I have heard many times that Digital Cinema currently can only match or surpass the mass-produced low grade print that is carelessly projected in a typical multiplex. it’s not that film is obsolete, it’s just too expensive to maintain at the best quality, in an industry where few really care enough to spend on quality. Digital’s only advantages are that it’s cheaper (for studios, as of now, though it is very pricey for theatres to pay the few authorized people to download and erase the files) and that the image, such as it is, does not degrade from wear or careless handling. That said, Digital Companies know there is MUCH room for improvement, and like any new technology, the more it proliferates, the better it will get. Still that in itself is not enough of an improvement to revive the uniqueness of the moviegoing experience.
DVD is not the source for Digital Cinema except for rare cases when they haven’t anything better. Digital progection in theatres uses a very high definition file downloaded onto a server. No flicker or skip.
Thank you TommyR and Malcolm C for your kind words. And thanks to Michael Z for keeping this site interesting. I can only hope to be as good as Michael when my own site becomes fully functional. If there weren’t people around like Michael and the rest of you, sites like Cinema Treasures, Cinema Tour, American Wisescreen Museum, and eventually CinemaSightlines, wouldn’t exist at all. Very comforting to know I’m not alone in my passion.
Now back to topic, I would hope digital proliferation would make movies like PRESERVE ME A SEAT more likely to be found on a big screen. And will Sony ever REALLY produce the 4K digital projector they have been promising for years? If so, why don’t they use it to digitally rectify the picture to look right on curves screens like the Cinerama Dome?
I absolutely prefer and miss exceptional single screen cinemas, and i do wish they’d survive, but unfortunately i can’t see digital being of any help.
A digital version of Cinerama was already tested a few years ago. Not, of course by anyone involved with the original. It would likely take years of development before we would ever see it in a theatre, but the idea is already in some people’s minds.
Michael i hate to say it but presentation was lost a long time ago when exhibitors decided they could save money by eliminating “useless” moving items like curtains and projectionists. Most plexes have only one projectionist, who may be doubling as manager or concession staff. it’s already been decades since there was an operator for every screen.
Digital will certainly save money, and quality may improve eventually, but showmanship is still lost. Those “pristine” digital files won’t be drawing any more people in, nor will they keep those who are increasingly deciding to stay home. A bland dark room with a “big” screen (even digital) can be had at home.
Until exhibitors invest some creative showmanship to make the experience memorable, i think the moviegoing experience will continue to degrade. It baffles me to this day that ArcLight advertises their zero decor as a selling point: “Come sit in our black boxes!” Yeah, that’s going to draw them in.
I haven’t a big problem with digital taking over, but in most cases, it won’t be much of an improvement overall, if any. It’ll just bring more ads. I doubt the saved/added money will be put into enhancing the experience. The exhibs will just pocket the money… until the majority of the populace decides that enough is enough.
Actually looking UP at a screen is what I hate the most about the thoughtless layout of most cineboxes!
I like to be EYE LEVEL with the center of the screen. Otherwise it feels like we got in late to a drive-in and had to park in the front row right under the screen.
i don’t think Pacific has much to do with the El Capitan since Disney took over managemant from them.
While Disney DID pay a lot for the redo of the El Cap and Crest, the idea that they paid anything for the redo of the Pantages is a myth. The theatre revamp was a condition that the Pantages needed to meet in order to secure the booking of THE LION KING. And few seemed to notice that the Pantages tacked a 2-3 dollar “restoration” charge on every ticket sold since, so it’s likely they’re getting all that money back if they havent already.
As for the Warner Holllywood, it seems highly unlikely that Pacific/Robertson/Decurion will sell that property. I’m convinced that Decurion, Pacific’s parent company, doesn’t have their heart in the theatre business at all, it’s all about business and not a bit of showmanship. However, viewing it as a property, I think they could make a lot more if someone agreed to renovate the Warner Hollywood, along with signing a lucrative longterm lease. On top of that, if Pacific put some development money into making the rest of the building and commercial spaces more appealing to upscale rental clients, that would be a lot more constant revenue coming in. Sounds great but I haven’t much hope of that happening.
Did you see how severe the angle is from the seat to the screen? Pain in the neck! Naaah, if you’re gonna go to all the trouble, do it right…
What I want to see is an enlarged van or meduim sized RV… burgundy interior and seats… the windshield has blackout curtains, the seats would all swivel toward the back, where a fully draped and masked wide screen covers the back wall, with DLP, surround sound, a little popcorn machine, candy case and beverage cooler… For a bigger alternative, the screen could also roll up, enabling you to refocus the projector to shoot out the back window onto something larger outside.
Call it the Roadshow. Anybody here want one of those??
Bravo, MZ! You asked the questions I’d want to ask, and got most of the answers I’d hope for.
You’re right, keeping these theatres is a dicey situation. New York City has none left. All the old movie palaces are long gone, lost to gentrification, torn down for bland office buildings, or just left to rot with no hope of restoration.
It would be wonderful to see these old theatres restored to their former glory. A mixture of movie festivals, celebrity appearances and theatrical events sounds ideal. If they find the right person/people to make all that happen with the kind of theatrical showmanship necessary to make the experience memorable…
Michael, you must be fun to go to the movies with…
In the old days I liked to get to the theatre early to explore the place, find a favorite seat, get snacks, take in the ambience, and be happily settled in when the curtains opened. (of course none of this applies today)
I always try to see a movie mid to late afternoon on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. That’s been a steady ritual for many years. Thanksgiving is preferably a big holiday themed movie. Christmas is usually whatever film interests me most at the time. New Year’s Day is typically something that just opened at Christmas and is an event film and/or at an event venue.
Sightlines are very important to me (quelle surprise) – I always want to be dead center, but with a couple exceptions, I always seek out the very last row of the theatre – to ensure no one will be kicking the back of my seat. Most of these crazy plexes are so oddly laid out that the back row is the only place to get eye level with the center of the screen. It’s also affords a better chance of not having your view cut into by someone in front of you.
Exceptions to the back row rule include some of the most famous LA showplaces. I’m not about to disclose my actual preferences there because the seats I like are popular enough. When a current hit went on sale for New Year’s Day, my favorite spot was sold out in a couple hours. Suffice it to say I generally like to be eye level with the center of the screen and NOT below it looking up.
It doesn’t say “Don’t buy any popcorn.” It says “Be considerate enough not to make unnecessary noise with it.” Noisy eaters are a very common annoyance in a theatre. Nothing wrong with pointing that out, it’s about time someone did. The only problem is people who make noise when they eat don’t realize that there is a better way. I think the idea is long overdue, and i’m glad they included noisy eaters, I just would have done it differently by showing the actual behavior and how to modify it.
There is no way this is going to have any effect on popcorn sales. For one thing, it’s going to immediately precede the feature, and by that time everyone who is going to buy snacks has already bought them and sat down.
I sat at a packed screening in a tight little 200 seat box with a friend and a huge bucket of popcorn. On the way out after the movie, the lady sitting right next to us looked surprised when she saw the empty popcorn bucket. “You ate all that popcorn?” she asked? “I didn’t hear a thing. She was RIGHT next to me.
It IS possible, alll you have to do is close your mouth before you chew. I’m always amazed at the way some people eat popcorn… some grab a huge handful and tilt their head back like a Pez dispenser and just push it into their mouths, biting into it a few times before they get it all in. The way some people eat is just DESIGNED to make noise. I suppose it’s all the way we were brought up, or how self aware one is, but I have to tell you, they way I do it, the stuff tastes better and lasts longer.
I think the trailer is brilliant. Problem is, many people will think it’s funny and have no idea that they are the ones it is aimed at. I would have directly shown the offending behavior. By the way, check out a vintage MGM short named MOVIE PESTS by Pete Smith. It’s been a problem for years, but the annoyance in that old short is very tame by today’s non-existant standards.
Michael, I’d be very interested to hear what constitutes an “ideal venue” for you these days.
Last midnight premieres I went to were CHICKEN LITTLE, with a live LOUD band (not too great unless you like hearing Zach Braff use four letter words in a theatre full of kids) – and CARS, which was fun to finally see after a long wait. Both at the Glorious El Capitan which is high on my list of preferred theatres, particularly because it IS a THEATRE, and not a generic cinebox. Happy Holidays everyone.
Reacting to a trailer is fine, listing to someone behind you discuss their life history is another matter. Sharing appropriate reaction is a welcome part of the experience.
I won’t miss the “who’s online” list so that is a good decision to improve performance.
I know it’s difficult it is to get a movie website up and running. (ours is still waiting for help to build it). Cinema Treasures, along with www.CinemaTour.com, is a valuable resource and I’m happy to see the improvements here. The two sites seem to compliment each other; this site having more text and CinemaTour having more photos. I’d love to see these two sites put in links to each other for each theatre someday.
I have both these sites plus the wonderful www.widescreenmuseum.com on the bookmark bar of my Safari browser so they are just one click away from any screen.
Thanks for the efforts, CT team, and Happy Holidays everyone.
I wonder how these compare to Sony’s much heralded but never delivered 4K projectors. Let’s hope that they will take make the proper digital adjustments to finally eliminate the keystoning and horizon sag at the Dome.
I was recently treated to an extensive tour of the building, spoke with the volunteers working on the project, and shown plans for the restoration/renovation. I was impressed by the building’s diverse potential as well as the obvious dedication of the volunteers. When I got home and checked Cinema Treasures, I didn’t find this listing, and tried to submit one. Now that I’ve discovered the theatre is already listed, I’ve submitted a news article to try to focus some well deserved attention on this worthy project….
In October 2006 this theatre was added to the National Regustry of Historic Places. It’s existance is protected, but it now needs all the TLC, support and funding it can get. The folks in charge have made real progress and taken obvious care with the building and rehab plans. There is great opportunity here for creative and commercial involvement in the buildings attached to the theatre. New business ventures opening in this complex will not only support the theatre’s revival, they will reap the benefits of being part of an exciting entertainment destination.
All inquiries may be directed to Jon Wagner – Executive Director, Fullerton Historic Theatre Foundation. Phone: (714) 870-0069 Fax: (714) 870-5123 Email:
I agree that adults are part of the problem as well. From inconsiderate adults come inconsiderate children. However, Rather than taking a defeatist approach and saying it’s not going to work, I applaud then for making the effort. After all, it’s a step in the right direction.
Can someone please talk about this theatre’s lobby and the changes it went through? One previous post refers to it as “spacious” though it is now very small, and it has obviously been enlarged in the renovation – the back wall of the theatre is clearly not original. I’ve often wondered if the store space in front was always as big as it is now. I remember seeing a televised premiere for DOCTOR FAUSTUS with Elizabeth Taylor at this theatre and from what I recall seeing I imagine that the current lobby was outside another set of doors right where the Concession stand ends. That would mean that the theatre interior went to the back wall and there was a cross aisle where the back wall is now. The seats may have gone back a couple more rows with a partial wall divider behind them… Anyone have specific info on this?
I worked for Roundabout briefly and frequented the place after the Cineplex redux.
It was built with a stadium style Loge that was over the lobby and restrooms. The main floor was separated by a cross aisle, which is how you entered. From the numbers quoted above it’s apparent that the main floor was 558 and the loge 358. This is the same layout as the Beekman, Sutton, Plaza, Coronet, and the Ziegfeld. I can’t remember any Manhattan movie theatre (after the 70s plex boom) that had a real overhanging balcony except the Regency.
In the 80s, Cineplex closed off the balcony, walled-off the other side of the cross aisle, and split the main level right down the middle. All three screens had working curtains and the nice curvy “old movie theatre” feel of the lobby was retained. After that I used to go on Sunday matinees, stopping at a nearby chicken place for fresh steak fries and corn on the cob. I sat in the last row quietly nibbling during the film. I was very careful not to make noise or a mess, and took everything back out with me, leaving nothing for anyone to clean up.
Anyone remember Cineplex’s debut in Manhattan, when all their directory ads had REAL BUTTER in huge letters at the top? It was the very same Odell’s Anhydrous Butterfat used back in the old “Buttercup” days, but they made it sound like an innovation. A couple years later they quietly switched to something cheaper that tasted like motor oil.
I had already moved to LA by the time they took down the divider downstairs, which must make a nice size theatre. I think the reason might be that they already had enough crackerboxes across the street in the 9-plex, and a larger capacity house would be good for more popular films. With today’s larger seats I imagine the breakdown might be something like 250-300 upstairs and 400-450 downstairs.
Could someone post pictures (maybe on CinemaTour) of the way it looks inside now? I’m really curious about the main foor and the lobby.
My last post had a typo, I meant to say the El Cap’s stage is NOW fully usable… They did some lighting resets alright, including the opening curtain and light show which is automated… that was much better when Joe Musil first did it in the beginning. Now they put a very distracting blue wash on the side walls that stays on during trailers. And after that curtain show, with three curtains, and all that showmanship, they still open the last curtain on a blank screen… If the studio is touchy about runnning any of their stuff on an opening traveler they could use the cloud projections that come on the screen at the end of the show. Robert: I know todays theatre staffers have no clue about this, please tell us just how big a no-no showing a blank screen was…
As an avid devotee of the El Capitan, I wouldn’t say they actually demolished the stage house, they just removed the screen and the permanent THX approved sound wall behind it, in favor of a fly-out screen. The existing stage house is not fully useable. And to stay on topic, one of the first things I remember about the ElCap is that it was really trying to be like Radio City. They had recorded organ music even before the live organ was installed.
Speaking of the Music Hall, does anyone know where I could buy a copy of Radio City Music Hall: a Legend is Reborn? I’ve ordered the other book already. I hope there are lots of pictures. It’s a pleasure to hear from so many seasoned vererans of showmanship in this forum. You gentlemen are real Cinema Treasures yourselves, an invaluable resource. Robert, anything you care to tell us about the place is more than welcome here. Was there ever a documentary of the hall produced?
“Strip the walls of a theater and what are you left with inside?”
ArcLight.
I have heard many times that Digital Cinema currently can only match or surpass the mass-produced low grade print that is carelessly projected in a typical multiplex. it’s not that film is obsolete, it’s just too expensive to maintain at the best quality, in an industry where few really care enough to spend on quality. Digital’s only advantages are that it’s cheaper (for studios, as of now, though it is very pricey for theatres to pay the few authorized people to download and erase the files) and that the image, such as it is, does not degrade from wear or careless handling. That said, Digital Companies know there is MUCH room for improvement, and like any new technology, the more it proliferates, the better it will get. Still that in itself is not enough of an improvement to revive the uniqueness of the moviegoing experience.
DVD is not the source for Digital Cinema except for rare cases when they haven’t anything better. Digital progection in theatres uses a very high definition file downloaded onto a server. No flicker or skip.
Thank you TommyR and Malcolm C for your kind words. And thanks to Michael Z for keeping this site interesting. I can only hope to be as good as Michael when my own site becomes fully functional. If there weren’t people around like Michael and the rest of you, sites like Cinema Treasures, Cinema Tour, American Wisescreen Museum, and eventually CinemaSightlines, wouldn’t exist at all. Very comforting to know I’m not alone in my passion.
Now back to topic, I would hope digital proliferation would make movies like PRESERVE ME A SEAT more likely to be found on a big screen. And will Sony ever REALLY produce the 4K digital projector they have been promising for years? If so, why don’t they use it to digitally rectify the picture to look right on curves screens like the Cinerama Dome?
I absolutely prefer and miss exceptional single screen cinemas, and i do wish they’d survive, but unfortunately i can’t see digital being of any help.
A digital version of Cinerama was already tested a few years ago. Not, of course by anyone involved with the original. It would likely take years of development before we would ever see it in a theatre, but the idea is already in some people’s minds.
Michael i hate to say it but presentation was lost a long time ago when exhibitors decided they could save money by eliminating “useless” moving items like curtains and projectionists. Most plexes have only one projectionist, who may be doubling as manager or concession staff. it’s already been decades since there was an operator for every screen.
Digital will certainly save money, and quality may improve eventually, but showmanship is still lost. Those “pristine” digital files won’t be drawing any more people in, nor will they keep those who are increasingly deciding to stay home. A bland dark room with a “big” screen (even digital) can be had at home.
Until exhibitors invest some creative showmanship to make the experience memorable, i think the moviegoing experience will continue to degrade. It baffles me to this day that ArcLight advertises their zero decor as a selling point: “Come sit in our black boxes!” Yeah, that’s going to draw them in.
I haven’t a big problem with digital taking over, but in most cases, it won’t be much of an improvement overall, if any. It’ll just bring more ads. I doubt the saved/added money will be put into enhancing the experience. The exhibs will just pocket the money… until the majority of the populace decides that enough is enough.
Actually looking UP at a screen is what I hate the most about the thoughtless layout of most cineboxes!
I like to be EYE LEVEL with the center of the screen. Otherwise it feels like we got in late to a drive-in and had to park in the front row right under the screen.
i don’t think Pacific has much to do with the El Capitan since Disney took over managemant from them.
While Disney DID pay a lot for the redo of the El Cap and Crest, the idea that they paid anything for the redo of the Pantages is a myth. The theatre revamp was a condition that the Pantages needed to meet in order to secure the booking of THE LION KING. And few seemed to notice that the Pantages tacked a 2-3 dollar “restoration” charge on every ticket sold since, so it’s likely they’re getting all that money back if they havent already.
As for the Warner Holllywood, it seems highly unlikely that Pacific/Robertson/Decurion will sell that property. I’m convinced that Decurion, Pacific’s parent company, doesn’t have their heart in the theatre business at all, it’s all about business and not a bit of showmanship. However, viewing it as a property, I think they could make a lot more if someone agreed to renovate the Warner Hollywood, along with signing a lucrative longterm lease. On top of that, if Pacific put some development money into making the rest of the building and commercial spaces more appealing to upscale rental clients, that would be a lot more constant revenue coming in. Sounds great but I haven’t much hope of that happening.
Did you see how severe the angle is from the seat to the screen? Pain in the neck! Naaah, if you’re gonna go to all the trouble, do it right…
What I want to see is an enlarged van or meduim sized RV… burgundy interior and seats… the windshield has blackout curtains, the seats would all swivel toward the back, where a fully draped and masked wide screen covers the back wall, with DLP, surround sound, a little popcorn machine, candy case and beverage cooler… For a bigger alternative, the screen could also roll up, enabling you to refocus the projector to shoot out the back window onto something larger outside.
Call it the Roadshow. Anybody here want one of those??
Bravo, MZ! You asked the questions I’d want to ask, and got most of the answers I’d hope for.
You’re right, keeping these theatres is a dicey situation. New York City has none left. All the old movie palaces are long gone, lost to gentrification, torn down for bland office buildings, or just left to rot with no hope of restoration.
It would be wonderful to see these old theatres restored to their former glory. A mixture of movie festivals, celebrity appearances and theatrical events sounds ideal. If they find the right person/people to make all that happen with the kind of theatrical showmanship necessary to make the experience memorable…
Simon, why do you call the El Cap’s restoration “horrific?”
Michael, you must be fun to go to the movies with…
In the old days I liked to get to the theatre early to explore the place, find a favorite seat, get snacks, take in the ambience, and be happily settled in when the curtains opened. (of course none of this applies today)
I always try to see a movie mid to late afternoon on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. That’s been a steady ritual for many years. Thanksgiving is preferably a big holiday themed movie. Christmas is usually whatever film interests me most at the time. New Year’s Day is typically something that just opened at Christmas and is an event film and/or at an event venue.
Sightlines are very important to me (quelle surprise) – I always want to be dead center, but with a couple exceptions, I always seek out the very last row of the theatre – to ensure no one will be kicking the back of my seat. Most of these crazy plexes are so oddly laid out that the back row is the only place to get eye level with the center of the screen. It’s also affords a better chance of not having your view cut into by someone in front of you.
Exceptions to the back row rule include some of the most famous LA showplaces. I’m not about to disclose my actual preferences there because the seats I like are popular enough. When a current hit went on sale for New Year’s Day, my favorite spot was sold out in a couple hours. Suffice it to say I generally like to be eye level with the center of the screen and NOT below it looking up.
All that said, I still rarely go out to movies!
It doesn’t say “Don’t buy any popcorn.” It says “Be considerate enough not to make unnecessary noise with it.” Noisy eaters are a very common annoyance in a theatre. Nothing wrong with pointing that out, it’s about time someone did. The only problem is people who make noise when they eat don’t realize that there is a better way. I think the idea is long overdue, and i’m glad they included noisy eaters, I just would have done it differently by showing the actual behavior and how to modify it.
There is no way this is going to have any effect on popcorn sales. For one thing, it’s going to immediately precede the feature, and by that time everyone who is going to buy snacks has already bought them and sat down.
I sat at a packed screening in a tight little 200 seat box with a friend and a huge bucket of popcorn. On the way out after the movie, the lady sitting right next to us looked surprised when she saw the empty popcorn bucket. “You ate all that popcorn?” she asked? “I didn’t hear a thing. She was RIGHT next to me.
It IS possible, alll you have to do is close your mouth before you chew. I’m always amazed at the way some people eat popcorn… some grab a huge handful and tilt their head back like a Pez dispenser and just push it into their mouths, biting into it a few times before they get it all in. The way some people eat is just DESIGNED to make noise. I suppose it’s all the way we were brought up, or how self aware one is, but I have to tell you, they way I do it, the stuff tastes better and lasts longer.
I think the trailer is brilliant. Problem is, many people will think it’s funny and have no idea that they are the ones it is aimed at. I would have directly shown the offending behavior. By the way, check out a vintage MGM short named MOVIE PESTS by Pete Smith. It’s been a problem for years, but the annoyance in that old short is very tame by today’s non-existant standards.
Michael, I’d be very interested to hear what constitutes an “ideal venue” for you these days.
Last midnight premieres I went to were CHICKEN LITTLE, with a live LOUD band (not too great unless you like hearing Zach Braff use four letter words in a theatre full of kids) – and CARS, which was fun to finally see after a long wait. Both at the Glorious El Capitan which is high on my list of preferred theatres, particularly because it IS a THEATRE, and not a generic cinebox. Happy Holidays everyone.
Reacting to a trailer is fine, listing to someone behind you discuss their life history is another matter. Sharing appropriate reaction is a welcome part of the experience.
Roger and Patrick: Thanks for the cross-links. I intend to link the theatre reviews on CInemaSightlines to both sites.
I won’t miss the “who’s online” list so that is a good decision to improve performance.
I know it’s difficult it is to get a movie website up and running. (ours is still waiting for help to build it). Cinema Treasures, along with www.CinemaTour.com, is a valuable resource and I’m happy to see the improvements here. The two sites seem to compliment each other; this site having more text and CinemaTour having more photos. I’d love to see these two sites put in links to each other for each theatre someday.
I have both these sites plus the wonderful www.widescreenmuseum.com on the bookmark bar of my Safari browser so they are just one click away from any screen.
Thanks for the efforts, CT team, and Happy Holidays everyone.
I wonder how these compare to Sony’s much heralded but never delivered 4K projectors. Let’s hope that they will take make the proper digital adjustments to finally eliminate the keystoning and horizon sag at the Dome.
I was recently treated to an extensive tour of the building, spoke with the volunteers working on the project, and shown plans for the restoration/renovation. I was impressed by the building’s diverse potential as well as the obvious dedication of the volunteers. When I got home and checked Cinema Treasures, I didn’t find this listing, and tried to submit one. Now that I’ve discovered the theatre is already listed, I’ve submitted a news article to try to focus some well deserved attention on this worthy project….
In October 2006 this theatre was added to the National Regustry of Historic Places. It’s existance is protected, but it now needs all the TLC, support and funding it can get. The folks in charge have made real progress and taken obvious care with the building and rehab plans. There is great opportunity here for creative and commercial involvement in the buildings attached to the theatre. New business ventures opening in this complex will not only support the theatre’s revival, they will reap the benefits of being part of an exciting entertainment destination.
All inquiries may be directed to Jon Wagner – Executive Director, Fullerton Historic Theatre Foundation. Phone: (714) 870-0069 Fax: (714) 870-5123 Email:
I agree that adults are part of the problem as well. From inconsiderate adults come inconsiderate children. However, Rather than taking a defeatist approach and saying it’s not going to work, I applaud then for making the effort. After all, it’s a step in the right direction.
Can someone please talk about this theatre’s lobby and the changes it went through? One previous post refers to it as “spacious” though it is now very small, and it has obviously been enlarged in the renovation – the back wall of the theatre is clearly not original. I’ve often wondered if the store space in front was always as big as it is now. I remember seeing a televised premiere for DOCTOR FAUSTUS with Elizabeth Taylor at this theatre and from what I recall seeing I imagine that the current lobby was outside another set of doors right where the Concession stand ends. That would mean that the theatre interior went to the back wall and there was a cross aisle where the back wall is now. The seats may have gone back a couple more rows with a partial wall divider behind them… Anyone have specific info on this?
I worked for Roundabout briefly and frequented the place after the Cineplex redux.
It was built with a stadium style Loge that was over the lobby and restrooms. The main floor was separated by a cross aisle, which is how you entered. From the numbers quoted above it’s apparent that the main floor was 558 and the loge 358. This is the same layout as the Beekman, Sutton, Plaza, Coronet, and the Ziegfeld. I can’t remember any Manhattan movie theatre (after the 70s plex boom) that had a real overhanging balcony except the Regency.
In the 80s, Cineplex closed off the balcony, walled-off the other side of the cross aisle, and split the main level right down the middle. All three screens had working curtains and the nice curvy “old movie theatre” feel of the lobby was retained. After that I used to go on Sunday matinees, stopping at a nearby chicken place for fresh steak fries and corn on the cob. I sat in the last row quietly nibbling during the film. I was very careful not to make noise or a mess, and took everything back out with me, leaving nothing for anyone to clean up.
Anyone remember Cineplex’s debut in Manhattan, when all their directory ads had REAL BUTTER in huge letters at the top? It was the very same Odell’s Anhydrous Butterfat used back in the old “Buttercup” days, but they made it sound like an innovation. A couple years later they quietly switched to something cheaper that tasted like motor oil.
I had already moved to LA by the time they took down the divider downstairs, which must make a nice size theatre. I think the reason might be that they already had enough crackerboxes across the street in the 9-plex, and a larger capacity house would be good for more popular films. With today’s larger seats I imagine the breakdown might be something like 250-300 upstairs and 400-450 downstairs.
Could someone post pictures (maybe on CinemaTour) of the way it looks inside now? I’m really curious about the main foor and the lobby.
My last post had a typo, I meant to say the El Cap’s stage is NOW fully usable… They did some lighting resets alright, including the opening curtain and light show which is automated… that was much better when Joe Musil first did it in the beginning. Now they put a very distracting blue wash on the side walls that stays on during trailers. And after that curtain show, with three curtains, and all that showmanship, they still open the last curtain on a blank screen… If the studio is touchy about runnning any of their stuff on an opening traveler they could use the cloud projections that come on the screen at the end of the show. Robert: I know todays theatre staffers have no clue about this, please tell us just how big a no-no showing a blank screen was…
As an avid devotee of the El Capitan, I wouldn’t say they actually demolished the stage house, they just removed the screen and the permanent THX approved sound wall behind it, in favor of a fly-out screen. The existing stage house is not fully useable. And to stay on topic, one of the first things I remember about the ElCap is that it was really trying to be like Radio City. They had recorded organ music even before the live organ was installed.
Speaking of the Music Hall, does anyone know where I could buy a copy of Radio City Music Hall: a Legend is Reborn? I’ve ordered the other book already. I hope there are lots of pictures. It’s a pleasure to hear from so many seasoned vererans of showmanship in this forum. You gentlemen are real Cinema Treasures yourselves, an invaluable resource. Robert, anything you care to tell us about the place is more than welcome here. Was there ever a documentary of the hall produced?