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Topic: Intermissions added to Films? Seen or added yourself?

Frank Angel
Film God

Posts: 5305
From: Brooklyn NY USA
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 12-20-2005 05:06 AM

CAMELOT -- speech by King Arthur after he finds out there's much hanky panky going on under his roof. The main "Camelot" theme swells to a really bombastic crescendo...cue curtain and warmers. And there's MY FAIR LADY -- off to the ball as "I Could Have Danced All Night" builds to a really impressive climax....cue curtain and warmers.

You just can't beat that stuff. Of course you have to have a curtain and curtain warmers to do it properly.

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Tony Bandiera Jr
Film God

Posts: 3067
From: Moreland Idaho
Registered: Apr 2004

posted 01-14-2006 02:12 PM

THE RIGHT STUFF - most houses running in 70mm put thier intermission at the end of reel 6, the scene where astronaut Deke Slayton is in the mermaid tank behind the bar. Perfect for leadout as you had the "deedle-deedle" lounge music in the background. The opening of the next reel was a bunch of reporters climbing over Louise Shepard's fence.

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Claude S. Ayakawa
Film God

Posts: 2738
From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 01-14-2006 09:05 PM

The now defunct Waikiki Twins had an opportunity to show "THE RIGHT STUFF" in 70mm in auditorium #1 but had to show it in 35mm because Warner Brothers did not allow Pacific to put in an intermission and insisted that the film played without any pause. From what I was told, the entire 70mm print of the three hour film could not fit on their platter so an intermission was necessary. On the other hand, "GANDHI" played in this same auditorium in 70mm only because it came with an intermission and entr'acte.

-Claude

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Paul Linfesty
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1383
From: Bakersfield, CA, USA
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 01-14-2006 10:25 PM

quote: Frank Angel
On the other hand, really long films like TITANIC, KING KONG, and many of the other near three hour epics, if the film-maker didn't have the foresight to put in his own intermission

In the case of TITANIC, it not only was discussed, but nixed by Cameron.

From the book "Titanic: James Cameron's Illustrated Screenplay:"

quote:
Do to the film's running time an intermission was proposed. The portentious ending of Scene 156 seemed like a logical break point to create two seperate "acts." Cameron was vehemently opposed to the concept.

Cameron: I don't believe in an intermission because I've worked hard as a filmmaker to capture an audience's hearts and minds. I don't want to let them leave the dramatic space I've created for ten minutes so they can get more popcorn or go to the restroom. If they need a break, let them pick their own time to run to the lobby. If I do my job as a storyteller then no one will want to take a break, even after three hours. I told people "There will be an intermission in this movie over my dead body."

The proposed break for TITANIC happened during the discussion between Smith, Andrews and Ismay when discussing how much time before the ship sinks and closes on the Smith's line "I believe you may get your headlines, Mr. Ismay." Which is where the videocassette and new DVD version puts it.

quote: Frank Angel
And there's MY FAIR LADY -- off to the ball as "I Could Have Danced All Night" builds to a really impressive climax....cue curtain and warmers.

Actually the official intermission point of MFL comes after Eliza walks down the stairacse on the way dressed in white before they leave for the ball.

quote: Claude S. Ayakawa
The now defunct Waikiki Twins had an opportunity to show "THE RIGHT STUFF" in 70mm in auditorium #1 but had to show it in 35mm because Warner Brothers did not allow Pacific to put in an intermission and insisted that the film played without any pause.

Ironically, when I saw the film in 35mm in Bakersfield at UA Movies 6, the local theatre stuck in it's own intermission, when their platteres could easily have held the whole 35mm print. The point came at the end of John Glenn's bedtime chat to his wife boasting that he would be the first man in space. (Another local theatre threw in an intermission in Sophie's Choice right after Sophie's husband/partner(?) demanded to know how she was able to escape the gas chambers. Very innapropriate jump-cut to an intermission snipe in the style used for the Feature Presentation snipe in Kill Bill.

NOTE: The Chinese Theatre handled the 70mm print of THE RIGHT STUFF by showing all but the last 2 reels on platter, then doing a changeover to second projector using a doubled-up reel.

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Robert Harris
Film Handler

Posts: 95
From: Bedford Hills, NY, USA
Registered: May 2003

posted 01-16-2006 10:12 AM

The actual placement of ntermissions in roadshows were sometimes determined by test audiences.

The break in Spartacus was originally placed at the end of "We camp tonight by the sea," as opposed to "Put him on a horse!"

Also, from a technical standpoint, they were almost always physically cut in before striping and sounding, as were the Overture, Logo, Main Title sequence, Entr'Acte and End Titles.

As an example, original prints of Lawrence were made up of the following sections for Reel 1 A/B: Protection and Academy leader (which had been removed from 1A), Overture, Logo, Main Titles, Reel 1A, Reel 1B.

RAH

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Tony Bandiera Jr
Film God

Posts: 3067
From: Moreland Idaho
Registered: Apr 2004

posted 01-17-2006 05:46 PM

quote: Paul Linfesty
NOTE: The Chinese Theatre handled the 70mm print of THE RIGHT STUFF by showing all but the last 2 reels on platter, then doing a changeover to second projector using a doubled-up reel.

Maybe during the first part of its run, but when I went to see it near the end of the run (dragging my sister and some friends thru the hideous LA traffic) they managed to totally screw up the presentation from beginning to end! No n/sync, threading with the penthouse hot, putting the leader on the screen, out-of-frame, soft focus, bad sound, etc.

And they took intermission at the end of the scene where the astronauts march up toward the camera! The film then tailed out to white screen!

Coming out of the intermission was even worse! Same threadup and this time, instead of the SMPTE leader, we were treated to an upside-down image of a "pagoda" style building until we got into the film, with the last few notes of the previous scene's music heard before the picture opened on the rocket Al Shepard was to ride.

Needless to say I was more than a little pissed, as was most of the 300+ in the house. My post-show tirade had the manager in fear of his life and got most all the house refunds! I also sent a scathing letter to the Ladd Company.

Several years later I met Alan Ladd, Jr. and he remembered me from that letter and asked if it was really that bad. I told him it was. He offered me a job as a secret screener for his future productions.

[Big Grin]

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Paul Linfesty
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1383
From: Bakersfield, CA, USA
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 01-17-2006 06:44 PM

quote: Tony Bandiera Jr
No n/sync

This was policy from Mann Theatres from the point they took over the NGC chain in 1973 until at least the late 80's. I never heard pre-show music at any Mann house I visited during this time period (Fox Bakersfield, Tower Oakland, all the Mann's in Westwood, Hollywood, Beverly Hills (Fine Arts). I visited the LA sites frequently.

quote: Tony Bandiera Jr
Maybe during the first part of its run

I saw it on the Saturday matinee the day after it opened at the original theatre. The presentation was just about perfect, although the recently re-lit red lighting cast a low glow on the corners of the screen. Other than that the presentation was flawless. There seemed to be a pathetically low turnout, however.

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David Stambaugh
Film God

Posts: 4021
From: Eugene, Oregon
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 01-17-2006 09:11 PM

quote: Paul Linfesty
The proposed break for TITANIC happened during the discussion between Smith, Andrews and Ismay when discussing how much time before the ship sinks and closes on the Smith's line "I believe you may get your headlines, Mr. Ismay." Which is where the videocassette and new DVD version puts it.

I saw the movie in a theater several times and I've always thought that's exactly where an intermission would have been most appropriate.

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Wayne Keyser
Master Film Handler

Posts: 272
From: Arlington, Virginia, USA
Registered: May 2004

posted 01-17-2006 10:28 PM

How about a "lost intermission"?

JEREMIAH JOHNSON, a favorite of mine - saw it first-run, second-run, revival, maybe a dozen times in all, 108 minutes straight through, no problem.

DVD version "restores" a never-shown overture, intermission and entr'acte bringing the new running time to 116 minutes (according to IMDB).

And, to me, it "feels wrong" - no need for it, and it breaks the rhythm I've grown used to - never noticed "something missing" when I saw it originally.

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Grant Davies
Film Handler

Posts: 7
From: Wangaratta, Victoria, Australia
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 01-17-2006 11:28 PM

We ran an intermission for the first Lord of the Rings film during it's second week of screening. We had more than a few complaints that the film was too long and needed to have a break. Was mildly successful at alleviating some patrons concerns at purchasing 1020ml of pepsi for themselves and surviving. Funnily enough the very next week it went straight back to having no intermission.

It was a hell of a lot easier to move though. Wasn't the smoothest transition but certainly wasn't clumsy enough to be ugly.

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Mark Hajducki
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 500
From: Edinburgh, UK
Registered: May 2003

posted 01-18-2006 06:54 AM

quote: Paul Linfesty
The proposed break for TITANIC happened during the discussion between Smith, Andrews and Ismay when discussing how much time before the ship sinks and closes on the Smith's line "I believe you may get your headlines, Mr. Ismay." Which is where the videocassette and new DVD version puts it.

Was this at a reel change or did the intermission have to be cut into the film?

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John Eickhof
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 588
From: Wendell, ID USA
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 01-18-2006 10:12 AM

In addition to the three screens Mike mentioned in Montana, there are two more in Northern Montana that originally ran 1 projector w/6000ft reels thus an intermission was necessary! Even after I installed platters, They tried running an entire show but the customers complained about the loss of the 'pee break' in the middle of the show!! So, they still run an intermission every show to bolster snack bar sales! There are two theatres in N. California that are single projector w/ 6000 ft reels, they have run with intermissions for years and like Mike said, the customers are used to it! I guess its just a matter of what you are conditioned to...it didn't take very long to 'condition' people for TV commercials...

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Paul Linfesty
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1383
From: Bakersfield, CA, USA
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 01-18-2006 10:43 AM

There was (apparently) only 1 projector at the Cinema Paradiso (the Italian movie) and they were running off 2000 foot reels!

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Mark Lensenmayer
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1605
From: Upper Arlington, OH
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 01-18-2006 01:39 PM

The Ohio Theatre Classic Summer Film Series always runs with an intermission. Even short films get an intermission. They usually have the intermissions right on the reel changes (there are no platters in the booth). Worst moment was the break right in the middle of the crop duster scene in NORTH BY NORTHWEST.

Note that much of the audience is older, and it is a LONG way to some of the rest rooms. It isn't an easy place to manage in the dark.

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Frank Angel
Film God

Posts: 5305
From: Brooklyn NY USA
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 01-22-2006 09:35 AM

Moved to the more appropriate The Afterlife forum.

[ 01-24-2006, 03:52 AM: Message edited by: Frank Angel ]

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