Desmet's period as a travelling showman was a transitional phase of just two years. When compared with the twelve years he spent working on the fairgrounds, this is not very long. Compared with his period in film distribution and his time as an operator of permanent cinemas, it is a mere interlude in his career. On the other hand, these are the years that were decisive for Desmet's move to the Dutch film world. They were essential to the rapid development of his career at the beginning of the twentieth century and led directly to his establishment as a permanent cinema owner. In the end, they provided him with the opportunity to expand beyond the fairgrounds and settle into a less risky and more profitable existence. They initiate a development that was to lead him into a flirtation with the film trade that would eventually yield to a passion for property.

Desmet's Debut in Dutch Film Culture

Alot has been written by journalists and film historians about Desmet's early years in the Dutch film industry, although not all of this information is reliable. One myth that crops up repeatedly concerns the way Desmet made his entry into the world of film. The anecdote goes back to an interview in 1958 with Desmet's daughter, Jeanne Hughan-Desmet.

When Desmet began his travelling cinema in 1907, he was far from being the first in the business. Travelling cinemas first appeared in the Netherlands shortly after the first showing of the Lumières’ films in Amsterdam on 12 March 1896. They quickly became a major fairground attraction. In the year that Desmet began his Imperial Bio, the business was experiencing a boom.