Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: T-H-E-A-T-R-E vs. T-H-E-A-T-E-R

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Topic: T-H-E-A-T-R-E vs. T-H-E-A-T-E-R

Travis Cape
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 122
From: St. Louis, MO, USA
Registered: May 2000

posted 06-02-2000 04:35 PM

I have always thought the Theatre spelling was a little classier. But actually, the Hi-Pointe is plagued by misspellings such as Hi-Point, HighPointe, etc. If they can get the name right I'll live with the rest.

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Evans A Criswell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1579
From: Huntsville, AL, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 06-02-2000 10:08 PM

As I mentioned earlier, I said I would check my reprint of the 1828 Webster's Dictionary for the spelling of "theatre".

It has both spellings under one entry, just as Merriam-Webster's Collegiate 10th Edition does.

It is interesting in 1828 to see the various meanings of this word. The entire entry follows this paragraph. Note that this is an early American dictionary and the "er" spelling is used in the quotations.

THEATER, THEATRE, n. [Fr. theatre; L. theatrum; Gr. theatron, from theaomai, to see.]

1. Among the ancients, an edifice in which spectacles or shows were exhibited for the amusement of spectators.

2. In modern times, a house for the exhibition of dramatic performances, as tragedies, comedies and farces; a play-house; comprehending the stage, the pit, and the boxes, galleries and orchester.

3. Among the Italians, and assemblage of buildings, which by a happy disposition and elevation, reprsents an agreeable scene to the eye. Cyc.

4. A place rising by steps or graduations like the seats of a theater.

Shade above shade, a woody theater
Of stateliest view-- Milton.

5. A place of action or exhibition; as the theater of the world.

6. A building for the exhibition of scholastic exercises, as at Oxford, or for other exhibitions.

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Nicholas McRobert
Film Handler

Posts: 38
From: Belfast, N. Ireland
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 06-03-2000 03:23 AM

We just call 'em Cinemas. As in, "we're heading to the Cinema to catch a film". Theatre is generally used only here to describe a live-performance building or show. The spelling T-H-E-A-T-E-R doesn't exist in this part of the world!

Nicholas

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Barron Dripp
Film Handler

Posts: 15
From: Los Angeles, CA, USA
Registered: May 2000

posted 06-03-2000 08:44 AM

Ian P is right, TheatRE has always been used to describe A cinema, whereas TheatER has always been a playhouse where you would see a play. I once recieved an invitation that invited me to the theatER, which is where I meant, when in actuallaity, they meant a cinema. Regardless, the play was good, and besides they went to see Godzilla w/ Matthew Broderick. Guess I got the better end of the deal

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Jeffry L. Johnson
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 809
From: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 06-03-2000 02:41 PM

I've always thought that cinemas were "re" and live performances were "er". But I did an informal survey and found no consensus. Cinemas use both spellings. Live performances use both spellings. So I decided to use "theater" as the generic term for both.

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Chris Erwin
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 195
From: Olive Hill,KY
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 06-03-2000 02:51 PM

RE...gets my vote. Although "cinema" is good with me too. I personally called it "showhouse" when talking about the place I worked. It caught on with my friends. They'd always ask me "what's playing at the showhouse this week?"

--Chris

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 06-03-2000 08:56 PM

"Thee-ah-tree". (Well, that's how it's SPELLED!)

I like theater. It's not as prissy.

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Scott D. Neff
Theatre Dork

Posts: 919
From: San Francisco, CA
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 06-04-2000 08:23 PM

THEATRE if it's a cool old theatre in a good location.

THEATER or CINEMA if it's in a strip mall or is too modern to be a theatre.

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Greg Mueller
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1687
From: Port Gamble, WA
Registered: Jun 99

posted 06-05-2000 08:35 AM

You use "tre" when your drinking tea and have your pinky finger extended erectly, and your nose tilted upwards at a 30° angle.
Otherwise it's "ter"

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Ari Nordström
Master Film Handler

Posts: 283
From: Göteborg, Sweden
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 06-05-2000 03:33 PM

I never lift my pinky finger when I drink tea. What a trerible idea.

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Richard C. Wolfe
Master Film Handler

Posts: 250
From: Northampton, PA, USA
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 06-06-2000 09:22 PM

It doesn't seem that there is a right or wrong. I always thought that re was for live theatre and er for movie theatres. And as we can see many others think just the opposite. The Theatre Historical Society of America and The Leauge of Historic American Theatres have both looked into this question, and neither have been able to determine that one or the other is absolutely correct in either case.They both use re in their names, and they both also represent live and film houses. We always use re since we are a combination house that was built for vaudeville and photoplays. Did I say "Photoplay?" Did you know that there was quite an argument in the early days of silent films as to what they should be called. Movies?, Flickers?,Motion Pictures?, Photoplays?, Photoplays was the first choice and was used for quite a while, but eventually "movies" became the accepted norm.

There were many movie palaces whose stagehouse sported a giant sign which read: "High Class Vaudeville and Photoplays"
(Did anyone ever present Low Class Vaudeville?)

What do you prefer?

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Carl King
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 199
From: Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 06-07-2000 09:53 PM

The original spelling is theatre. The word theater is an incorrect spelling that has come in to popular use in North America when speaking of film houses.

I agree that the problem could be solved by using the term cinema. It doesn't matter in most cases anyway..we know where we work.

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Thomas Procyk
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1842
From: Royal Palm Beach, FL, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 01-25-2003 01:57 PM

Okay, so what about all those posters and trailers that say, "Coming To A TheatER Near You" or "In TheatERs This Summer"?

I think the distributors should refuse to give such product to places that spell it TheatRE. That will teach them not to be so prissy with their spellings! [Wink]

I hardly find it glamorous (glamourous?) that a shoebox multiplex that hasn't seen any improvements since 1974 calls themselves a "Theatre." Yeah, like reversing the last two letters automatically make it a flagship cinema. I can just see some bean-counter up in his corporate office thinking: "Damn! The Muggleplex Theater is losing money! We need new signage that says 'Theatre!' "

I had a drama teacher in high school that would always spell it "Theatre" for places that do live shows. She also pronnounced it that way: (Thee-a-trur)

For old movie palaces or really cool decked-out cinemas, Theatre may be appropriate, but that would be like calling a really good TV show a "Programme" and stuff like Jackass a "Program."

If you'll excuse me, I must go place this lettre which I have sealed in an "ON-velope" into the Mailboxe before the postmanne gets here.

=TMP=
Theatre [thumbsdown]

Theater

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Jack Ondracek
Film God

Posts: 2348
From: Port Orchard, WA, USA
Registered: Oct 2002

posted 01-25-2003 02:16 PM

Theatre

Theater

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Matt Hale
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 123
From: Vancouver, Canada
Registered: Dec 2002

posted 01-25-2003 02:27 PM

I quote from Collins Dictionary of the English Language, 1980 edition, "The Development of English as a World Language" pp xxvi:

quote:

Finally, there are minor differences between preferred spellings. Among them are the American preference for -er in center, fiber, and theater; -or in honor, color, humor; -se instead of -ce in defense and offense
...
The majority of these differences are traceable to the lexicographer Noah Webster's interest in spelling reform. Although his earlier writings on the subject argued for radical changes based on phonetic spelling, he gradually modified his view. The system used in his American Dictionary (1828) was adopted in America and accounts for most of the distinguishing features of modern American orthography.

Canadians can have it either way, i.e. Americans take their car to the tire center, Britons go to the tyre centre and Canadians go the the tire centre. Go Figure.

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