Technicolor is working on a film 3-D system for theatres not wanting to spend the $$$ on new digital equipment. All the cinemas that have spent big bucks for Digital 3-D in the last year needed to wait. The Image Iam told is just as good 3-D wise as the digital. The public can’t tell the diference as long as they have the 3-D glasses. True Imax 3-D will always look way better. Now Regal in Oakland CA and Santa Cruz can install and save money with the new Technicolor system. Regal can charge more for the glasses and save on the projector cost. Both of these towns are way behind on digital instalations much less on any other movie advances. I like the film look in a movie theatre. The big studios just want to save print and shiping cost on 35mm film. If they want Video in a movie cinema let them pay for the new Digital Projectors, not the movie theatre owners. I don’t think 3-D will last in the movie world, when It hits TV in the USA next year It will have worn It’s welcome. Lets get the studios to bring back showmanship with huge 70mm film on a large curved screen with curtains. The little screens that many multiplex’s now have are tired. Has anyone seen the new XD screens that Cinemark has in a few cities? How big are they? Some have 3-D. Iam going to see Avatar 3-D soon on one of these giant screens.
It’s sad that Regal Theatres has Avatar booked in reg 2-D In their big multiplex theatres in Santa Cruz & Oakland CA. Another movie theatre does have a booking in 3-D the Grand Lake in Oakland not far from the Regal Jack London Sq in Oakland, they will get the business on this film in Oakland CA. Same in the Santa Cruz CA area, most film lovers will go to Monterey CA and see the film as It was meant to be shown like in 3-D at the Cinemark Monterey CA or go to San Jose CA Every time I go to the box office of the Regal 9 in downtown Santa Cruz CA. I ask the Reegal 9 dim boxoffice people about 3-D coming to Santa Cruz they give me the worst info. They say It’s a corporate thing ??? Regal won’t get my business in these two cities nor most of the people in this big college coast town of Santa Cruz.
Someone needs to start up Fox West Coast Theatres again and bring in stage shows at the Chinese with the movies like Disney is doing across the street. The place went down when they got rid of the neon dragons out front! The theatre is so dark and cold out front. Mann needs to add some color lights to the front. If they can’t get good first run films then book some 70mm classics and open up the big curved screen to it’s full width. Have some movie stars that are still around for the showing. Let’s get Doris Day to fly down and show Pillow Talk! or Kim Novak with a new 70mm print of Vertigo! The tourists will come in the doors not just stand out front and take photos. Lets get some SHOWMANSHIP back at the Fox Graumans Chinese Hollywood. The Place To Go!
Someone needs to start up Fox West Coast Theatres again and bring in stage shows at the Chinese with the movies like Disney is doing across the street. The place went down when they got rid of the neon dragons out front! The theatre is so dark and cold out front. Mann needs to add some color lights to the front. If they can’t get good first run films then book some 70mm classics and open up the big curved screen to it’s full width. Have some movie stars that are still around for the showing. Let’s get Doris Day to fly down and show Pillow Talk! or Kim Novak with a new 70mm print of Vertigo! The tourists will come in the doors not just stand out front and take photos. Lets get some SHOWMANSHIP back at the Fox Graumans Chinese Hollywood. The Place To Go!
Thanks again Mike for having my home town ‘San Francisco’ on the Cinerama list this week. The Cinerama screen at Orpheum was one of the largest for Cinerama. I remember seeing all the films you have listed as a kid. As a young person I wondered how the three projectors had three different lights and they didn’t get mixed up with the picture when they criss crossed in the middle of the theatre. The whole theatre was painted Cinerama pink. The curtains had a light grey look with pink/red lights on them. Every time I go into the Orpheum today I think of the huge presentation this was at the SF Orpheum. The 70mm Super Cinerama screen put in down the street at the RKO or Beacon Golden Gate was a major disappointment. They did a cheap job and just put in a small curved screen on the back of the large stage. Flat curtains were used. When you first went into the Golden Gate it looked like any other theatre with curtains on the stage till they opened them up then you saw a curved screen. The huge Cinerama curved screen at the Orpheum curved into the audience and extra drape around the whole front sides of the orchestra seats.
I hope the new people running the Fox Warfield will not only fix up the inside but the outside also. I was by the front a week ago and the old plastic marquee was still painted dusty brown with pigeon mess all around it. If they put in new dark blue rugs how about repainting the front a shade of blue and get rid of the old brown. We hope the new renters at the Fox Warfield have good security at night as that part of Market St is very rough at night still. It’s to bad my THS friend ‘Fred Beall’ has passed on last week. He had many photos/slides in his collection of The ‘Warfield’ and had many stories to tell of all the grand SF Market St movie palaces. Goodbye ‘Fred’ I will miss you and our many movie theatre photo shoots.
Hi**The downstairs theater at the California is the same size as it was before in the 50’s. They only twined the balcony into two small cinemas. They put in a smaller flat screen and moved it up a little. The curtains are still on the sides but they don’t work,the motor is broke. Landmark does have curtains that work across the street at another cinema they run. They have them only because the original owner had put them in. Every time I go to the Landmark Albany or the California I always tell them If you can’t fix your curtains then at least put some blue, green or red lights on the boring white screen. I watch people come in 20 minutes before the film starts and look at a white screen. Sometimes music will be playing or you may be lucky to see video adds run with the house lights up to wash all the add image off the screen. How nice If the California got the motor fixed and put in some blue lights on the curtain like the old days. Some projection managers at Landmark don’t even know the proper way to work the curtains they do have. Some theatres will open the drapes to a dark white screen then wait and start the film. I think the best way is to start the film then open the curtains so you have the film showing on the drapes as they part to the screen. Same at the end close them on the last 10 seconds while the credits are still on the screen. This can be done with the auto tabs moved up a little.
Mr Hertz was Mr Showmanship for Fox West Coast Thaeters. I met him when he came up for a true sneak preview at the Paramount Thaetre in Oakland Ca. The Fox West Coast managers like Robert Apple from the Paramount Theater and Jack McDougal from the Fox Oakland always had the highest regard for William Hertz. The managers and companies that run the multiplex junk today don’t have a clue about what Fox West Coast taught their managers thanks to Mr Hertz. Showmanship is now in the heavens with William Hertz Fox West Coast Theatres a National General Corporation.
Larry***I think the old Fox West Coast managers that ran this once grand small movie palace would be very upset at the current condition that the California Theater is in now in 2008. Like I have said in a past note Landmark is not going to spend a penny on theatres they just lease that they don’t own. How nice If someone came in like ‘Sundance’ and put in a large curved Cinemascope screen with curtains that was once in the downstairs part of the theater. At least with all the people that have complained in the last three weeks and lost business Landmark Theaters is now back to advertising in the Cronicle again starting this past Friday with the times of all their theaters in the SF Bay Area. Thanks to true theatre managers like the Fox West Coast/NGT team at least some of us got to see true showmanship at the once grand California Theatre.
Mike**Thanks for the ‘Cinerama’ info. Do you know in 1973 when the Ziegfeld Theatre played the 70mm print of ‘This Is Cinerama’ did they put in a curved screen for this 70mm run? Did anyone see It at the Ziegfeld? At least when it played at the Cinerama Dome that year It was shown on a curved screen without the three projectors. It then played in 70mm flat I believe at the Fox Wilshire Beverly Hills CA. Lets get some rich company to restore all the Cinerama prints blow up each pannel from 35mm to 70mm and run three giant 70mm projectors at once on the largest curved screen in the world!
Does anyone know if The Paris has 70mm projectors? Seems I remember a classic 70mm film playing some time ago. How nice they have curtains that work and they use them. How is the stereo sound system do they have surrounds? Are color lights used on the curtain?
United Artist was the worst chain ever! Now Regal has the UA mini plexes to have under there non showmanship wing. They both turn so many movie fans off. Go up high in a UA house and look at the years of dust on top of the surround speakers. Since Cinemark has taken over most Syufy ‘Century’ Theatres things have gotten worse at ‘Century’. At the semi new plex at Powell & Market Sts in downtown SF they have the bright work lights on when you watch the video adds before the film! The glare on your eyes is to much. I guess its good because the video pre show adds are all washed out. You can’t watch them because of the bright overhead vapor lights! It will be a miricle if UA/Regal keeps the D-150 screen. Don’t be surprised if they turn the lage curved screen Continental Theatre into 3 tini cinemas with small flat screens. It’s not just the sea ting they will change. It does not take two months to put in stadium seats. UA/Regal are in the real estate business not film presentation in this day and age. Go look at the empty lot in Seattle Wa where the UA D-150 curved screen Dome Theatre once stood. They may be building on the property now.
Will the new digital video DLP version be as crisp and clear as the 70mm roadshow film? The split surround speakers at The El Capitan Theatre Hollywood CA are never turned up to hear them If you have a seat in the middle or up in the big center balcony. I hope the Disney people do a new 70mm transfer to DVD and Dolby Digital®. The 70mm print played at the ‘Coronet Theatre’ in San Francisco when It was released many years ago. Now the Coronet is gone but the 70mm print is coming back on video.
I hope they will show some movies from time to time with the regular school music and plays. If they do show some prints they will have the largest wide screen in town. Does someone have some good 35mm projectors for them or do you think they still have them in the old booth?
The best thing about this theatre is the neon marquee with the neon rose. I hope they kept the history info about this cinema still up in the front. Next time I visit Portland I’ll check out the Roseway Theatre.
The ‘Forman’ brothers at Pacific Theatres need to bring the Todd-AO festival to the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood. Many classsic 70mm prints are now ready. They may not have two 70mm projector change over. As most studios will only show 70mm If it’s not used on a platter. Forget having It at the ‘Egyptian’ Hollywood as their screen is a small flat one and they have no curtains for a proper ‘Roadshow’ presentation. If the Dome in Hollywood won’t do It they can run the Todd-AO/70mm festival up in Seattle WA at the Cinerama Theatre.
Most of the theatres that have this advertising before the film starts in most of the theatres I have been to keep the ceiling lights on during the video ads. Some cinemas even have a row of lights over the screen top and the image of the ads is all washed out. I can’t believe companies that pay to advertise with these advertising theatre guys need to check out the bad image in many theatre chains around the USA. Many of the bulbs in the video projectors are way low and old/worn ready to go out plus mixed with the bad angle as most pre show projectors are not in the center port spot in the booth but off to the side. When you see tilted letters this is the problem. It is very easy to put lower watt bulbs in the ceiling above the screen or turn them off in the first row only and dim the house lights. Most movie people I know don’t even watch the ads. Some commercials can be very entertaining but they are very seldom used in the pre show line up. A theatre I went to last week in downtown San Francisco had the worst light level for the pre show ads. They even had the work lights on during the commercials. The bulb in the video ad projector was at about 10% level. I complained to the manager and she told me the bulb was bad and ready to go. (How about just turning it off and put in a new bulb) The overhead lights in the theatre while the pre show was on had the bright level up as people had newspapers out reading them and not watching the boring pre show ads. At least If your home you can watch commercials in the dark by turning down your house lights.
If you ever go to the Stanford Theatre get in the doors early for the organ pre show and two sets of curtains opening. Very few movie theatres today have curtains and the Stanford has two different types. One goes up the other parts. Check out the blue/purple lights up in the ceiling. This is a classic place to go if your in the Palo Alto area near San Francisco CA.
Does anyone have any photos of the Boyd in It’s Cinerama days? It’s so hard to find photos of the inside of theatres that had the big curved Cinerama screen. Good luck to all the people that have stayed with the ‘Boyd’ over the years. I remember going to Philly as a young kid and going to the ‘Randolph Theatre’. This place had the largest Todd-AO screen ever with ‘Cleopatra’ running to a empty crowd. Now I think It has been torn down for many years. It’s time for Regal, Cinemark, Landmark Theatres or the Disney people to get involved with the ‘Boyd’ and turn this old movie palace back into a first run movie theatre only this time with other entertainment pleasures not just movies. ‘Music Food Drinks and Movies!’ Let’s bring the Magic back to the Boyd Theatre. Make this the East Coast destination for Showmanship and Presentation. The curtains will rise again in downtown Philly!
This sounds like a good tour. To bad i am in californis. my friend Richard will be going this Sat. No one has any photos of the Oriental Theatre in Detroit. Once called the RKO Downtown. Rich is looking with interest to at least seeing what is left of the lobby. Even in MH’s great ‘Detroit Theatre Book’ no photos come up for the Oriental. I guess they went with the bulldozer in the early 70’s. How lucky people will be on this special Saturday tour and to hear the organ at the ‘Fox Detroit’ and a box lunch. If your in the Detroit area make it a date this Sat Aug 9 to see what is left in the MotorCity. Someday they may be able to go into the long closed ‘United Artists Theatre’ and see the torn out mess inside of what was once a great movie palace. Park your car in the once former ‘Michigan Theatre’. This place is a real trip to see and I think is on the tour. Have fun this Saturday!
Thanks Jodar**To bad they can’t add another 50ft and put a slight curve on it. Many studios have come out with new restored 70mm prints in the last year. I wonder if the ‘Silver’ has five speakers behind the scrren for full 6 track stereo with surrounds? With only 40ft the sound may not have much separation. In small 70mm theatres I have gone to and watched 70mm in the past some theatres have put the far left and far right stage speakers way up to the side away from the screen hidden, this gives a full wide sound look and feel when they don’t have the room behind the screen. Many theatres today don’t have the 5 speakers but they still do show 70mm from time to time. I often wonder what happens to the missing two channels of sound. I had a school friend who was a theatre sound nut. One time many years ago when no one was in the theatre before the film started he found his way backstage and moved the 3 stereo Altec speakers as the old owner had them 5 inches from each one in the center of the screen behind a 70ft semi curved screen with bad masking. This friend moved the right speaker way over to the right and the left speaker way over to the left behind the screen. They had wheels on them and had giant cones. This made a big change in how the stereo came across the stage speakers. This was in the early 70’s. We went back to the same theatre last year (now with Dolby Digital and air conditioned) and the same dusty Altec stage speakers had not been moved, they still gave off a great sound and kick ass base with the added distance. My friend was lucky the speakers had enough wire and he was not caught almost 40 years ago! His foot tracks were probably still on the dirty stage floor from that hot Saturday many years ago. The single screen cinema was in a big downtown theatre in a California valley town and is still open today. I think It did close late in the 80’s for some time.
Technicolor is working on a film 3-D system for theatres not wanting to spend the $$$ on new digital equipment. All the cinemas that have spent big bucks for Digital 3-D in the last year needed to wait. The Image Iam told is just as good 3-D wise as the digital. The public can’t tell the diference as long as they have the 3-D glasses. True Imax 3-D will always look way better. Now Regal in Oakland CA and Santa Cruz can install and save money with the new Technicolor system. Regal can charge more for the glasses and save on the projector cost. Both of these towns are way behind on digital instalations much less on any other movie advances. I like the film look in a movie theatre. The big studios just want to save print and shiping cost on 35mm film. If they want Video in a movie cinema let them pay for the new Digital Projectors, not the movie theatre owners. I don’t think 3-D will last in the movie world, when It hits TV in the USA next year It will have worn It’s welcome. Lets get the studios to bring back showmanship with huge 70mm film on a large curved screen with curtains. The little screens that many multiplex’s now have are tired. Has anyone seen the new XD screens that Cinemark has in a few cities? How big are they? Some have 3-D. Iam going to see Avatar 3-D soon on one of these giant screens.
It’s sad that Regal Theatres has Avatar booked in reg 2-D In their big multiplex theatres in Santa Cruz & Oakland CA. Another movie theatre does have a booking in 3-D the Grand Lake in Oakland not far from the Regal Jack London Sq in Oakland, they will get the business on this film in Oakland CA. Same in the Santa Cruz CA area, most film lovers will go to Monterey CA and see the film as It was meant to be shown like in 3-D at the Cinemark Monterey CA or go to San Jose CA Every time I go to the box office of the Regal 9 in downtown Santa Cruz CA. I ask the Reegal 9 dim boxoffice people about 3-D coming to Santa Cruz they give me the worst info. They say It’s a corporate thing ??? Regal won’t get my business in these two cities nor most of the people in this big college coast town of Santa Cruz.
Does anyone know if this GIANT screen is curved or flat. I hope they have curtains.
I think the Tower put in the D-150 curved screen
Someone needs to start up Fox West Coast Theatres again and bring in stage shows at the Chinese with the movies like Disney is doing across the street. The place went down when they got rid of the neon dragons out front! The theatre is so dark and cold out front. Mann needs to add some color lights to the front. If they can’t get good first run films then book some 70mm classics and open up the big curved screen to it’s full width. Have some movie stars that are still around for the showing. Let’s get Doris Day to fly down and show Pillow Talk! or Kim Novak with a new 70mm print of Vertigo! The tourists will come in the doors not just stand out front and take photos. Lets get some SHOWMANSHIP back at the Fox Graumans Chinese Hollywood. The Place To Go!
Someone needs to start up Fox West Coast Theatres again and bring in stage shows at the Chinese with the movies like Disney is doing across the street. The place went down when they got rid of the neon dragons out front! The theatre is so dark and cold out front. Mann needs to add some color lights to the front. If they can’t get good first run films then book some 70mm classics and open up the big curved screen to it’s full width. Have some movie stars that are still around for the showing. Let’s get Doris Day to fly down and show Pillow Talk! or Kim Novak with a new 70mm print of Vertigo! The tourists will come in the doors not just stand out front and take photos. Lets get some SHOWMANSHIP back at the Fox Graumans Chinese Hollywood. The Place To Go!
Thanks again Mike for having my home town ‘San Francisco’ on the Cinerama list this week. The Cinerama screen at Orpheum was one of the largest for Cinerama. I remember seeing all the films you have listed as a kid. As a young person I wondered how the three projectors had three different lights and they didn’t get mixed up with the picture when they criss crossed in the middle of the theatre. The whole theatre was painted Cinerama pink. The curtains had a light grey look with pink/red lights on them. Every time I go into the Orpheum today I think of the huge presentation this was at the SF Orpheum. The 70mm Super Cinerama screen put in down the street at the RKO or Beacon Golden Gate was a major disappointment. They did a cheap job and just put in a small curved screen on the back of the large stage. Flat curtains were used. When you first went into the Golden Gate it looked like any other theatre with curtains on the stage till they opened them up then you saw a curved screen. The huge Cinerama curved screen at the Orpheum curved into the audience and extra drape around the whole front sides of the orchestra seats.
I hope the new people running the Fox Warfield will not only fix up the inside but the outside also. I was by the front a week ago and the old plastic marquee was still painted dusty brown with pigeon mess all around it. If they put in new dark blue rugs how about repainting the front a shade of blue and get rid of the old brown. We hope the new renters at the Fox Warfield have good security at night as that part of Market St is very rough at night still. It’s to bad my THS friend ‘Fred Beall’ has passed on last week. He had many photos/slides in his collection of The ‘Warfield’ and had many stories to tell of all the grand SF Market St movie palaces. Goodbye ‘Fred’ I will miss you and our many movie theatre photo shoots.
Thanks again Mike for the Cinerama info. Will you be doing LA/Hollywood or San Francisco CA in the future? I hope so!
Hi**The downstairs theater at the California is the same size as it was before in the 50’s. They only twined the balcony into two small cinemas. They put in a smaller flat screen and moved it up a little. The curtains are still on the sides but they don’t work,the motor is broke. Landmark does have curtains that work across the street at another cinema they run. They have them only because the original owner had put them in. Every time I go to the Landmark Albany or the California I always tell them If you can’t fix your curtains then at least put some blue, green or red lights on the boring white screen. I watch people come in 20 minutes before the film starts and look at a white screen. Sometimes music will be playing or you may be lucky to see video adds run with the house lights up to wash all the add image off the screen. How nice If the California got the motor fixed and put in some blue lights on the curtain like the old days. Some projection managers at Landmark don’t even know the proper way to work the curtains they do have. Some theatres will open the drapes to a dark white screen then wait and start the film. I think the best way is to start the film then open the curtains so you have the film showing on the drapes as they part to the screen. Same at the end close them on the last 10 seconds while the credits are still on the screen. This can be done with the auto tabs moved up a little.
Mr Hertz was Mr Showmanship for Fox West Coast Thaeters. I met him when he came up for a true sneak preview at the Paramount Thaetre in Oakland Ca. The Fox West Coast managers like Robert Apple from the Paramount Theater and Jack McDougal from the Fox Oakland always had the highest regard for William Hertz. The managers and companies that run the multiplex junk today don’t have a clue about what Fox West Coast taught their managers thanks to Mr Hertz. Showmanship is now in the heavens with William Hertz Fox West Coast Theatres a National General Corporation.
Larry***I think the old Fox West Coast managers that ran this once grand small movie palace would be very upset at the current condition that the California Theater is in now in 2008. Like I have said in a past note Landmark is not going to spend a penny on theatres they just lease that they don’t own. How nice If someone came in like ‘Sundance’ and put in a large curved Cinemascope screen with curtains that was once in the downstairs part of the theater. At least with all the people that have complained in the last three weeks and lost business Landmark Theaters is now back to advertising in the Cronicle again starting this past Friday with the times of all their theaters in the SF Bay Area. Thanks to true theatre managers like the Fox West Coast/NGT team at least some of us got to see true showmanship at the once grand California Theatre.
Mike**Thanks for the ‘Cinerama’ info. Do you know in 1973 when the Ziegfeld Theatre played the 70mm print of ‘This Is Cinerama’ did they put in a curved screen for this 70mm run? Did anyone see It at the Ziegfeld? At least when it played at the Cinerama Dome that year It was shown on a curved screen without the three projectors. It then played in 70mm flat I believe at the Fox Wilshire Beverly Hills CA. Lets get some rich company to restore all the Cinerama prints blow up each pannel from 35mm to 70mm and run three giant 70mm projectors at once on the largest curved screen in the world!
Does anyone know if The Paris has 70mm projectors? Seems I remember a classic 70mm film playing some time ago. How nice they have curtains that work and they use them. How is the stereo sound system do they have surrounds? Are color lights used on the curtain?
United Artist was the worst chain ever! Now Regal has the UA mini plexes to have under there non showmanship wing. They both turn so many movie fans off. Go up high in a UA house and look at the years of dust on top of the surround speakers. Since Cinemark has taken over most Syufy ‘Century’ Theatres things have gotten worse at ‘Century’. At the semi new plex at Powell & Market Sts in downtown SF they have the bright work lights on when you watch the video adds before the film! The glare on your eyes is to much. I guess its good because the video pre show adds are all washed out. You can’t watch them because of the bright overhead vapor lights! It will be a miricle if UA/Regal keeps the D-150 screen. Don’t be surprised if they turn the lage curved screen Continental Theatre into 3 tini cinemas with small flat screens. It’s not just the sea ting they will change. It does not take two months to put in stadium seats. UA/Regal are in the real estate business not film presentation in this day and age. Go look at the empty lot in Seattle Wa where the UA D-150 curved screen Dome Theatre once stood. They may be building on the property now.
I hope they don’t take out the large curved D-150 screen like they have in all the other theatres they got from UA.
Will the new digital video DLP version be as crisp and clear as the 70mm roadshow film? The split surround speakers at The El Capitan Theatre Hollywood CA are never turned up to hear them If you have a seat in the middle or up in the big center balcony. I hope the Disney people do a new 70mm transfer to DVD and Dolby Digital®. The 70mm print played at the ‘Coronet Theatre’ in San Francisco when It was released many years ago. Now the Coronet is gone but the 70mm print is coming back on video.
I hope they will show some movies from time to time with the regular school music and plays. If they do show some prints they will have the largest wide screen in town. Does someone have some good 35mm projectors for them or do you think they still have them in the old booth?
The best thing about this theatre is the neon marquee with the neon rose. I hope they kept the history info about this cinema still up in the front. Next time I visit Portland I’ll check out the Roseway Theatre.
The ‘Forman’ brothers at Pacific Theatres need to bring the Todd-AO festival to the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood. Many classsic 70mm prints are now ready. They may not have two 70mm projector change over. As most studios will only show 70mm If it’s not used on a platter. Forget having It at the ‘Egyptian’ Hollywood as their screen is a small flat one and they have no curtains for a proper ‘Roadshow’ presentation. If the Dome in Hollywood won’t do It they can run the Todd-AO/70mm festival up in Seattle WA at the Cinerama Theatre.
Most of the theatres that have this advertising before the film starts in most of the theatres I have been to keep the ceiling lights on during the video ads. Some cinemas even have a row of lights over the screen top and the image of the ads is all washed out. I can’t believe companies that pay to advertise with these advertising theatre guys need to check out the bad image in many theatre chains around the USA. Many of the bulbs in the video projectors are way low and old/worn ready to go out plus mixed with the bad angle as most pre show projectors are not in the center port spot in the booth but off to the side. When you see tilted letters this is the problem. It is very easy to put lower watt bulbs in the ceiling above the screen or turn them off in the first row only and dim the house lights. Most movie people I know don’t even watch the ads. Some commercials can be very entertaining but they are very seldom used in the pre show line up. A theatre I went to last week in downtown San Francisco had the worst light level for the pre show ads. They even had the work lights on during the commercials. The bulb in the video ad projector was at about 10% level. I complained to the manager and she told me the bulb was bad and ready to go. (How about just turning it off and put in a new bulb) The overhead lights in the theatre while the pre show was on had the bright level up as people had newspapers out reading them and not watching the boring pre show ads. At least If your home you can watch commercials in the dark by turning down your house lights.
If you ever go to the Stanford Theatre get in the doors early for the organ pre show and two sets of curtains opening. Very few movie theatres today have curtains and the Stanford has two different types. One goes up the other parts. Check out the blue/purple lights up in the ceiling. This is a classic place to go if your in the Palo Alto area near San Francisco CA.
Does anyone have any photos of the Boyd in It’s Cinerama days? It’s so hard to find photos of the inside of theatres that had the big curved Cinerama screen. Good luck to all the people that have stayed with the ‘Boyd’ over the years. I remember going to Philly as a young kid and going to the ‘Randolph Theatre’. This place had the largest Todd-AO screen ever with ‘Cleopatra’ running to a empty crowd. Now I think It has been torn down for many years. It’s time for Regal, Cinemark, Landmark Theatres or the Disney people to get involved with the ‘Boyd’ and turn this old movie palace back into a first run movie theatre only this time with other entertainment pleasures not just movies. ‘Music Food Drinks and Movies!’ Let’s bring the Magic back to the Boyd Theatre. Make this the East Coast destination for Showmanship and Presentation. The curtains will rise again in downtown Philly!
This sounds like a good tour. To bad i am in californis. my friend Richard will be going this Sat. No one has any photos of the Oriental Theatre in Detroit. Once called the RKO Downtown. Rich is looking with interest to at least seeing what is left of the lobby. Even in MH’s great ‘Detroit Theatre Book’ no photos come up for the Oriental. I guess they went with the bulldozer in the early 70’s. How lucky people will be on this special Saturday tour and to hear the organ at the ‘Fox Detroit’ and a box lunch. If your in the Detroit area make it a date this Sat Aug 9 to see what is left in the MotorCity. Someday they may be able to go into the long closed ‘United Artists Theatre’ and see the torn out mess inside of what was once a great movie palace. Park your car in the once former ‘Michigan Theatre’. This place is a real trip to see and I think is on the tour. Have fun this Saturday!
Thanks Jodar**To bad they can’t add another 50ft and put a slight curve on it. Many studios have come out with new restored 70mm prints in the last year. I wonder if the ‘Silver’ has five speakers behind the scrren for full 6 track stereo with surrounds? With only 40ft the sound may not have much separation. In small 70mm theatres I have gone to and watched 70mm in the past some theatres have put the far left and far right stage speakers way up to the side away from the screen hidden, this gives a full wide sound look and feel when they don’t have the room behind the screen. Many theatres today don’t have the 5 speakers but they still do show 70mm from time to time. I often wonder what happens to the missing two channels of sound. I had a school friend who was a theatre sound nut. One time many years ago when no one was in the theatre before the film started he found his way backstage and moved the 3 stereo Altec speakers as the old owner had them 5 inches from each one in the center of the screen behind a 70ft semi curved screen with bad masking. This friend moved the right speaker way over to the right and the left speaker way over to the left behind the screen. They had wheels on them and had giant cones. This made a big change in how the stereo came across the stage speakers. This was in the early 70’s. We went back to the same theatre last year (now with Dolby Digital and air conditioned) and the same dusty Altec stage speakers had not been moved, they still gave off a great sound and kick ass base with the added distance. My friend was lucky the speakers had enough wire and he was not caught almost 40 years ago! His foot tracks were probably still on the dirty stage floor from that hot Saturday many years ago. The single screen cinema was in a big downtown theatre in a California valley town and is still open today. I think It did close late in the 80’s for some time.