This book analyses the diverse historical and geographical circumstances in which audiences have viewed American cinema. It looks at cinema audiences ranging from Manhattan nickelodeons to the modern suburban megaplex, and from provincial, small-town or rural America to the shanty towns of South Africa."Going to the Movies" studies the social and cultural history of movie audiences. Ranging broadly across historical time and geographical place, it analyses the role of movie theatres in local communities, the links between film and other entertainment media, non-theatrical exhibition and trends arising from the globalisation of audiences. There is an emphasis on movie-going outside the American North-East, and several chapters analyse the complexities of race and race formation in relation to cinema attendance.The contributors are experts in the field, including many of the scholars who have pioneered the idea of audience research. It includes a vast amount of new research on the social experience of movie-going, and a particular feature is a full coverage of 'Other cinema': the non-theatrical exhibition of American films.