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The latest movie theater news and updates
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March 12, 2007
WANTED: Cash paid for equipment
WANTED: Cash paid for old amplifiers, speakers, horns, single drivers or pairs, Altec A7, A4, A5 515, field Coil Speakers and drivers, Large Horns, pressure units, microphones, audio valves, tubes, crossovers, Altec, Klangfilm, RCA, Gaumont Kaylee, Western Electric and Westrex, 124, 147, 1086A, 1086B, 515 drivers, TA Speakers, 91A, 10a, 9a 41,42,43 and all d spec units 618a, b, c transformers. All spare transformers, also McIntosh, Marantz, JBL or any other interesting equipment.
Condition is not important can be rusty and not working or missing parts. Cash paid on time of pick up, call Bill at 262 365 8507.
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Wanted: Box Office ledgers
I am seeking old box office ledgers from the 1930’s, 1940’s and 1950’s for a historical research project. If you have any of these relating to any locations in the USA or know of someone who may have documents of this sort (perhaps tucked away in a loft for years), please let me know by .
I am willing to purchase and ship these documents if anyone has any.
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March 9, 2007
Academy Theater Anniversary
PORTLAND, OR — In gratitude for a truly wonderful first year, the owners of Mount Tabor’s historic Academy Theater would like to invite Portland-area movie fans to attend a fun-filled anniversary celebration on Saturday, March 10 and Sunday, March 11.
Festivities begin at noon on Saturday with balloons, juggling and music, courtesy of local entertainer Joe Mishkin. Then, at 4:30 p.m., children of all ages will be invited to sing-along with the Technicolor classic, “The Wizard of Oz.” At 7 p.m., grown-ups can get in on the fun by donning their best poodle skirts and leather jackets, while they sing along to the much-loved1978 musical, “Grease,” as emceed by local radio personality Tara Dublin.
The merriment continues on Sunday with more fun from Joe Mishkin and a presentation of Paul Silveria’s Professor Banjo’s Old-Time Play Party — an all ages show featuring simple dances, sing-alongs and audience participation. Admission to the Old Time Play Party is three dollars per person. Finally, the celebration will wind down with a folk/rock/funk performance by Portland’s own French Troubadour, Eric John Kaiser from 3:30 p.m. – 5:30 pm.
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Senator Theatre slated for city Landmark Status
BALTIMORE, MD — With the fight over to prevent an auction, measures are now being taken to ensure the Senator Theatre’s future through landmarking.
Alarmed by The Senator Theatre’s close call with the auction block last month, Baltimore’s Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP) voted unanimously… to recommend to the City Council that the 67-year-old Art Deco building be designated a landmark.
The commission voted also to write a letter to the City Council urging it to support the Senator’s continued existence as a first-run movie theater. The Senator is the last single-screen movie house in Baltimore, which once had more than 175.
The Full Article is available from theBaltimore Sun.
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Free movies at the Baronet
ASBURY PARK, NJ — The Baronet-The Asbury Grindhouse will be showing to Back to Back movies at the Baronet theatre for FREE This Friday the 9th!!! Doors will be open at 9:00 pm come on down and grab some popcorn and a seat. Cant beat the price…..info @ Grindhouse Myspace Page
Hope to see you there!
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March 8, 2007
Lebowsky fire update and photos
OWOSSO, MI — In researching my article about the Capitol Theatre/Lebowski/Lebowsky Center, I found some vintage photos of the theater’s front facade. One is a 1948 photo of the Capitol Theatre, before it was renovated in 1952. The 1952 marquee fabricated by the Long Sign Company of Detroit had horizontal neon letters spelling out “CAPITOL” mounted on top of each side of the marquee.
Another is a 1986 photo taken shortly after a church took over the theater and was given the “Lebowski” name with the “CAPITOL” neon letters removed. After the Lebowsky family foreclosed on the church and the Owosso Community Players took it over, the Lebowsky spelling was changed.
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Indie theater fights clearance
WEST BOYLSTON, MA — Having to now wait almost half a year sometimes to get a popular studio film, one theater is fighting back to get the state senate to repeal the clearance measures that allow big chains to hold back certain product. Legislation will be presented to the state senate.
Theater owners Kevin and Carrie Broderick would have liked to show the movie months ago, but a contentious industry practice known as “clearance” denied them the chance.
Film distributors will allow exhibitors in a given region to claim exclusive rights to titles within competitive zones. For West Boylston, Showcase Cinemas North in Worcester has claimed those rights to most first-run features, according to the Brodericks. If Showcase is showing a film, they said, that theater will ask distributors not to give it to West Boylston.
“It’s not fair competition,” Ms. Broderick said in a recent interview. “The consumer is not benefiting from us being left out of the ability to play first-run pictures. All we’re asking for is a level playing field.”
For more, go to the Worcester Telegram and Gazette News.
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Fate of Unique uncertain
SALIDA, CO — The City of Salida, Colorado will loan as much as $125,000 for two years to the new owner of the Unique Theater to stabilize the walls of the historic landmark by March 16 and remove the damaged roof by March 23, according to an agreement ratified last night (Mar 6) by city council.
The back portion of the building, which contains the 650-seat theater, was condemned Feb. 8 when City officials and a structural engineer inspected and reported it was in, “imminent danger of collapse.” Adjacent property owners and businesses were warned and several have closed until the threat is lifted.
Meanwhile citizens interested in saving the historic building have called a second meeting for 7 p.m. tonight (Mar 6) at Victoria Tavern, another 19th Century building within the City’s downtown national historic district. If the community will help raise money, the new owner said he would wait until August 15 to exercise his option to demolish.
The City’s Historic Preservation Commission gave permission for partial demolition of the affected building following a well-attended public hearing Feb. 22.
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Closed Circuit Telecasts: Later shown in 35MM format?
Noticed a microfilm newspaper ad for the 1970 closed circuit in theater telecast of Ali vs. Joe Forman. Weeks later in ads for “The Savage is Loose” some theaters were also showing a filmed version of the same Ali vs. Forman boxing match.
So was it common for some closed circuit telecats to be struck on to 35MM film for more showings? Or maybe this was a separate film made during the fight itself unrelated to the telecast ?
Thank You Much.
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March 7, 2007
Garden Theatre facade revealed!
WINTER GARDEN, FL — The restored facade and marquee of the 1935 Garden Theatre were revealed at a community event on Thursday, March 1. After being vacant for over 40 years, the house will come to life again in early 2008.
The restoration is being accomplished by the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, with a budget of over 3 million dollars. The theatre will include a 35 foot deep stage, an orchestra pit, and a new building behind the stage containing rehearsal space, dressing rooms and restrooms.
Irv Lipscomb
(Thanks to Irv for providing the photo.)