The Sewickley Theater opened its doors to the public on October 14th, 1915. The owners had a slogan that “Only the Best is Good Enough for our Patrons.” They had faith that the community would let them know of their wants and offer program suggestions. Their bargain with the public was not complete if the public was not satisfied.
Sewickley Theater had a good run of shows and audience attendance until its finale in November 1979 when the screen went dark for the last time. Many small movie houses closed down as film became concentrated in longer and more expensive productions that came out of a few production houses. A cinema needed volume audiences to pay the costs of showing the pricey movies.
Most businesses are cyclical and this is true of movie houses. With the recent advent of digital production, less money and time is being spent on productions that are now coming from every corner of the world on all matter of subjects. Movies are selling small customized volumes to many customers instead of concentrating volume on a few productions. We have come full circle on customization of film for the viewer. With the advent of video on demand and live streaming technology, movie houses are returning and thriving in small towns.
