If there is one thing I took away from Fuller’s chapters 2 and 3 it was diversity.  Chapter 2 dealt with the diversity of audiences from a geographical point of view.  I thought particularly that the discussion of southern audiences was the most interesting primarily because of race issues at that time.  The fact that theaters were unwilling to allow black patrons, and that themes of films were considered too friendly (this latter idea I found very surprising) towards African-Americans seemed to be an important part in the history of cinema but one I have seen addressed very much (much of the racial discussions of cinema had to do more with Blacksploitation cinema later on in the 70’s).  The midwest and west also had interesting geographical characteristics whether it was the farmers in the midwest who had to drive 50 miles to see a film but gaining a sense of community that way, or the film patrons of the west who were seeing romanticized films of life out in the west.

The other way in which Fuller described diversity was the way in which Nickelodeons across America were so varied and different.  Different nickelodeon owners had different kind of attractions, different names, different atmospheres, all in an attempt to compete with other rival theaters and to establish repeat customers.

The reason I think I found this idea of diversity so interesting is because today the range of films for audiences and the style of actual movie theater is pretty homogeneous across the U.S.  Movie going habits are pretty much the same no matter where you go geographically, and with the exception of some special theaters (i.e. a cinema pub where food is served, or maybe an old classic converted theater cinema) large cinema chains make most theaters  very much alike.  From a business point of view it is clear that this shift towards larger theaters buying out the nickelodeons, and widespread similar themed chain cinemas is one that would happen naturally, that said reading about the nickelodeons before this trend gave me a warm fuzzy filming about the history of movie going (is it possible to be nostalgic for an era that you weren’t alive in?).