The Good Cause

By Mitchell Hadley

We complain about seeing commercials in movie theaters - after all, isn't that what we're trying to get away from when we leave the comfort of our living rooms (and our television sets)? But it's really nothing new - back in the day, theaters often presented public service announcements for good causes such as Christmas Seals (which were very popular as a fundraiser for the American Lung Association, fighting the then-dreaded TB).

From the early 50s, here's George Clooney's aunt, the great Rosemary Clooney, with this plug for Christmas Seals.