I’m happy that the audience turned out for the 70mm presentation of MOTOE. Not the case for Justice League in 70 at the Cinerama. Although, it’s been many years since I spent three weeks straight making changeovers in a manual 70mm booth it has been a lot of fun! It would be nice if we had more of an audience though.
I am curious at to what business was like for MOTOE in 70mm? I am one of two projectionists running Justice League in 70mm at the Cinerama in Seattle to very light crowds. Of course, it is playing on a dozen other screens in digital format. There was some talk that we might get MOTOE in 70mm for a week starting December 1 but that fell through. JL for one more week.
It is 20 blocks North of the Seattle City Limits. It is in the City of Shoreline. Shoreline did not incorporate as a City until 1995. The mailing address would have been Seattle until that time with the theater actually located in unincorporated King County. The Crest is one of a very few theaters I never worked at in the Seattle area. I did live a half block away with a couple of roommates while attending college around 1981 or 82. It was great to have a discount house so close.
Hi Dennis: I was on my way to work at the Embassy to relieve Doug Stewart in the booth at the time the bomb went off. I had a matinee shift at the King and was scheduled for the evening at the Embassy. I never made it to work that day. Police wouldn’t let me close. Doug said that the Brenkert BX 80 never missed a beat and continued to project XXX product after the explosion. Broke the port glass, however.
The Seavue was operated by Roger Forbes’s Playtime Theaters of Seattle. Playtime was a statewide circuit of XXX houses. As a very young projectionist with no seniority in the Projectionist’s Union, I worked for this company at a couple of their Seattle locations around 1980/81. A link to a newspaper article regarding a criminal case about illegal asbestos removal during the 1997 demolition: http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19981110&slug=2782753 And a link to an Enviromental Protection Agency press release: https://archive.epa.gov/epapages/newsroom_archive/newsreleases/54bdbdc969e120c5852570cb0075e135.html
Civilian Conservation Corps. A Federal Government program to provide jobs for unemployed workers during the depression of the 1930’s. The jobs were on public improvement projects throughout the country, often in remote areas. Work camps were built to house the workers. Entertainment, including movies was provided at the camps.
Just something to add about the looks of the place. Almost 100% of lighting was neon. The picture posted does not do it justice. Swirls of neon starting outside the lobby and passing through small round holes in the floor to ceiling plate glass windows to continue their swirling pattern inside. Giant swirls of light green and soft white neon on the auditorium ceiling, hidden deep blue neon cove lights. Giant banks of autotransformer dimmers in the electrical room next to the projection booth for them. Until I worked here, I was unaware that neon could be operated on a dimmer circuit. Lighting for the huge marquee also 100% neon with the transformers next to the booth.
In the booth, when I first worked there were a pair of RCA (not Brenkert!) BX 100’s. The only ones I have ever seen. They were replaced about 1980 by a Century with a lens turret, a Cinemechanica Tower and an SRO Commander automation system. At that time, operation was combined with the Lake City Theater some 2.5 miles away. A projectionist was still on duty during operating hours but had a pager (pre cell phone days) and drove back and forth.
I noticed while driving to work this afternoon that the Oak Tree is undergoing a remodel. Only 3 titles are mentioned on the website and it would appear that 3 auditoriums are work areas. Large demolition dumpsters and a forklift parked outside the exit doors, construction fence around the front. Temporary entrance on the North side of the theater.
Sunflower: Much of my information came from Thomas Watters, Jr the Business Agent for IATSE Projectionists Local 154 for more than 30 years. Tommy passed away last Summer. He was also the Secretary for IATSE District One for many years and wrote a column in the IATSE District One Bulletin. All of these are available free online at: http://www.districtone.com/index.php. Click on the “History” Tab, you will find information on theaters in the Pacific Northwest going back as far as 1893. There do exist in the Offices of IATSE Local 15 in Seattle the minutes of IA Local 154 Projectionist Union meetings going back as far as 1908 when the Local was formed. Local 154 merged with Local 15 in 1999. One would have to make a request to look at the books. The books from the distant past that do not have any information concerning anyone still around might not be too much of an issue. Recent minutes are regarded as confidential information, available only to members.
They were not identical but very similar in design as were all GCC houses of that era. I believe that the architects were the Cambridge Seven Group out of Boston, MA.
markp: SIFF (Seattle Int'l. Film Festival) runs 3 year round venues, two single screen houses and a triplex and still they still have a good deal of both 35mm and digital work for us. I could work elsewhere as a stagehand and make more money but I started in movie theaters when I was 16 years old and it must be in my blood as I can’t seem to get away from it. I also work at the Seattle Art Museum (35 and digital) and at the Cinerama when film is run. Dunkirk in 70mm for two weeks later this month and a 3 week 70mm festival in September. As to stage work, I pretty much limit myself to work at the Seattle Center as a City employee.
Capitol Motion Picture Supply, NYC. I remember them well. I worked for GCC for about 15 years in Seattle. We never had any National Amusements houses here. I’m still lucky enough to be working in an IATSE Union booth (frequently running 35 or 70mm) most of the time, as a Union stagehand the rest.
amboyurbex: kudos on the pictures. And a question for markp: was this ever a GCC house? The fantastic pictures showing the Century projectors/soundheads, Christie consoles and platters, along with what I think is a Rank Cinemation Mark III and a Lehigh dimmer all makes me think of the older General Cinema booths.
We were using 6,000 foot reels at the time I worked there. Due to physical space limitations, the two of the three houses I presently work at can only use 2,000 foot reels. The Cinerama could handle 6,000’s but we don’t use them, it’s almost all 70mm there when film is run. We are having quite a lot of actual film presentations this Summer. More so than in past years, it seems that the moviegoing public will go out of their way and/or pay a higher price to see film rather than digital.
Is that a Rank Cinemation Mark III on the wall at the far right edge of the picture? I worked with these at the older GCC theaters in the Seattle area for quite some time. The most versatile and reliable automation system ever! The Christie/Century booth equipment and what I think might be a Lehigh dimmer makes this look like a GCC house.
Added two 1959 pictures of water main installation at the theater. Shots of both the front and rear of the screen. Up until 1954, this theater was outside the City Limits. As of January 4th of that year, the City Limits moved North from N. 85th Street to N. 145th Street.
The sign is in a coffee shop located on the ground floor of an office building that is diagonally across the intersection of 6th Avenue and Blanchard streets from the King was. The coffee shop is on the Northwest corner of the intersection, the King was on the Southeast corner.
DTS was one of several competing and non-compatible digital sound formats for 35mm film prints. In the case of DTS, SMPTE timecode (and a backup analog soundtrack) was printed on the film itself. The audio tracks were on the disc which was synced with the timecode on the film. System is still in use for a few very rare 70mm film presentations including the Seattle Cinerama where I work.
Hi Dennis. The King had the last carbon arc lamps in use in Seattle. They were Ashcraft Super Cinex lamps. Water cooled, 13.6mm positive and 11mm negative trim. A beautiful light came from those lamps. Even though the screen was not curved, it was very large and the picture from the Norelco DP 70’s was a really nice thing to see. I remember that the bean counters in the Home Office did not seem to understand that we were not Xenon. Each month a Monthly Xenon Report was sent to the theater. It was always filled out showing zero hours of use and no new lamps installed.
GCC built 4 similar buildings in the area in the mid – late 1980’s. Lincoln Plaza in Tacoma, Gateway in Federal Way, Kitsap Mall in Silverdale, and Renton Village in Renton. I was the opening projectionist for Kitsap and Renton Village. All except the Gateway were a bit hard to find. I can’t speak as to the rent but I know that 20+ year leases were common and GCC came to regret them.
As of June, there is a sign in front of the theater regarding “Change of Land Use” A 274 unit eight story apartment building is proposed. Sign says: “Existing Theater Building To Be Demolished” I was the opening projectionist for GCC when the “New” Renton Village opened in 1989. I had previously worked at the “Old” GCC Renton Village tri-plex that was on the same site.
Two recent (12/6/2017) booth photos added.
I’m happy that the audience turned out for the 70mm presentation of MOTOE. Not the case for Justice League in 70 at the Cinerama. Although, it’s been many years since I spent three weeks straight making changeovers in a manual 70mm booth it has been a lot of fun! It would be nice if we had more of an audience though.
I am curious at to what business was like for MOTOE in 70mm? I am one of two projectionists running Justice League in 70mm at the Cinerama in Seattle to very light crowds. Of course, it is playing on a dozen other screens in digital format. There was some talk that we might get MOTOE in 70mm for a week starting December 1 but that fell through. JL for one more week.
It is 20 blocks North of the Seattle City Limits. It is in the City of Shoreline. Shoreline did not incorporate as a City until 1995. The mailing address would have been Seattle until that time with the theater actually located in unincorporated King County. The Crest is one of a very few theaters I never worked at in the Seattle area. I did live a half block away with a couple of roommates while attending college around 1981 or 82. It was great to have a discount house so close.
Hi Dennis: I was on my way to work at the Embassy to relieve Doug Stewart in the booth at the time the bomb went off. I had a matinee shift at the King and was scheduled for the evening at the Embassy. I never made it to work that day. Police wouldn’t let me close. Doug said that the Brenkert BX 80 never missed a beat and continued to project XXX product after the explosion. Broke the port glass, however.
The Seavue was operated by Roger Forbes’s Playtime Theaters of Seattle. Playtime was a statewide circuit of XXX houses. As a very young projectionist with no seniority in the Projectionist’s Union, I worked for this company at a couple of their Seattle locations around 1980/81. A link to a newspaper article regarding a criminal case about illegal asbestos removal during the 1997 demolition: http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19981110&slug=2782753 And a link to an Enviromental Protection Agency press release: https://archive.epa.gov/epapages/newsroom_archive/newsreleases/54bdbdc969e120c5852570cb0075e135.html
Civilian Conservation Corps. A Federal Government program to provide jobs for unemployed workers during the depression of the 1930’s. The jobs were on public improvement projects throughout the country, often in remote areas. Work camps were built to house the workers. Entertainment, including movies was provided at the camps.
Link to color night time shot of the Colonial. Vertical neon of the Orpheum Theater can be seen at the far right:
https://sherrlock.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/westlake-then1.jpg
The film “Forever Amber” was released in 1947. It looks like the admission price was 50 cents at the Colonial.
Just something to add about the looks of the place. Almost 100% of lighting was neon. The picture posted does not do it justice. Swirls of neon starting outside the lobby and passing through small round holes in the floor to ceiling plate glass windows to continue their swirling pattern inside. Giant swirls of light green and soft white neon on the auditorium ceiling, hidden deep blue neon cove lights. Giant banks of autotransformer dimmers in the electrical room next to the projection booth for them. Until I worked here, I was unaware that neon could be operated on a dimmer circuit. Lighting for the huge marquee also 100% neon with the transformers next to the booth.
In the booth, when I first worked there were a pair of RCA (not Brenkert!) BX 100’s. The only ones I have ever seen. They were replaced about 1980 by a Century with a lens turret, a Cinemechanica Tower and an SRO Commander automation system. At that time, operation was combined with the Lake City Theater some 2.5 miles away. A projectionist was still on duty during operating hours but had a pager (pre cell phone days) and drove back and forth.
I noticed while driving to work this afternoon that the Oak Tree is undergoing a remodel. Only 3 titles are mentioned on the website and it would appear that 3 auditoriums are work areas. Large demolition dumpsters and a forklift parked outside the exit doors, construction fence around the front. Temporary entrance on the North side of the theater.
Sunflower: Much of my information came from Thomas Watters, Jr the Business Agent for IATSE Projectionists Local 154 for more than 30 years. Tommy passed away last Summer. He was also the Secretary for IATSE District One for many years and wrote a column in the IATSE District One Bulletin. All of these are available free online at: http://www.districtone.com/index.php. Click on the “History” Tab, you will find information on theaters in the Pacific Northwest going back as far as 1893. There do exist in the Offices of IATSE Local 15 in Seattle the minutes of IA Local 154 Projectionist Union meetings going back as far as 1908 when the Local was formed. Local 154 merged with Local 15 in 1999. One would have to make a request to look at the books. The books from the distant past that do not have any information concerning anyone still around might not be too much of an issue. Recent minutes are regarded as confidential information, available only to members.
They were not identical but very similar in design as were all GCC houses of that era. I believe that the architects were the Cambridge Seven Group out of Boston, MA.
markp: SIFF (Seattle Int'l. Film Festival) runs 3 year round venues, two single screen houses and a triplex and still they still have a good deal of both 35mm and digital work for us. I could work elsewhere as a stagehand and make more money but I started in movie theaters when I was 16 years old and it must be in my blood as I can’t seem to get away from it. I also work at the Seattle Art Museum (35 and digital) and at the Cinerama when film is run. Dunkirk in 70mm for two weeks later this month and a 3 week 70mm festival in September. As to stage work, I pretty much limit myself to work at the Seattle Center as a City employee.
Capitol Motion Picture Supply, NYC. I remember them well. I worked for GCC for about 15 years in Seattle. We never had any National Amusements houses here. I’m still lucky enough to be working in an IATSE Union booth (frequently running 35 or 70mm) most of the time, as a Union stagehand the rest.
amboyurbex: kudos on the pictures. And a question for markp: was this ever a GCC house? The fantastic pictures showing the Century projectors/soundheads, Christie consoles and platters, along with what I think is a Rank Cinemation Mark III and a Lehigh dimmer all makes me think of the older General Cinema booths.
We were using 6,000 foot reels at the time I worked there. Due to physical space limitations, the two of the three houses I presently work at can only use 2,000 foot reels. The Cinerama could handle 6,000’s but we don’t use them, it’s almost all 70mm there when film is run. We are having quite a lot of actual film presentations this Summer. More so than in past years, it seems that the moviegoing public will go out of their way and/or pay a higher price to see film rather than digital.
Is that a Rank Cinemation Mark III on the wall at the far right edge of the picture? I worked with these at the older GCC theaters in the Seattle area for quite some time. The most versatile and reliable automation system ever! The Christie/Century booth equipment and what I think might be a Lehigh dimmer makes this look like a GCC house.
Ahhh… The days when one could smoke in the booth.
Added two 1959 pictures of water main installation at the theater. Shots of both the front and rear of the screen. Up until 1954, this theater was outside the City Limits. As of January 4th of that year, the City Limits moved North from N. 85th Street to N. 145th Street.
The sign is in a coffee shop located on the ground floor of an office building that is diagonally across the intersection of 6th Avenue and Blanchard streets from the King was. The coffee shop is on the Northwest corner of the intersection, the King was on the Southeast corner.
DTS was one of several competing and non-compatible digital sound formats for 35mm film prints. In the case of DTS, SMPTE timecode (and a backup analog soundtrack) was printed on the film itself. The audio tracks were on the disc which was synced with the timecode on the film. System is still in use for a few very rare 70mm film presentations including the Seattle Cinerama where I work.
Hi Dennis. The King had the last carbon arc lamps in use in Seattle. They were Ashcraft Super Cinex lamps. Water cooled, 13.6mm positive and 11mm negative trim. A beautiful light came from those lamps. Even though the screen was not curved, it was very large and the picture from the Norelco DP 70’s was a really nice thing to see. I remember that the bean counters in the Home Office did not seem to understand that we were not Xenon. Each month a Monthly Xenon Report was sent to the theater. It was always filled out showing zero hours of use and no new lamps installed.
GCC built 4 similar buildings in the area in the mid – late 1980’s. Lincoln Plaza in Tacoma, Gateway in Federal Way, Kitsap Mall in Silverdale, and Renton Village in Renton. I was the opening projectionist for Kitsap and Renton Village. All except the Gateway were a bit hard to find. I can’t speak as to the rent but I know that 20+ year leases were common and GCC came to regret them.
This theater did not have stadium seating. There are none of the older style (William Reisman design) GCC houses remaining in Washington State.
As of June, there is a sign in front of the theater regarding “Change of Land Use” A 274 unit eight story apartment building is proposed. Sign says: “Existing Theater Building To Be Demolished” I was the opening projectionist for GCC when the “New” Renton Village opened in 1989. I had previously worked at the “Old” GCC Renton Village tri-plex that was on the same site.