died, she took over as proprietor until | | | | had played the bigger places," such as |
| her youngest son, Justus, became old enough | | | | Quincy, which is about forty miles south of |
| to help her.Justus recalled in June of 1981 | | | | Carthage, or Keokuk, which sits just across |
| how his father never really had a chance to | | | | the Mississippi River on the southeastern tip |
| enjoy any substantial returns from the | | | | of Iowa. Because he was an independent, he |
| theatre for ten years after he converted it. | | | | had to wait six weeks to play a film that was |
| "We would've been out of business if it | | | | booked first in Quincy, Keokuk, or at other |
| hadn't been for talking movies," Justus said, | | | | nearby circuit theatres. "If we could've |
| the earliest of which "were very hard to | | | | played the film the next week," Justus added, |
| understand." The Woodbine was the first | | | | "Why, the people would have stayed home to |
| theatre in the area to show talking pictures, | | | | see it. But they knew that we weren't gonna |
| which were sound-on-disc like Warner | | | | have it for awhile. So they'd go to |
| Brothers' Vitaphone system (shown in the | | | | Keokuk."Among later gimmicks employed to stir |
| black-and-white TV promos for the 1955 film | | | | local community interest were Halloween |
| HELEN OF TROY and included in the DVD and VHS | | | | midnight shows and four features run each New |
| copies of that film). The first sound films | | | | Year's Eve, but the biggest seasonal event in |
| were "only part-talkies. They would use some | | | | Carthage was the annual series of |
| dialogue, then [the characters] would soar | | | | merchant-sponsored Christmas films. Before |
| into song." Because sound equipment was | | | | each Christmas season, Justus purchased a |
| expensive to install, he and a friend Oliver | | | | Filmack trailer for the merchants, and a |
| Kirschner constructed their own sound system. | | | | salesman from St. Louis sold the merchants a |
| Cast-iron record turntables were cast at an | | | | spot on the trailer for $37.50. The merchants |
| industrial plant sixteen miles away in | | | | were also given tickets or complimentary |
| Keokuk, Iowa, and attached to the projector | | | | passes for the theatre that were good any |
| drive. Since sound projectors operated at 34 | | | | time, but the Christmas films -- usually |
| frames-per-second, they revised a way to | | | | chosen for the children of those parents who |
| speed up their projectors to synchronize the | | | | were encouraged to do Christmas shopping in |
| film with the soundtrack on the record. | | | | town -- were shown free to the community. The |
| Occasionally, "the needle would jump out of | | | | popcorn, of course, wasn't free. I can |
| the groove," and the projectionist would have | | | | remember stuffing sacks full of popcorn and |
| to "pick it up and set it on the right groove | | | | handing them across the glass counter to |
| by watching carefully and following the | | | | pushy patrons who had to pay. . . not $3.00. |
| sound." He recalled that they had to do this | | | | . . but ten cents.The midnight Halloween |
| for two or three years until the advent of | | | | showings of horror double-features were the |
| sound-on-film. Whenever the needles would | | | | ones that I found to be particularly fun. |
| jump from one groove to the next because of | | | | Justus often ran double bills like THE FLY |
| over-modulation, the customers would | | | | and THE RETURN OF THE FLY and AIP's I WAS A |
| patiently wait for the projectionists to | | | | TEENAGE FRANKENSTEIN (1957) with UA's THE |
| synchronize the record with the film.The | | | | RETURN OF DRACULA (1958). For the latter, in |
| introduction of sound-on-film, which Justus | | | | Warsaw, I shaped white cardboard into a |
| recalled was here to stay by 1933, required | | | | castle which covered the left exit. Above the |
| that he, like other exhibitors, insert an | | | | exit, appropriately enough for Halloween, was |
| expensive sound head into the projector. | | | | a clock which advertised a local funeral |
| Because some films were released as | | | | home. (I often wondered why funeral home |
| sound-on-disc and some were released as | | | | clocks were displayed in small movie theatres |
| sound-on-film, such as Fox's Movietone | | | | in those days. Were patrons being reminded |
| system, many exhibitors had to choose between | | | | that their lives were ticking away while the |
| one system or the other. "Consequently," | | | | films were flickering on the screen?) I |
| said Justus, "we weren't playing any Fox | | | | stretched a wire from the projection booth to |
| pictures. Paramount came out with the records | | | | the exit, located immediately to the left of |
| and Fox with the sound-on-film." Once he | | | | the screen, and draped a white bed sheet over |
| installed the sound-on-film system, he no | | | | a clothes hanger. During a high point of one |
| longer used the disc system because he was | | | | of the films, I stood in the exit doorway |
| never "able to completely overcome that | | | | with my girl friend and jerked on the string |
| wavery noise. The music would go up and | | | | attached to the hanger, intending to pull my |
| down."Although C.A. died shortly after the | | | | ghost down to the exit over the heads of the |
| sound-on-disc system was working, he never | | | | audience. The ghost emerged from the small |
| saw the business at his theatre improve. | | | | projection window on cue, but the hanger |
| Justus saw a gradual improvement "along about | | | | became hung-up on the wire and refused to |
| 1937." This increase in patronage came about | | | | travel as I had intended. I tugged on the |
| not because many small-town citizens were | | | | string and it snapped, so the projectionist |
| interested in the latest technical | | | | gave the hanger a push. When the houselights |
| improvements or in having their lives | | | | came on at the end of the feature, I saw my |
| enriched by the imaginative visions of such | | | | intended deus ex machina suspended in plain |
| geniuses as Orson Welles; they merely wanted | | | | view in the center of the auditorium. Maybe |
| entertainment that would whisk them away from | | | | this failure was why Justus limited all of my |
| their humdrum lives -- and an excuse to get | | | | future promotion efforts to the lobby and |
| out of the house. They didn't expect to be | | | | outside the theatre; maybe he decided that I |
| surprised by the plot or ending and didn't | | | | had been influenced too much by the gimmicks |
| really want to be intellectually challenged. | | | | of such master showmen as William Castle (for |
| They were as excited about seeing their | | | | such films as THE HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL, THE |
| favorite romantic leads involved in the | | | | TINGLER, MR. SARDONICUS, HOMICIDAL, and |
| latest routine star vehicles as they were | | | | THIRTEEN GHOSTS). Of all of the Castle films |
| about seeing the burning of Atlanta.The fact | | | | that Justus played, I can only remember the |
| that GONE WITH THE WIND (1939) was a hit in | | | | colored glasses for the original THIRTEEN |
| Carthage may or may not have been the result | | | | GHOSTS being particularly effective. [Further |
| of Justus renting the side of a barn where he | | | | details about horror movie promotions can be |
| and his friends pasted up a 24-sheet display | | | | found in the companion article |
| touting the popular classic. Many of the | | | | BLACK-AND-WHITE HALLOWEEN HORROR HITS: I WAS |
| films that we today regard as classics were, | | | | A TEENAGE UNDEAD WITCH, which is available |
| at the time, little more than run-of-the-mill | | | | online.]These are only a few examples of |
| programmers. CASABLANCA (1942), for example, | | | | promotional machinations that were necessary |
| was merely a modest romantic thriller with | | | | to boost ticket sales for the second-run |
| Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman acting as | | | | films shown by independent, small-town |
| stand-ins for our exotic fantasies; they | | | | exhibitors. Many of the earlier gimmicks, |
| turned the attention of small-town patrons | | | | such as bank night and merchant-sponsored |
| away from their personal issues while the | | | | Christmas shows, brought in a few extra |
| caricatured Nazi villains provided targets | | | | dollars, but it is doubtful whether the later |
| for their anger. In most instances, what was | | | | and more flamboyant gimmicks greatly affected |
| playing at the local theatre was irrelevant, | | | | ticket sales. BOXOFFICE magazine and press |
| whether it be a film like WIZARD OF OZ | | | | sheets for the individual films offered |
| (1939), which initially did disappointing | | | | exploitation tips, many of which required the |
| business but was later perceived to be a | | | | ordering expensive supplies, but the |
| classic, or films with appropriate titles | | | | struggling independent had to primarily rely |
| like SMALL-TOWN GIRL (1936). It was a | | | | on his own imagination to create makeshift, |
| community activity that was as vital to the | | | | inexpensive promotions.Justus Garard* claimed |
| town as the Saturday night band concerts when | | | | to be one of the last independent exhibitors |
| the white-painted wooden bandstand was hauled | | | | in the area to go out of business. The |
| to the center of Main Street.An activity that | | | | Woodbine Theatre in Carthage was sold to the |
| Justus promoted in his small town to help | | | | neighboring auto dealer in 1969 and |
| improve theatre patronage was bank night. | | | | eventually converted into a showroom for new |
| Bank night was a gimmick that worked like | | | | cars. The interior of his theatre, when my |
| this: the patrons would register in a large | | | | brother and I saw it shortly after it had |
| book, and attached to each registration form | | | | been gutted for this purpose, resembled the |
| was a numbered tag which Justus or an | | | | interior of the small-town movie theatre in |
| employee placed in a large drum. The drum was | | | | the superb and touching Italian film CINEMA |
| hauled out in front of the theatre audience | | | | PARADISO (1989). The Dallas and Warsaw |
| after the first showing on Tuesday nights | | | | theatres, although closed long ago, still |
| where a local merchant or other prominent | | | | resemble movie theatres; the latter, used as |
| citizen would draw out a number and announce | | | | a storage area for antiques, still has its |
| it to the audience. If the person holding | | | | prow of a marquee that juts out over the |
| that number sat in the theatre at that | | | | sidewalk. Not much has changed in the river |
| moment, he or she would claim the money. "If | | | | town of Warsaw, but on Saturday nights, |
| not," Justus added, "the money was put into | | | | without the bandstand with local citizens |
| what we called bank night and held over until | | | | playing instruments while kids skip around |
| the next week. We'd add fifty dollars a | | | | it, and without the glittering marquee of the |
| week." A fifty dollar night would hardly pay | | | | old movie theatre, Main Street seems much |
| for the showing, and the theatre wouldn't | | | | darker, and a lot lonelier. Perhaps only a |
| start making money until the jackpot reached | | | | few independent exhibitors, like those in |
| around $200 or $300. "Then we'd fill the | | | | small, midwestern towns like Carthage and |
| theatre," he said, and this didn't include | | | | Warsaw, resorted to the above-mentioned |
| "all the people who came down and gambled in | | | | gimmicks, and perhaps the death knell for the |
| the afternoons." Of course, a weekly winner | | | | mom and pop theatre operation had been |
| would have wiped out the business, so Justus, | | | | sounded long before the staging of many of |
| like other independent exhibitors, took a | | | | the later promotional efforts, but like the |
| gamble with this particular gimmick.Another | | | | sailors on ships which many of these |
| gimmick to bolster limping ticket sales | | | | still-existing theatre fronts resemble, the |
| involved the distribution of sets of | | | | tenacious independents refused to go down |
| silverware one piece at a time until the | | | | without a fight.[Note: *Justus Garard's |
| patron had collected an entire set. These | | | | statements were taken from an interview |
| sets -- knives, forks, spoons, and ladles -- | | | | conducted by Sam Garard in June 1981 at a |
| were easier to handle than dishes; dishes | | | | Daytona, Florida, cinema draft house owned by |
| were shipped in barrels and often arrived | | | | Sam at the time. I am indebted to both my |
| broken. Unlike today, exhibitors actually | | | | father who passed away in May of 1988 and |
| made the bulk of their profits from ticket | | | | younger brother for the information which |
| sales. The limited offerings of the | | | | supports my own recollections. Some of these |
| concession stands in small theatres -- long | | | | memories have been utilized as background for |
| before the days of hot dog warmers and | | | | my novels WATERFIELD and CLOSED FOR THE |
| cheese-covered tortilla chips -- provided | | | | SEASON.]All rights reserved.Charles J. Garard |
| only a small percent of the revenue. The best | | | | is a writer and professor of British |
| years for ticket sales, added Justus, were | | | | literature, American literature, mythology, |
| during World War II.While Justus was an | | | | and film studies. He has taught for two |
| officer in the Navy in 1943, a fire started | | | | colleges, two community colleges, and two |
| in the furnace and consumed the entire | | | | universities (most recently a university in |
| theatre. His uncle, prominent architect Edgar | | | | Anshan, China). His nonfiction book on film |
| Payne, drew up blueprints for a wider, | | | | POINT OF VIEW IN FICTION AND FILM: FOCUS ON |
| single-floor theatre, and construction began | | | | JOHN FOWLES is available from Amazon. His |
| immediately under Kirschner's supervision. | | | | interests include mainstream fiction (with |
| The new building had no balcony, but it did | | | | his father's movie theatres forming the |
| contain a soundproof cry room on the second | | | | background of two novels), science-fiction |
| floor. The seating capacity of the theatre | | | | time travel, and horror; he is now working on |
| was 500 seats, and this was later reduced to | | | | a novel about Atlantis and is gathering his |
| 350.In the late 1930s, Justus remodeled an | | | | notes for a novel about China. He lives in |
| older building into a theatre in Dallas City, | | | | Atlanta, Georgia, USA. |