Thursday, May 31, 2012

I MISS THE CARTOONS


One big thing I really miss these days when going to the movies, besides actually going to the movies, is a cartoon before the feature.

These 7-8 minute animated gems were a mainstay at almost all movie theatres for decades.

Regardless of the feature playing, cartoons got the audience into a good mood to settle in and watch the main attraction.

High costs eventually brought cartoon production to a screeching halt, but I can't think of any reason why theatres couldn't add previously-seen cartoons to their programs today.

In their heyday, many cartoons had their own posters theatres used to promote their showings. That's how important the animated shorts were to audiences of old.

Generic WARNER BROS. cartoon
poster

Generic POPEYE / PARAMOUNT cartoon
poster

Generic WOODY WOODPECKER / UNIVERSAL
 cartoon poster

Generic CASPER / PARAMOUNT cartoon
poster

Generic FLIP THE FROG / MGM cartoon
poster

Many cartoons had their own posters.

DOGGONE TIRED
1949

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
1941

AFRICA BEFORE DARK
1928

SPRINGTIME FOR PLUTO
1944

SENOR DROOPY
1949

POPEYE THE SAILOR MEETS SINDBAD
THE SAILOR
1936

LITTLE RURAL RIDING HOOD
1949

BOSKO AND THE PIRATES
1937

DER FUEHRER'S FACE
1942

THE TWO MOUSEKETEERS
1951

MR. MOUSE TAKES A TRIP
1940

SWING SHIFT CINDERELLA
1945

GOOFY AND WILBUR
1939

DUMB-HOUNDED
1943

THE TRIAL OF DONALD DUCK
1948

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

The IRIS - Salisbury's first full-time movie theatre


Located at 110 North Main Street, the IRIS THEATRE was Salisbury's first full-time motion picture theatre.
It opened in 1914 and closed in 1929 after fifteen years of operation.

IRIS THEATRE
June 12, 1921

IRIS THEATRE
June 24, 1921

IRIS THEATRE
July 10, 1921

IRIS THEATRE
July 25, 1921

IRIS THEATRE
April 5, 1922

IRIS THEATRE
April 8, 1923

IRIS THEATRE
September 30, 1923

IRIS THEATRE
October 28, 1923

IRIS THEATRE
August 31, 1924

IRIS THEATRE
September 7, 1924

IRIS THEATRE
September 14, 1924

IRIS THEATRE
October 5, 1924

IRIS THEATRE
October 12, 1924

IRIS THEATRE
December 28, 1924

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO IMAGINATION?


There was a time in the history of the cinema when the movie posters had an imagination of their own... 


PICKUP
1951

CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS
1953
FEDERAL MAN
1950

PITFALL
1948

THE GLASS KEY
1942

I COVER BIG TOWN
1947

TOUCH OF EVIL
1958

THE DARK CORNER
1946

THE ASPHALT JUNGLE
1950

NOCTURNE
1946

DETOUR
1945

GUN CRAZY
1950

THE LONG WAIT
1954

5 AGAINST THE HOUSE
1955

THE HOUSE ON 92nd STREET
1945

T-MEN
1947

SOMEWHERE IN THE NIGHT
1946