Agribusiness Saves Hollywood

Long before the great agronomist Orville Redenbacher made great advances in the science of popcorn hybridization and helped establish the popcorn market as a major agribusiness, popcorn helped save the Hollywood film industry.

In the1920’s during the silent film era, street vendors sold popcorn outside theaters to people headed to the movies. At first, the theater owners were opposed to eating in their movie houses because of all the discarded trash and spilled food.

In the late 1920’s and 1930’s, the Great Depression forced theater owners to try anything to compete for customers. Money was very tight and, since most of the revenues from the price of admission had to be paid to the movie makers and distributors, theater owners who had fewer patrons because of the depression were squeezed to make a profit for themselves.

The theater owners picked up the idea of selling food in their lobbies from the street vendors and not allowing patrons to bring in food from outside the theater. Popcorn, of course, was one of the biggest sellers. The profit from popcorn is said to have saved many theaters from closing due to the Depression.

Thus began one of the most profitable activities for theater owners, which continues to this day. The sale of food is one of the biggest profit makers for theaters, and popcorn accounts for 35% of all sales at the refreshment stand. There is good reason why there is always an advertisement before the movie to encourage you to go to the refreshment stand – and it all started with the lowly popcorn kernel. Student Study Questions

1. What is an agronomist?

2. What does “to hybridize,” mean?

3. How did Orville Redenbacher have such a big influence on the popcorn industry?

4. How did the Great Depression almost put theaters out of business?

5. How important is popcorn sales to the modern theatre industry?