I worked part-time at the Brunswick as a projectionist in the mid-late 70’s when it was an x-rated theater. I worked there up until I left to teach (how’s that for a strange occupation change?). I also remember Doris Hess, I worked there with Don Reynolds and Joe Neuhof.
My dad was a projectionist at the Hamilton. It opened just after WWII, and was only open for about 2.5 years. It was a victim of the post-WWII television boom, and never made it. It was an identical twin of the Brunswick Theater, both designed to be neighborhood theaters. However, the era of neighborhood theaters was ending just as they opened.
In the late 60’s the Capitol also hosted rock ‘n’ roll shows, like James Brown, the Diana Ross and the Supremes, etc. It had a great stage, back from the days it was the Taylor Opera House.
When I worked at the Mayfair in the 70’s, it did not have clock motor drives for the carbon arc lamphouses. Crazy Bob accurately described the equipment in the booth, not to mention that the generator was also in there. It was incredibly loud, and I have hearing loss today partly as a result of those years at the Mayfair. By the way, Local 359 dissolved after Walt Hoffman passed away late in 1978. At that point, there were no union theaters in Mercer County left.
I worked as a projectionist at the Mayfair from 1972 until 1978, when the Henry family closed it. For the most part, Doug Hewitson worked days, and I worked nights. It survived as a “blacksploitation” theater of the 70’s. An interesting point of trivia…the projection booth was literally a concrete box that was attached to the outside of the theater before WWII. When the trolly stopped being used in Trenton, they attached the box to the outside by encasing the trolly tracks in concrete to create support beams.
I grew up at the Lincoln and the Trent, as my Dad worked there from about 1962 until they closed in 1972. I also went to HS at Cathedral HS, which was a block away. I remember the entire school was taken to see Bullitt at the Trent or Lincoln (I can’t remember which) when I was a freshman in the spring of 1969.
The Brunswick did not close in 1972. I know because I worked there part-time until 1978 as a projectionist. I was only a kid (about 22) and my “main” job was at the Mayfair, which was downtown. That closed in March or April of 1978.
Crazy Bob, when did you work at the Lincoln? My dad was the Business Agent of the projectionists local, and I worked my way through college working at the Mayfair. I did my apprenticeship at the Lincoln and the Trent.
Once, when I was about 9 or 10, I played the organ at the Lincoln. Bolton Holmes had a weekly radio show on WTTM where he would play the organ on a Saturday morning before the theater opened for business. He let me play a song on it when the show was done. At the time, they said it was the largest theater organ east of the Mississippi still being used.
Bob, couldn’t friend you on facebook. Go to mine, OK?
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1641160923
The Trent Theater was a few doors from the intersection of State and Warren, and the Lincoln was next to the Trent…
I worked part-time at the Brunswick as a projectionist in the mid-late 70’s when it was an x-rated theater. I worked there up until I left to teach (how’s that for a strange occupation change?). I also remember Doris Hess, I worked there with Don Reynolds and Joe Neuhof.
My dad was a projectionist at the Hamilton. It opened just after WWII, and was only open for about 2.5 years. It was a victim of the post-WWII television boom, and never made it. It was an identical twin of the Brunswick Theater, both designed to be neighborhood theaters. However, the era of neighborhood theaters was ending just as they opened.
In the late 60’s the Capitol also hosted rock ‘n’ roll shows, like James Brown, the Diana Ross and the Supremes, etc. It had a great stage, back from the days it was the Taylor Opera House.
When I worked at the Mayfair in the 70’s, it did not have clock motor drives for the carbon arc lamphouses. Crazy Bob accurately described the equipment in the booth, not to mention that the generator was also in there. It was incredibly loud, and I have hearing loss today partly as a result of those years at the Mayfair. By the way, Local 359 dissolved after Walt Hoffman passed away late in 1978. At that point, there were no union theaters in Mercer County left.
I worked as a projectionist at the Mayfair from 1972 until 1978, when the Henry family closed it. For the most part, Doug Hewitson worked days, and I worked nights. It survived as a “blacksploitation” theater of the 70’s. An interesting point of trivia…the projection booth was literally a concrete box that was attached to the outside of the theater before WWII. When the trolly stopped being used in Trenton, they attached the box to the outside by encasing the trolly tracks in concrete to create support beams.
I grew up at the Lincoln and the Trent, as my Dad worked there from about 1962 until they closed in 1972. I also went to HS at Cathedral HS, which was a block away. I remember the entire school was taken to see Bullitt at the Trent or Lincoln (I can’t remember which) when I was a freshman in the spring of 1969.
The Brunswick did not close in 1972. I know because I worked there part-time until 1978 as a projectionist. I was only a kid (about 22) and my “main” job was at the Mayfair, which was downtown. That closed in March or April of 1978.
Crazy Bob, when did you work at the Lincoln? My dad was the Business Agent of the projectionists local, and I worked my way through college working at the Mayfair. I did my apprenticeship at the Lincoln and the Trent.
Once, when I was about 9 or 10, I played the organ at the Lincoln. Bolton Holmes had a weekly radio show on WTTM where he would play the organ on a Saturday morning before the theater opened for business. He let me play a song on it when the show was done. At the time, they said it was the largest theater organ east of the Mississippi still being used.