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Uploaded on: April 4, 2024

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Fred W. Gast launched the Bridgman Theatre with a soft launch in 1921. Its official grand opening was on January 20, 1922 with Rudolph Valentino in “The Sheik.”

Audiences were impressed by the $10,000 pipe organ. The architects of the new-build venue were Colton, Bond & Knecht of Grand Rapids and the neighbor was the long-running Knaak’s drug store.

Projection was two Simplex S Rigs onto a Gardiner Velvet Gold Fibre screen.

Additional information on the Gardiner Velvet Gold Fibre screen sourced from “Reel Projectionists site” on Facebook -

THE GARDINER VELVET GOLD FIBER SCREEN - Was linen screen, most were back in the day, but the Gardiner was perforated only in the center. A common issue was low intensity carbon lamps were hot in the center of the image. L.J. Gardiner patented a perforation pattern that graduated with more perforations in the center and less as it reached the outside edges. The result was less reflectivity in the center - Notes by John Williamson

Source - Reel Projectionists on Facebook - John Williamson says - The image is a glass advertising slide, made by l.j.’s brother, Ted Gardiner at American Slide Co., my old company.

The Bridgman Theatre Continued - In June of 1929, the Bridgman Theatre converted to sound. In the TV age, the theatre operated just four days a week closing in the summer. On October 28, 1954, the Bridgman Theatre converted to widescreen showing the CinemaScope “The Robe”. The theatre closed in 1956 and was auctioned off in 1957. A couple of live events conclude its operation and the theatre was converted to a Ben Franklin store that closed in the 21st Century - Notes by dallasmovietheatres

Contributed by Greg Lynch -