A little bit of Dryden history found in the box office

It is interesting to note that in 1951, when the Dryden Theatre first opened, movie theaters were undergoing the heavy threat of television stealing away their audiences (Ironically, today theaters continue this competition with streaming services). 

Despite these fears today and then, the Dryden has continued to be a haven for film lovers, and I believe one of the many reasons is its focus on education from the very beginning.

The Dryden Theatre’s first feature film screening was Wednesday, March 14, 1951. This was what began the first film series, Series A titled ‘The Transition from Silence to Sound 1925-1933’ . The series was sold as a subscription program called the Dryden Film Society. Series membership included 8 films, and was sold for $2 (including .33 tax) per person. Films were screened every Wednesday evening at 8 p.m.
Dryden Theatre Series A Film Program, 1951
Dryden Theatre Lecture Series, 1951
In addition to the weekly Wednesday films, a motion picture lecture series was presented on Saturday and Sundays afternoons at 2:00 & 3:30 p.m. Admission was a mere $0.25 (including $0.04 tax) in March and April 1951, and by May it was free. The first lecture series was titled ‘The Silent Film as the Basis of the Art of Motion Pictures 1880-1948’.

The opening to the first lecture on Saturday March 10, 1951 included a speech that I found in the file cabinet tucked away in the Dryden Box Office. Its author is most likely to be James Card, the first film curator of the museum. In this speech, one of the first comments is, “…the motion picture industry now stands with its very existence hanging in the balance.” He laments about the Eastman Theatre’s original purpose, to show the best of motion pictures in the most grand of venues, George Eastman’s original plan. The author is quick to document the importance of Eastman’s dream and now 30 years later:

“The Dryden is built as a memorial to the man who dreamed of great accomplishments for the motion picture…” 

Sheri Smith, Dryden Theatre Manager

Dryden Theatre closed
Through June 3

Due to construction work being done on the new visitor center, the Dryden Theatre will be closed. For more information on our ongoing restoration and construction, visit our website.

Dryden Theatre | (585) 327-4800 | eastman.org/dryden-theatre