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First, let me give you a little background on the HOT entertainment scene in Watseka. For many years two single screen hardtops competed with each other: the Watseka and the Little Theater/Bon-Air/Princess. The theater now known as the Princess actually dates back to the 1930s. The original marquee was destroyed in a fire. Enter the lobby and the art-deco movement is apparent. Inside the auditorium, a clean and decent 60-seat single screen with top-notch presentation awaits. A little run-down but what did the current owner start with? I know he is not a millionaire nor a theatre chain/conglomerate (heck, they abandoned single screeners and small towns years ago!). It is apparent that an honest effort is being made here to maintain this theater in a town whose population size barely justifies the need for ONE screen. (Incidentally, on the nite of my visit-11/2/02-his evening show was sold out)

[The Watseka's owner allegedly allowed his theater to run into the ground, not repairing roof problems so that during rain storms water ran down the stairs from the balcony to the main floor, plaster fell, etc. Eventually, financial matters forced him to close. Reportedly, the owner's son is attempting to refurbish the building...plans not public at this time.]

In his zeal to provide first-run product to this small town, the Princess' owner is trying to meet the terms of the distributors, who require multiple week showings (how many small-town 60-seat theaters get films on the break or anywhere close to it?). The owner of the Princess needed a way to accomodate the demands of his customers with the demands of the distributors. There is no balcony at the Princess and there was no room to expand at the current location, and it would make no sense to split it into two 30-seat theaters (Ha!) so he found a location where the owner was willing to lease him the back warehouse space of a retail store. Unfortunately, things have conspired to slow remodeling/development of the new location, whether it is tight funds, problems with carpenters, the theater owner's day job or his summer job working for a friend at his friend's drive-in theatre...maybe he bit off more than he could chew at once but he is trying to provide a good product and a service to his community.

The building owner is going to replace the AC unit this spring. A marquee and exterior stucco remodeling will also be performed then. Take a look at some of these pix, it really is not as bad as what has been painted on this topic.

1) See the lobby with the concession counter

2) Two views of the 47-seat auditorium. Note that the screen is fabric (not "painted") and there are three speakers up front. Sound panels or curtains are going to be added to the walls. The drive-in season is over so the ladder is there because the owner is working on the place.

3) The projection setup (Simplex heads with Strong Super Lumex lamphouse).

There are two large restrooms (one for men, one for women, each handicapped accessible). $3 for a matinee is not obscene: the residents of Watseka and nearby farms are not demanding stadium seating nor can that market size afford it. If this guy did not give a d@mn, I'd tell you to roast away but sometimes we've got to back up and look at the bigger picture and cheer on the little guy for trying. I believe that is what we've got here, folks.

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Also the right and left speakers are sitting really low on the floor. Possibly sub-woofers?

I see a popcorn popper in the snackbar along with a possible fountain head on the right. Hopefully the jugs are sitting on the counter as temporary storage.

Every theater would like to have first run movies but are the economics there for an area that size?

It does look like he bit off more than he could chew but I'll give the owner a thumbs up for trying. I'll take back everything I said here in this thread and wish him luck.

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OSHA will nab him on the lack of railing up to and around the projector platform.

As to sound absorbancy...that room is SMALL...the pictures show that on the left side there are only about 6 rows.

It is what it is...in my opinion it was "built" too cheap as a general statement though some items are certainly more adequate than others.

Steve

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That platform does look like an accident waiting to happen

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The verticle posts on the mut don't look like the most pleasant thing to land on if you fall.

WISHA, Washington State's version of OSHA would have a hay day with that booth if it was located here.

1)It looks like the projector port is off-center from the screen and I hope the projector platform is wider than it looks in the pictures.
Also the right and left speakers are sitting really low on the floor. Possibly sub-woofers?

~The port IS off center but that is the best he could do with the building he has, I took the pic of the booth while standing on steps to the basement. It's tight and if the booth were moved over to center any further, there would be no access from the lobby or no concession counter. As for the speakers, yes they are ow and on the floor, tho the right and left sides are not subs. Hopefully he will work on them too.

2) I see a popcorn popper in the snackbar along with a possible fountain head on the right. Hopefully the jugs are sitting on the counter as temporary storage.

~Yes, temporary as he is working on the place and not running shows there...but he hopes to get it done someime this month.

3) Looks like they could use some sound absorbant but maybe in such a small room the long echo times are impossible.

~Yes, that is what I was meaning about sound curtains or panels he ill be installing this month. It IS a small throw so he had to also find a lens that could handle it.

4) Well, it certainly does look like the guy is trying, and the place isn't nearly as bad as we all thought.Send me your address if you want the plaque.

~That's OK, thanks...I can understand how the image was not pretty. I went there to see for myself (and for Film-Techers) what was up. After I saw and had a good talk with the owner, I had to fill you in on the reel deal!

5) But where is the picture of the sound system (processor and amp(s))? OSHA will nab him on the lack of railing up to and around the projector platform.

~I believe the amp(s) and processor were behind the platter. I won't disagree on the platform railing.

Thanks for everyone's participation...this has been an interesting thread. I prefer drive-ins but all this talk compelled me to check it out! Now I must prepare for the wrath of

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[The Watseka's owner allegedly allowed his theater to run into the ground, not repairing roof problems so that during rain storms water ran down the stairs from the balcony to the main floor, plaster fell, etc. Eventually, financial matters forced him to close. Reportedly, the owner's son is attempting to refurbish the building...plans not public at this time.]

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Back in July 2002, Sheryl Bracken visited the Princess II and took a few photos of the deplorable conditions in which customers were expected to watch first-run movies. A "screen" painted on the front wall and speakers sitting on the floor in the front of the viewing room were probably the two items that took the cake. The jury-rigged exterior and hand-painted sign were just the icing to top it off.

Four months later, the building is still quite rough around the edges, but progress appears to have been made in leaps and bounds. It appears that a proper screen is now what movies are projected onto. However, the speakers are still sitting on the floor. One certainly hopes that these will soon be placed in their proper location behind the screen and that (after the addition of the promised acoustical treatments) the audio system will be properly aligned and equalized.

Digital sound, stadium seating and gilded fixtures do not a movie palace make. A quality presentation in a comfortable setting allow the imagination to build the palace around the body and set free the soul of the experience that is cinema.

Right there, that is what it's all about.

I am still critical of the conditions in which early customers of this cinema were thrust into. Yes, the makings of a cinema were there, but the environment was not conducive to the cinema experience. I am glad to see, though, that the operator is not satisfied only with money coming in the front door. I am glad to see that he is taking steps to make it right.

Now if we could only get him to work with the owner of the Watseka building to make that theater a reality again ...

Thank you, Justin, for the photos and update. Hopefully we can meet up next summer when I travel to Chicago for photos and research. Drop me an email with your mailing address and I'll get a CD out to you after this week's site update. I don't suppose you took any photos of the other theaters while you were there, did you?