Let it roll!

Even in the bygone days when audiences truly had faith in the mysteries of the silver screen, movie-goers couldn’t always be relied on to respond to a film’s opening, “Hey you!” flourish. Even the 20th Century Fox fanfare or the roar of the MGM lion wouldn’t necessarily make them sit bolt upright. Indeed, it was once common practice – as recently as the Fifties – for screenings to begin while punters were still settling into their seats or opening their popcorn (hence the term “popcorn time”). The curtains would remain closed while a film’s opening titles were projected, only opening for the first scene. The titles – more or less fancy lettering on a plain or decorative background – were prey to the whims of the projectionist, and as often as not remained unreadable.