1. The `Enlighteneď city part 1
Research design / theoretical frame / global set up
2. The `Enlighteneď city part 2
Case studies and oral histories
3. Film audiences reconsidered
Experiences from contemporary audience research: LOTR /
art house / young people in Flanders
Philippe Meers
Visual Culture Research Group
University of Antwerp
Mazaryk University, Brno, 15 December 2008
Case study: Antwerp
Movie Theaters in Antwerp
Collection Paul Corluy
local cinema history
research in practice
* descriptive analysis based on databases:
* Texts
* Figures
* Graphics
* Tables
Diachronical
map of
cinemas in
Antwerp
Number of cinemas and screens in
Antwerp
30
40
50
60
AANTAL BIOSCOPEN
AANTAL SCHERMEN
0
10
20
1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
Number of cinemas in Antwerp per
neighbourhood
Verdeling bioscopen Antwerpen per wijkVerdeling bioscopen Antwerpen per wijk
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2006
WIJK AMANDUS /
ATHENEUM
WIJK BREDERODE
WIJK DIAMANT /
STADSPARK
WIJK HARINRODE /
ZURENBORG
WIJK KIEL
0 10 20 30 40 50
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
WIJK LINKEROEVER
WIJK SCHOONBROEK /
LUCHTBAL
WIJK SINT-ANDRIES /
BOURLA
WIJK STADHUIS / SINTJACOB
/ HESSENHUIS
Cinemas of the Rex concern
* Antwerp cinema tycoon Heyleň Antwerp cinema tycoon Heylen
* Heylen cinemas through 3 decades
­ 1952: 50 cinemas Antwerp - 14 Rex
­ 3 central 7 peripheral 4 Borgerhout3 central, 7 peripheral, 4 Borgerhout
­ 1962: 43 cinemas Antwerp ­ 18 Rex
­ 16 central, 2 peripheral, 0 Borgerhout
­ 1972: 26 cinemas Antwerp ­ 13 Rex
­ 10 central, 2 peripheral, 1 Borgerhout
Cinemas of the Rex concern
* Decline of cinemas in general growthDecline of cinemas in general, growth
of the Rex imperium
* Monopoly Heylen in city center!
* 1970s conflict with American major
distributorsdistributors
* "multiplex on De Keyserlei"
programming of the Rex concern
Genre and first / second runGenre and first / second run
­ Astrid: German films
­ Odeon: French films
­ Rex: premire cinema, Western European films
­ Astra: short running time (one week)
­ Rubens: American films
­ growth of erotic film in 1972 (10 %)
Antwerp 1952
Antwerp 1952
Longest screen time per cinema and genre: comedy
Odeon!:
dra.+com.
Rex:
com.
Astrid:
com.
Rubens:
com.+hist.
Astra:
mus.+com.+dra.
Festa:
com.+dra.
Antwerp 1952
Longest screen time per cinema and genre: drama
Odeon!:
dra.+com.
Astra:
mus.+com.+dra.
Festa:
com.+dra.
Luxor: dra.+mus.+west.
Century: dra.
Majestic: dra.
Antwerp 1952
Longest screen time per cinema and genre: musical
Astra:
mus.+com.+dra.
Dixi: mus.+west.
Luxor: dra.+mus.+west.
National: mus.
Americain: west.+mus.
Roma: mus.
Antwerp 1952
Longest screen time per cinema and genre: western
Dixi: mus.+west.
Luxor: dra.+mus.+west.
Victory: west.
Americain: west.+mus.
Antwerp 1952
Longest screen time per cinema and genre: historical film
Rubens:
com.+hist.
programming of the Rex concern
* Origin of filmš Origin of films
substantial decline in US movies over the three
decades
­ 1952: more then  films from US; 2. France and
Germany (both ca. 5%), 4. UK 3,6%; 5. Italy 1,8%
­ 1962: less than 1/3 films from US; 2 France 12% 31962: less than 1/3 films from US; 2. France 12%, 3.
Germany 11%, 4. UK 9%; 5. Italy 3,4%;
­ 1972: 1/5 films from US; 2. Italy, 3. UK, 4. France; 5.
Germany
Antwerp 1952
Antwerp 1952
Cinemas with > 90% films from USA
Dixi: 92.3%
Americain: 92.3%
Antwerp 1952
Cinemas with > 90% films from USA
>75% films from USA
Dixi: 92.3%
National: 88.5%
Astra: 86.3%
Century: 86.5%
Festa: 80.4%
Roma: 84.6%
Rubens: 80.0%
Victory: 88.5%
Americain: 92.3%
Rex: 78.8%
Antwerp 1952
Cinemas with > 90% films from USA
>75% films from USA
Dixi: 92.3%
National: 88.5%
Odeon: 28.8% French films
Astra: 86.3%
Century: 86.5%
Festa: 80.4%
Roma: 84.6%
Rubens: 80.0%
Victory: 88.5%
Americain: 92.3%
Rex: 78.8%
Antwerp 1952
Cinemas with > 90% films from USA
>75% films from USA
Dixi: 92.3%
National: 88.5%
Odeon: 28.8% French Astrid: 25.0% German Majestic: 24.4% German
Astra: 86.3%
Century: 86.5%
Festa: 80.4%
Roma: 84.6%
Rubens: 80.0%
Victory: 88.5%
Americain: 92.3%
Rex: 78.8%
Antwerp 1952
Cinemas with > 90% films from USA
>75% films from USA
Dixi: 92.3%
National: 88.5%
Odeon: 28.8% French Astrid: 25.0% German Majestic: 24.4% German
Astra: 86.3%
Century: 86.5%
Festa: 80.4%
Roma: 84.6%
Rubens: 80.0%
Victory: 88.5%
Americain: 92.3%
Rex: 78.8%
programming of the Rex concern
* Longest running films of 1952
Le petit monde de Don Camillo (1952)
8
10
12
14
16
subsequentweeks
0
2
4
6
10-Oct-52 24-Apr-53 1-May-53 1-May-53 8-May-53 20-Nov-53
Odeon Kinox Roma Kemo Dixi Vendôme
Numberofs
programming of the Rex concern
* Longest running films of 1952g g
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
10
12
14
16
equentweeks
0
2
4
6
8
7-Mar-52 9-May-52 23-May-52 12-Sep-52
Odeon Astra Century Dixi
Numberofsubse
Antwerp 1952
Le petit monde de Don Camillo (1952)
Odeon
Le petit monde de Don Camillo (1952)
Odeon
Kinox
(1953)
Le petit monde de Don Camillo (1952)
Odeon
Kinox
(1953)
Roma Kemo
(1953)
Le petit monde de Don Camillo (1952)
Odeon
Kinox
(1953)
Roma Kemo
(1953)
Dixi
Le petit monde de Don Camillo (1952)
Odeon
Kinox
(1953)
Roma Kemo
(1953)
Dixi
Vendôme
(1953)
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
Odeon
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
Odeon
Astra
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
Odeon
Astra
Century
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
Odeon
Astra
Century
Dixi
programming of the Rex concern
* Longest running films of 1962g g
El Cid (1961)
8
10
12
14
16
bsequentweeks
0
2
4
6
9-Feb-62 20-Apr-62 21-Sep-62
Rubens Regina Astra
Numberofsu
programming of the Rex concern
* Longest running films of 1962g g
West Side Story (1961)
10
12
14
16
quentweeks
0
2
4
6
8
17-Aug-62 2-Nov-62
Rubens Savoy
Numberofsubse
Antwerp 1962
Antwerp 1962
El Cid (1961)
Rubens
El Cid (1961)
Rubens
Regina
El Cid (1961)
Rubens
Regina
Astra
West Side Story (1961)
Rubens
West Side Story (1961)
Rubens
Savoy
programming of the Rex concern
* Longest running films of 1972g g
Les Bidasses en Folie (1971)
10
12
14
16
uentweeks
0
2
4
6
8
3-Mar-72 17-Mar-72 12-May-72
Metro Rex Vendôme
Numberofsubseq
programming of the Rex concern
* Longest running films of 1972g g
Louisa, een woord van liefde (1972)
10
12
14
16
berofweeks
0
2
4
6
8
Savoy
Subsequentnumb
Antwerp 1972
Antwerp 1972
Les Bidasses en folie (1971)
Metro
Les Bidasses en folie (1971)
Metro
Rex
Les Bidasses en folie (1971)
Metro
Rex
Vendôme
Louisa, een woord van liefde (1972)
Savoy
Oral history 1.
General results on film / cinema
going culture in metropolitan and
rural areas
CITIES VILLAGES
173 interviews216 interviews
in 21 villages
80 
93 
216 interviews
Antwerp: 155
Ghent: 61
71  84 
34  27 
CHOOSING A MOVIE THEATRE
CHOOSING A MOVIE
CHOOSING CINEMA
The waiting in line was also very pleasant.
We laughed a lot. No matter who was
standing there, we bonded andstanding there, we bonded and
fraternized. Jokes went back and forth.
That was a pleasant spirit. The
mentality then was very different. Now
people live like individuals, but back
then, people loved each other more.
(Charles, 1921)
We didn't go to the smaller
cinemas. They were always
packed and in our eyes apacked and in our eyes a
lesser kind of cinema.
Because they would be
belching, making noises,
eating and smoking, and that
wasn't for us. That was just too
foul, it was the rabble making a
party where one should just go
isee a movie.
(Agnella, 1942)
Eldorado was German, Savoy was mainly French and a bit spicy, Rex were
quickies before catching a train, many thrillers, and Select was exclusively
English. For the great American productions you went to Capitole and Majestic.
They'd tell you to "Come back next week" when some cowboy fell in a hole, or Rin
Tin Tin was stuck somewhere or Tarzan would linger in some tree. It was
always a party!
(Gilbert, 1936)
CHOOSING A MOVIE THEATRE
CHOOSING A MOVIE
CHOOSING CINEMA
And the next day we would fight out `Quo Vadis' on the streets! Romans against
Romans, and we would make wooden swords. And you should know how
many times Winnetou passed down our street, cowboys and Indians, oh
yes! And all that from watching the movies.
(Hendrik, 1941)
After the war I had to see `Gone with the wind,' but I was only fifteen. So I put
on my mothers shoes, her coat and her head. Luckily I was pretty tall, so
they let me in!
(Jenny, 1930)
You know, I went to a catholic school,
and we'd have these priests. And
th 'd t ll th t ithey'd tell you that movies were
the `source of all evil!' But others
would claim that blouses without
sleeves were the source of all evil.
So we'd figure it was a bit
variable.
(Sabine, 1946)
Stars played a huge part! I might have been wrong, but from the moment I saw the
name of my favourite actor, we'd all go. You see, you'd feel it; it had to be a
good movie, because otherwise he wouldn't be in it!
(Hubert, 1938)
CHOOSING A MOVIE THEATRE
CHOOSING A MOVIE
CHOOSING CINEMA
It was daily routine. You went to the
movies? So you went to the movies.
Whether it was a Sunday, during the week
or on a holiday, it was all the same.
(Roger, 1946)
That was a little cinema where they
played more like sensation movies. You
heard more of what was yelled and done
at the back row and the balcony. From
time to time, women's underwear came
floating down. That was the cinema. You
didn't need to go there for the movie.
There were other things doing around
there. Famous and notorious. It was
grabbing and groping. Yes, if you wanted
to do something with your woman, you
went to `Het Peterke' and you were
never disturbed, because your
neighbour was doing the exact same
thing If you talk to people my agething. ... If you talk to people my age
from my neighbourhood, and you start
talking about `Het Peterke', you'll see
mischief glittering in their eyes.
(Arthur, 1932)
That was a completely different world. I
lived in a world where I did not have
much. Being poor and then seeing that
other world was a little bit of comfort.
That you were able to experience that
on that screen in that other world. That
provided a little bit of comfort and you
wanted to have the same at home, but...
you know. That was another world that
you really needed in a situation like that.
(Irne, 1945)
Oral history 2.
Commercial versusCommercial versus
ideological imperatives:
pillarisation and exhibition industry
The Catholic church and the movies in
Flanders
* The phenomenon of `pillarisation' in societyˇ The phenomenon of pillarisation in society
* Catholic involvement in movies: broad and integrated
structure with actions on different areas of film culture
­ Exhibition
­ Distribution
D t ti d­ Documentation and press
­ Censorship board
­ But NOT production
* Contrasting these results with a `bottom up'-perspective
ˇ Armand: My first visits to the cinema were
to a Catholic theatre. So my parents had
nothing against that. But sometimes we
went to another cinema, and whenever
we came home from such a cinema, our
parents would check with us what we
saw, who we encountered there and stuff
like that. Because of the strict, Catholic
education back theneducation back then.
* ...
* Our (Catholic) school was really negative
about movies. But they screened their
own movies. They selected them and
before they showed them to us the
movies were heavily censored.
* ...
* Int: So you could say that in your
experience there was a link between yourp y
Catholic background and your moviegoing
history?
* Armand: Not at all! I was receptive to all
movies and chose completely free. When
it came to cinema, I only took into account
my own preferences.
Catholics and the exhibition scene:
An alternative network of Catholic cinemas
I sometimes went to Catholic
cinemas. But the seats there were
really uncomfortable, that was not a
real cinema. But Rex or Metro, that
were cinemas Really luxurious andwere cinemas. Really luxurious and
with the best movies (Emma, 1923,
Antwerpen)
The movies? That were films that
were really old and totally worn-out.
The remains, really. The ones they
could get for a cheap price, because
they couldn't afford expensive
movies. They played one or two box
office hits from a few years beforeoffice hits from a few years before,
but all the rest ... well, that was only
what they could get (Jan, 1941,
Mechelen).
The Catholic cinema? Yes, we
went there. But that was really a
family cinema. We didn't go
there everyday. If we went there,
it ifi ll h B tit was specifically chosen. But
you can't say that it was a real
cinema. A real cinema is a
cinema where the exhibitor
needs to make a living out of it,
where he needs to make sure
that there is a good movie that
can attract the audience. But
there (the catholic cinema)
wasn't it like that at all (Mariawasn t it like that at all (Maria,
1927, Mechelen)
Catholics and the movies
Censorship and the classification system
Int: If a film was considered a forbidden movie, would go and see it?
Roger (1930, Antwerp): No, never. That was against the spirit of the age. It was
like the book Boerenpsalm from Felix Timmermans. We weren't allowed to read
that either, because he stood on the forbidden index. If I had read that book then, I
would have committed a sin.
Those were just the standards then. You didn't do such things. The mentality was
different back then. Everything that didn't keep you on the rails was dangerous
and could lead you astray. Everybody knew that beforehand (Olivia, 1928,
Antwerp).
Off co rse e ent to Ch rch We had to the controlled that And the Jes itsOff course we went to Church. We had to, they controlled that. And the Jesuits
there told us what we would see and what not. And our parents would never let us
see a movie if the priests had told us not to see it. And when we pressed real
hard, they said: `We'll see what the Catholic Film League thinks of this movie.'
(André, 1924, Berchem)
Sure you had to be good.
But these quotations in
the newspapers were
excellent to see were kids
weren't allowed, so you'd, y
know thaťs those were
the ones you'd definitely
had to see! (Armand,
1933, Ghent)
I remember going to see a forbidden movie. They said it was daring, so I
wanted to check it out for myself. So I went. I'll never forget. The entire
movie I was thinking: when is something going to happen? But nothing
happened (Liliane, 1930, Antwerp).
You know, I went to a catholic school, and we'd have these priests. And
they'd tell you that movies were the `source of all evil!' But others would
claim that blouses without sleeves were the source of all evil. So we'd
figure it was a bit variable (Sabine, 1946, Ghent).
Catholics and cinema:
Urban versus rural experience
Our local priest was absolutely against our cinema.
But he regularly visited my aunt (who owned the local
movie theatre) to drink coffee. But whenever he was
on the pulpit during mass, he was always preaching
against the cinema (Mark, 1934, Liedekerke).
If our local priest heard that
children had gone to the
movie theatre in Merelbeke,
he immediately told the
parents. He had a lot of
contempt for people who
went to the cinema. Those
people were beneath him.
He talked about that in
schools. Many people, like
the priest, thought that
people who went to the
cinema weren't goodcinema weren't good
Catholics. He was really
opposed to the cinema
(Jean, 1932, Ghent).
Case study 3.
Combining exhibition and programming data
with oral histories on cinemagoing:with oral histories on cinemagoing:
audiences, genre, origin and social class
local cinema history:
research in practice
* 1. sources and input of data in 3 databases:
* Yearbooks industry and local studies (part 1)
* Daily programming books (part 2)
* Newspaper advertisements (part 2)
* Other archival material (part 2)
* Interviews (part 3)
local cinema history:
research in practice
* 2 analysis2. analysis
­ combining findings
* 1. basic geographical data
* 2. programming strategies
* 3. experiences of cinema-going
­ diachronical analysis
* Fifties through seventies
reconstructing layers of cinema culture­ reconstructing layers of cinema culture
* Center vs periphery
* Social stratification
* Programming: genre, origin, running time
* Cultural geography of cinemagoing
Part 1.
diachronical
map ofmap of
cinemas
Antwerp
Part 2: programming
* Case: Antwerp Rex concern through 3 decades
(1952, 1962 and 1972)( )
* Genre, country and first / second run
­ Astrid: German films
­ Odeon: French films
­ Rex: premire cinema, Western European films
­ Astra: short running time (one week)
­ Rubens: American filmsRubens: American films
* Diachronic analysis
­ growth of erotic film in 1972 (10 %)
­ substantial decline in US movies over the three decades: 1952
(3/4) 1972 (1/5)
part 3: oral history and mental
mapping
part 3: oral history and mental
mapping
RIK DE WEERDT (73 ys.):
City center picture palaces
De Keyserlei, that was a street of high standing. People came
there to be seen. This was not just a neighbourhood where we
would go to unless it was necessary.
Neighbourhood cinemas
Then there was the time that I started to get interested in
girls. Back then you could still make out in the cinemas. At
the Roma they wouldn't allow it, they would keep an eye on
you. So we went to the Luxor. And we would sit there in the
corner...
in-depth analysis:
location/ program /mental mapping
* Clear hierarchy in cinemas (according to social
class and location, starting at bottom), g )
­ 1. neighbourhood cinemas & suburban cinemas
­ 2. City center cinemas at the Astridplein (Kursaal etc.) higly
accessible
­ 3. City center cinemas at Keyserlei, Quellinstraat (Rex, Metro,
Trocadero, etc) middle and upper class, but accessible
­ 4. High end city center cinemas (Anvers Palace, Scala) where
evening dress was required, mainly elite audiences, not
accessible for lower classes
* Diachronical analysis:
­ hierarchy diminishes over time (seventies)
in-depth analysis:
case De Keyserlei
* From the turn of the century up until the 1960s the De Keyserlei had
the reputation of being the place to see and to be seenthe reputation of being the place to see and to be seen.
* Of the 39 urban cinemas, twelve were situated in the immediate
vicinity of that cultural center and almost all of them were sooner or
later absorbed by cinema tycoon Georges Heylen
* Difference between palaces on the De Keyzerlei and neighbourhood
cinemas
­ size/architectural design/appearance/luxurysize/architectural design/appearance/luxury
­ infrastructure/ equipment/ staff
­ economic structure (private vs. corporate ownership)
­ (target) audience
­ Programming strategies
­ Image / reputation / social conventions of cinemagoing
To conclude: adding another layer
* Reconstructing cinema culture
* Multilevel approachˇ Multilevel approach
* Combining different layers of findings
* institutional, programming, experience
* comparative research
­ similar cities
* in Flanders (Ghent), Belgium (Brussels) and abroadin Flanders (Ghent), Belgium (Brussels) and abroad
* From the local to the global?
* Specificities vs universal trends
Questions and discussion
Movie Theater in Antwerp
Collection Paul Corluy