A movie prologue or prolog was a short live

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

show, performed at the start of film showings in

movie theaters A movie theater (American English) or cinema (Commonwealth English), also known as a movie house, cinema hall, picture house, picture theater, the movies, the pictures, or simply theater, is a business that contains auditoriums for viewing fi ...

in the United States, especially at the end of the

silent film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

era in the 1920s and early 1930s. The idea was first introduced by

Sid Grauman Sidney Patrick Grauman (March 17, 1879 – March 5, 1950) was an American entrepreneur and showman who established two of Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood's most recognizable and visited landmarks, the Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Chinese The ...

in 1918 at his theaters in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

. Many imitations followed. "Going to the Movies", ''Encyclopedia.com''
Retrieved 9 March 2024 Some were elaborately staged performances, which often overshadowed the viewings of the films themselves. They were often introduced by a master of ceremonies, such as a

bandleader A bandleader is the leader of a music group such as a dance band, rock or pop band or jazz quartet. The term is most commonly used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhyth ...

or a

radio personality A radio personality is a person who has an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality who hosts a radio show is also known as a radio host (North American English), radio presenter (British English) or radio jockey. Radio personali ...

. They were "an extremely popular, hybrid form of performance originally devised as a way to offset the public's boredom with silent films".Julie Malnig, Review of ''Lollipop: Vaudeville Turns with a Fanchon and Marco Dancer'' by Reva Howitt Clar, Mimi Melnick, Dance Research Journal, Vol. 37, No. 2, Women's Health in Dance (Winter, 2005), pp. 106-110
/ref> The leading movie theaters had elaborate sets, generally in an

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...

style or incorporating exotic motifs, which acted as a backdrop for music and dance shows often featuring many

chorus girls ''Chorus Girls'' was a 1981 musical written by The Kinks lead singer and songwriter Ray Davies, who collaborated with ''The Long Good Friday'' screenwriter Barrie Keeffe.Kitts, Thomas M.. Ray Davies: Not Like Everybody Else'. N.p., Taylor & ...

. Each of the major movie companies had their own team of designers and choreographers, and each had their own style. Leading producers and choreographers included Fanchon and Marco, Leon Leonidoff, Chester Hale, J. A. Partington,"Prologs for the Picture Palaces", ''Vaudeville Nation'', The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
Retrieved 9 March 2024 and Samuel "Roxy" Rothafel. Some included a variety of performers, including comedians, acrobats and novelty acts. Fanchon and Marco began producing prologues, initially at the Paramount Theatre in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, in 1922, and by 1931 produced about fifty hour-long productions each year with a staff of six thousand; they ceased their production in 1936.Anthony Slide, "Fanchon and Marco", ''The Encyclopedia of Vaudeville'', University Press of Mississippi, 2012, pp.167-168 The popularity of movie prologues contributed to the survival of the movie business during the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

. However, only a small number of theatres continued to use them after the late 1930s. Their development and production was the fictionalised subject of the 1933 movie ''

Footlight Parade ''Footlight Parade'' is a 1933 pre-Code American musical film directed by Lloyd Bacon, with songs written by Harry Warren (music), Al Dubin (lyrics), Sammy Fain (music) and Irving Kahal (lyrics). The film's numbers were staged and choreograp ...

'', starring

James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor and dancer. On stage and in film, he was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He won acclaim and maj ...

and choreographed by

Busby Berkeley Berkeley William Enos, (November 29, 1895 – March 14, 1976) known professionally as Busby Berkeley, was an American film director and musical choreographer. Berkeley devised elaborate musical production numbers that often involved complex geo ...

."Movie Prologues", ''Bijou Blog'', January 2, 2009
Retrieved 9 March 2024

References

Theatre in the United States {{US-theat-stub