THE TANTALIZING SMELL OF FRESHLY MADE POPCORN FILLING A MOVIE THEATRE IS SOMETHING YOU CAN THANKS SAM THE POPCORN MAN FOR!  

Before concession stands, movie theatres were commonly equipped with automated vending machines. But, one day, in a pinch, young Sam Rubin, born May 24 1918,  began selling candy from the top of a broken vending machine when it rolled and broke against the stage, a precursor of the modern movie concession stand.  Ruben was always interested in snack food. He sold pretzels at age 6 and took a job filling vending machines in movie theatres when he was 12. Sam was the first movie concession stand operator to incorporate popcorn into his product line,  and, thus, the creator of the decades-long tradition of popcorn at the movies. 

In 1930, at age 12, on a trip to Oklahoma City, Rubin witnessed popcorn being made. When he returned to the New York area, he began selling popcorn to audiences at various  RKO, BRANDT, AND LOEWS THEATRES. He started by popping the kernels in Long Island City N.Y. and trucking it to theatres, but later made the treat in theatres. The product caught on like wild fire and spread across the country.  His product allowed owners to recoup revenues they lost when they had to reduce ticket prices to attract viewers during the Great Depression. From 1934 to 1940, the nation's annual popcorn harvest grew from 5 million to 100 million pounds. 

  Rubin was one of the first to sell fresh popcorn inside the theatres because he thought the warm, salty smell would entice buyers. For the next 60 years, he and his partner Marty Winter  provided the concession stand refreshments to the major movie chains in the New York metropolitan area, including RKO, Brandt and Loews. His company ABC Consolidated, now part of the Ogden Corporation, introduced modern popcorn machines that reduced fire hazards. 

He also developed movie-size candy bars and boxes, which could be sold for $1.50 instead of 35 cents, and sold liquor in Broadway theaters.
Rubin  served in the Army during World War II, survived a murder attempt by a rival in his company and lived through an armed robbery in which the thief put a gun to his head.

Rubin died on Feb. 5. 2004. He was 85.

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