Moviegoing Experience, Gender, and Socioeconomic Distinction in São Paulo During the 1920s

Moviegoing is a codified and historically grounded practice, reflecting habits, attendance patterns, and socioeconomic distinction, as well as notions about entertainment and gender differentiation. Although influenced by dominant societal models, moviegoing practices manifest differently in each locale, revealing cultural and socioeconomic amalgamations and delineating the societal roles assigned to women and the place of subordinate classes. This study examines this phenomenon in the city of São Paulo through the writings of the film critic Octávio Gabus Mendes in the magazines Paratodos and Cinearte from 1925 to 1929. Mendes’s discussions span various topics, such as the development and structures of movie theaters in the 1920s, when these venues aimed to increase female attendance, and an exploration of national film production. Furthermore, socioeconomic and gender differentiations are constructed both in the physical space of movie theaters and through the societal gaze directed toward them. In this approach, we follow the New Cinema History. We compare Mendes with the international literature on prevailing film screening practices during that period. To contextualize how this discourse intersects with national aspirations and local film production practices, we incorporate studies specifically focused on cinema in Brazil into our analysis.