Back in the depression era, money was extremely tight. Movie theaters lowered prices to as low as a dime, but it wasn’t until they introduced dish night that started bringing in full houses. Many of the dish and china companies were going out of business but many of the survived because of this promotion. The give-a-way was mostly to women and each week it was a different piece. My mom went every week and was able to put together a full collection. The promotion ran through the 40’s and even the 50’s. There were many patterns offered by the various theaters across the county.
Another dish give-a-way was by supermarket chains during the late 70’s. My mom’s story about collecting a full china set for free enticed me when the Finast Supermarkets gave away china each week with a purchase. I was unable to complete the set when I joined the Navy in 1977 but my mom completed it for me while I served our country. Many other food chains across the country gave away china during this timeframe.
With Covid keeping movie goers away for over a year, maybe dish night will make a comeback!
