During the World War II years, the average American went to the movies three times per week.
The film studios produced lots of great movies during that time, and the U.S. public, living a life of fear and concern, sought entertainment. The movies provided that entertainment. Remember, there was not yet televison in the American home.
The usual theatre program during the early-to-mid 1940s included a full-length feature (of course), but also a cartoon, comedy or travelogue and the latest newsreel.
The newsreel was as important to home front Americans as was the feature. Here they could see the first video representation of the war events they had heard on the radio and read in the newspaper two-to-three weeks earlier.
Besides churches, the small-town movie theatres were the most common places of assembly. To support the war effort, patrons bought millions of dollars of War Bonds at their local movie houses.
CAPITOL THEATRE December 7, 1941 The day of the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbor |
STATE THEATRE February 22, 1942 |
CAPITOL THEATRE July 5, 1942 |
CAPITOL THEATRE August 16, 1942 |
CAPITOL THEATRE November 22, 1942 |
ROCKWELL THEATRE December 13, 1942 |
CAPITOL THEATRE April 18, 1943 |
SPENCER THEATRE April 25, 1943 |
SPENCER THEATRE May 13, 1943 |
CAPITOL THEATRE July 18, 1943 |
CAPITOL THEATRE October 19, 1943 |
CAPITOL THEATRE February 15, 1944 |
CAPITOL THEATRE May 14, 1944 |
CAPITOL THEATRE March 18, 1945 |
CAPITOL THEATRE September 9, 1945 |