Car Strike in Chicago Kills 60 Per Cent of Film Trade
Lowest Grosses Ever Known in Loop Houses—No Line on New Pictures—Neighborhoods Helped Considerably
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Source: Variety, 11 August 1922, pg. 36.
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The street car strike struck the "loop" movie houses with a resounding slap. The strike was called for Tuesday morning, but most of the "loop" people hastened home Monday night, not knowing exactly at what hour the strike would become effective. That started the week off with hopes thrown to the winds.
The Chicago, the largest local theatre, is exemplary of just how business charted up for the week. Monday established a new low figure. Tuesday the pressure grew stronger with about a 25 per cent drop. Wednesday and the rest of the week, including Saturday and Sunday, the percentage grew higher and higher, topping as close as 60 per cent drop. It became so acute Balaban & Katz used double columns in the dailies to stop the leak. The ads suggested remaining in the "loop" until after supper hour, visiting a picture show. To what degree the ads pulled is problematical.
What was true of the Chicago is true of the other "loop" houses. Business in the neighborhood houses took a spurt and as patronage in the "loop" decreased the neighborhood houses picked up to near capacity.
This is the first real break the neighborhood houses have had during this ruinous summer. It came at a critical time. The effect this temporary condition might have is that of acquainting the neighborhoods more as to the class and value of the pictures run in those theatres, and in this way build up the business in neighborhoods. How long it will take the "loop" theatres to recuperate from the unexpected condition is open to question. It is likely though that this week will be way above normal.
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[End of news article]
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Page compiled: 18 February 2000
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