Motion Picture Herald (May-Jun 1947)

Theatres as Community Clubhouse and Church when and where the theatres of the motion picture are found useful for other things than dramatic entertainment, they illustrate with special conviction how the business of purveying such entertainment has become integrated with modern community life. The war brought impressive opportunities of this kind. What would have been the resources of the Government, without our theatres, for moral and financial support of the war effort throughout the mass of the people? What they can mean in ordinary times, locally, in the social, even the religious, life of a community, is being impressively demonstrated in towns served by Neighborhood Theatres of Richmond, Va. Here's the way Harry Nordin of that organization recently told his co-workers about it in the circuit's house organ: In many instances, civic organizations, in suburban areas of cities or in rural communities, are not large enough or wealthy enough to have quarters of their own for necessary meetings and get-togethers. Hence, they have to look for suitable places in which to carry on their affairs and, in many instances, have found theatre managers throughout the Neighborhood circuit, ready, willing and able to assist them with their problems. Church organizations have also found that their difficulty, in finding a place large enough to hold Sunday morning services and Sunday School meetings, has been eased considerably by the co-operation of our theatre managers in allowing the use of their auditoriums and lobbies for such meetings. A THEATRE BECOMES PARISH CHURCH A fine example of Neighborhood's extracurricular activities is the fact that the Byrd Theatre in Richmond has been the worship place of the Grace Baptist Church congregation for over a year. When the church burned more than a year ago, Mr. [M. G.] Thalhimer [circuit head] and Two examples of how Neighborhood Theatre, Inc., Richmond, Va., offers its theatres for community affairs. Above the choir of Grace Baptist church in Richmond rehearses on the stage of the Byrd theatre. Below are High school pupils in Falls Church, Va., marching td assembly at the State theatre. The school auditorium had become too small for regular assemblies. Bob Coulter approached members of the church and offered the Byrd auditorium until such time as the congregation could find a new home. Services are being held every Sunday morning at 10:30 o'clock. The mighty Wurlitzer organ is at the church's disposal as are all other conveniences in the theatre, especially, air conditioning during the summer. The congregation is most appreciative, to say the least, and this past Christmas, presented Bob Coulter [manager of the Byrd] with a delicious, hard-toget Smithfield ham. From the Westhampton Theatre, Sam Pulliam informs us that the auditorium is used every Sunday morning at 1 1 :00 o'clock by the St. Giles Presbyterian Church for their regular worship service. Occasionally,, the Parent-Teachers Association of Westhampton School uses the parlor for its business meetings. Once a year, just before Christmas, the theatre is used by a circle of the Ladies' Auxiliary of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church and a program of short subjects is furnished for a benefit Kiddie Show. MEETING PLACE OF GARDEN CLUB Gordon Culley, Bellevue, advises that his house is being used the second Wednesday 13