I was trained as a ‘certified’ projectionist for Commonwealth Theatre out of Kansas City. They would send spotters to check the quality of projecting films. One could written up for projecting a film out of focus or underlit. Had to always make sure the electrically charged Arcs were bright enough to light the film in its intended quality.
Thanks for this beautiful theatre with a curtain. showmanship was part of the fun of going to a theatre and being a projectionist. the curtain was used as showmanship as well as the lighting on the curtain. in the winter I used red, orange, and yellow floodlights projected onto the curtain to simulate a warm environment when the outside winter winds and blowing snows were a brutal 10 degrees. I would project the coming attractions, concession stands popcorn/beverage offerings, then close the curtain. Then open the curtain a 2nd time to project the main attraction…it was ‘theatrics’ and showmanship. In the summer we used the Green and Blue floodlights to simulate a cool air-conditioned theatre environment. Outside temps were in the 85-90 degree range. I often projected new films to my friends in the afternoons before anyone else in town had seen them. One was “Valley of the Dolls” almost verboten due to its sex and drugs theme. in 2022 it would be merely PG.
I rode my new motorcycle from Phoenix on the back road (69)? to see where the 1985 James Garner & Sally Field movie “murphy’s Romance” filmed in Florence. It was a great day, breezy hilly ride, sun on my face….a great memory (without traffic).
I was trained as a ‘certified’ projectionist for Commonwealth Theatre out of Kansas City. They would send spotters to check the quality of projecting films. One could written up for projecting a film out of focus or underlit. Had to always make sure the electrically charged Arcs were bright enough to light the film in its intended quality.
THANKS:-)
Thanks for this beautiful theatre with a curtain. showmanship was part of the fun of going to a theatre and being a projectionist. the curtain was used as showmanship as well as the lighting on the curtain. in the winter I used red, orange, and yellow floodlights projected onto the curtain to simulate a warm environment when the outside winter winds and blowing snows were a brutal 10 degrees. I would project the coming attractions, concession stands popcorn/beverage offerings, then close the curtain. Then open the curtain a 2nd time to project the main attraction…it was ‘theatrics’ and showmanship. In the summer we used the Green and Blue floodlights to simulate a cool air-conditioned theatre environment. Outside temps were in the 85-90 degree range. I often projected new films to my friends in the afternoons before anyone else in town had seen them. One was “Valley of the Dolls” almost verboten due to its sex and drugs theme. in 2022 it would be merely PG.
PG rating.
I rode my new motorcycle from Phoenix on the back road (69)? to see where the 1985 James Garner & Sally Field movie “murphy’s Romance” filmed in Florence. It was a great day, breezy hilly ride, sun on my face….a great memory (without traffic).