I hate to throw water on all the dicussion, but even recent installations of so-called “digital cinema” are rubbish. I went to see the last “Star Wars” movie presented in DLP Cinema at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood and the projection was atrocious. The image was not sharp on one side of the screen, the color was bad and it looked like a giant television screen blown-up beyond all reason. As a comparison, I saw the same film at the Village Theatre in Westwood, Ca. and the presentation was far superior, even though the digitally shot “footage” had been transferred to film! This is not a isolated case. So I think the conversion to digital is a bit premature and hopefully will not happen. It’s just like much of what they try to push on the public these daysâ€"it doesn’t work. “IF IT’S DIGITAL IT MUST BE GOOD"â€"what a joke!
In answer to the question posted by Neal on Jan.30,2004;
There was indeed a a group formed at the time that was dedicated to preserving the Ambassador, I contributed money to the group to that effect. Unfortunatly, a powerful bank, (Mercantile Trust),that owned a adjacent property, purchased the building and soon recieved a demolition permit in order to make way for a “plaza” that now immediately fronts a newer annex. The previous owners, (real estate sharks from Chicago), tragically had already stripped much of the interior of fixtures and even sections of the plaster work in the auditorium and sold them at auction. The lobby was completely dismantled and stripped of it’s marble. It was a sad end to certainly one of the most magnificent of all movie palaces. I had the pleasure of working at the Ambassador as a usher in the 1960’s during the many “roadshow” movie presentations that played there. I never tired of gazing at the shimmering beauty of this most beautiful and magical theatre.
A note of thanks should be extended to the Skouras family who, up until they sold the building in the mid-70’s, maintained the property with great care.
I hate to throw water on all the dicussion, but even recent installations of so-called “digital cinema” are rubbish. I went to see the last “Star Wars” movie presented in DLP Cinema at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood and the projection was atrocious. The image was not sharp on one side of the screen, the color was bad and it looked like a giant television screen blown-up beyond all reason. As a comparison, I saw the same film at the Village Theatre in Westwood, Ca. and the presentation was far superior, even though the digitally shot “footage” had been transferred to film! This is not a isolated case. So I think the conversion to digital is a bit premature and hopefully will not happen. It’s just like much of what they try to push on the public these daysâ€"it doesn’t work. “IF IT’S DIGITAL IT MUST BE GOOD"â€"what a joke!
In answer to the question posted by Neal on Jan.30,2004;
There was indeed a a group formed at the time that was dedicated to preserving the Ambassador, I contributed money to the group to that effect. Unfortunatly, a powerful bank, (Mercantile Trust),that owned a adjacent property, purchased the building and soon recieved a demolition permit in order to make way for a “plaza” that now immediately fronts a newer annex. The previous owners, (real estate sharks from Chicago), tragically had already stripped much of the interior of fixtures and even sections of the plaster work in the auditorium and sold them at auction. The lobby was completely dismantled and stripped of it’s marble. It was a sad end to certainly one of the most magnificent of all movie palaces. I had the pleasure of working at the Ambassador as a usher in the 1960’s during the many “roadshow” movie presentations that played there. I never tired of gazing at the shimmering beauty of this most beautiful and magical theatre.
A note of thanks should be extended to the Skouras family who, up until they sold the building in the mid-70’s, maintained the property with great care.