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The U.S. State That Tried To Make Popcorn In Movie Theatres Illegal
In 1949, one state tried to pass a law that would ban moviegoers from eating popcorn, and even threatened theatre owners with jail and fines for looking the other way
Besides actually watching films, one of the most enjoyable aspects of going to movie theatres is munching on popcorn and other snacks during the visit. However, in 1949, Oregon attempted to pass a law that would not only prohibit the eating of such popcorn and peanuts in the theatres, it also planned to reward informants who turned in any offenders and jail theatre owners who knowingly did nothing about it.
Steve Silverman of Useless Information detailed how Oregon Republican State Senator Dean Walker was convinced he had identified a public nuisance and was determined to do something about it. He believed that patrons who ate popcorn, peanuts and candy while attending movies were too noisy, even stating he believed he needed to take action because it was “necessary in the interest of public welfare.”
In 1949, Walker, who was a resident of Independence, introduced a bill sponsored by eight of his colleagues that called for popcorn and peanuts to be officially banned from theatres. It declared that:
