The Lincoln Theatre Through The Decades: July 1st, 1929
- Katelin Sue Aanerud
- Jul 23, 2024
- 2 min read
Before the opening of The Lincoln Theatre in the small town of Marion, Virginia, locals had to travel far to experience a brand new form of entertainment: talkies.
Motion pictures that featured sound date back to the 1890s, when Thomas Edison experimented with filming a scene while also recording the sound onto a wax cylinder. This never caught on and it took until 1927 for sound film to become successful. Yet, it remains an important part of film history. It shows how people always wanted to make movies bigger, better, and more realistic.
The Lincoln Theatre opened on July 1st, 1929. The place was at max capacity, holding nearly 800 people. At the time segregation was strong so when the standard theatre seating got full, many white locals poured into the balcony; this area was the "colored" section up until the late 1950s. Everybody wanted to experience sound film.
Opening night was a huge success. The night began with a screening of the short film Melancholy Dame (Arvid E. Gillstrom, 1929). This two-reel talkie was released by Paramount Pictures and featured a predominately black cast. This is one of the earliest surviving examples of a "race film." These were movies starring black actors that were targeted at black audiences. That being said, there are still many controversial aspects of "race films," and The Lincoln Theatre even went as far as promoting the film as "all talking, singing, dancing, laughing, blackface."
Following those two-reels was a screening of Close Harmony (John Cromwell & A. Edward Sutherland, 1929). This musical comedy was also released by Paramount Pictures but unlike Melancholy Dame it is mostly lost. Online you can find the first and last reels equaling to about 20 minutes of footage. No efforts have been made to locate any other surviving copies. Many early talkies have suffered this same fate and a good portion of films released before the 1940s have been lost to time.
The same two films would be screened again on July 2nd, and The Lincoln Theatre would solidify itself into the community. We began as a hub for art in Southwest Virginia and still hold those same values today.
To learn more about the history of film, join us at our Film Freaks program on the first Friday of every month.
It’s interesting to look back at historical moments like this and see how much a community can change over time. Articles that document local history help preserve details that might otherwise be forgotten and give readers a better sense of what life was like in an earlier period.
I enjoy reading these kinds of historical stories because they provide a perspective that isn’t always found in modern accounts. https://frlegendmodapk.com/
This thoughtful piece shows how creativity and education can empower young people to find their voices. The discussion around 192.168.1.104 also adds an interesting technical angle to the importance of connection, communication, and meaningful engagement.
È sempre interessante leggere articoli che raccontano momenti storici come questo. Pensando a quanto sia cambiato il mondo del lavoro nel tempo, oggi abbiamo anche strumenti che aiutano a comprendere meglio la propria retribuzione. Per chi vuole stimare il proprio calcolo stipendio netto, esistono calcolatori online che permettono di ottenere una stima partendo dalla RAL e considerando imposte e contributi. Possono essere utili per capire meglio la propria busta paga e pianificare le proprie finanze.
What a fascinating glimpse into local history! It's amazing how the opening of a theater and the arrival of talking films created such excitement and brought the community together. Preserving stories like these helps future generations appreciate the cultural milestones that shaped their hometowns. On a different note, anyone looking to personalize their online profiles with stylish Unicode text and symbols should check out caratterspeciali.it for a wide variety of creative characters and text styles.
What a fascinating look back at an important moment in local history. It's amazing to think about how the arrival of talking films transformed the movie-going experience and brought the community together in such a memorable way. Articles like this help preserve stories that might otherwise be forgotten and give readers a deeper appreciation for cultural history. In a completely different sporting world, many grapplers enjoy training no gi bjj because it emphasizes speed, technique, and adaptability without the traditional kimono. Thanks for sharing this great historical feature.