These two final excerpts from Boxoffice magazine show the complete sea change in film exhibition from the days of Moving Picture World. From the specter of television to the minutia of establishing “a perfect theatre; one in which quality of picture is leveled, and return patronage is guaranteed,” the modern theatre illustrated in this 1939 issue of Boxoffice is an updated, regulated commercial enterprise with an intricately designed interior, a comprehensive advertising plan and a wealth of technological advancements.
(credit: American Theatre Architecture Archive, Theatre Historical Society of America)