The records provide insight into the operation of a small town theater from the late 1910s through the 1950s. Although particularly strong in documenting the day-to-day financial operations of the Theatre, the collection also provides fragmentary information about its involvement in community affairs and general film promotion and exploitation. The material has been organized in two series: Badger Theatre General File and Badger Confections Miscellany.
The BADGER THEATRE GENERAL FILE constitutes the majority of the collection and is arranged alphabetically by type of record or file title. The Allied Independent Theatres of Wisconsin is the only actual subject file containing different types of records. Among these are screening reports, which provide a synopsis and an evaluation of a film's quality and appeal, and miscellaneous memoranda which detail the organization's opposition to daylight savings time. Booking agreements record rental terms, play arrangements, and other pertinent information with various production and distribution companies. They provide a study of the type of film a small theater booked and also reveal the Theatre's position in the overall film market. (For example, several of the agreements note that the Badger Theatre's first run could only occur 14 or more days after Madison's first run.) In addition some of the agreements include elaborate letterheads advertising the particular film and are indicative of the major studios' highly sophisticated exploitation and promotional campaigns.
Correspondence of managers Charles Guelson and Gust Roe discusses the Theatre's operation such as the purchase and installation of new equipment or booking arrangements. Also included is a letter of appreciation from James R. Law, mayor of Madison, for the Theatre's involvement in the 1943 March of Dimes campaign. Also of interest is a small run of 1957 correspondence that reveals an attempt to tie in the film Alexander the Great with the school curricula. (The attempt failed as students were not given class time to view the film.)
The bulk of the series consists of financial records, including daybooks, journals, ledgers, and assorted income tax information. Several of the volumes were used for two or more recording purposes. For example, daybooks may have ledger entries in another section of the same volume. However, even in these multi-purpose volumes, the span dates for the various sections remain constant. The flyers are several advertisements which listed the Theatre's attractions for the coming week.
A small file of BADGER CONFECTIONS MISCELLANY consists of income tax material and a copy of the firm's 1954 business census form.
