“The town’s only movie theater was built in 1942 and had to shut down this spring because its projector could no longer show modern movies.”
Projector could no longer show modern movies. What a crock! 35mm picture standards are still the same. There would have been no need to replace the projector. The only changes that theater would have had to make is to install a red LED reverse scan reader in the soundhead in order to play “cyan dye” analog soundtracks. The price for the unit they need and installation by a theater tech would be less than $1,000. In fact they would not have needed to shut down for the installation of it. A good tech could have installed the reader in an hour or two
Theaters are pricing themselves out of business. It’s gotten too expoensive to go to the movies. Don’t forget how expensive gasoline has gotten just to get to the theater.
You’ll be bombarded with trailer after trailer for sequel after sequel and remake after remake anyway. Considering that the theaters get paid for showing commercials, admission should be free.
True this footage may exist elsewhere, but perhaps this footage is in better shape or has different shots or better sound then what’s out there. Might be worth checking with the film archives at UCLA too.
No, it now has around 500 nearly new seats (with cupholder armrests) installed on the main floor and around 200 older good condition used seats installed in the balcony. New stair/step lighting has been installed in the balcony. Alot of cleaning and painting has been done to the auditorium. The dividing walls in the balcony that made up the two small theaters is gone so that the theater is a single screen again. Movies in 16mm can be run in the lower projection booth. The main heater in the basement is fully functional again. It puts out 3,000,000 BTU.
Well it was just in The Chronicle newspaper (Centralia, Wash. www.chronline.com)) dated Tuesday October 24, 2007. The City of Centralia has taken back the Fox Theater from the Opera Pacifica group. The city had not been paid any money since 2003 from Opera Pacifica.
I used to fix tons of those for Tom Moyer’s theaters. There were lots of those amplifiers here in the Pacific Northwest.
Too bad this request didn’t come two years ago. I had a dozen of these rebuilt and ready to go stored at Lacey Cinemas. When the theater closed (a new 16 plex opened down the street) nobody wanted these amplifiers and I had no place to put them so off to the dumpster they went. I even had a test jig that I built to service these amplifiers. It got stolen several years ago.
Is this the theater Andy Crow and Rat did the 16mm movies at? Did or does this theater have a Bell & Howell model 140 carbon arc 16mm projector in the booth?
Those big screen tv’s are still too expensive for theaters to buy. It looks like you’re watching a soap opera on those things.
Abandoned asylums sometimes have theaters.
Isn’t there any projection equipment there now?
Try the forums at www.bigscreenbiz.com as many theater owners hang out there.
Yes, I also would have liked to see pictures of the inside of the projection booth (box), lobby, and restrooms.
That flood must have been because there was no electricity to run the sump pumps.
Here’s a link to the story and pictures of the new marquee all lit up:
View link
Here’s a link to the story and full color picture:
View link
That new marquee is fantastic! So much wonderful neon!
“The town’s only movie theater was built in 1942 and had to shut down this spring because its projector could no longer show modern movies.”
Projector could no longer show modern movies. What a crock! 35mm picture standards are still the same. There would have been no need to replace the projector. The only changes that theater would have had to make is to install a red LED reverse scan reader in the soundhead in order to play “cyan dye” analog soundtracks. The price for the unit they need and installation by a theater tech would be less than $1,000. In fact they would not have needed to shut down for the installation of it. A good tech could have installed the reader in an hour or two
Theaters are pricing themselves out of business. It’s gotten too expoensive to go to the movies. Don’t forget how expensive gasoline has gotten just to get to the theater.
You’ll be bombarded with trailer after trailer for sequel after sequel and remake after remake anyway. Considering that the theaters get paid for showing commercials, admission should be free.
True this footage may exist elsewhere, but perhaps this footage is in better shape or has different shots or better sound then what’s out there. Might be worth checking with the film archives at UCLA too.
Looks like the fire-proof nitrate era projection booth is relatively intact.
Good story. My friend Dave Fazende is the operator of the theater.
Will these showings be on 35mm film?
No, it now has around 500 nearly new seats (with cupholder armrests) installed on the main floor and around 200 older good condition used seats installed in the balcony. New stair/step lighting has been installed in the balcony. Alot of cleaning and painting has been done to the auditorium. The dividing walls in the balcony that made up the two small theaters is gone so that the theater is a single screen again. Movies in 16mm can be run in the lower projection booth. The main heater in the basement is fully functional again. It puts out 3,000,000 BTU.
I still have equipment in the projection booth I need to get out.
No movies at all?
Well it was just in The Chronicle newspaper (Centralia, Wash. www.chronline.com)) dated Tuesday October 24, 2007. The City of Centralia has taken back the Fox Theater from the Opera Pacifica group. The city had not been paid any money since 2003 from Opera Pacifica.
This sucks. This was a nice theater too.
About a year ago these folks had some new old stock T-25 amplifiers:
View link
I used to fix tons of those for Tom Moyer’s theaters. There were lots of those amplifiers here in the Pacific Northwest.
Too bad this request didn’t come two years ago. I had a dozen of these rebuilt and ready to go stored at Lacey Cinemas. When the theater closed (a new 16 plex opened down the street) nobody wanted these amplifiers and I had no place to put them so off to the dumpster they went. I even had a test jig that I built to service these amplifiers. It got stolen several years ago.
McRae Theatre Equipment in Seattle, Washington may have one.
Same goes for American Cinema Equipment in Portland, Oregon.
Is this the theater Andy Crow and Rat did the 16mm movies at? Did or does this theater have a Bell & Howell model 140 carbon arc 16mm projector in the booth?
A friend drove by this theater last week. The readerboard now says:
“reopening soon — movies return in November”
Here’s a picture of the marquee as of Sept 18, 2007:
View link
It still has no wiring, no electricity, no neon, and the readerboard that faces north has no glass panels in it.
Here’s all you’d ever want to know:
View link