1930s Movie Calendars

The Artistry of Classic Hollywood Posters

The Roosevelt Theatre in San Francisco specialized in double-features during the month of August, 1936, including Al Jolson’s third “talkie” The Singing Kid.

Historically, the month marked the opening of the Olympic Games hosted by Nazi Germany. A propaganda film written, directed and produced by Leni Riefenstahl would be released in 1938 documenting the events held in Berlin.

This early calendar’s layout was set using a Linotype press, a horizontal arrangement consisting of metal “slugs.” A typesetter typed of all the letters  — only one font and size at a time and limited to a set space. Next, melted lead was poured, creating the slug. These early calendars were often “text only” since adding images was technically more difficult and expensive.

Roosevelt Theatre in San Francisco