Can you believe there was once a time when people didnt flock to multiplexes on Christmas Day, bringing tidings of comfort and joy or at least an urge to avoid relatives small talk? Weve been calling the world that preceded COVID-19 the Before Times , but the real Before Times date back decades, to an era in which yuletide moviegoing wasnt yet a ritual. Not even films about Christmas could get the Dec. 25 cash flowing.

Its a Wonderful Life, for example, flopped when it opened ahead of Christmas 1946, failing to convince postwar Americans to interrupt their hallowed celebrations. The following year, 20th Century Fox released another classic, Miracle on 34th Street, during the incredibly festive month of ... May? Studio chief Darryl Zanuck thought audiences wouldnt show up otherwise , and Foxs marketing arm opted not to mention Santa Claus in its summer advertising.

American Jews had been going to the movies (as well as Yiddish theater productions) on Christmas since the age of the nickelodeon , but it wasnt until the blockbuster exploded in the mid-70s that studios truly harnessed the traditions potential. And oh how they harnessed it, especially as the 90s waned. Now, the week between Dec. 24 and Dec. 31 tends to attract upwards of $400 million in ticket sales as much as 5% of an entire years box-office totals, according to Comscore.

But not this year.

This year, we will return to the Before Times. Many of us will stay home, our local theaters closed in response to the surging coronavirus rates . The theaters that are operating expect smaller crowds. For the first time in a long time, Hollywood will suffer a sleepy holiday season, at least as far as physical moviegoing is concerned, representing an additional setback for a business whose health is already in question .