From Citizen Kane to Star Wars: 25 classic movie ads from vintage Cleveland newspapers

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When was the last time you were surprised by a movie?

It’s certainly become harder. By the time a new release comes out, you’ve probably already seen multiple trailers for it multiple times. Then you check Rotten Tomatoes to make sure if it’s any good before you drop $15 on a ticket. Inevitably, a spoiler or two pops up on your social media feed.

Perhaps the element of surprise is part of the reason behind the success of “Parasite.” The South Korean film seemingly came out nowhere to win Best Picture, much like the plot twist in the middle of the film does.

It’s a reminder of the days before the internet and nine-figure marketing budgets. Back then, you saw a movie most of the time because of an ad in the newspaper or word of mouth. There was pre-release buzz, but you weren’t bombarded by it. Going to the movies was more magical because the chances of being surprised by it were higher.

Don’t believe me? Check out these classic movie ads from The Plain Dealer and try to remember what it felt like to see those films for the first time.

February 12, 1938

The first full-length animated film was certainly a big deal in Cleveland, where it was playing exclusively at the Hippodrome Theater on Euclid Ave.

August 17, 1939

The Loew’s State Theater, where “The Wizard of Oz” premiered on August 18, 1939, is now known as the KeyBank State Theatre in the heart of Playhouse Square.

January 28, 1940

You didn’t need an app on your phone to reserve a movie ticket in 1940. Instead, you just needed to send a money order or check along with a self-addressed stamped envelope. And judging by the crowd outside The Stillman in this photo from 1939, a reserved seat was a good idea.

September 26, 1941

“Citizen Kane” premiered in Cleveland three weeks after it opened in other parts of the country. But it came with a live orchestra, which played the score as the film was projected on the big screen.

April 19, 1952

They don’t make movies like this anymore!

February 29, 1956

John Wayne played Genghis Khan in this big budget flop about Asians that had no Asians in it. But it’s mostly known as the film that killed Wayne. The movie was shot in Utah near a nuclear testing site and many of the cast and crew members, including Wayne, eventually were diagnosed cancer.

December 7, 1956

At the time of its release in 1956, “The Ten Commandments” was the most expensive film ever made with a production budget of $13.3 million.

April 9, 1965

If you liked musicals in 1965, you had options during this particular week.

December 8, 1967

Elvis Presley made a lot of forgettable movies in the 1950s and ’60s, but thanks to repeated showings on WUAB Channel 43, “Clambake” isn’t one of them.

June 14, 1968

The most expensive seat at Loew’s State Theater in 1968 was $3. The average movie ticket today costs $9.37.

March 24, 1972

The American Film Institute ranks “The Godfather” as the No. 3 best film in history, behind “Citizen Kane” and “Casablanca.”

September 21, 1973

“American Graffiti” was writer-director George Lucas’ second film. You could see it on opening day in 1973 at Mayland or Pamatown.

June 20, 1975

“Jaws” is considered the first summer blockbuster in movie history.

June 23, 1977

Though “Star Wars” opened in other cities on May 25, 1977, it didn’t arrive in Cleveland until nearly a month later.

Fun fact: In 1977, there were 15 drive-in movie theaters in the Greater Cleveland area.

June 17, 1978

The two-screen Great Northern Theater was not located in the mall or the strip plaza next door, but across the street at Lorain and Brookpark.

December 22, 1978

Marlon Brando was paid an unprecedented $3.7 million plus 12% of the profits on the backend for his cameo in “Superman: The Movie” in 1978.

February 28, 1980

Who remembers seeing “The Fog” and “Up from the Depths” at The Hipp in 1980? Anyone? The Hippodrome, located at 720 Euclid Ave., opened in 1907 and became the largest movie theater in the nation in the 1930s with over 4,000 seats, according to Cleveland Historical. It was demolished in 1980 to make room for a parking lot.

June 12, 1981

Growing up on the west side, I saw a lot of movies at Loews Berea and Loews Yorktown.

June 19, 1981

With its all-star cast, the “Cannonball Run” series was the “Ocean’s 11” of its era.

June 11, 1982

Before IMAX and THX, theaters equipped with Dolby Quadraphonic sound had an advantage over other theaters.

May 27, 1983

The release of “Return of the Jedi” was believed to be the end of the “Star Wars” saga in 1983. Little did fans know then that George Lucas would resurrect the franchise sixteen years later in 1999 with “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace."

June 22, 1984

The summer of 1984 was perhaps the greatest summer in movie history with blockbusters such as “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” “Ghostbusters,” “Gremlins,” “Sixteen Candles,” “Purple Rain” and “Bachelor Party.” But perhaps the most unlikely hit was “The Karate Kid,” which still lives on 35 years later with “Cobra Kai” on YouTube Premium.

July 3, 1985

At the end of “Back to the Future,” Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) tells Marty (Michael J. Fox) they don’t need roads in 2015. Turns out, we still do.

June 23, 1989

Tim Burton’s “Batman” was one of the most anticipated films in a long time, earning the cover of The Plain Dealer’s Friday! magazine on June 23, 1989.

June 30, 1989

In The Plain Dealer’s review of “Do The Right Thing” on June 30, 1989, staff writer Rebecca Freligh wrote, “Like any genuine work of art, what it stands to inspire is laughhs, tears, anger, frustration, sorrow, sexual arousal, sympathy, love, hate, and -- rarest of all for an American movie -- tough questions with no easy answers in sight.”

March 9, 1990

In 1990, the Cleveland area had about 40 movie theaters, more than double than there are today. The biggest theater, Great Lakes Mall, had only 9 screens. Today, a cineplex of that size would be considered small. In fact, the biggest theater in the area is Cinemark Valley View with 24 screens.

November 16, 1990

On this particular weekend, moviegoers could choose from the family-friendly “Home Alone” or “Henry and June,” the erotic drama that earned the first NC-17 rating in movie history.

March 16, 1994

The Mercury Theater, located in the Southland shopping center in Middleburg Heights, opened as a single theater in 1950. It closed in 1994 and was replaced with an Office Depot store.

Which movie theaters do you remember? Tell us in the comments section.

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