Logging screen time was vastly different decades ago.
Local residents did it collectively, at places such as The Crump Theatre, The Rio, The Mode and the Columbus Drive-In. They watched movies on oversized screens with a sense of togetherness and wistfulness in an era long before cell phone movies and electronic tablets and computer downloads.
Residents can get a sense of that and more at “Marquee Memories: A History of Columbus Cinemas,” the new exhibit opening today at the Bartholomew County Historical Society, 524 Third St. in downtown Columbus. That presentation, running through Nov. 11, is paired with another display: a number of paintings from former Columbus resident Carole Wantz’s exhibit from the Indiana State Museum showing in downtown Indianapolis.
That exhibition, curated by Landmark Columbus executive director Richard McCoy, was considered a huge success. This latest display, the first local presentation in decades of Wantz’s work, will run through the end of the year.
Each exhibit framed part of Columbus’ culture in its own way.
Columbus native Devin Malson, a contracted employee with the historical society, proposed the nostalgic movie venue exhibition, inspired partly by the renewed interest in The Crump, where he has volunteered. He was surprised to discover that there were as many as six theaters operating in downtown Columbus in 1908.
He played in bands in weekend concerts at the Crump 20 years ago.
“With the current momentum at The Crump, I just thought this would be a great way to highlight the past by including the lesser-known places,” Malson said. “Places like The Mode was open only from 1937 to 1955. But it had a beautiful facade right there on Washington Street.”
Most of the venues were within a couple of blocks on one another.
“At one time, they were all doing very well,” Malson said.
A photo negative of a collage of images from the drive-in also sparked his interest in assembling this exhibit.
The display includes nifty pieces of the past: a sandwich board from The Crump; a speaker from the drive-in. At press time, elements still were being finalized.
“It is a variety of media,” said Diane Robbins, the historical society’s executive director. “Everyone here knows or remembers The Crump. This is just a way of expanding our perspective on the impact of all the theaters we once had.”
The drive-in, located on Indianapolis Road, lasted from 1950 to 1992. It even included the Zephyr, a tiny train that would take small children around the grounds via a winding track.
“I went there as a kid,” Malson said, “but they didn’t have that then.”
In its glory days, the drive-in would offer dusk-to-dawn features. Malson is only 33 years old, but loves such stories from the past.
