“Pawn of Destiny” History of Cinema in Saugatuck, Michigan

About the Event

Moving pictures as a medium of mass entertainment evolved from simple parlor novelty to peepshow to vaudeville act to a complex storytelling medium in an amazingly short period of time. In Saugatuck, as in small villages and big cities across the country, the popularity of the new medium was firmly established by 1910, when purpose-built movie theaters became the norm. Over time, the nickelodeon and “airdome” gave way to larger and grander theaters, eventually wired for sound. The destiny of cinema in Saugatuck was determined by economic and cultural forces that are both unique and typical. Saugatuck serves as an interesting case study in the rise and fall of movie-going in small-town America.

Toni Perrine has a Ph.D. in Cinema Studies from Northwestern University and taught film history and criticism at Grand Valley State University for thirty years until she retired in 2020. Through volunteer work at the SDHC, she developed an interest in local history. She currently serves as Secretary of the Board of Directors for the History Center.