The One Reelers

The success of films like GTR led to the rise of One Reelers.  These were short films (1000 feet/ 10 minutes) and were produced by the thousands. 

By 1916 there were 21,000 movie theaters in the US, one movie screen for every 4,800 Americans. By the 1980s that had dropped to one screen for every 10,600 Americans. Today it is one screen for every 7,800...still far fewer than in 1916.