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“America’s Hometown Movie Theaters – Please Remain Standing” Bauer and Dean, Publishers – due out early 2026 and now available for pre-orders at baueranddean.com!
For most people over a midcentury of age, there is a fond memory that lingers in the back of their mind mingled with the luminescent neon and the smell of freshly popped popcorn. It is their experience of attending a downtown movie theatre.
Created to act as enticements to draw patrons downtown, movie theatres through the 1950’s were fantasy castles of sorts, enhancing the illusions celluloid film created on the velvet curtain flanked humongous single screen in the flickering darkness. Amplifying this experience, ornate neon signage surrounded by synchronized flashing tungsten bulbs led customers inside, where row upon row of multicolored, sugar-coated rectangular boxes of candy sat just inside the doors, at eye level for the younger set, and, of course, the mouth-watering, buttery yellow kernels waiting to be consumed by all. The dim glow of narrow aisles led to plush red seats standing at attention. Those same seats bobbed back to military neatness when one stood to leave after the film credits rolled, causing a dim recollection of life outside the theatre. These were simplistic but astute devices that successfully whisked willing audiences on a journey into the most popular form of entertainment of the day, movies that would help shape the ideas, goals, and beliefs of their generation and generations to come.
Architecture was of utmost importance wherever the theatres were located, be it a small town or a large city. The grand theatres, better known as “Movie Palaces,” exemplified the flight of fancy that our national conscience longed for. These extravagant theatres held seats for over a thousand guests, and were more popular in urban centers that could support a large influx of people with events not soon forgotten. The inside façade held its own illusions, ranging from an overhead ceiling of stars to cityscapes with balconies, many reminiscent of European destinations. By the late 1920’s many large cities could boast of having one of these spectacular venues, however, few of them remained in operation more than thirty years. Meanwhile, the cities and towns on America's back roads boasted of simple, yet charming features that local patrons appreciated. Every theatre had a unique spin on how they garnered customers, whether it was dish night, singing contests, ticket stub prizes, or just a good movie at a fair price. Architecturally elaborate fronts in Art Deco detailing, the popular style of the period, demanded the attention of the passerby, and the novelty of glass, red velvet, and shiny brass lent their charms to the décor inside. Drive-in theaters had their delights as well, emphasized by the gleaming concession stand and soldier statue microphones located a measured distance apart in the well-groomed parking field. Complete with a playground for restless children under the expansive screen, parents could watch the screen and their children at the same time, often with the bargain of two movies in one evening.
The name of this body of work, "Please Remain Standing" is a nod of recognition to my hometown theatre, the Carib, in Clearwater, FL. In the 1970s, prior to every single show, Clarence, the manager who was a U.S. Marine veteran, would request over the loudspeaker to "Please remain standing for our national anthem" after which a scratchy, sprocket stripped and jerky reel of the "Star Spangled Banner" would play. If someone in the audience did not stand, Clarence would stop the film, clear his throat (again, over the loudspeaker) and in an irritated tone repeat "Please remain standing..."; the reel would not begin until there had been compliance in the theatre, often prompted by the house lights coming on to identify who was NOT standing. The Carib and Clarence have long passed on, but attending the Carib inspired me begin the journey of photographing this portfolio, now in its 43th year.
As Kevin Lynch asserts in his book What Time Is This Place, “One danger in the preservation of environment lies in its very power to encapsulate some image of the past; an image that may in time prove to be mythical or irrelevant. For preservation is not simply the saving of old things but the maintaining of a response to those things.” My theatre and drive-in portfolio began in black and white as a class assignment in photography school, and thanks to Professor Chuck Swedlund pointing out that I was missing one of the most important features, transitioned to color by the time I was in graduate school. (He was so right.) These single screen cinemas built between 1910 and 1965, hold countless collective memories and stories for those that attended them as a child, teenager, older adult, and now for those fortunate enough to still have a hometown theatre nearby where community members can gather, no matter their ethnic background, skin color, religion or political views. Now with over 1,100 plus theatres in this portfolio from every state and some European countries, the goal remains the same: to preserve and celebrate the beautiful architectural details of illusionary magic that enamors and binds the community to their own distinctive theatres.
A book of this work is due out in early 2026. If you would like to be on the book mailing list, please contact me (bvanwink@icloud.com) with your email, or if you have a memory of attending a theatre that you would be willing to share, I would love to hear from you!
