It was in the early 1800sBefore the 1800s, it was more or less confined to South America. Popped corn is believed to have originated in Central and South America – fossil evidence from Peru suggests that corn was popped as early as 4700 BC. that popcorn became a popular snack in America (the term popped corn first appeared in Dictionary of Americanisms in 1848) but for the most part of the 19th century, the corn kernels were popped by hand on stovetops.
Then in 1885, Charles Cretors invented the portable popcorn maker.
Suddenly popcorn could be mass-produced without a kitchen – an advantage that other snacks such as chips couldn’t enjoy.
The mobility of the machine and its alluring aroma made popcorn the perfect snack for exhibitions, outdoor sporting events, circuses, and fairs, etc.
However, because it was sold on carts and was cheaply priced, it had the reputation of being non-classy, mass street food.
Movie theatres, on the other hand, catered only to the highbrow clientele – movies didn’t have sound, plots had to be conveyed by the use of title cards and, so, movies were only for the literate.
Also, no sound (only music) in movies meant snacking was seen as a source of distracting noise – so movie theatres never allowed popcorn inside their auditoriums.
When films added sound in 1927, the movie theatre industry opened itself up to a much wider audience, but theatres still didn’t allow snacks for the fear of spoiling the carpets and rugs.
The street vendors, however, lined up outside the theatres to sell their cheap popcorn.
And movie theatres had to put signboards requesting movie-watchers to deposit their popcorn packs along with coats and bags before entering the auditorium.
But as more and more customers came to the theatre with popcorn, theatre owners couldn’t ignore its financial appeal.
They soon began allowing vendors, for a daily fee, to use their lobby to sell popcorn.
Then in 1929-30, the Great Depression hit the US, and suddenly many were out of jobs.
Popcorn, for its price, remained a cheap treat but movies became a luxury; to attract customers, theatres lowered ticket prices and ran offers.
Theatre owners also realized that if they started selling popcorn in-house (instead of allowing vendors) they could compensate for the loss caused by low attendance.
Those who started selling popcorn in-house survived, while the ‘only movies’ theatres struggled; this created a strong bond between movies and popcorn, which still continues.
