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This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2
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Topic: "Smallest Show On Earth" showing this week on TV in UK
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Gordon Bachlund
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 696
From: Monrovia, CA, USA
Registered: Aug 1999
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posted 02-22-2003 12:24 PM
I count myself among the many fans of "The Smallest Show on Earth," having a videotape that was obviously made from a 16mm print. We can probably thank early television for saving many wonderful films, this title among them.
Ken's recollection of the venerable Mr. Quill "jump starting" the projectors by giving the front shutter a spin reminded me of an experience I had in the 1950s when I was working relief, months after passing the City projectionist test. Being lower than low on the grand totem pole of seniority (a permit holder rather than a full member of the local), the houses I found myself in were often an order of magnitude lower than the lowest of today’s sub run venues. One in particular, the Lux Theatre on the seedy outskirts of downtown LA, was equipped with Simplex Standard heads residing atop WE universal bases with the old WE sound heads that included the (as I recall) exciter supply and pre-amp below, and diminutive Strong lamphouses of the size that were found 1950s 16mm machines in school auditorium booths, with Tungar bulb rectifiers on the floor below. Now these WE sound heads had no sound drum with flywheel; rather, the sound (drive) sprocket shaft had an enormous flywheel that was driven directly from the motor by a leather belt. Whether these motors' starting capacitors were failing, or whether they were simply drenched with oil from the leaking projector heads, each machine took about 5 seconds to come up to speed after the motor was started, and on many occasions the motor would just stall. In this booth, therefore, to prevent disaster, it was the practice to give the flywheel a shove after switching on the motor. Ah, memories... ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
However substandard this theatre's equipment may appear from the description above, the picture and sound quality were quite good, thanks in part to the excellent design and workmanship of the early equipment, and in part to the Altec Sound Service tech who serviced the theatre.
In addition, this house, while shabby by second and third run standards of the day, sported a gold title curtain with manual dimmer controlled curtain warmers and house lights, and the owner, while also a bit down at the heel, was a showman of the old school who saw to it that even the young relief man controlled these amenities to his satisfaction. This was priceless training for the better relief jobs to come.
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Bernard Tonks
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 619
From: Cranleigh, Surrey, England
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted 06-05-2003 06:48 AM
With kind permission of Ken Roe of the CTA, I have posted the following for John Wilson who worked at the Electric Cinema many years ago. I thought it would be of interest as the screen moves out of the old small square proscenium (thus retaining the original architecture) and expands for wide or scope ratios.
I've just returned from a most enjoyable afternoon at this cinema, screening "The Hours"
Upon arriving for the first show of the day (3:45pm) there was a notice on the foyer wall stating all shows 'Sold Out' until Tuesday. What a surprise for my friend and myself, as we really didn't expect that for a matinee performance at this 'out-of-the-way' venue. Well my luck was in, as the box office had just received a phone call from a customer who could not use his pre-booked tickets for that performance and we were told he would come around to the cinema within the next 15 minutes to sell them to us, which he did.
They were £10 ($12USD) tickets for allocated seating on the front 3 rows, it's £12.50 ($15USD) for other seats further back, a little pricey I thought for this particular cinema, but we went ahead.
Upon entering the auditorium, we were surprised by the transformation this once decrepit 'flea-pit' has undergone in its recent renovation. Instead of the old 600 tip up seats of days gone by, there were only 7 rows of luxury leather armchairs, each having 14 chairs across the auditorium which gives a seating capacity now of only 98, with plenty of leg room between the rows. There are also 4 leather futon style seats at the rear of the auditorium where you can lay down in an incline position to view the film.
The picture frame Academy size proscenium opening at this cinema has always been a problem with previous operators when screening wide-screen movies, and the last operators had erected a huge un-curtained screen forward of the Academy size opening. This has now been removed and the Academy Picture frame is now curtained, covering the screen behind. I thought how are they going to show widescreen movies now? Will it be a really small picture image?
Well the curtain tabs slowly opened and images were projected onto the screen welcoming patrons to the Electric, and these included a short slide show of vintage images and the history of this 1910 built cinema (England's oldest operating cinema) which was a nice touch I thought. The houselights then dimmed to half and slowly the screen moved forward out of the Picture Frame Proscenium opening and proceeded to open wider, beyond its previous limits as the adverts and trailers began to roll. This gave a perfect widescreen image on the now expanded screen, and the main feature followed immediately after the trailers as the houselights dimmed to zero.
At the end of the feature, as the credits started to roll, the houselights came on full (the only downside of the excellent presentation) and as the last of the credits rolled, the screen then reversed on itself and retracted back into the Picture Frame proscenium and the curtain house tabs closed. Wonderful !
Facilities pre show starting are a fully licensed bar at the rear of the auditorium and also a mobile bar at the front to one side of the screen. A different treat for patrons instead of ice cream is a tub of hot mashed potato with a sausage to dip into it!! There is No smell of popcorn within the building at all ! The staff were smartly dressed and very courteous.
As I say, a pleasure to go to see a movie here (even if it is at a slightly Premium price) and in a 'traditional' cinema as well. "The Hours" is a very intelligent movie and I did have my doubts as whetherit would be 'my' type of film, but it does live up to the 'hype' and I recommend it heartily.
Ken Roe.
www.electriccinema.co.uk
www.cinema-theatre.org.uk
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Stephen Furley
Film God
Posts: 3059
From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England
Registered: May 2002
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posted 03-22-2009 04:37 PM
The very first version of these lamphouses had no extraction flue connected to them, just a baffle plate on top to stop the light escaping, with a gap arond the edges to let the smoke and fumes out. I'm not sure if the 'Vulcan' name was in use at hat time, but they were the same shape. Slightly later ones had a flue pipe, but it was small in diameter. Later here was the Vulcan DL, which was a larger lamphouse, but again the same 'wagon top' shape. The final version of this series had a different shape, more angular, with the top corners being chamfered off; the name was changed too, but I can't remember what to. Of the gold coloured Kalee lamps the smallest was the universal, which was also used in slightly modified form by Bell & Howell on their 609 16mm machine, then there was the streamlined President, and the Lightmaster. The pictures I've seen of the Kalee double frame Vistavision projectors seem to show them fitted with Mole Richardson arcs.
I've found a picture of a later Vulcan at the bottom of this page:
http://www.picturepalacespastandpresent.co.uk/id4.html
A rather odd combination of components in this installation; note the Varamorph lens, I'm surprised they didn't upgrade to more modern, and more powerul, lamps when Cinemascope was installed.
Also, note the horrible rake in the Putney photograph; I'd hate to see the keystoning there!
[ 03-23-2009, 02:07 PM: Message edited by: Stephen Furley ]
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Unfortunately, this is the version I received from Netflix.
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