Way Back When – (1987) I was a film student out of work and in debt. I got a job at the cinedome because I needed a job fast and thought hey! Free movies! I quickly made friends with the assistant managers running the movies and got promoted to “assistiant manager” ( glorified non-union projectionist ). I ran the movies because almost nobody else wanted to, and the union projectionists had been locked out years ago. I learned movie projection there THE HARD WAY, the equipment was poorly maintained and films were often breaking, burning, center wrapping, scratching, you name it. Myself and maybe three or four other people who worked there at the time actually gave a damn about the film presentation, the rest just ran the snack bar and counted the box & video game money.
Stiky floors? yes.
Rats? Yes.
(though to this day I have yet to work in a movie theatre that did not have SOME level of rodent problem at one time or another)
Iffy film presentation? Yes.
Best Moments – ReRelease of Lawrence of Arabia – Myself and others Really took care of that print. – U2 rattle & Hum in the big dome = Rockin Party!
Broomball.
Girfriends in the projection booth.
Getting Drunk on top of the domes watching fireworks on the 4th of july.
Roger Rabbit.
Tango & Cash ( Stallone Movie ) in the big dome and the curtain motor broke, I had to step out into the audience with the chain around my arm, with every few feet I pulled, the curtain opened a little more – the mostly male audience was chanting – PULL! PULL!
Any of the many 3am “friend” screenings.
Worst moment – Riot after the movie “The Doors” broke ( though I had transfered to the Stadium drive in by that time).
Any movie sliding off the platters, it happened often.
Switching theatres was generally tolerated. Sneaking in was not. We had buzzers in the lobby that went off when exit doors were opened, it was a macho thing to catch sneakers.
I saw Return of the Jedi on opening day when I was 15 in Dome #1. the far left speaker distorted like mad, three years later when I started to work there the problem was still there.
I was told that the wood beams that held up the domes were termite ridden.
Eventually I transferred to the Stadium drive in ( Politics! ) and then I became a union projectionist and worked at Various Edwards Cinemas.
I have some fond memories of the place, & some bad.
It WAS a nice theatre, in its later years it really got neglected. Too Bad captain Blood couldnt buy it, he probably would have fixed it.
Way Back When – (1987) I was a film student out of work and in debt. I got a job at the cinedome because I needed a job fast and thought hey! Free movies! I quickly made friends with the assistant managers running the movies and got promoted to “assistiant manager” ( glorified non-union projectionist ). I ran the movies because almost nobody else wanted to, and the union projectionists had been locked out years ago. I learned movie projection there THE HARD WAY, the equipment was poorly maintained and films were often breaking, burning, center wrapping, scratching, you name it. Myself and maybe three or four other people who worked there at the time actually gave a damn about the film presentation, the rest just ran the snack bar and counted the box & video game money.
Stiky floors? yes.
Rats? Yes.
(though to this day I have yet to work in a movie theatre that did not have SOME level of rodent problem at one time or another)
Iffy film presentation? Yes.
Best Moments – ReRelease of Lawrence of Arabia – Myself and others Really took care of that print. – U2 rattle & Hum in the big dome = Rockin Party!
Broomball.
Girfriends in the projection booth.
Getting Drunk on top of the domes watching fireworks on the 4th of july.
Roger Rabbit.
Tango & Cash ( Stallone Movie ) in the big dome and the curtain motor broke, I had to step out into the audience with the chain around my arm, with every few feet I pulled, the curtain opened a little more – the mostly male audience was chanting – PULL! PULL!
Any of the many 3am “friend” screenings.
Worst moment – Riot after the movie “The Doors” broke ( though I had transfered to the Stadium drive in by that time).
Any movie sliding off the platters, it happened often.
Switching theatres was generally tolerated. Sneaking in was not. We had buzzers in the lobby that went off when exit doors were opened, it was a macho thing to catch sneakers.
I saw Return of the Jedi on opening day when I was 15 in Dome #1. the far left speaker distorted like mad, three years later when I started to work there the problem was still there.
I was told that the wood beams that held up the domes were termite ridden.
Eventually I transferred to the Stadium drive in ( Politics! ) and then I became a union projectionist and worked at Various Edwards Cinemas.
I have some fond memories of the place, & some bad.
It WAS a nice theatre, in its later years it really got neglected. Too Bad captain Blood couldnt buy it, he probably would have fixed it.
Paul Carroll
SAVE THE FOX FULLERTON!