Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Breaking and entering...

This is topic Breaking and entering... in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Ari Nordström (Member # 288) on 09-03-2000, 05:02 PM:

Had a nasty discovery earlier tonight. Someone had visited the booth sometime after I last left the theatre on thursday night (we don't have shows every day), turned it upside down in search of anything valuable, and destroyed a perfectly good door leading down to the lobby (only to discover that the lobby actually does have a burglar alarm).

Which in a rather sad way proves me right about getting a burglar alarm to the booth, too, something I've discussed with the theatre management on more than one occasion. They've promised me one, but nothing has happened so far. I wonder if I'll get one now.

Luckily, the only items missing were a bottle of whisky that was presented to me as an appreciation of a film festival show well screened, a large screwdriver, and an old, unused anamorpic lens. I can understand why the burglar took the bottle, and I now know what he used to destroy the door, but the disappearance of that lens beats me... He left the (rest of the) projection equipment alone, surprisingly (and thankfully) enough.

So how many of you have booths without burglar alarms, while the lobby is well guarded? And why do you suppose the burglar decided he needed that lens?

Posted by Mike Spaeth (Member # 524) on 09-03-2000, 06:46 PM:

Yes, we have a burglar alarm in the booth. However, I'm not sure if it's because of the booth, or because of the fact that the office is located upstairs, so it acts like another ring of security around the money.

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 09-03-2000, 08:06 PM:

I'd think that your average bone head who'd break into a projection booth and steal a bottle of whiskey would be too stupid to know what things are valuable and what isn't.

Here is this guy, probably half in the bag by now. Wandering around looking at these machines. He might as well be in a machine shop. I suppose the lens was the only thing that looked interesting or valuable that wasn't bolted down.

Nobody ever said that you had to be smart to be a crook...

Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 09-03-2000, 08:25 PM:

This is sad, but be glad the guy found the bottle of whiskey. At a place a friend worked at, they broke in- but didn't find anything worthwhile. So they took a small hammer and smashed two anamorphic lenses.

When I was 16, I worked at a small store near me. The owner used to just leave a $50 bill in the cash register (registers were expensive then) just so a burgler wouldn't destory the place if he didn't find anything to his liking.

Our booth is alarmed, but we have to allow the cleaners in (which I fought against, but lost.) They forget to turn it back on, so it is of little use.

Posted by Ari Nordström (Member # 288) on 09-04-2000, 01:52 AM:

Yes, I'm sort of glad that he found that bottle. I don't even dare to think what would have happened, had he decided to have a go at the CP500 or <shudder> the 70mm equipment.

I have this vision of the burglar sitting in the gutter, the empty bottle in one hand and the lens in the other. Again and again, he stares into the lens, turning and twisting it, giggling at the distorted image of his naked feet...

Talked to my boss earlier, BTW. He seems willing to spend the money now. Actually, he mentioned a smart card entry system to the whole building now.

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 09-04-2000, 01:59 AM:

Back in 1984 or so someone had broken into the Phoenix, and it had to have been younger kids cause all that they did was pry open the coin doors on all of the video games and break the glass to the candy counter and clean it out ( they left a half-eaten Snickers bar sitting on one of the video games!) If they were serious/'pros' they would have cleaned us out of close to $750,000 of sound equipment and stage lighting gear...

Aaron

Posted by Ken Layton (Member # 133) on 09-04-2000, 11:27 AM:

We have an alarm system throughout the Skyline drivein---lobby AND projection booth. Our office is upstairs also so it's another reason there's an alarm in the booth.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 09-04-2000, 12:30 PM:

At a cinema I worked in during the early 90s, memories were still fresh of a former chief, who had left following several disagreements with the management.

The day after he left, the trainee who had been left running the place attempted to start the first film. Lamp on... douser up... changeover shutter open... but still no picture. This bloke had cut discs out of plywood, disassembled the lenses (10 of them - 5 ratios, 2 projectors) and inserted these exact-fit plywood sections in between two elements.

The 'disagreements' must have been pretty serious, given the amount of time and effort that must have taken him.

Posted by Ken Layton (Member # 133) on 09-04-2000, 01:16 PM:

For those that have clean up crews in the building with an alarm system, it's a good idea to have a video surveilence system with a time lapse VCR. Many times the cleanup crew has cleaned out the cash drawers!

Posted by Ari Nordström (Member # 288) on 09-04-2000, 02:30 PM:

The time lapse VCR system is a wonderful idea, but the management probably won't buy it. Surveillance cameras in Sweden are a VERY delicate issue right now, for reasons best left outside this forum.

Aaron wrote:
>>"If they were serious/'pros' they would have cleaned us out of close to $750,000 of sound equipment and stage lighting gear..."<<

This is a bit strange, actually. I talked to a projectionist friend just now, and he said the same thing. He's seen many incidents like this one through the years, but no one has, to his knowledge, stolen power amps or other valuable sound. Not once. Whisky bottles, sure; cheap CD players, yes; but power amps worth $2000 a piece, no.

BTW, my friend told me that these booth break-ins are something of an epidemic right now. Two other booths have been visited during the past week.

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 09-04-2000, 07:44 PM:

There is really no such thing as a "professional" criminal. There are only STUPID criminals. The words "smart criminal" are similar to "military intelligence". If a guy was smart he wouldn't BE a criminal becasue he would have a JOB!

To illustrate: Where would you fence a movie projector? It would have little value to 90% of the people. The other 10% would probably turn the rat-bastard in to the cops!

I'm glad that there are still such things as "Make-my-day laws" in Pennsylvania!

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 09-04-2000, 10:49 PM:

One of Chakeres' drive-ins got hit during the winter of '77 or '78, while the theatre was shut down. On one of his routine check ups on the property, the manager opened the booth door to find two empty pedestals!

------------------
Better Projection Pays!

Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 09-05-2000, 11:11 AM:

Ken has mention something that has happened to us: No one has stolen booth stuff from us while open; but several times, stuff was swiped while we were closing or renovating.

Remember those old Cinemascope RCA speakers? Someone swiped the drivers. At another place they took some lenses and a small rack complete with amps, monitor, exciter supply, and CP55. At a third place (a D150 theater we closed), someone took all five A4's; I know that was an inside job!

A manager used to leave the change money in the safe, and hide the box office and candy money in a crack in the wall (to deposit on Monday.) One Sunday night, thiefs broke in to the safe and got $300 in change, but didn't know there was $15,000 right above their heads. In a typical "big company" move, the DM thanked the manager for not letting the money get stolen- then wrote him up for not following company procedures (which stated that all money be placed in the safe.)