I could get passes to all of the RKO theatres in Cincinnati, although I didn’t use the perk all that much. Maybe to the Albee and quit often across the street to the Paramount.
I’m not quit sure what the ‘Nati’ area is to which you refer. I now live in Venice, Florida, but visit Cincinnati frequently. And yes I have noticed the Peebles Corner area. Quit a change from the mid to late 1940’s, but I guess that’s gone – forever, at least in my life time.
Relative to the project booths: I would visit these occasionaly, and what a magical place that was. This was when I learned that the film being projected had a sound track on the left side of the film. This would was ‘read’ by a lighted box – not sure what it’s called, and this would make the sound. When the film was passing through the projector it would flash various codes to the proejector operator signalling him when to swith to another projector. As the film was produced in reels of about 35-45 minutes in length, and they needed a way to switch to another reel once one was completed. They did this rather seamlessly (usually). Today they make the films in reels about 5 feer in diameter, and can usually get a full length movie on one reel.
There were located on the second balcony.
Yes, there were opening and closing curtains. There were rather massive – I would say 20feet by 60 ft., and there were 3 layers or so. They would open and close them between each picture showing. I sure they must have been used when there where vaudeville shows.
Not sure if the EJ Graham you mentioned was the same. Could have been.
No I no longer am with any cinema business. Would like to take the trip to TMC’s upcoming event in LA this spring.
Did not get to hear the organ at the Paramount. Remember that the one at the Orpheum was played once.
To answer Hank Sykes questions – I was not an usher, to young, however did work in the concession stands and with the cleaning up of the auditorium.
About the elevators – what I can remember was there 2 or 3 in the main lobby, 2 near the boxes in the main auditorium, and I think there or four in the main back stage area.
Tthe organs; yes, they still had there pipes, and as I recall these were located on the right side of the main auditorium. The boxes on the left and right, both floors, also had various other musical devices, such as cymbals, bells, violins, sort of like a calliope, in that all sorts of musical sound would be emitted. Must have been quit something in the early 1900’s.
The Martin family, I don’t think I met any of them, perhaps more information would ring a bell or two. I do remember E. J. (Earl) Graham as the top manager at this location.
I’m not sure when they shut down the bowling alleys, but they were not in operation from 1947 onward.
In the late ‘40s, early ‘50s the Orpheum would occasionally have some type of special showing, something with particular theme, such as Westerns. They were having a Western showing – which was for about a week or so. One of the displays they had was a set of western style pistols. Must have been 15 or 20 of them.
Since I, as well as my brothers and cousins, had access to the entire theatre facility, we each took a pistol and went about chasing each other around the entire place, playing cowboys (and sheriff)! How dangerous was that? We ran around throughout the entire place, in the balconies (there were 3 levels), basement, back stage, down in the dressing rooms back stage, and the dressing rooms which encircled the entire back stage area, there must have been about 15 or so. Quiet and experience.
In 1945 my mother was a manager at this theatre. It’s curios that no one has commented that Tyrone Power, about 1932 or 1933, had been an usher here. The hey-day of theatre going was slowing down, (TV, demolished in 1952) and the theatre was barley able to stay open. I remember that they start having various orphanages around the city come in and enjoy a live variety stage show with the like Harris Rosedale and others.
I had access to all parts of the building at that time, and was able to make off hour tours. I was able to actual see the background equipment for the Wurlitzer Organ that was located in the side boxes on the first and second floor of the auditorium. Some other features of the building: A bowling alley on the third floor; There were two balcony levels in the main auditorium; Of course the skylight theatre at the very top of the building; The skylight theatre about 1946 was converted into a TV manufacturing plant for Muntz TVs – lasted about 2 years or so; there was a swimming pool under the main stage stage, that was used as an aqua show during the 1920-1930s; there were at least 20 dressing rooms throughout the building; there were at least 5 elevators; the building was funished with marble through out the pedestrian areas; and on and on. Too bad it was demolished.
To answer more of Mr Sykes questions:
I could get passes to all of the RKO theatres in Cincinnati, although I didn’t use the perk all that much. Maybe to the Albee and quit often across the street to the Paramount.
I’m not quit sure what the ‘Nati’ area is to which you refer. I now live in Venice, Florida, but visit Cincinnati frequently. And yes I have noticed the Peebles Corner area. Quit a change from the mid to late 1940’s, but I guess that’s gone – forever, at least in my life time.
Relative to the project booths: I would visit these occasionaly, and what a magical place that was. This was when I learned that the film being projected had a sound track on the left side of the film. This would was ‘read’ by a lighted box – not sure what it’s called, and this would make the sound. When the film was passing through the projector it would flash various codes to the proejector operator signalling him when to swith to another projector. As the film was produced in reels of about 35-45 minutes in length, and they needed a way to switch to another reel once one was completed. They did this rather seamlessly (usually). Today they make the films in reels about 5 feer in diameter, and can usually get a full length movie on one reel.
There were located on the second balcony.
Yes, there were opening and closing curtains. There were rather massive – I would say 20feet by 60 ft., and there were 3 layers or so. They would open and close them between each picture showing. I sure they must have been used when there where vaudeville shows.
Not sure if the EJ Graham you mentioned was the same. Could have been.
No I no longer am with any cinema business. Would like to take the trip to TMC’s upcoming event in LA this spring.
Did not get to hear the organ at the Paramount. Remember that the one at the Orpheum was played once.
WC
To answer Hank Sykes questions – I was not an usher, to young, however did work in the concession stands and with the cleaning up of the auditorium.
About the elevators – what I can remember was there 2 or 3 in the main lobby, 2 near the boxes in the main auditorium, and I think there or four in the main back stage area.
Tthe organs; yes, they still had there pipes, and as I recall these were located on the right side of the main auditorium. The boxes on the left and right, both floors, also had various other musical devices, such as cymbals, bells, violins, sort of like a calliope, in that all sorts of musical sound would be emitted. Must have been quit something in the early 1900’s.
The Martin family, I don’t think I met any of them, perhaps more information would ring a bell or two. I do remember E. J. (Earl) Graham as the top manager at this location.
I’m not sure when they shut down the bowling alleys, but they were not in operation from 1947 onward.
In the late ‘40s, early ‘50s the Orpheum would occasionally have some type of special showing, something with particular theme, such as Westerns. They were having a Western showing – which was for about a week or so. One of the displays they had was a set of western style pistols. Must have been 15 or 20 of them.
Since I, as well as my brothers and cousins, had access to the entire theatre facility, we each took a pistol and went about chasing each other around the entire place, playing cowboys (and sheriff)! How dangerous was that? We ran around throughout the entire place, in the balconies (there were 3 levels), basement, back stage, down in the dressing rooms back stage, and the dressing rooms which encircled the entire back stage area, there must have been about 15 or so. Quiet and experience.
In 1945 my mother was a manager at this theatre. It’s curios that no one has commented that Tyrone Power, about 1932 or 1933, had been an usher here. The hey-day of theatre going was slowing down, (TV, demolished in 1952) and the theatre was barley able to stay open. I remember that they start having various orphanages around the city come in and enjoy a live variety stage show with the like Harris Rosedale and others. I had access to all parts of the building at that time, and was able to make off hour tours. I was able to actual see the background equipment for the Wurlitzer Organ that was located in the side boxes on the first and second floor of the auditorium. Some other features of the building: A bowling alley on the third floor; There were two balcony levels in the main auditorium; Of course the skylight theatre at the very top of the building; The skylight theatre about 1946 was converted into a TV manufacturing plant for Muntz TVs – lasted about 2 years or so; there was a swimming pool under the main stage stage, that was used as an aqua show during the 1920-1930s; there were at least 20 dressing rooms throughout the building; there were at least 5 elevators; the building was funished with marble through out the pedestrian areas; and on and on. Too bad it was demolished.