These Old Movie Theater Pics Are Haunting

Here's an uncontroversial statement: Throughout the first half of the 20th century, humans went to movie theaters and theater theaters (just like present day folk!). Now, if your life motto is "pics or it literally didn't happen," one, your AP World History teacher must've loved you, and two, don't you worry, because there are plenty of old-timey photographs of old-timey theaters. Hauntingly beautiful and beautifully haunted photographs (i.e., there are ghosts in every last one of these pictures). (And by that I mean there might be ghosts in these pictures.) (And by that I mean OK, fine. There probably aren't any ghosts. I probably let my imagination run amok. But by golly, there's no denying that these pictures sure do look spooky!)

While I am no expert in the field of supernatural activity, I would definitely consider myself to be an expert in the field of looking at an old black and white picture and pretending like a specter of some sort is somehow involved. So while there’s a solid chance that not a single one of the photo below was touched by an an-ghoul, there’s also a solid chance that all of these images look like total ghost fests. And that is good enough for me.

Here is what I think is happening in these chilling photographs of theaters of yore:

1. A Spooky Poster

A man stands next to a presumably haunted movie poster for Rock Around the Clock.

2. A Spooky Car

What appears to be a ghost car pulls up to a drive-in theater.

3. A Whole Pile Of Spooky Cars

A sea of maybe-ghost cars park before a projection screen.

4. A Spooky Theater Patron

A woman watches a movie while a phantasm-like figure lurks several rows away.

5. A Spooky Marquee Letter

That "H" in "THE" gives major ghoul vibes. You can't spell "ghoul" without "h"!

6. A Spooky Lightbulb

No, not thatbulb. THAT bulb. You see it now? Like, you can't deny that that one bulb seems haunted.

7. Two Spooky Empty Chairs

Those two empty seats were reserved for the specters who haunted the theater. They were in the concession line when this photo was snapped.

8. A Spooky Planters Peanuts Billboard

A haunted billboard for Planters Peanuts looms over a bustling city street.

9. A Spooky Fire Hydrant

Do mine eyes deceive me, or does that fire hydrant appear to be possessed by demon?

10. Multiple Rows Of Spooky Theater Chairs

Some unsuspecting theater patrons sit on what appear to be cursed movie seats.

11. Three Spooky Projectors

A ghosts operates a row of movie projectors.

12. A Spooky Organ Console

A rare photo of a phantom's organ console.

13. Spooky Hats

A bunch of haunted hats congregate outside a movie theater.

14. Another Spooky Hat

A bedsheet ghost shape-shifted into that white hat.

15. A Spooky Empty Street

That asphalt is almost certainly possessed by something nefarious. I can sense it.

16. A Spooky A-Frame

The A-frame closest to the ticket booth is definitely up to something supernatural and sinister.

17. A Spooky Street Light

Those orbs don't lie.

18. Four Spooky Ticket Stubs

A theater usher shows off the four haunted movie tickets he found hiding in that locked trash can.

19. Spooky Full House

No, those chairs are not empty. There are invisible wraiths plopped in every last one of those chairs.

20. More Spooky Lightbulbs

A group of ghosts disguise themselves as light bulbs and illuminate the exterior of a movie theater.

21. Spooky Theater Energy

Four dogs appear to detect supernatural activity in a movie theater.

22. A Spooky Blur

See that blurry something on the left-hand side? That, dear reader, is most likely a ghost of a car.

And before you hit the road, here's a cheesy joke: What's a theater-dwelling ghost's favorite song?

"Let's All Go To The Lobb-BOO."