July 13,1966

THE SMALL TOWN MOVIE THEATER FACES AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE
by Marion H. Norton


The small-town movie theater faces an uncertain future -- possible oblivion or part-time operation -- at a period when more motion picture houses are being built in cities and shopping centers, while outdoor drive-ins give promise of changing to year-round operation. The public wants and patronizes good entertainment. In increasing numbers, people leave their TV screens to view better productions coming out of Hollywood -- but not always at their home-town theaters.

Two local men who are associated with exhibiting motion pictures believe that the plight of Webster's theater and other small-town houses does not reflect so much a decline in movie going as an increase in the number of people who have cars and can afford the additional costs of a trip to the city or to drive-ins to give that extra flip to their entertainment.

The impact of drive-ins in summer has closed some theaters for the season and out many on a part-time basis. And, contrary to general opinion the biggest portion of drive-in attendance comes from whole families, who arrive with blankets and car-cribs, allowing mom and dad a night out while "baby sitting" for their own sleeping youngsters in the back seat.

"The movie industry is far from dead, even if Webster and Dudley people don't patronize the local theater," says Herman Claman, manager of the State Theater, who is also connected with Phillips Theater in Worcester and with the Auburn Drive-in. Better pictures than ever are being produced and more people are viewing them, in his opinion. Mr. Claman sees many residents of this community at movies in the city and at the drive-ins, yet they fail to patronize State Theater here, though the cost is considerably less.

"There's no single cause to explain it," the theater manager opines. Even the best first-run movies rarely bring a crowded house here unless it's a children's matinee. Whether this pattern will change, as has the trend of movies throughout their history, the veteran theater manager would not guess, but he believes that there is a good future for the overall industry. Mr. Claman pointed out that there is more theater-building now than for some decades past, and some of these are smaller than the local theater, being constructed for neighborhood areas or shopping centers.

Ray Srocenzski, of Dudley, an owner of six drive-in theaters in southern New England, thinks that drive-ins are here to stay because they have a family appeal and offer outoor recreation in good weather. In his opinion, year-round drive-ins are not economically sound in most areas, though continuing improvement with heaters and rain protectors make them feasible.

"Drive-ins are chiefly seasonal," states Mr. Sroczenski. "This is indicated by the sudden increase in attendance immediately upon closing of the elementary and high schools for summer vacation. That is when family groups begin appearing with regularity -- because children don't have to get up for school next day. The drop comes again with Labor Day, and I think it is because families curtail movies during the week when school is in session."

But change may come, though it seems doubtful that drive-ins are just a fad.


For hundreds of years "the theater" meant the legitimate stage. The advent of motion pictures brought radical change, with millions more persons able to enjoy this new form of "make believe". The Webster-Dudley chronology of theater entertainment probably tells the same story of technological progress and revolution in the entertainment world that would be found elsewhere, even though some of the changes may have reached cities a year or two in advance of local dates.

Way back in 1873, the Edmunds Opera House was built on Davis street -- strictly for stage shows and concerts. This was purchased in 1911 by the St. Jean Baptiste Society and was known as St. Jean Hall, where movies and vaudeville were the fare during the next decade. It was sold in 1924 to the Polish National Alliance, and is now the P.N.A. Hall, used mostly for meetings and dances.

Music Hall, on High street, was built in 1882, the last word in luxurious theater construction. The decor and balcony, the brass and guilt trimming, made it a most attractive setting. For some years it drew some of the best stock companies from New York, and during the season from August to May, it was open almost every night. In addition to the plays and concerts, this hall was used for town meetings and occasionally for public festivals. An advertisement of the season opening, August 24, 1900, is indicative of the theater entertainment of that era. It read: "Faust -- A Clean Cast! -- Electrical Effects!" A coming attraction was listed as "Uncle Tom's Cabin." Prices were 25, 35 and 50 cents.

Then in September of 1912 came the big announcement. The revolutionary idea of motion pictures had hit the country. Music Hall had been closed for renovations and the front page advertisment (all across the full width at top of page ) read: "Music Hall Re-opened. Vaudeville and Picture House." Apparently all the films were short because several were listed: "The Minister and the Outlaw", "Max Takes Tonics", "The Foster Child", "The Narrow Road". Highlighted were songs by Cleon Coffin, favorite baritone. In those days of silent movies, a pianist, a singer, and sometimes an orchestra provided background music, as many an older reader will recall.

Vaudeville was at its height during this period, and during much of the season, there were vaudeville shows along with the movies. Special incentives to bring patrons back regularly were the "serials", which always left the herione in the clutches of the villain, or had the hero dangling from a cliff. Eddie Polo, Francis X. Bushman, Bert Lytell, Pearl White were among the greats of the serial world. Up to the year 1919, price of admission to the movies and vaudeville were the same as they had been for stage shows at the turn of the century: 25 to 50 cents.

Greater luxury in the way of theaters came to town in 1915, when Steinberg Theater was built at the rear of the Larchar-Branch Building on Main street. Owners were Henry J. Steinberg, Prentiss Howard, and George R. Coster, who spent $45,000 on the structure and decorations. There were boxes on both sides near the stage instead of a balcony; the stage was larger than Music Hall, the settings more modern; there was an orchestra pit for the musicians, and large dressing rooms at the basement level. This is now the State Theater -- altered many times.

Stage plays -- amateur and professional -- were presented at Steinberg Theater, as well as vaudeville. However, stock companies and vaudeville had not too many more years of life before taking a back seat to sound movies, though the theater owners and the public could not be aware of this in 1915. Competition was great in showing of movies every night of the week at both Music Hall and Steinberg Theater, with a different movie every night. This, it is obvious that Hollywood and other movie producers were mighty busy putting out as many flickers as possible in those comparatively simple day of stage sets and the great outdoors; the same locale for dozens of movies.

One of the outstanding stage presentations at Steinberg Theater came in April 1919, when the famous Chauncey Olcott appeared here for a one-night offering of George M. Cohan's "The Voice of M'Connell." For this event, prices were increased, with the range from 50 cents to $1.50. Featured in movies of that era were some of these alltime motion picture "greats": Mabel Normand, Norma and Constance Talmadge, Bert Lytell, Alice Brady, Jack Pickford, Harry Carey, Mark Pickford, Nazimova, Mary Allison Lionel Barrymore, Alice Terry, Lewis Stone, Mary Astor Lew Cody, Pola Negri, Eugene O'Brien, Ford Sterling, Clara Bow.

Music Hall burned to the ground in the night of February 2, 1922. Not long afterwards, Geore Coster, who had been one of the original builders of Steinberg Theater, decided to construct another theater at the rear of the recently completed Holden Block on Main St. This was opened in 1923 and was called Coster Theater, though later changed to Libery Theater when it was acquired by the late Edgar Hill. Alex Sarasin was manager for many years. Incidentally, the opening production was a spectacular, "When Knighthood was in Flower."

Seventeen years after movies first came to Webster, local theaters again offered patrons something new and different-- sound movies which had begun another revolution in the industry. Some of the old idols were eliminated from the screen -- their voices didn't record properly. It was at this time that famed singing stars of the stage became nationally acclaimed, when they deserted New York for Hollywood to make spectacular musicals for motion pictures. Al Jolson, Eddie Cantor, Nelson Eddy, Jeannette McDonald, Bing Crosby became idols, as did dancing artists and former vaudeville stars. Such noted actors and actresses as John and Ethel Barrymore were enticed by Hollywood, when their marvelous voices could be enjoyed by a wider audience through the medium of sound film.

Though the process had been developed, technicolor movies did not reach the theaters generally until after World War II. It was in 1947, eighteen years after introduction of sound in local theaters, that announcement was made of the first color-movie to be shown at State Theater. The film was "The Yearling", starring Gregory Peck and Jane Wyman. Even then, technicolor movies were shown only occasionally for several years. Color was not as true as it is today-- but now it's the black and white film which is the rarity. So great was movie patronage during the 30's and 40's (no TV at home), that evening shows were continuous, the feature showing at least twice. On most weekends, both State and Liberty Theaters were open, usually with different shows, but sometimes the Liberty was used to handle the overflow from the State. During those years, there were at least three or four changes of program each week, and many persons saw each one.

As in everything else after the War, changes came rapidly in the film industry. Drive-ins became the rage even though they started more as a gimmick or novelty to combat loss of audience to home television. The first drive-in theater in this area was the Sturbridge Drive-in opened in 1951. The Quinebaug Drive-In was opened in 1953 -- judging from advertising, none of which was noted the previous summer. Oxford Drive-In was opened in 1954 with the film "Three Coins in a Fountain," and boasting the largest cinemascope in the area. In 1955, Quinebaug advertised "only giant curved screen" around these parts.

With the Drive-Ins came a whole new way of entertainment, at least in summer. It meant not only refreshments on a large scale, play areas for children, and a "night out" for the whole family, even babies in arms.

Ray Stone tells of his first experience working at a Drive-In owned by his late father. He had heard and read all the gossip about Drive-Ins being "dens of iniquity" which lured teenagers into sin. So he privately began a survey of persons who filled the cars which came night after night to the outdoor movies. Says the drive-in owner, who is also agent for the Dudley Welfare Board: It was a surprise to find that less than ten percent of the drive-in business came from teenagers, or even young adults. By far the biggest portion of our business was the family group, young parents in the front seat, small back, maybe even a car crib or station wagons, loaded with youngsters who fell asleep early enough to let parents watch the feature in peace.

According to Mr. Stone, practically the same proportion prevails today. Teenagers do patronize the drive-ins generously, but in his opinion, if they are looking for privacy and sin any back road would be better. Most drive-ins are patrolled by police once or twice a night; people are frequently moving about going to refreshment stands; other cars are nearby. Those looking for trouble would find it anywhere, he believes, though this stigma seems well attached to the drive-ins in the public mind.

Drive-ins of the future may be little different from those today, in the opinion of Ray Stone. Some have already experimented with a sort of canopy for bad weather; those which open year-round already offer car heaters; there is protection roday which makes it possible to view the screen even in bad weather. However, still thinks that the most successful drive-ins will continue to be operated seasonally, and that new theaters far less luxurious than old ones, but with fashionable decor in the lobby, comfortable seats, and air-conditioning.

In capsule form, the story of the movie theater for small towns seems to be one of declining public interest, with poor attendance, and often noisy behavior by those who do attend. Ironically, the lower price charged by small theaters makes it almost financially impossible to modernize appearance or comfort, whereas higher costs seem no deterrent to those who go out of town for their movie fare. Movies will surely continue -- but not always in small towns.

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