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46 A HISTORY OF THE MOVIES
Although no one can state precisely how many variety theaters were exhibiting motion pictures, or the number of halls and rooms that were offering film shows, when the nickelodeon craze swept the country, the reasonable estimate of the total would be a few hundred. Within a year after the opening of the first fivecent store show, a thousand or more nickelodeons were scattered throughout the country, and within four years there were eight or ten thousand.
With thousands of nickelodeons clamoring for films, exchanges multiplied rapidly, and soon there were a hundred or more wholesalers in about thirty-five cities in the United States. The demand for pictures was so great that distributors would buy almost anything from any producer, domestic or foreign, knowing that their rentals would yield a handsome profit.
Development of the exchange system established a route of communication from audience through exhibitor to distributor and producer, enabling the nickelodeon patrons to make their wishes known to the makers of pictures. If spectators enjoyed a film and applauded it, the nickelodeon owner scurried around and tried to get more like it, and if they grumbled as they left the show he passed on the complaints to the exchange, and the exchange told the manufacturer. In this simple way, and unconsciously, the American public began to take charge of the screen.
In addition to forming the habit of approval or disapproval of picture plays early in nickelodeon days, Americans discarded the Greek and Latin coined words used by inventors and manufacturers in describing their product. All the "kinetos" and "cinemas" and "vitas" and "bios" were set aside. "Living," "life motion," "animated," went too. "Movies," the American public named moving pictures on the screen, and this diminutive remained for many years the name of an entertainment enjoyed by more people than any other recreation in the long history of mankind.
"Movies," — a new world for a nickel.