By 1939 movies had become big business enough for the National Screen Service to be established. The National Screen Service was formed in 1920 to develop and distribute trailers for film studios. This two-page spread advertisement featuring a very serious top hat waving baby hypes the ability of trailers to draw audiences into screenings.
In the 1940s the National Screen Service would sign exclusive contracts with the major studios to produce and distribute all movie posters and other paper advertisements.
(credit: American Theatre Architecture Archive, Theatre Historical Society of America)