History Main / DoubleFeature

The traditional double feature format began to fade with the UsefulNotes/FallOfTheStudioSystem, which ended the practice of studios owning theater chains and directly booking their films. The rise of television meant more money was poured into larger-scale productions that could stand on their own, with some would-be {{Epic Movie}}s intended to be treated more akin to live theater performances with intermissions, programs, and the like (this was known as a RoadshowTheatricalRelease). Theatrical shorts, both live-action and animated, slowly faded away in the 1960s. While second-run theaters, grindhouses, and drive-ins continued to present double-bills of B-pictures and older films by choice, by the 1970s no respectable A-list film would be treated in such a matter.

* Possibly a second cartoon or a two-reel live-action short (i.e. Film/TheThreeStooges)

Nowadays, for $7 to $15 you typically get one movie, about 20 minutes of advertisements (for anything from local lawyers to recommendations to enlist in the National Guard) and trailers for other films, a {{No Talking or Phones Warning}}, and ads for all of the overpriced stuff that the theater tries to sell you. And occasionally an animated short. The only places left that might offer more than one film for your ticket purchase are [[DriveInTheater Drive-in Theatres]] and specialty cinemas (and this is becoming rarer due to Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox's film library, which resulted in many classic films that were popular for use in such theaters being placed in the Disney vault).

Nowadays, for $7 to $15 you typically get one movie, about 20 minutes of advertisements (for anything from local lawyers to recommendations to enlist in the National Guard) and trailers for other films, and ads for all of the overpriced stuff that the theater tries to sell you. And occasionally an animated short. The only places left that might offer more than one film for your ticket purchase are [[DriveInTheater Drive-in Theatres]] and specialty cinemas (and this is becoming rarer due to Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox's film library, which resulted in many classic films that were popular for use in such theaters being placed in the Disney vault).

The killing blow was the multiplex theater setup taking off at the turn of the 1980s. With multiple screens in a complex, ''every'' movie was now treated as being able to stand on its own. Still, occasionally a major studio might offer up a double feature of films that had completed their original runs. Into the early 1980s, Disney often did this, or alternatively teamed up an old movie with their newest release. (The last time they did this in the United States was in 1997, when for one weekend they offered a ''Disney/{{Hercules}}'' / ''Film/GeorgeOfTheJungle'' double bill.) 20th Century Fox was known to soothe its money woes in the 1970s with marathon runs of the original ''Franchise/PlanetOfTheApes'' films. For Halloween weekend 1986, they offered a double feature of ''Film/{{Aliens}}'' and ''Film/TheFly1986''.

Many years ago, when movies were shown in theatres typically two films were featured at at time. In some cases, they didn't even bother chasing people out when they were over; you could sit in the theatre all day if you wanted. (In places where it was very hot and homes didn't have air conditioning but the theatre did, sometimes that's what a lot of people did!)

Nowadays, for $7 to $15 you typically get one movie, about 20 minutes of advertisements (for anything from local lawyers to recommendations to enlist in the National Guard) and trailers for other films, and ads for all of the overpriced stuff that the theater tries to sell you. And occasionally an animated short. The only places left that might offer more than one film for your ticket purchase are [[DriveInTheater Drive-in Theatres]] and specialty cinemas.

Nowadays, for $7 to $15 you typically get one movie, about 20 minutes of advertisements (for anything from local lawyers to recommendations to enlist in the National Guard) and trailers for other films, and ads for all of the overpriced stuff that the theater tries to sell you. The only places left that might offer more than one film for your ticket purchase are [[DriveInTheater Drive-in Theatres]] and specialty cinemas.

The killing blow was the multiplex theater setup taking off at the turn of the 1980s. With multiple screens in a complex, ''every'' movie was now treated as being able to stand on its own. Still, occasionally a major studio might offer up a double feature of films that had completed their original runs. Into the early 1980s, Disney often did this, or alternatively teamed up an old movie with their newest release. (The last time they did this was in 1997, when for one weekend they offered a ''Disney/{{Hercules}}'' / ''Film/GeorgeOfTheJungle'' double bill.) 20th Century Fox was known to soothe its money woes in the 1970s with marathon runs of the original ''Franchise/PlanetOfTheApes'' films. For Halloween weekend 1986, they offered a double feature of ''Film/{{Aliens}}'' and ''Film/TheFly1986''.

The traditional double feature format began to fade with the UsefulNotes/FallOfTheStudioSystem, which ended the practice of studios owning theater chains and directly booking their films. The rise of television meant more money was poured into larger-scale productions that could stand on their own, with some would-be {{Epic Movie}}s intended to be treated more akin to live theater performances with intermissions, programs, and the like (this was known as "roadshow" distribution). Theatrical shorts, both live-action and animated, slowly faded away in the 1960s. While second-run theaters, grindhouses, and drive-ins continued to present double-bills of B-pictures and older films by choice, by the 1970s no respectable A-list film would be treated in such a matter.

The killing blow was the multiplex theater setup taking off at the turn of the 1980s. With multiple screens in a complex, every movie was now treated as being able to stand on its own. Still, occasionally a major studio might offer up a double feature of films that had completed their original runs. Into the early 1980s, Disney often did this, or alternatively teamed up an old movie with their newest release. (The last time they did this was in 1997, when for one weekend they offered a ''Disney/{{Hercules}}'' / ''Film/GeorgeOfTheJungle'' double bill.) 20th Century Fox was known to soothe its money woes in the 1970s with marathon runs of the original ''Franchise/PlanetOfTheApes'' films. For Halloween weekend 1986, they offered a double feature of ''Film/{{Aliens}}'' and ''Film/TheFly1986''.

The killing blow was the multiplex theater setup taking off at the turn of the 1980s. With multiple screens in a complex, every movie was now treated as being able to stand on its own. Occasionally a major studio might offer up a double feature of films that had completed their original runs. Into the early 1980s, Disney often did this, or alternatively teamed up an old movie with their newest release. (The last time they did this was in 1997, when for one weekend they offered a ''Disney/{{Hercules}}'' / ''Film/GeorgeOfTheJungle'' double bill.) 20th Century Fox was known to soothe its money woes in the 1970s with marathon runs of the original ''Franchise/PlanetOfTheApes'' films.
For Halloween weekend 1986, they offered a double feature of ''Film/{{Aliens}}'' and ''Film/TheFly1986''.

* Ads encouraging you to head to the lobby to buy concessions. Back then nobody ever said popcorn with salt and butter, a hot dog with cheese, nachos with cheese, soda with real sugar, and candy bars the size of a brick were bad for you! The most famous of these is probably the animated "Let's All Go to the Lobby". Usually they didn't advertise specific brands, but in the 1980s, companies like Coca-Cola created special ads for theaters that offered their products.

The traditional double feature format began to fade with the UsefulNotes/FallOfTheStudioSystem, which ended the practice of studios owning theater chains and directly booking their films. The rise of television meant more money was poured into larger-scale productions that could stand on their own, with some would-be {{Epic Movie}}s intended to be treated more akin to live theater performances with intermissions, programs, and the like (this was known as "roadshow" distribution). Theatrical shorts, both live-action and animated, slowly faded away in the 1960s. While second-run theaters, grindhouses, and drive-ins continued to present double-bills of B-pictures and older films by choice, by the 1970s no respectable A-list film would be treated in such a matter.

The killing blow was the multiplex theater setup taking off at the turn of the 1980s. With multiple screens in a complex, every movie was now treated as being able to stand on its own. Occasionally a major studio might offer up a double feature of films that had completed their original runs. Into the early 1980s, Disney often did this, or alternatively teamed up an old movie with their newest release. (The last time they did this was in 1997, when for one weekend they offered a ''Disney/{{Hercules}}'' / ''Film/GeorgeOfTheJungle'' double bill.) 20th Century Fox was known to soothe its money woes in the 1970s with marathon runs of the original ''Franchise/PlanetOfTheApes'' films.

Nowadays, for $7 to $15 you typically get one movie, about 20 minutes of advertisements (for anything from local lawyers to recommendations to enlist in the National Guard) and trailers for other films, and ads for all of the overpriced stuff that the theater tries to sell you. The only places left that might offer more than one film for your ticket purchase are [[DriveInTheater Drive-in Theatres]] and specialty cinemas.

Many years ago, when movies were shown in theatres, typically they showed two films. In some cases, they didn't even bother chasing people out; you could sit in the theatre all day if you wanted. (In places where it was very hot and homes didn't have air conditioning but the theatre did, sometimes that's what a lot of people did.)

Actually, for your money, starting at a nickel or a dime in the 1930s, by the 1960s it was possibly 50c, and as late as the 1970s to early 1980s you might get into a movie for $2 - you got
* really cheesy ads with soda cups and popcorn buckets dancing with candy bars and stand-up hot dogs, telling you "lets go out in the lobby" and buy some of that wonderful artery-clogging food where nobody ever said popcorn with salt and butter, a hot dog with cheese, nachos with cheese, soda with real sugar, and candy bars the size of a brick were bad for you
* trailers for upcoming films, in many cases the trailer was better than the movie
* a {{Newsreel}} (until television became popular),
* a cartoon, typically WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck, WesternAnimation/BugsBunny, something from Creator/{{MGM}}, or WesternAnimation/WoodyWoodpecker. The cartoon was probably from the studio that made one of the movies that you saw
* the first film (usually the BMovie)
* a short intermission so you could go take a pee and hopefully buy something at the refreshment stand (presumably in that order)
* a serial (again, until television became popular)
* possibly a second cartoon or a Film/TheThreeStooges short
* and then a second movie (the A movie).

Inflation kind of killed this off until now, for $7 to $15 you get one movie, and sometimes even a boatload of advertisements for anything from local lawyers to recommendations to enlist in the National Guard. Plus trailers for other films, and ads for all of the stuff that the theatre tries to sell you, which, thanks to people concerned about your health, you're probably not buying as it tastes terrible, and costs about five times as much as any food you could buy outside the theater.

The only places left that offer more than one film for your ticket purchase are [[DriveInTheater Drive-in Theatres]] and specialty cinemas.

Inflation kind of killed this off until now, for $7 to $10 you get one movie, and sometimes even a boatload of advertisements for anything from local lawyers to recommendations to enlist in the National Guard. Plus trailers for other films, and ads for all of the stuff that the theatre tries to sell you, which, thanks to people concerned about your health, you're probably not buying as it tastes terrible, and costs about five times as much as any food you could buy outside the theater.

* the first film

* and then a second movie.

* a cartoon, typically DonaldDuck, WesternAnimation/BugsBunny, something from MGM, or WoodyWoodpecker. The cartoon was probably from the studio that made one of the movies that you saw

The only places left that offer more than one film for your ticket purchase are [[DriveInTheatre Drive-in Theatres]] and specialty cinemas.

Inflation kind of killed this off until now, for $7 to $10 you get one movie, and sometimes even a boatload of advertisements for anything from local lawyers to recommendations to enlist in the National Guard. Plus trailers for other films, and ads for all of the stuff that the theatre tries to sell you, which, thanks to people concerned about your health, you're probably not buying it as it tastes terrible, because all the stuff that tasted so good and is so bad for you has been removed.

* a cartoon, typically DonaldDuck, BugsBunny, something from MGM, or WoodyWoodpecker. The cartoon was probably from the studio that made one of the movies that you saw

* a newsreel (until television became popular),

* a cartoon, typically Bugs Bunny, something from MGM, or Woody Woodpecker. The cartoon was probably from the studio that made one of the movies that you saw

The only places left that offer more than one film for your ticket purchase are [[DriveInTheatre Drive-in Theatres]].

* possibly a second cartoon or a ThreeStooges short

The only places left that offer more than one film for your ticket purchase are [[DriveInTheatre Drive-in Theatres]].

The only places left that offer more than one film for your ticket purchase are {{DriveInTheatre}}s.

The only places left that offer more than one film for your ticket purchase are DriveInTheatres.

Actually, for your money - possibly 50c, and as late as the 1970s to early 1980s you might get into a movie for $2 - you got
* really cheesy ads telling you "lets go out in the lobby" and buy some of that wonderful artery-clogging food where nobody ever said popcorn with salt and butter, a hot dog with cheese, nachos with cheese and candy bars the size of a brick were bad for you

* possibly a second cartoon or a Three Stooges short