This is topic Famous Projectionists in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 08-05-2000, 02:34 PM:
While watching a show about Laurel and Hardy, I realized that Oliver Hardy had once been a projectionist. How many other projectionists can you recall, went on to become stars or personalities?Here's two more:
Gene Autry
Bill Girdler (director of "The Manitou", "Abby" and "Grizzly")
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Better Projection Pays!
Posted by David Johnson (Member # 173) on 08-05-2000, 06:02 PM:
What about Peter Sellers in the "Smallest show on earth"
David
Posted by Rick Long (Member # 213) on 08-05-2000, 11:01 PM:
When you think about it, what better job could there be for an aspiring actor, director or cameraman than to begin as a projectionist? It gives one the opportunity to study the "experts" at work. In addittion it gives the succeeding artist a better understanding of how the finished product he or she makes will look on the screen, as well as a more complete understanding of the motion-picture process as a whole.
Posted by Tyler Skinner (Member # 229) on 08-05-2000, 11:37 PM:
David Fincher was a projectionist for a while.
Posted by Gordon H. Bell (Member # 261) on 08-06-2000, 03:01 AM:
Marlon Brando for a couple of years did exactly as Rick Long suggests. Did you point him in the right direction when he was starting out Rick?Gordon Bell
Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 08-06-2000, 08:57 AM:
Of course, Buster Keaton in "Sherlock Jr." Well, I don't think he every had a projectionist job, but he was pretty techinal-minded, so I guess he could have been.No wonder Brando got fat. It was from eating at the local fast food places while projecting.... 
Posted by Gordon H. Bell (Member # 261) on 08-06-2000, 10:13 AM:
OOPS! I pulled out the wrong name, I was actually referring to Orson Welles. Sorry.
Now where did I put Reel 3?Gordon Bell
Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 08-06-2000, 12:46 PM:
Not people who played projectionists. I meant celebrities who had been real-life projectionists. (You guys!) 
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Better Projection Pays!
Posted by Martin Frandsen (Member # 74) on 08-06-2000, 01:52 PM:
Can you remember the projectionist in Kremlin who projected film for Stalin and parti-leaders? There was made a movie about him, do i can't remember if it was for television only. I beleave it was a true story, about a poor guy who was permitted entrance into the walls of Kremlin because he was a projectionist, if i remember correct the guy became good friends with Stalin.
Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 08-06-2000, 05:48 PM:
Probably the most famous was the Head projectionist at Radio City Music Hall. Ben Olevesky. The second most famous would of course be the second in charge there, Bill NaFash. I don't know if either of these two are still around now though. Imagine having your screen replaced at least twice a year......and getting at least several cream of the crop lab prints to pick from(back when they used to know how to make prints!).
Had to be a pretty cool job!
Mark
Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 08-06-2000, 09:44 PM:
quote:
Probably the most famous was the Head projectionist at Radio City Music Hall. Ben Olevesky
What was he in? Was he a character actor?
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Better Projection Pays!
Posted by Mike Heenan (Member # 392) on 08-06-2000, 09:59 PM:
The guy who was Stifler in American Pie, and also was in Road Trip, said on Jay Leno that he worked revisouly in a theatre in his hometown ,and ran the projectors, and did the popcorn job too. Not the most famous, but hes in a few movies so far.
Posted by Michael West (Member # 428) on 08-06-2000, 10:42 PM:
martin frandsen: i believe the film was called “the inner circle” - a really good film, i think so.
and just to add to this topic the inventor of the century projector was a projectionist.
Posted by Robert Throop (Member # 61) on 08-07-2000, 08:14 AM:
I met Ben Olevsky in 1969. He retired about 1971 and was replaced by Bill Nafash who died about a year later. He was replaced by Bob Endres who stayed at RCMH until last year.
I believe Olevsky died about 20 years ago.------------------
Bob Throop
Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 08-07-2000, 11:17 AM:
Tim,
I think you could say that back then Ben and Bill made the stars............
Mark
Posted by Mark DeLettera (Member # 125) on 08-07-2000, 11:47 AM:
FAMOUS PROJECTIONISTS??
How about JOHN PYTLAK? Before his 30 year career at Kodak he ran the booth at a Drive-in near Buffalo, NY., inhaling too many carbon arc fumes!Now there's a Famous Projectionist!! 
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Posted by Michael Barry (Member # 237) on 08-07-2000, 12:10 PM:
Carl Turnquist. Not a household name, but he's Woody Allen's projectionist and his name appears in the credits of almost all his movies...
Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 08-07-2000, 04:17 PM:
There seems to be some misunderstanding about the intent of my original question. This isn't going where I'd hoped it would.I didn't mean projectionists who were famous for being projectionists, but rather mainstream celebrities, like Gene Autry, who, in his autobiography, told of his cranking a Prestwich projector in his youth; and Oliver Hardy, who'd been a projectionist before stepping in front of the cameras.
I'm sure there have to be more movie stars, politicians, and people of that sort, who have been a 'crank-twister' at one time in their lives.
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Better Projection Pays!
Posted by James Robertson (Member # 888) on 08-21-2001, 12:15 AM:
Just a little bit off the subject but it's a good story. Karrie Webb the world's No.1 women's golfer bought the run down cinema in her home town Ayr in Queensland ,Australia had it refurbished top to bottom and installed her Mum and Dad as owner/operators.
Dad is also the projectionist.Isn't that nice.
Posted by Dick Vaughan (Member # 540) on 08-21-2001, 02:44 AM:
Infamous projectionist : John Reginald Halliday Christie the serial killer (on who the movie 10 Rillington Place was based) was a projectionist at the Electric Cinema in Portobello Road in London. http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial/christie/index.htm See what a heady mix of nitrate and carbon arcs can do to you
For those interested the Electric built in 1910 is still open and is the UK's oldest purpose built cinema in continuous use.
Posted by Pete Naples (Member # 761) on 08-21-2001, 03:07 AM:
Dick, you beat me to it!The chief at the Cameo up here in Edinburgh, used to work at the electric about 20 years ago. He's not a serial killer, but it has been said he bears a passing resemblance to Peter Sutcliffe......
The Cameo is (I think) the oldest operating cinema in Scotland, having opened it's doors as The Kings Cinema on 8th Jan, 1914.
Posted by Bernard Tonks (Member # 809) on 08-21-2001, 04:59 AM:
Television entertainer magician Paul Daniels was a projectionist at his parents owned cinema.Sir Sidney Samuelson, Honary Fellow BKSTS started as a projectionist and later made a big contribution to the film industry with Samuelson’s Film Services who specialised in studio technical and equipment hire etc.
A little bit more history on the Electric Cinema if I may.
Back in the late 1960s I bought from 20th Century Fox the complete projection equipment from Sir Winston Churchill’s home in Chartwell for the sum of £400 which was stored back stage at the Carlton Theatre Haymarket London, where I was the chief projectionist at that time. The Standard Simplex projectors and RCA sound with 1041 soundheads were then installed in the Electric Cinema London replacing the clapped out BTH projectors and BTH D- Block soundheads, the Peerless carbon arc lamps were retained. I got to know Walter the Polish born chief projectionist who supposedly knew of John Reginald Halliday Christie. I believe that a pair of Cinemeccanica Victoria 5s are now running, and that the Simplex machines are with The Projected Picture Trust.
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Posted by Bernard Tonks (Member # 809) on 09-26-2001, 03:25 PM:
My relief projectionist left me a note saying that he was surprised that no one mentioned film music composer John Barry whose father owned a small Yorkshire chain of cinemas (which included a couple of Supers), and who did a stint learning projection as his dad thought a manager (as he was likely to become) should know how to run a show if necessary! Barry at the age of 14 was running the projection box on his own. He soon began to assimilate the music which accompanied the films he saw to a point when, even before he’d left school, he had decided to become a film music composer.
Posted by Don Sneed (Member # 955) on 09-26-2001, 06:51 PM:
Hey you guys the men we all talking about was great, but how many projectionist do you know that never saw a projector before can walk into a booth & run it....give up...the "Gremlins" (in the movie Gremlins) now they were just born & can walk into a booth & put on the movie Snow White & run it !!! Just thought I add a laugh.....Who was the Sound engineer in the early to mid 1960's & wrote for Boxoffice Mag. I learned alot from those old articles when I just started out in the booth at a single screen theatre in Galveston, Texas...but can't remember the engineer/writer's name ??
Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 09-26-2001, 07:33 PM:
Wesley Trout of Enid Oklahoma.........
Richard Fowler
TVP-Theatre & Video Products Inc. www.tvpmiami.com
Posted by Don Sneed (Member # 955) on 09-26-2001, 09:26 PM:
WESLEY TROUT !!! Thanks Richard, I started as a projectionist in 1971 & found old boxoffice mag. in booth that dated back 10-years at that time, I wish I would gotten all those old mags. from the booth before the theatre close. I started reading his articles & was amaze back then, even sent for his loose leaf notebook on projection & sound with my 1st checking account, it was the 1st check I ever wrote was for that notebook...in fact I still have it.....anyone know what ever happen to him, I'm sure he a long pass away by now, damn good articles for the time.....thanks Rich for the name...
Posted by Rick Long (Member # 213) on 09-26-2001, 11:31 PM:
In a topic under "Box Office Magazine" on 11-10-1999 Tim Reed directed us to a Wesley Trout memorial site: http://www.win.net/~ltreed/trout/
Posted by Sean McKinnon (Member # 612) on 09-27-2001, 12:59 AM:
"Servicing platter systems requires that you know what youre doing"WOW! I think that is the single *BEST* title of an article I ever saw.
It sounds like this guy was very blunt and to the point with a hint of sarcasm, I like that.
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--Sean McKinnon
Manager
Loews Cineplex Entertainment
Liberty Tree Mall 20
Danvers, Mass
www.enjoytheshow.com
Posted by Mitch Davis (Member # 474) on 09-27-2001, 11:46 PM:
German underground director Jorg Buttgereit (NEKROMANTIK / SCHRAMM / DER TODESKING...)has been a projectionist for most of his career.New Zealand director Scott Reynolds (HEAVEN / THE UGLY / WHEN STRANGERS APPEAR)was a projectionist in his teens.
Cheers,
Mitch D.
Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 09-28-2001, 02:39 AM:
Dick/Pete: Two other venues also lay claim to be the oldest purpose-built cinema still operating in the UK: The Picture House in Campbeltown, Argyll, Scotland and the Duke of York's cinema in Brighton. Can't remember any dates for Brighton but the question mark over the Campbeltown Picture House is whether the building was intended to be a cinema when it first went up in early 1909. There is some confusion over whether it was originally designed as a theatre - the company that began it went bust soon after the builders moved in and was bought out before it was complete.
Posted by Peter Dougherty (Member # 686) on 07-26-2002, 11:06 PM:
quote:
Hey you guys the men we all talking about was great, but how many projectionist do you know that never saw a projector before can walk into a booth & run it....give up...the "Gremlins" (in the movie Gremlins) now they were just born & can walk into a booth & put on the movie Snow White & run it!
Well, they're certainly more inately talented than my personal hero, the Swedish Chef, who must have had a print fall off his ORC platter in the original Muppet Movie, where we see him peek out of the port hole yelling "Da Flim is Okie-Dokie" before getting it up and running again 
.
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Cheers,
Peter, W2IRT
No trees were harmed in creating this message, however several thousand electrons were terribly inconvenienced.
Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 07-27-2002, 03:01 AM:
How about me? Being America's only nationally televised (most weeks anyway) projectionist.
Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 07-27-2002, 03:05 AM:
They say everyone is famous for fifteen minutes. One projectionist who was famous, at least for a few minutes was Charles Beddow, who was at the National Film Theatre at the time of its opening (in 1957, I think).It was decided that a alongside various VIPs a technical person should be on the platform at the royal opening, and be presented to the Queen. Charles was that person. He was still at the NFT until he retired not so many years ago, and I think is still an active member of the Projected Picture Trust.
Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 07-27-2002, 03:16 AM:
"How about me? Being America's only nationally televised (most weeks anyway) projectionist."Why are you nationally televised? I can't imagine there is a projectionist show? Does this involve some other activity in your life? Let me guess... you are a part time opera singer, no footballer, no, I give up. Wait, you're a lion tamer.
Monty Python mode.
Has he got a hat?
Monty Python mode /.
Posted by Peter Kerchinsky (Member # 1098) on 07-27-2002, 04:33 AM:
I agree, the Swedish Chef is my favorite projectionist.
"Cool it Animal and eat another seat cushion"
Posted by Bernard Tonks (Member # 809) on 07-27-2002, 05:40 AM:
Stephen,Charles Beadow MBE is still an active member, now on the committee of the Projected Picture Trust. Charles was awarded an MBE some years ago, I spoke to him recently at the opening of the Enigma Cinema, Bletchley Park.
www.ppttrust.org
Peter Bayley MBE, chief projectionist at the Pheonix Cinema, East Finchley, was awarded an MBE for 43 years of loyal service.
In the days of B+W BBC television, Maurice Parkin, the chief projectionist at the Columbia Theatre, Shaftsbury Avenue, appeared in the intro titles of 'Film Night' almost weekly for years. Maurice was seen in the projection room with the Philips DP70 projectors.
Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 07-27-2002, 06:00 AM:
"Peter Bayley MBE, chief projectionist at the Pheonix Cinema, East Finitely, was awarded an MBE for 43 years of loyal service."I know Peter well, but I haven't seen him for a few months. In fact I haven't been to the Phoenix since it re-opened after the recent refurbishments, I live quite a long way away, and only tend to get there for special events. I will almost certainly be there for 'Open House' in September.
The last time I saw Peter was at the NFT, after Dion Hanson's 'Fantasic Formats' presentation. He was there with Lawrence Lewis and Ruth Mulandi. He told me about the award, but before I could ask him about it, or congratulate him, they had vanished. Do you know Peter? If you see him, give him my best wishes.
How did 'Finchley' become 'Finitely'? Non London district aware spell-checker?
Posted by Bernard Tonks (Member # 809) on 07-27-2002, 06:43 AM:
Stephen,I corrected the spell checker as you were posting. I have also added something else on BBC tv.
I did freelance projection for nine months at the Rex / Phoenix, 30 years ago, but I haven’t seen Peter since. I know he does remember me by a letter he put in a recent PPT magazine. I will try and get to the ‘Open House’ you mentioned in September.
Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 07-27-2002, 11:43 AM:
Bernard,I met Peter through one of the relief projectionists at the Phoenix, about eight yeas ago now. I have never projected there, but have spent quite a lot of time in the box.
If you were there 30 years ago, they probably still had Kalee11s with Vulcan arcs, or possibly they had just put in the 21s with Magnarcs. These were later replaced by Westars, fitted with 6000 foot boxes, also with Magnarcs. By the time I knew the place, these had also been removed, and a single Kinoton FP20 installed. This ran with a Cinemeccanica tower until a few months ago, when it was replaced by a Westrex tower. They also have a 16mm Fumeo which is surprisingly bright for just a 900 Watt vertical lamp.
I expect you know about the auditorium being turned round in 1938. Some time in the '70s the rake of the floor was increased, and the inner foyer area enlarged, was this during your time? The recent changes were intended to improve the foyer area, and provide better disabled access. The auditorium still looks much as it would have done after the 1938 rebuilding.
A couple of years ago, stereo sound was installed, with a CP-65, still using the original exciter lamp, no red light conversion.
They usually do something special for Open House, last year they ran a tribute for the 80th anniversary of the composer Malcolm Arnold, where they showed, amongst other things, a print of the BP film 'Divertimento', which was from my colection. This used to be shown by the BBC as a trade test colour film.
If you are going to 'Open House', let me know nearer the time, and I will look out for you.
Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 07-27-2002, 12:04 PM:
Stephen asked:
>Why are you nationally televised?I am visible for several seconds in a snipet of video that is frequently used as a seque on "Ebert & Roeper", a movie review program. Me, one of my X-L's and a Blue Star anamorphic. But of the three only I had to sign the artist's release for Disney.
Posted by Bernard Tonks (Member # 809) on 07-27-2002, 02:29 PM:
Stephen,The stepped raked floor and extended foyer was just completed before my time at the cinema.
The projector heads were Gaumont Kalee 21s onto the original RCA 1041 soundheads with a mono solid state RCA amplifier. The carbon arcs were Peerless Magnarc. You could put on a very nice show with the perfect sightlines. There was also Projectomatic model ‘0’ which just did changeovers, but Peter would not use it.
About a month before I left, Granada Theatres purchased the freehold, booked and operated under their own management. They sold out about 12-18 months later to Charles Cooper’s Contemporary Films Limited, who were a leading 16 & 35mm distributor. They handled their own despatch and not through RFD (Rank). By strange coincidence I happened to be the person who helped Contemporary on a part time basis looking after most of the 35mm prints from the labs and condition wise before they went out to cinemas. It was Charles Cooper who changed the cinemas name from Rex to Phoenix. They also had other cinemas, - the Paris Pullman, Fulham, - Venus Cinema, Kentish Town, - Phoenix 1&2, Oxford.
Posted by Bob Koch (Member # 1062) on 07-27-2002, 08:47 PM:
Tim Reed;
One of the greatest jazz trombonists of all time was Jack Teagarden; ever listen to he and Satchmo on the cornet and trombone or as Jack called it "trambone". Any way years ago when I was servicing the theatres in Reno Nev I used to buy him drinks on his breaks after awhile after I became pretty well aqquainted with he asked what I did and I told him he was delighted and told about running those old "Power Machines" machines when he was a kid in Texas. He`s been gone many years now and he was by far the best trombone I ever heard; probably Louis Armstrong would tell you the same thing.
Bob Koch
Posted by Don Sneed (Member # 955) on 07-27-2002, 11:05 PM:
Do this count being famous....I was in our local newspaper (Galveston Daily News)in 1983, a full page with picture of me threading a projector & explaining the duties of a theatre projectionist, looking back on that & re-reading it, it is sort of funny now !!! I had my 15-mins. of fame !!
Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 08-03-2002, 01:35 PM:
"I did freelance projection for nine months at the Rex / Phoenix, 30 years ago, but I haven’t seen Peter since. I know he does remember me by a letter he put in a recent PPT magazine. I will try and get to the ‘Open House’ you mentioned in September."
Bernard,
A few days ago I received the latest edition of 'Phoenicular', the programme leaflet/newsletter of the Pheonix Cinema. It contained the following anouncement:
"Open House
Touch and go, but at the last minute the London Borough of Barnet have decided to support this years event, and that means we’ll be throwing open our doors on Sunday 22 September. Full details in the next Phoenicular."
I have got rid of most of my film collection in recent years, but I will try to find something interesting to take with me.
Posted by Bernard Tonks (Member # 809) on 08-04-2002, 04:48 AM:
Hi Stephen,Thanks for posting. I will e-mail you if I can make it, I might however be in the States around that time.
Is it an all day event ?