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This topic comprises 3 pages: 1 2 3
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Author
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Topic: Christmas Eve... Give Us A Break!
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David Graham Rose
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 187
From: Cambridge, UK
Registered: Sep 2002
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posted 11-27-2003 03:32 PM
Greetings from the historic City of Cambridge
A number of years ago, too many years ago now I come to think of it, when I was a Chief Projectionist with the Gaumont circuit here in the UK, I was asked by our Managing Director at the time to work on Christmas day. The reason being was that he wanted to entertain his friends and family in an alternative manner over the Festive period. At the time, and being single, I was not too bothered about this.
I duly arrived on Christmas Day at 11am, in readiness for a 6pm start, and found that the secondary lamp gas supply had failed. I duly spent the next four hours attempting to re-establish a supply in order that our Managing Director and his family could view the entertainment. Imagine my dismay when I realised that the main incoming gas supply had failed.
Fortunately, my Senior Projectionist was a former gas fitter with British Coal, as it was in those days, and he was able to gain access to the local supply. With luck, he was able to divert enough gas to the stalls lighting circuit from the adjacent fish and chip shop to allow the performance to continue.
In those days we were fortunate enoughg to have a full Variety act in anticipation of the supporting programme. We began with the usual Organ interlude - Reginald Dixon, bless him- was kind enough to give up his day off, and 13 of the 14 Tiller Girls were gracious enough to make the effort to attend and perform their routine. The only absent girl was one Elizabeth Boothroyd- the former Madam Speaker of the House of Commons!
At the end of the performance the MD personally requested a visit to the Projection Suite with his family to thank me for the evenings performance. His only criticism of the show was that newsreel was out of date!! It seems that Gaumont-British news even had Christmas Eve off.
How times change.
With fond memories of the Tiller Girls, I bid you all a very, very good evening. And to all my colleagues across the pond a very happy Thanksgiving.
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David Graham Rose
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 187
From: Cambridge, UK
Registered: Sep 2002
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posted 11-28-2003 03:03 PM
Greetings to All from Cambridge, UK
I quote;
'So nice to find someone besides myself who remembers Reginald Dixon. I have many of his recordings in my theatre pipe organ collection. CHEERS... from one Obsolete Person to another'
Indeed, Reg was one of the greatest (if not THE greatest) organist ever to grace the manuals of theatre organs. I have many recordings of him, including one of 'Lullaby of Broadway' which he personally recorded for my late father at the console of the Wurlitzer at the Gaumont State Kilburn.
My Father, as well as being a Chief Projectionist was a very accomplished theatre organist, and had the pleasure of playing one of the three Kimball consoles at the Roxy along with Dezso Von D'Antalffy and Dr. Parmitter, standing in for Lew White who was off sick at the time. His favourite stop on the organ was the Vox Humana, with which he recorded 'Jiggery-Jig-Jog Down O'er Bridge of Weir' in 1928.
Indeed, due to cuts in academic research in the UK it may very well be that soon I too may be obsolete, since the next academic years budget for research in Cinema Technology has been halved. I believe that the University Funding Council has no time for matters appertaining to the Cinema Industry.
From a very annoyed head of research, I bid you good evening.
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David Graham Rose
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 187
From: Cambridge, UK
Registered: Sep 2002
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posted 11-30-2003 12:52 PM
Good Evening all from Cambridge;
Quote
'I'm still puzzling over "secondary lamp gas supply."'
Puzzle no longer my dear chap. Quite simply, along with many cinemas of this era, the secondary - or maintained/emergency- lighting was not run from batteries, but all secondary lighting in the theatre were illuminated with gas lit mantles. Thus avoiding the need for electricity - particularly handy in the event of a power failure.
It is with some regret, I would imagine, that the British Broadcasting Corporation, based in London, England, had not invested in gas powered back up broadcasting equipment. This would have avoided disappointing the many millions of listeners to the early morning Radio 4 'Today' programme last week.
Maybe I will recommend it, the next time the Broadcasting Technology Committee meets.
With that thought, I shall retire.
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Don Bruechert
Mmmmmmmmm, bird!
Posts: 340
From: Manitowoc, WI, USA
Registered: Jan 2003
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posted 11-30-2003 07:13 PM
Where do you hear about "Mandatory Showtimes"? The owner doesn't share any of that stuff with me, and if he sets up the show schedule to some stupid times that conflict with a bunch of stuff I just change the runtimes by 10 or 15 minutes to make everything work out. Sometimes he has 3 prints starting at the exact same time, which is impossible, so I just add 5 minutes here or subtract 5 minutes there to help keep things sane. I have found it is much better if you find you need to change showtimes a tad to send the changes to the paper and let everyone know, than to just keep them as they are so the boss is happy, because if there happen to be 3 prints starting at the same time then we start one 5 minutes early, 1 on time and one 5 minutes late. The people who come to the movie we started early get pissed off, or don't buy concessions - much easier to publish the change and keep everyone but the boss happy... after all, we are supposed to be in this business for the customers....
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