Children

In these two separate advertisements located next to each other in The Plaindealer’s July 6, 1905 paper, The Roseburg Theater boasts two shows on the same days: Friday and Saturday, July 7 and 8.

Underage Workers in Early Exhibition

Edwin F. James was a highly regarded businessman who moved from Seattle, Washington to Portland, Oregon to open the Majestic Theater on June 11, 1911. The theater sat 1,100 people and was the first palace in Portland to show silent feature films and was later the first to add live organ music to silent films viewings.

It seems that quite a bit of Portland theaters during the early 20th century would organize charity programs or host public leisure events to become friendly with the community, and further research proves that a similar kind of behavior exists among the popular theater chains of today.