Thank you for the information Ian on the two other cinema’s which I now do recall. The Luxor I only remember seeing as it was being demolished, where as the Princess I passed every day to and from work at the Odeon. I made a visit to Hemel Hempstead in the late 90’s and called in at the Odeon. I had a chat with the manager and he allowed me to have a look in the projection room where I’d worked all those years ago as a young man. It brought back lots of happy memories of the times.
I was 2nd projectionist at this cinema shortly after it opened in 1960. The projection room was very spacious and had it’s own toilet and washing facilities ajoining it. The projectors were Kalee 21s and I think Ross carbon arc’s. These were water cooled because so much heat was generated by the carbons. I have a photograph of the projection room showing myself about to do a change over. I can add it to the site if anyone is interested in seeing it. There were two other cinemas in Hemel Hempstead at that time, one had already closed, but the other was still open as I remember it was showing the film ‘Saturday Night And Sunday Morning’ which became one of my favourite all time films. I can’t remember the names of either of those cinemas, but I’m sure someone will recall them who lived in Hemel at that time.
I worked in the cinemas from a young age and in all those years I never heard anyone call the stage curtains, curtains. They were always knows as “The Tabs” the lights round the sides and over the screen was called the “Prossarch” and the ones on the bottom the “Foot lights” In the projection room the turntable for playing records was known as the “nonesink”. I don’t know if any of these terms still survive today. I very much doubt it as the cinemas I have visited recently don’t even have Tabs. Showmanship in cinemas is none exsistant today. When I was a projectionist I’d been taught to time the ending of the music with the dimming of the lights, and the British Board of Census appearing just as the Tabs were opened ready for the start of the film. I’ve never seen inside a modern day projection room but I understand the complete film is on one reel so doing away with change overs. Phew how things have changed.
Thank you for the information Ian on the two other cinema’s which I now do recall. The Luxor I only remember seeing as it was being demolished, where as the Princess I passed every day to and from work at the Odeon. I made a visit to Hemel Hempstead in the late 90’s and called in at the Odeon. I had a chat with the manager and he allowed me to have a look in the projection room where I’d worked all those years ago as a young man. It brought back lots of happy memories of the times.
I was 2nd projectionist at this cinema shortly after it opened in 1960. The projection room was very spacious and had it’s own toilet and washing facilities ajoining it. The projectors were Kalee 21s and I think Ross carbon arc’s. These were water cooled because so much heat was generated by the carbons. I have a photograph of the projection room showing myself about to do a change over. I can add it to the site if anyone is interested in seeing it. There were two other cinemas in Hemel Hempstead at that time, one had already closed, but the other was still open as I remember it was showing the film ‘Saturday Night And Sunday Morning’ which became one of my favourite all time films. I can’t remember the names of either of those cinemas, but I’m sure someone will recall them who lived in Hemel at that time.
I worked in the cinemas from a young age and in all those years I never heard anyone call the stage curtains, curtains. They were always knows as “The Tabs” the lights round the sides and over the screen was called the “Prossarch” and the ones on the bottom the “Foot lights” In the projection room the turntable for playing records was known as the “nonesink”. I don’t know if any of these terms still survive today. I very much doubt it as the cinemas I have visited recently don’t even have Tabs. Showmanship in cinemas is none exsistant today. When I was a projectionist I’d been taught to time the ending of the music with the dimming of the lights, and the British Board of Census appearing just as the Tabs were opened ready for the start of the film. I’ve never seen inside a modern day projection room but I understand the complete film is on one reel so doing away with change overs. Phew how things have changed.