When Did They Start Clearing Movie Theaters Between Showings?

[DesertDog]

@Lynn_Bodoni

From what I understand, a cry or crying room was a place where mothers (and it was always mothers, never fathers) could take their screaming infant and still watch the movie, or hear the preacher (in the case of churches). I’ve never seen one myself that I know of.

The old theater I would go to sometimes ages ago, built in the late 40s, had a room right outside the auditorium just to the left of the left aisle (as you’re facing the back of the theater). You’d pass thru the double doors, hang an immediate left, and open a single door. There were about four seats inside with a plate glass window facing the screen and, I assume a speaker inside. I never noticed it used.

[aldiboronti]

@Martini_Enfield

My Dad was a cinema usher as a high school job in the '60s in New Zealand; he tells me that there were advertised start and finish times for movies and after that it was “Get out so we can clean the theatre!”

I think the “Movies on a continuous loop” thing must have been US-only; I’ve never heard any “pop-culture” references to the phenomenon in either Australia or NZ.

No, it was the norm in the UK too to come into the cinema at any time and stay for as long as you liked. I think it started changing in the 70s. It was so common a practice, in fact, that the phrase “this is where I came in” became current and used in other situations. We often missed the beginning of the movie and sat through to the next showing to see it (the double bill was standard then.)

[Harriet_the_Spry]

I wonder if this change had anything to do with the de-institutionalization of the mentally ill and corresponding increase in the homeless population? I could see the price of a matinee ticket being an attractive option during inclement weather.

[GIGObuster]

@Lynn_Bodoni

From what I understand, a cry or crying room was a place where mothers (and it was always mothers, never fathers) could take their screaming infant and still watch the movie, or hear the preacher (in the case of churches). I’ve never seen one myself that I know of.

@DesertDog

The old theater I would go to sometimes ages ago, built in the late 40s, had a room right outside the auditorium just to the left of the left aisle (as you’re facing the back of the theater). You’d pass thru the double doors, hang an immediate left, and open a single door. There were about four seats inside with a plate glass window facing the screen and, I assume a speaker inside. I never noticed it used.

So that is where the makers of Futurama came up with the Angry Dome!

[Markxxx]

I had forgotten that the theatre was air conditioned and most everything else wasn’t. Even the stores weren’t. I recall only 7-11 having A/C when I was a kid.