Bank Night

American  

[bangk nahyt] / ˈbæŋk ˌnaɪt /

noun

Informal.

1. (in the 1930s) an evening when prizes were awarded by lottery to members of the audience at a movie theater as part of a promotion to encourage theater patronage.

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Etymology

Origin of Bank Night

An Americanism dating back to 1935–40

Example Sentences

Spareribs’ big sister won fifty dollars at a movie bank night.

From Literature

The slot she was dropping her love letters into was an old bank night depository.

From Washington Times

A nervous tic excites me and if with all these other things he wore green suits — bank night!”

From New York Times

He admits that the independents had a share in building up Bank Night but asserts: "We were getting such rotten pictures that we had to do something to get people into the houses."

From Time Magazine Archive

His great contribution to campaign entertainment was a political version of cinema's Bank Night.

From Time Magazine Archive