Which job would you take if this were the 1930s through the 1950s:

I started as a projectionist in 1956 on projectors that were made in the 30`s and 40`s, what a great learning tool they were. I learned real quick how to use rubber bands & toothpicks, and toothbrushes, to keep the movie running.
Dave Grau (Mungo)
Norelco

Janitor gets their own key and mostly unlimited access.

Yes but the janitors are always the ones who "got into trouble with the law!" Projectionists come and go and get their own bathroom and smoking area. I would prefer to own the theatre... I wonder why that wasn't a choice...

Folks:

I picked Usher, since I worked as a movie usher in the 60's. Why wasn't theatre owner or manager a choice???? This period would have been a great time to work in a movie theatre.

Andy P

I picked projectionist because the projection work that I did prob pales in comparison to what they had to put up with. I would have loved to work an old switch over system. Plus, it would have been neat to run news reels in front of the films v/s the 15 mins of ads I had to play.

i would have loved to have been a projectionist dealing with all the different formats in this period, i worked as a projectionist in the eighties on platter system christie, phillips and victoria 8's, i also did some work in a screening room on reel to reel projectors that was a lot of fun trying to time the reel end dots with the switch-over to the other projector, i really wasnt good at it.
maintaining xenon lamps is tricky so i cant even begin to imagine what carbon arcs are like to operate.

Woody, Carbons were not to bad to keep running. The only thing you had to remember was to check them after each reel, i:e trim the lamp. Positives ran about 4to five inches a reel, and negative was about 1to 2 inches, depending on the amp output, the higher the amps the more you would burn. You had 2 lines on the lamp that you hafd to keep the arc image between, witch wrer pretty easy once you got the knack of it. Most pos. knobs you had to push in to adjust, and turn one way or another, the negs,you just turned. You struck the lamp by moving the negative up till it made contact with the positve and lit, then you slowly backed it up till it went on the arc image lines. Change overs wrer simple, you threaded your leader on 8, this is twelve feet from cue to cue. First you lit the lamp, first cur you started the proj., them opened lamp dowser, second cue you stepped on the changeover switch,on the floor and threw the sound preamp switch at the same time. Was a lot of fun, to run a perfect show. My favorite changeovers were where one reel faded out, the next one faded in.
Thanks for the memories.
Dave Grau (Mungo)
Norelco

I chose projectionist, you are the most important one, putting on the show, and not to mention the view from the top over looking the vast architecture and the movie. Usher was a close second.

I would have preferred to have been a patron of the theater in that era, so that I could have enjoyed the presentation in comfort and style.

I chose projectionist as this is what I did in the theaters in my home town in the early 1980's. These theaters were all built in the 1920's and still single screen. There were no platters or any kind of automation. It was 2000 ft reels of film with changovers, carbon arc lamphouses and manual music, house lights, and curtain operation. The same way movies had been shown since the theaters were built. Best job I ever had!!! Projectors included Brenkert, and Simplex. One house still had Simplex E-7's dating from the 1930's. Sound was RCA opticle and Lamphouses were Brenkert EnArc and Peerless Magnarc. All double features, Showmanship at it's best!

I chose usher because back in the very early 70's, straight out of high school, I began working as one at the fabled Paris Theater. I thought it would be great to stand there in the back of the auditorium and watch the same movie over and over again (this was, in the days before video tape players, or anything else that's come along since), but I was soon taking tickets or selling them from the booth, relieving the others when they went on breaks. Some of the films I watched over and over again were "Romeo and Juliet", "The Boys in the Band", "Deep End", "King Lear", "The Road to Salina" and "Something for Everyone".

By the way, whenever there was a particular film showing at a Rugoff theater that was doing really strong business, they would pull me out of the Paris and send me over to the Cinema 1 or The Plaza to help with the crowds. I worked those last two theaters when they were showing "Clockwork Orange", "Carnal Knowledge" and "Sympathy For The Devil".

Don Rugoff was a terrific guy.

Just like Eugene, I too worked as an usher in the late 60's and early 70's, at the Midtown, Stage Door Cinema, Fox and Milgram Theatres in Philadelphia. Saw Oliver! for over ten months, other movies that had extended runs were Carnal Knowledge, Boys in the Band, Catch-22, Godfather, Clockwork Orange. When the Goldman Theatre was short on help, I ran over there from the Midtown and saw Funny Girl, many times over. Also got to know the other managers and ushers from the other theatres, and on my days off, went over there to watch movies for free. What a job, getting paid to work at the Movies and seeing movies for free. After high school, worked as a assistant manager at the Stage Door Cinema. Those were the days.

I chose usher because I am curently an usher
I also do concession, but usher is where its at!

I've never worked in a theater. I chose ticket taker, but maybe usher would have been a better choice.

I chose projectionist only because it did not involve working with the public which can be a frustrating experience, and because I like machinery, though having to have seen some of the loooong runs, such as the "Sound of Music" for five years at the long-gone STRAND might have been more than I could have borne. The previous post about having the choice of being the owner/operator is right; that is the choice any one of us smart enough to go back in time should make!

I chose projectionist because they made the best money.

I chose Usher since my Dad met my Mom when he ushered at the old RKO 23rd Street on 8th Ave in the 1940s. When I said how great ushering must have been, he laughed and said that he never saw a complete film, only snippets here & there. But, he had a cool uniform.

I chose snack concession? That must've been a mistake! I must have mishandled my mouse when I meant either usher or projectionist. They both get to see the movie.

I find it hard to believe that my worst case scenario actually got some votes. They usually don't get any votes. It was ticket dispenser that thus far has zero percent, and that is not the worst case.

I ushered in college so would like that job in a restored theatre, but being a restored theatre tour guide would be fun also.

I would give the world to be a projectionist in a restored theatre, with 20 to 40 minute reels carbon arc lamps, but of course updated sound, wow , that would be nice.
Norelco

I chose projectionist - I have already been in snack concession - at an art house in the '60s, when I was in high school. Besides, the projectionists were supposed to have a pretty good union. I remember one of them gave me a shopping bag full of paperbacks - he said that was all he did up there. Because I can see that you could get pretty sick of a movie real quick. We had A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS for months.

Manager. Hands Down. No Contest.....but give me a minute and I will think up a contest to tie in with the movie opening next Friday nite. let's see, Blazing Saddles...find the case of beans stashed somewhere near ....and win a horse...back ride...

Now Roger is talking! I would ikc the "manager" or person who schedules the films. What movie theatre will EVER have a Mel Brooks film festival? If no one will do it, I will try.

If I were a usher,I can see films free of charge.
Raymond Lo/31th May,2005.

I'm still surprised that there are a number of people that would pass it up. Again, I said Usher.

Roger;
You did not think of free ticket for anyone who comes on horseback...If it were today, I would give a free pass to anyone who got the joke about the orange roof on Howard Johnson's Outhouse (they should bring those back) (LOL)

I wasn't born in that era, so I don't care about that!

I've done all those jobs + manager! I enjoyed the projection more than all of them put together! The carbon arc lamps and changeovers were fun. I have a lot of old projection equipment at my house from Simplex, Century, Motiograph, Brenkert, RCA, Strong, Peerless, Ballantyne, etc., including a PRISTINE projector setup consisting of 1951 RCA soundhead, base, and magazines, and Brenkert BX 60 projector, and Brenkert Enarc carbon arc lamp, al with less than 1000 hours running time on them!

I loved being a projectionist on the boardwalk. The theaters still had the same 1950-era Simplex XLs and Peerless Magnarcs. The small chain of four theaters had a long tradition of quality in the projection room. So I was privileged to learn from some of the best projectionists. After a while I had the arc lamps at "my" theater tuned almost perfectly.

See http://www.moorlyn.com/Strand.htm

We still rewound 20 minute reels by hand and used colored stage lights and fancy curtains on the screen. Only once in 12 years did a mechanical failure force me to cancel a show. Otherwise there were always backup machines and parts.

It was always a great job because you could go out on the boardwalk on your break and get pizza and flirt with girls!!

Any job was cool free movie free popcorn and drinks I know I did them all except Projectionist that would be cool but you were stuck in the booth all the time.