Movies have a long history at the Edmond Town Hall in Newtown. In fact, the first movies, sponsored by the Men’s Literacy and Social Club of Newtown on December 6, 1897, were made possible by the recent invention of Thomas Edison’s Vitoscope and Phonograph.
J. Stewart Blackton and Albert Smith staged the production of ‘moving pictures’ for the Men’s Club. The two fledgling movie producers had purchased the projector and films from Edison shortly after he had introduced the vitoscope in 1896; however, Smith wasn’t satisfied with just showing movies, he wanted to make them. So, he invented a device that could record a variety of events including local parades and fairs. By all accounts, the evening was a resounding success. It was, after all, the first time most Newtown residents had the opportunity to experience this new medium. It wasn’t too long after this that Blackton and Smith would be recognized as having one of the most successful motion picture companies in the world – one that would eventually merge with Warner Brothers Pictures.
It took two years before another movie came to the Old Town Hall. It was presented by Lyman Howe, who had rented the Town Hall for the evening to ‘show a series of 22 short films’ – mostly newsreels and travel pieces which he narrated. Unfortunately a snowstorm hit Newtown that day in February, 1899, yet 75 people braved the weather – and paid the high admission price of 75 cents. The price was rather steep for most Newtowners (the average daily wage was $1.80); but ‘moving pictures’ were still rather new, and Howe considered the venture a success.
Movies at the Edmond Town Hall became a somewhat regular happening beginning in 1914. W.E. Collins enlisted the services of a New York movie distributor who provided him with newer movie releases for the movie season, running from April to October.
Thursday became movie night in Newtown; but because of their overwhelming success, Saturday evenings were added a short time later, followed by the addition of a Saturday matinee and a Wednesday evening show. There were usually four films featured at each showing, two dramas and two comedies, running a total of 90 minutes. The following year, Mr. Collins added the Selig News Pictorial newsreels, depicting events that were current in the headlines.
The early films shown at the old Town Hall featured the legends of the silent era including Charlie Chaplin, the Keystone Cops, Mable Normand and Fattie Arbuckle. These silent films at Edmond Town Hall were always accompanied by a piano – whose player tried to add drama or an air of lightheartedness to what was appearing on the screen.
Movies were no longer a special event and the price of admission reflected this fact. Every performance on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday evening was 15 cents for adults and 10 cents for children. Saturday matinees cost 10 cents for adults and 5 cents for children.
The success of the movies at the Town Hall inspired local businessman C.S. Blackman to build a movie theater of his own on Church Hill Road (across from St. Rose Church) in 1923. He hired an experienced house manager from Bridgeport who had the contacts necessary to bring the newest films to Newtown. He opened for business in July and promptly forced the movie theater at Edmond Town Hall to close their doors.
But turn-about is fair play – even for the Newtown movie business. For the next seven years, Blackman’s movie theater reaped the admissions of moviegoers by continuing to screen the latest silent films. During this time ‘talking pictures’ had been introduced to the world’s audiences with the production of ‘The Jazz Singer in 1927; and in 1929, the old Town Hall was torn down to make room for the Town Hall that stands on Main Street today.
Small theaters such as Blackman’s, seating only 70, found the cost prohibitive to convert from silent movies to those with sound. The new Edmond Town Hall movie theater, seating 600, reopened their doors on August 22, 1930 with two screenings (at 4pm and 8pm) of the first talking movie in Newtown – forcing the Blackman Movie House not to reopen.
The tradition of movies at the Edmond Town Hall continues today, showing ‘nearly’ new movies at affordable prices. The patrons come from all corners of the community to fill the house, and it’s a sure bet (considering its recent renovation) that movies at the Edmond will continue for another century – at the very least.
Source: A Mosaic of Newtown History by Daniel Cruson