Hometown Show provides a historical sketch of movie theaters in Eugene and Springfield, Oregon, from 1906-1919. The timespan covers a period that film historians define as the “nickelodeon era,” a time of rapid change and growth in filmmaking and moviegoing in the United States.
Nearly all of the theaters profiled in Hometown Show could have their own detailed histories, with a month-by-month chronicle of each movie and vaudeville act on the program. What Hometown Show may lack in depth, it makes up for in breadth, providing a little information about every theater: years of operation, location, ownership, programming, and promotional strategies. The introduction provides a broader context for the local theaters profiled here to demonstrate how they were part of larger trends in American film history during this period.
Timeline of Theaters
in Eugene and Springfield
Pre-1906
1908
1909
1910
Population: Eugene 9,009; Springfield 3,000