Three New Deal-era garden suburbs were built between 1935 and 1940. These planned cities were developed on the outskirts of Washington, DC, Cincinnati and Milwaukee. Each had a suburban, car culture shopping center as its defacto downtown. The city centers in Greenbelt {Maryland} and Greendale {Wisconsin} included movie theaters.

The Greenbelt Theater made its debut with a showing of  "Little Miss Broadway." This Twentieth Century Fox vehicle starred Shirley Temple and Jimmy Durante.

The first feature shown at Greendale Theatre was MetroGoldwynMayer's "Out West With The Hardys," with Mickey Rooney, Lewis Stone and Fay Holden.

Both "greentown" theatres were originally run by co-operatives that had been formed by residents of each community.

The Greendale hadn't been in operation for very long when this photo was taken. The film on the marquee, "The Kid from Texas," was in its theatrical run during mid-1939.

Photo from Library of Congress / John Vachon