Free to follow every thread. No paywall, no dead ends.
Movie theater: the story on HearLore | HearLore
Movie theater
The oldest movie theater still in operation today opened its doors on the 3rd of March 1897 in the town of Ptuj, Slovenia, a quiet corner of the world that has witnessed over a century of cinematic history. Before this dedicated venue existed, the story of film began in the shadows of existing entertainment halls, where the first public screenings took place in vaudeville theaters and other spaces that could be darkened to accommodate the new technology. In 1895, the Skladanowsky brothers demonstrated their Bioscope motion pictures at the Gasthaus Sello in Berlin, and later that year, they held the first certain commercial screenings at the Wintergarten theater. Just months earlier, on the 28th of December 1895, Louis and Auguste Lumière held the first commercial public screening of films made with their Cinématographe in the basement of the Salon Indien du Grand Café in Paris. These early screenings were not yet in purpose-built structures; they were adaptations of existing spaces, often featuring live acts alongside the new moving images. The demand for movies grew rapidly, and by 1905, it became viable to have theaters that would no longer program live acts but only movies. The first building built for the dedicated purpose of showing motion pictures was constructed to demonstrate the Phantoscope at The Cotton State Exposition in Atlanta, Georgia, on the 25th of September 1895, though the Ptuj City Cinema holds the title of the oldest still active commercial movie theater in the world.
The Nickelodeon Era
In the United States, the early days of the movie theater were defined by small, simple storefronts that became known as nickelodeons, charging just five cents for admission. These venues flourished from about 1905 to 1915, transforming the way people consumed entertainment by making film accessible to the working class. Before this era, Thomas Edison had believed film screening would not be as viable commercially as presenting films in a single-viewer apparatus with a viewing peephole, leading to the development of the Kinetoscope. The first commercial motion picture house opened on the 14th of April 1894, by the Holland Bros. in New York City at 1155 Broadway, featuring ten machines set up in parallel rows of five. For 25 cents, a viewer could see all the films in either row, one at a time, while half a dollar gave access to the entire bill. The machines were modified so that they did not operate by nickel slot, and attendants switched the instruments on and off for customers who had paid their twenty-five cents. The nickelodeon era marked a shift from the exclusive, high-cost entertainment of the past to a mass-market phenomenon, where the average ticket price was just five cents. This period laid the groundwork for the modern movie theater, establishing the concept of a dedicated space for film that would eventually evolve into the grand movie palaces of the 1920s and the multiplexes of the 1950s.
When did the oldest movie theater still in operation open its doors?
The oldest movie theater still in operation today opened its doors on the 3rd of March 1897 in the town of Ptuj, Slovenia. This venue holds the title of the oldest active commercial movie theater in the world.
Where did the first commercial public screening of films take place?
Louis and Auguste Lumière held the first commercial public screening of films made with their Cinématographe in the basement of the Salon Indien du Grand Café in Paris on the 28th of December 1895. These early screenings were adaptations of existing spaces rather than purpose-built structures.
What year did the first building built for the dedicated purpose of showing motion pictures open?
The first building built for the dedicated purpose of showing motion pictures was constructed to demonstrate the Phantoscope at The Cotton State Exposition in Atlanta, Georgia, on the 25th of September 1895. This event occurred before the Ptuj City Cinema opened but established the concept of a dedicated venue.
When did Canada become the first country in the world to have a two-screen theater?
Canada was the first country in the world to have a two-screen theater when the Elgin Theatre in Ottawa, Ontario, became the first venue to offer two film programs on different screens in 1957. Theater-owner Nat Taylor converted the dual-screen theater into one capable of showing two different movies simultaneously.
When did the majority of movie theaters become equipped for digital cinema projection?
Since the 2010s, the majority of movie theaters have been equipped for digital cinema projection, removing the need to create and transport a physical film print on a heavy reel. This technological shift has transformed the industry by allowing for greater flexibility in film distribution.
When did ticket sales begin to decline in the movie theater industry?
Ticket sales have been declining since the mid-2010s and have not fully recovered from declines during the COVID-19 pandemic when many theaters were closed. This decline was first observed in the 1950s when television became widespread among working-class homes.
Canada was the first country in the world to have a two-screen theater, with the Elgin Theatre in Ottawa, Ontario, becoming the first venue to offer two film programs on different screens in 1957. Canadian theater-owner Nat Taylor converted the dual-screen theater into one capable of showing two different movies simultaneously, and he is credited by Canadian sources as the inventor of the multiplex or cineplex. He later founded the Cineplex Odeon Corporation, opening the 18-screen Toronto Eaton Centre Cineplex, the world's largest at the time, in Toronto, Ontario. In the United States, Stanley Durwood of American Multi-Cinema, now AMC Theatres, is credited as pioneering the multiplex in 1963 after realizing that he could operate several attached auditoriums with the same staff needed for one through careful management of the start times for each movie. The Ward Parkway Center in Kansas City, Missouri, had the first multiplex cinema in the United States. Since the 1960s, multiple-screen theaters have become the norm, and many existing venues have been retrofitted so that they have multiple auditoriums. A single foyer area is shared among them. In the 1970s, many large 1920s movie palaces were converted into multiple-screen venues by dividing their large auditoriums, and sometimes even the stage space, into smaller theaters. Because of their size, and amenities like plush seating and extensive food/beverage service, multiplexes and megaplexes draw from a larger geographic area than smaller theaters, pulling audiences from an eight to 12-mile radius versus a three to five-mile radius for smaller theaters. As a result, the customer geography area of multiplexes and megaplexes typically overlaps with smaller theaters, which face the threat of having their audience siphoned by bigger theaters that cut a wider swath in the movie-going landscape.
The Digital Revolution
Since the 2010s, the majority of movie theaters have been equipped for digital cinema projection, removing the need to create and transport a physical film print on a heavy reel. This technological shift has transformed the industry, allowing for greater flexibility in film distribution and reducing the logistical challenges of transporting physical film reels. The transition to digital projection has also enabled the rise of premium large format (PLF) auditoriums, which feature high-end amenities such as larger wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling screens, 4K resolution, laser projection, and immersive surround sound systems. In 2015, IMAX introduced a new IMAX with Laser format, using 4K resolution laser projectors, further enhancing the viewing experience. The digital revolution has also made it possible for theaters to compete with home theaters, which have become increasingly sophisticated with high-resolution Blu-ray discs and powerful subwoofers. Despite the decline in ticket sales since the mid-2010s, the digital revolution has provided new opportunities for theaters to innovate and attract audiences. The availability of 3D movies, for which an additional fee is required, has also encouraged exhibitors to adopt digital cinema, providing a way for theaters to compete with home theaters. The digital revolution has not only changed the way films are projected but has also transformed the business model of the movie theater industry, making it more adaptable to the changing demands of audiences.
The Sound of Cinema
The movie theater industry faces significant challenges in the 21st century, with ticket sales declining since the mid-2010s and not fully recovering from declines during the COVID-19 pandemic when many theaters were closed. One reason for the decline in ticket sales in the 2000s is that home-entertainment options are improving all the time, whether streamed movies and television, video games, or mobile apps, and studios are releasing fewer movies. This decline is not something that is recent; it has been observed since the 1950s when television became widespread among working-class homes. As the years went on, home media became more popular, and the decline continued until this day. A Pew Media survey from 2006 found that the relationship between movies watched at home versus at the movie theater was in a five to one ratio, and 75% of respondents said their preferred way of watching a movie was at home, versus 21% who said they preferred to go to a theater. The rise in popularity of the Netflix streaming service has led to concerns in the movie theater industry, and the practice of releasing a film in theaters and via on-demand streaming on the same day has further complicated the business model. Despite these challenges, movie theaters continue to innovate, with new forms of competition and new technologies emerging to attract audiences. The future of film may lie in the ability of theaters to offer unique experiences that cannot be replicated at home, such as premium large format auditoriums, motion-controlled seating, and immersive sound systems. The movie theater industry must adapt to the
The Future of Film
changing demands of audiences to survive and thrive in the digital age.