This was another fantastic weekend for classic film at the Lafayette Theater. The live radio show on Friday night was a first and certainly unique. The cast of professional actors did a wonderful job and I hope to see â€" AND hear – more of them!
On Saturday, “Earth vs. the Flying Saucers†was an excellent archival print from the films original release. Seeing it in its intended widescreen format (1:85) was a revelation, and the superb print quality with its high silver content was quite a treat.
“Man from Planet X†is a true rarity and this was a brand new print struck a few years ago. While the contrast looked a bit light at times (from a dupe negative perhaps) it was easy to overlook for the sheer rareness of seeing this low budget gem in 35mm.
For me, the absolute highlight of the weekend was Saturday night’s presentation of “Journey to the Center of the Earth.†I first saw this film on the ABC 4:30 movie (in two parts) way back in the early 1970’s and it was always a childhood favorite. I’ve owned it on laser disc, DVD and, at one time, even had an original (totally faded) 35mm print. However, seeing this brand new print on the Lafayette’s big screen was like seeing it for the first time. The color was perfect, and the clarity off the camera negative was amazing. I felt as if I had gone back to 1959 and was seeing the film first run!
The icing on the cinematic cake was the 4 channel stereo sound. While the voices and effects seemed primarily set in the center channel, Bernard Herrman’s wonderful music really came to life with the 3 speakers behind the screen. It was also cool having various sound effects (such as wind and echoes) bouncing from the surround speakers. The spacious size of the Lafayette’s auditorium added immensely to the totally immersive wrap-around audio.
On Sunday, the archival dye-transfer Technicolor print of “Rodan†was in mint condition. It’s always great to see real Technicolor on the big screen!
Unfortunately, a prior commitment kept me from attending the rest of the shows on Sunday, but I certainly had a great time when I was there.
The appearance of Ro-Man in front of the theater was a nice touch – especially since he brought his Automatic Billion Bubble Machine. Perhaps this means the Lafayette will bring back 3-D with a presentation of this gem in its original dual-strip, Polaroid version? One can only hope. I must â€" but I cannot.
Jeff Barker was quite entertaining on the Mighty Wurlitzer organ, and the addition of a Theremin on stage was inspired. Many people were amazed to see the actual instrument in action, and the player was a real pro.
Pete Apruzzese and the crew are to be commended for their usual excellent showmanship and attention to detail. One of the things I enjoy most about attending this theater is the fact that you don’t have to worry about the presentation. You know that the curtains and stage lights will be utilized to create the appropriate movie palace experience. The focus was always crisp and the sound really delivered a punch. Some of those low bass music cues in Journey had the seat shaking. I thought I was hearing Sensurround again!
If you have the opportunity to be in the area, don’t miss a chance to see a classic movie at this great showplace. You can sit back – relax – and enjoy the show, for it is truly the way movies were meant to be seen!
That’s why the devices introduced by Polaroid in August 1953 to insure synchronization were essential for quality 3-D viewing. But they were about 6 months too late. The damage had been done and too many people had seen 3-D poorly projected.
You’re welcome Vito. He doesn’t update very often but when he does, the posts are extremely interesting. His one about 3-D is very accurate and well documented.
Allow me to share a story about lighting in the Jersey.
About 7 years ago, Bob Eberenz and I were tracing out speaker lines in the catwalks above the theater. I noticed two ladders that went down on either side of the auditorium into total darkness. Armed with a flashlight and a prayer, I descended the ladder not sure what I would find. About 20 feet down, I found myself behind the side wall on the top of the organ chamber. Looking into the tiny access space, I spotted ancient light bulbs. None of them were working. Nobody was even aware that lighting existed in that particular area of the auditorium!
So I climbed back up and armed myself with a dozen 100 watt bulbs. With one hand holding the ladder and another holding the bulb, I reached as far as I could into the little space and began changing the bulbs. One by one, they lit and I could see how much light they were throwing onto the area. All went well until one of the sockets had a bad circuit and sparked. It scared the heck out of me and it was a good thing I had a strong grip on the ladder. There was a good ten feet between me and the side wall, and the area below me descended into total darkness. I’m not sure how long the drop was and I certainly didn’t want to find out!
When I got back to the projection booth, I was absolutely pitch black from all the dirt. Thank goodness I had worn a protective mask, but my nostrils were still full of black soot.
But the payoff when I got to the orchestra level was worth it. There for the first time in probably 50 years, was lighting above the side chambers throwing a warm glow onto the ornate walls above them. That lighting is still working today. Check it out the next time you are there.
My point to this story is not to take credit for some achievement in the theater (and I hope my use of the first person is not offensive) but to illustrate that the lighting you are seeing now is greatly minimized from what originally existed. When all of the balcony rail lights and side wall lighting is restored, and all the cove and dome lighting is replaced, you will see the beautiful architecture in this magnificent theater come to life once again!
I worked in New York from 1978 to 1984. Times Square and 42nd street was a mess and a filthy cesspool, especially after 10PM. I wouldn’t want to go back to that for anything.
Mahermusic said “I hate going down two flights to the mezzanine bathroom to wash up after working up there!”
Boy, in 2001 when we got the booth operating and presented the first 35mm shows, management promised they would replace the broken sink in the booth level bathroom – the one at the end of the hall.
It’s 7 years later and management still hasn’t replaced that sink??!! You get dirty working with carbon arc. Tell ‘em to stop spending money on their comfy office downstairs and take care of the poor volunteer film operators! :)
Movie534: The absolute worst part when Bob Eberenz (who was 67 at the time) and I started on the booth was the lack of heat or running water. It was mid-winter and actually colder in the theater than outdoors! After cleaning dead pigeons and their crap from everything, we had to go next door to C.H. Martins in order to wash up.
The volunteers working up there now have no idea how easy they’ve got it!
Mahermusic: Isn’t the room under the booth identified on the blueprints as “Publicity Room?”
We spent SO much time chasing the pigeons out of there and cleaning up their mess, it’s a shame that an un-repaired broken window has allowed them to move back in.
I am very sorry to learn about the missing murals. Is it true that over the past 30 years many light fixtures and other artifacts were removed as well?
In the current photos, I can see that somebody has removed the front off and taken the circa 1954 Altec surround speakers. Those fetch pretty big money in the collectors market.
Have these rare items been placed in safe storage by the city, or did they wind up stolen and sold for profit?
The Loew’s Jersey is not restored. They are open and presenting occasional shows, but very little has been restored in the last 5 years. In fact, there are elements (marquee, clock tower) that are in worse shape now then they were several years ago.
They do have a fully restored organ (and it’s magnificent) but that’s due to the hard work and dedication of the Garden State Theater Organ Society.
Be careful. The last time they announced HTWWW, my friend and I bought tickets for the closing night; flew cross country from New Jersey and booked a hotel in Woodland Hills. When we got to the Dome, we discovered that the show had been canceled for an AFI event. There had been no announcement whatsoever, and we stood there feeling very angry and disappointed with our HTWWW tickets.
However, they did offer us free passes to another movie at the Arclight.
I’m interested because these appear to be the same murals that Eberson used in the Central Theater in Passaic, NJ. By the time I was going to the Central, they had been covered over with wallpaper.
I know it’s a long shot, but I would really like to see what they might have looked like.
Paramount newsreel covered this event. Check out the clip starting at 1:57 on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuEtIllFGQ4
People that hide behind an alias are a bit odd. What are they afraid of in using their real name?
Will you please stop these “misterboo” spam postings? They’re really annoying!
We’ll be seeing Tony Bennett in a few weeks and I can’t wait! The last time I was in the building was for a film in one of the balcony theaters.
This was another fantastic weekend for classic film at the Lafayette Theater. The live radio show on Friday night was a first and certainly unique. The cast of professional actors did a wonderful job and I hope to see â€" AND hear – more of them!
On Saturday, “Earth vs. the Flying Saucers†was an excellent archival print from the films original release. Seeing it in its intended widescreen format (1:85) was a revelation, and the superb print quality with its high silver content was quite a treat.
“Man from Planet X†is a true rarity and this was a brand new print struck a few years ago. While the contrast looked a bit light at times (from a dupe negative perhaps) it was easy to overlook for the sheer rareness of seeing this low budget gem in 35mm.
For me, the absolute highlight of the weekend was Saturday night’s presentation of “Journey to the Center of the Earth.†I first saw this film on the ABC 4:30 movie (in two parts) way back in the early 1970’s and it was always a childhood favorite. I’ve owned it on laser disc, DVD and, at one time, even had an original (totally faded) 35mm print. However, seeing this brand new print on the Lafayette’s big screen was like seeing it for the first time. The color was perfect, and the clarity off the camera negative was amazing. I felt as if I had gone back to 1959 and was seeing the film first run!
The icing on the cinematic cake was the 4 channel stereo sound. While the voices and effects seemed primarily set in the center channel, Bernard Herrman’s wonderful music really came to life with the 3 speakers behind the screen. It was also cool having various sound effects (such as wind and echoes) bouncing from the surround speakers. The spacious size of the Lafayette’s auditorium added immensely to the totally immersive wrap-around audio.
On Sunday, the archival dye-transfer Technicolor print of “Rodan†was in mint condition. It’s always great to see real Technicolor on the big screen!
Unfortunately, a prior commitment kept me from attending the rest of the shows on Sunday, but I certainly had a great time when I was there.
The appearance of Ro-Man in front of the theater was a nice touch – especially since he brought his Automatic Billion Bubble Machine. Perhaps this means the Lafayette will bring back 3-D with a presentation of this gem in its original dual-strip, Polaroid version? One can only hope. I must â€" but I cannot.
Jeff Barker was quite entertaining on the Mighty Wurlitzer organ, and the addition of a Theremin on stage was inspired. Many people were amazed to see the actual instrument in action, and the player was a real pro.
Pete Apruzzese and the crew are to be commended for their usual excellent showmanship and attention to detail. One of the things I enjoy most about attending this theater is the fact that you don’t have to worry about the presentation. You know that the curtains and stage lights will be utilized to create the appropriate movie palace experience. The focus was always crisp and the sound really delivered a punch. Some of those low bass music cues in Journey had the seat shaking. I thought I was hearing Sensurround again!
If you have the opportunity to be in the area, don’t miss a chance to see a classic movie at this great showplace. You can sit back – relax – and enjoy the show, for it is truly the way movies were meant to be seen!
That’s why the devices introduced by Polaroid in August 1953 to insure synchronization were essential for quality 3-D viewing. But they were about 6 months too late. The damage had been done and too many people had seen 3-D poorly projected.
http://www.3dfilmpf.org/hondo/BOXOFFICE_081553.jpg
http://www.3dfilmpf.org/hondo/BOXOFFICE_103153.jpg
Click on the images for full scale versions of the text.
You’re welcome Vito. He doesn’t update very often but when he does, the posts are extremely interesting. His one about 3-D is very accurate and well documented.
View link
In fact, the big change in Fox’s stereo-only requirement came about when the Community Theater in Morristown converted the 4 tracks to mono.
Check out this excellent article “Stereophonic Sound or Bust” for all the details: View link
Allow me to share a story about lighting in the Jersey.
About 7 years ago, Bob Eberenz and I were tracing out speaker lines in the catwalks above the theater. I noticed two ladders that went down on either side of the auditorium into total darkness. Armed with a flashlight and a prayer, I descended the ladder not sure what I would find. About 20 feet down, I found myself behind the side wall on the top of the organ chamber. Looking into the tiny access space, I spotted ancient light bulbs. None of them were working. Nobody was even aware that lighting existed in that particular area of the auditorium!
So I climbed back up and armed myself with a dozen 100 watt bulbs. With one hand holding the ladder and another holding the bulb, I reached as far as I could into the little space and began changing the bulbs. One by one, they lit and I could see how much light they were throwing onto the area. All went well until one of the sockets had a bad circuit and sparked. It scared the heck out of me and it was a good thing I had a strong grip on the ladder. There was a good ten feet between me and the side wall, and the area below me descended into total darkness. I’m not sure how long the drop was and I certainly didn’t want to find out!
When I got back to the projection booth, I was absolutely pitch black from all the dirt. Thank goodness I had worn a protective mask, but my nostrils were still full of black soot.
But the payoff when I got to the orchestra level was worth it. There for the first time in probably 50 years, was lighting above the side chambers throwing a warm glow onto the ornate walls above them. That lighting is still working today. Check it out the next time you are there.
My point to this story is not to take credit for some achievement in the theater (and I hope my use of the first person is not offensive) but to illustrate that the lighting you are seeing now is greatly minimized from what originally existed. When all of the balcony rail lights and side wall lighting is restored, and all the cove and dome lighting is replaced, you will see the beautiful architecture in this magnificent theater come to life once again!
None of those characters originated in a Universal film.
Now if they had the Mad Ghoul or the Creeper, that would be more appropriate!
I worked in New York from 1978 to 1984. Times Square and 42nd street was a mess and a filthy cesspool, especially after 10PM. I wouldn’t want to go back to that for anything.
Here’s the Rialto all decked out for HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN in 1944:
View link
Was the error because the listing had pictures of other drive-ins? If so, how come it was not re-listed with pictures of the drive-in for sale?
Was this drive-in recently listed on eBay?
Mahermusic said “I hate going down two flights to the mezzanine bathroom to wash up after working up there!”
Boy, in 2001 when we got the booth operating and presented the first 35mm shows, management promised they would replace the broken sink in the booth level bathroom – the one at the end of the hall.
It’s 7 years later and management still hasn’t replaced that sink??!! You get dirty working with carbon arc. Tell ‘em to stop spending money on their comfy office downstairs and take care of the poor volunteer film operators! :)
Movie534: The absolute worst part when Bob Eberenz (who was 67 at the time) and I started on the booth was the lack of heat or running water. It was mid-winter and actually colder in the theater than outdoors! After cleaning dead pigeons and their crap from everything, we had to go next door to C.H. Martins in order to wash up.
The volunteers working up there now have no idea how easy they’ve got it!
Mahermusic: Isn’t the room under the booth identified on the blueprints as “Publicity Room?”
We spent SO much time chasing the pigeons out of there and cleaning up their mess, it’s a shame that an un-repaired broken window has allowed them to move back in.
Yuck!
Boy, imagine that 1986 decay with another 22 years of water damage. There’s probably nothing left!
I am very sorry to learn about the missing murals. Is it true that over the past 30 years many light fixtures and other artifacts were removed as well?
In the current photos, I can see that somebody has removed the front off and taken the circa 1954 Altec surround speakers. Those fetch pretty big money in the collectors market.
Have these rare items been placed in safe storage by the city, or did they wind up stolen and sold for profit?
The Loew’s Jersey is not restored. They are open and presenting occasional shows, but very little has been restored in the last 5 years. In fact, there are elements (marquee, clock tower) that are in worse shape now then they were several years ago.
They do have a fully restored organ (and it’s magnificent) but that’s due to the hard work and dedication of the Garden State Theater Organ Society.
Be careful. The last time they announced HTWWW, my friend and I bought tickets for the closing night; flew cross country from New Jersey and booked a hotel in Woodland Hills. When we got to the Dome, we discovered that the show had been canceled for an AFI event. There had been no announcement whatsoever, and we stood there feeling very angry and disappointed with our HTWWW tickets.
However, they did offer us free passes to another movie at the Arclight.
Thanks Warren, I’ve seen that particular image.
I’m interested because these appear to be the same murals that Eberson used in the Central Theater in Passaic, NJ. By the time I was going to the Central, they had been covered over with wallpaper.
I know it’s a long shot, but I would really like to see what they might have looked like.
Does anybody know if the two flourescent murals are still intact? If so, is there any way to see and photograph them?
Thank you for any help.
Here’s a nice shot of the Fox playing FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLFMAN in 1943:
View link
That’s a terrific line-up of films, and it’s nice to see them taking a chance with some unusual titles.
MANOS-HANDS OF FATE? Wow, I wish I could see that one on the big screen!