Why Is Popcorn Associated With Movies? It’s More ‘Depressing’ Than You Think

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As someone who grew up in the golden age of movie-going, I can attest to the fact that popcorn and movies have always been an unbeatable duo. However, little did I know that this seemingly innocent pairing has a darker past, one that revolves around cunning marketing strategies and a dash of capitalism.

When visiting the cinema to watch the newest blockbuster and find ourselves getting hungry, there’s usually one popular treat that catches everyone’s attention. Popcorn and movies are as synonymous as cake with birthdays, and with creative marketing strategies for popcorn like the unique “Dune 2” bucket and the questionably appealing “Deadpool and Wolverine” bucket before the film’s release, popcorn has become an increasingly popular cinema treat. Nevertheless, the beloved snack’s journey to win over moviegoers has been surprisingly troubling, and quite figuratively sad.

During the Great Depression, popcorn found its niche in movie theaters, as its characteristics turned out to be ideal for both the era’s cinemas and audiences. In fact, this snack has maintained unrivaled popularity ever since. Let’s delve deeper into how popcorn came to be so strongly linked with movies.

Popcorn became a movie theater concession staple thanks to the Great Depression

The Great Depression era, spanning from 1929-1939, was a time marked by frequent stock market crashes, widespread poverty, and an increase in gangster activities. However, people managed to find enjoyment within their means, and surprisingly spent more on affordable luxuries like popcorn. This affordable indulgence, easy and cheap to produce, gained significant popularity in the U.S. during the late 19th century due to mobile vendors. During the Great Depression, sales of popcorn even increased as movie theaters, another relatively inexpensive luxury, partnered with vendors, eventually leading to the widespread use of popcorn machines.

What transpired subsequently was a scenario in the cinema industry reminiscent of natural selection. Cinemas with functioning popcorn machines flourished, while those cautious about the mess or reluctant to sell the popular snack struggled and eventually closed down. In essence, the moviegoing audience decided on the compatibility of popcorn and movies, and the consensus remains unchanged: an emphatic yes.

An Infamous popcorn commercial buttered up movie audiences even more

Combining popcorn with the cinema experience was a groundbreaking move, and this concept was emphasized through aggressive advertising. In contrast to today’s movies that start with a flurry of trailers, old-fashioned theaters would use these opportunities to show “snipe” ads displaying their snack offerings. One of the most memorable of these commercials is the 1957 clip “Let’s All Go to the Lobby,” produced by Filmack Studios. This enticing advertisement, featuring animated snacks singing a catchy tune and inviting audiences to indulge in the lobby’s treats, has popcorn as its star attraction. So iconic is this clip that it has been included in the United States National Film Registry since 2000.

The quickly made, cheap intermission snipe has been attributed to to famous animator Dave Fleischer (“Popeye,” “Betty Boop”) but was probably the work of some unknown hired hand. Its catchy song is a version of the classic “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow,” with lyrics that were somewhat cynically crafted to send the viewers to buy popcorn and candy in large groups. “I said, ‘We need something for getting the people out to the lobby,'” composer Jack Tillar described the creative process (via the Library of Congress). “And my first thought was, everybody loves to be part of a gang, so, let’s all seemed appropriate. People don’t like to be the first one, they don’t like to get up on stage. But if everybody else is having a good time, going back to the stage, or going back to the lobby. It was just natural.”

Beyond popcorn: Why movie theaters started selling candy

In essence, just like the “Let’s All Go to the Lobby” video and every movie theater concession stand you’ve ever visited emphasizes, popcorn is not the sole traditional aspect of the cinema experience. Initially, early movie theaters were quite basic, allowing viewers to either bring their own snacks or purchase them from roaming vendors, similar to a baseball game setting. However, as we approached the Great Depression, these establishments transformed into more lavish venues, and the owners disapproved of patrons spoiling their expensive interiors with grease and chocolate stains from their snacks.

Eventually, candies found their way into cinemas around the same time popcorn gained popularity as a cinema-related snack. Given their compatibility with dispenser machines, it wasn’t long before they were also sold at concession stands once theaters recognized their potential for revenue. At first, the variety of candy options was quite limited, but the rise in popularity of popcorn paved the way for candies to become a fixture in movies. The arrival of iconic candies such as Milk Duds confirmed that movie candies were here to stay, and since then, the selection has continued to grow and change.

Full-circle snacking: Now you can order movie theater food… at home?

In 2022 and early 2023, it was Tom Cruise’s film “Top Gun: Maverick” that people were expressing gratitude towards for revitalizing the theater industry. This was due to the fact that many industries relying on communal experiences, including movie theaters, had been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, “Top Gun: Maverick” managed to change this trend.

Of course, the industry wasn’t just sitting on its hands and waiting for Cruise to save it. One of the many pre-“Maverick” things the theaters tried to stay afloat was cinema food delivery — something some theater chains had already experimented with before the pandemic hit. Banking on theater snacks tasting good enough to enjoy them in the comfort of your home while watching Netflix instead of relying on store-bought stuff, theaters started offering home delivery versions of movie popcorn and other concession stand delicacies. Several cinema chains continue to offer this via Uber Eats or other means of delivery.

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2024-10-05 14:59