Talking Vintage Movie Theater Candy With Guest Blogger Alexis Bonari

Today's post is from Yumster Alexis Bonari. She took a look back at candy at the movie theater.
Going to see a movie simply wouldn’t be the same without candy. From Sour Patch Kids to Nonpareils, there are nearly endless options for topping off your movie experience with a sugar-induced coma. While candy has always been standard fare for moviegoers, popular candies have changed over the years. Here are some examples of vintage movie theatre candy:

1940’s -M&M’s Plain Chocolate

M&M’s were first introduced to combat a decline in chocolate sales. After their success, the M&M Mars Corporation shortened their name to M&M’s. Thanks to the breakthrough candy coating, M&M’s were marketed as a “melt-free” chocolate. Movie theatres played a major role in the initial introduction of M&M’s onto the market.

1950’s- Chocolate Cigarettes

Until the late 1960’s, cigarette smoking wasn’t touted as unhealthy. Most children would have grown up with one or both parents lighting up on a regular basis. Kids generally like products that allow them to mimic the adults around them. It’s no surprise then that candy cigarettes were all the rage during the 1940’s and 1950’s. Movie theaters, carnivals, and dime stores all sold chocolate and gum renderings of cigarettes and cigars.

1960’s – Astronaut Ice Cream

The Apollo Project and other space missions were the height of cool in the 1960’s. In response, the producer of freeze dried foods for the space missions capitalized by making Astronaut Ice Cream available to the public. Ice Cream ingredients were freeze dried at -40 degrees F into edible cubes. These marvels of modern science were sold as promotional items during science fiction movies.

1970’s- Fizzies

One of the first true novelty candies, Fizzies were tablets that a child (or adult) could use to create their own soda pop. The directions were simple: combine one Fizzies tablet with a glass of ice water to create a new taste sensation. Flavors included root beer, blue razz, and lemonade.

The theatres that sold Fizzies undoubtedly paid the price in sticky floors after the fact, as the fizzing action could get a little bit out of hand.

Alexis Bonari is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She often can be found blogging about general education issues as well as information on college scholarships. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.