The manager of the Craterian Theatre in Medford, Ore., offered a free Christmas matinee in 1927. Here’s how the Medford Tribune described the mob reaction:
“A record-breaking crowd of 1200 children took advantage of the generosity of George A. Hunt this forenoon by attending the annual Christmas matinee at the Craterian Theatre, where children gathered an hour before the show commenced at 10:15. Included in the huge crowd were numerous out-of-town children, who had journeyed to the city especially to see their favorite, Harold Lloyd, in (the movie titled) "For Heaven's Sake.
“Carmen Evans, doorkeeper at the theatre, showed effects of the rush by Evans’ dusty pants cuffs where seemingly hundreds of shoes had scuffed against them as their young owners hurried to gain seats inside the theatre. He seemed a bit tired, but in his eyes shone a light that it had made him happy to see the happiness of the many youngsters who had rushed by to see the show.
“Two boys were in such a hurry that not even the door stopped them, as one pushed the other through the glass of an entrance door. Outside of breaking the glass, no other damage was done.”
Source: "Kids Break In Theater Door For Free Show." Southern Oregon History, Revised. Ed. Truwe Tina. 18 Aug. 2015. Web. 2 Dec. 2015. http://id.mind.net/~truwe/tina/craterian.html [as excerpted from Medford Tribune 24 Dec. 1923:3]
