Yaeger's game : how Bank Night helped movie exhibitors following the Great Depression.

Abstract

"In the immediate years following the 1929 stock market crash, thousands of movie theaters across the United States closed their doors due to lack of business. Understandably, most Americans struggled to maintain whatever was left of their meager family budgets and entertainment expenses were the easiest thing to eliminate. Still, the cinemas that remained open tried to attract patrons with door prizes and other giveaways. These promotions increased attendance for a few weeks, but they were not enough to insure a constant stream of business. In 1933, a theater operator named Charles Yaeger tried a different tactic at his location, one that involved a cash prize instead of any cheap trinket. Yaeger called his game "Bank Night," and it was such a huge success that he marketed it to theaters across America. By 1936, nearly sixty percent of all movie theaters subscribed to "Bank Night." It was a simple game that helped save the exhibition industry during a turbulent decade."--Abstract."