This is topic Theatres where you've worked in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.


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Posted by Jerry Chase (Member # 660) on 01-24-2001, 01:05 PM:
 
The first film thread got me to thinking. Some of us have worked at a number of theatres. How about sharing where you've worked, and positions you've held at those locations, or - the names of theatres where you've projected at least one complete show.

 
Posted by Rachel Carter (Member # 693) on 01-24-2001, 03:13 PM:
 
I started out at the Gloucester Cinema in Gloucester, MA as a regular employee, worked my way up to supervisor and then started learning projection and earned myself the title of Manager/Projectionist. I was there for almost 5 years.

I now work at the Museum Place Cinemas (Patriot Cinemas) in Salem, MA as GM/Projectionist and I've been there for almost 4 months.
 


Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 01-24-2001, 04:16 PM:
 

I worked at the Fargo Theatre for 3 years as a volenteer projectionist. That made me love the projection side of movies. I also met a lot of great people in the buisness.

Currently, I work at Century 10 Cinema as a concessionist. You have to be 18 to project because of "machinery"

Josh
 


Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 01-24-2001, 05:51 PM:
 
1. 1st full time job in film was for Classic Cinemas then called Tivoli Enterprises. Had fun for the most part. Came up with the term "Willisizing a Booth" named after the owner of the chain, and "Willisize" I did for the most part. Installed 70mm in the Tivoli Theater and they ran tons of 70mm, but the booth is no longer. Its a nice old sub run house in suburban Chicago. I was Tivoli's 2nd technician....I think they are going through number 10 or 12 or there abouts by now.

2.The Logan Theater in Chicago when it was a 2 machine house with Brenkert Enarcs and BX-40's. The manager/Owner Pete Vasalopilis was a real nice greek guy to work for. He had run the theater for years and it was aeventually quadded. Later on I did his service work for him. It was alot of fun there.

3. 1st film I supplied equipment for and ran dailies on was "Uncle Buck". John Hughes shot almost 1.5 million feet of film on this show! It was not all even printed for dailies but the camera was left to roll while John Candy did his takes several different ways or until the film ran out in the camera. The first rough cut(as edited by Lou Lombardo...Sam Pekinpahs editor)was close to 30,000 feet long. It was also actually alot funnier than the final. Hughes never did another film for Universal again as they insisted on only a 90 min running time. We set up in the auditorium at Northfield(Ill.) High School as the school was mothballed. The three gymnasiums served for all the sets in the John Hughes film. Also did "Curley Sue", and "Home Alone" in the same auditorium. Have done well over 30 features since then and still do them.
Mark @ GTS


 


Posted by Sean McKinnon (Member # 612) on 01-24-2001, 06:21 PM:
 
I started at the Museum Place Cinemas in salem, ma (a ::cough:: Patriot Cinema)as a concession worker for about six months, then i was unofficially promoted to Projectionist so I did all the film work and took care of the booth (for the same pay. Now I work for Hollywood Hits Theatres where I am the Head Projectionist.

------------------
I love to smoke I smoke seventhousand packs a day and I'm never F*&ing quittin!-- Denis Leary
 


Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 01-24-2001, 07:19 PM:
 
1976 Cape Playhouse, Car Parker ($3 per hour)
1978 Cape Cinema, Janitor after Rocky Horror ($3.50 per hour)
1980 – 1985 Collage (Met current business partner)
1985 Landmark’s Vogue Theatre, Assistant Manager (Now Condos) ($4 per hour)
1986 Landmark’s Ogden Theatre, Assistant Manager/Operator (Now Live Music Venue)
1988 – 1990 Landmark’s Esquire Theatre, House Manager ($6 per hour)
1990 Telluride Film Festival
1991 United Artists Thornton Town Center 10, Head Projectionist ($8 per hour)
1992 – 1997 United Artists Greenwood Village 12, Head Projectionist ($8.83 per hour)
1993 Nugget Theatre, Telluride
1993 The Strand, Telluride
1994 United Artists Downtown Plaza, Sacramento. Opening Training
1996 - 1998 Masons Theatre, Telluride
1999 - 2000 Minnie Theatre, Telluride
1999 - 2000 Mountainfilm, Telluride (Video Operator/Tech)
1997 – 1999 Audio Visual Technician (Highest Salary $12 - $16 per hour)
2000 Rialto Cinemas Lakeside, Santa Rosa, CA. Owner ($6.86 per hour)



 


Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 01-24-2001, 08:49 PM:
 
Ok, here goes: (not counting dailies)

1981-Clover Cinema-Cloverdale, CA (2000' carbon changeovers)
1981-Sebastiani Theatre-Sonoma, CA (6000' xenon changeovers)
1982-Sonomarin D/I-Petaluma, CA (2000' carbons, later platters)
1983-Phoenix Theatre,-Petaluma, CA (large reel towers)
1984 (as a temp)-Washington Square-Petaluma, CA (large reel towers)
1984 (as assistant manager/proj.)-Cinema II, Ignacio, CA (AW2 platter)
1984-Novato Theatre, Novato, CA (2000'carbon changeovers)
1986 (as a temp)-Parkway D/I, Petaluma, CA (platters)
1987-1st Annual Wine Country Film Festival (16mm changeovers in a converted bank)
1987-Special west coast premiere of 'La Bamba' at Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, Santa Rosa, CA (6000' reels on a single projector)
1988-Palace(now Mystic) Theatre-Petaluma, CA (6000' xenon changeovers)
1989-Phoenix Theatre (odd projection job while on leave from military)
1990-Phoenix Theatre (Odd projection job while on leave from military)
1995-Sebastopol Cinemas, Sebastopol, CA ( 9-plex)
1996-Promoted to Chief Tech for Cinema West Theatres
1998-Special Screening of 'The Jackal' for Universal executives, Sonoma Cinemas, Boyes Hot Springs, CA (Super Platters/ interlocked 6-track fullcoat mag)
1999-Special Screening of 'Virgin Suicides' for a test audience with Sofia and Francis Coppola in attendance, Fairfax Theatre, Fairfax, CA (AW3/digital interlocked print)

I still run RHPS at the Phoenix on occasion, as well as projectionist and tech advisor for various local film festivals

Aaron


 


Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 01-24-2001, 09:11 PM:
 
Oy! I can't match the number of theatres Ian and Aaron have worked at, but I'll do my best. By the way Ian, you got $8.85 per hour at Greenwood, not $8.83! Don't you remember you were making $8.78 for three or four years and Adam finally gave you a raise? 7 cents!

1992-1994 - Mann's Kipling Place 6 Theatres. - (Assistant Manager) This was the king of all theatres. Take a look in the projection picture warehouse and you will see why!

1994-1994 - United Artists Greenwood Plaza - (Lowly Projectionist) The ultimate movie theatre in existense at the time, and for a long time to come!

1994-1994 - Movie One - (Head Projectionist) This place took over Kipling and turned it into a dollar theatre and added stereo and digital sound to the auditoriums. I thought I would enjoy working there and helped set up the booth. This place ended up sucking so bad and I missed Greenwood so much that I quit on the first day of operation. Fortunately Greenwood took me back before my two weeks notice ran out. I remember calling Ian from this theatre and telling him not to fill my spot as I wanted to return. His response was to laugh at me!

1994-1998 - United Artists Greenwood Plaza 12 (Again) - (Projectionist). Worked here for a long time, gaining some cool skills and got to run lots and lots of MicroSoft seminars hosted live by Bill Gates via our Proteus Network (later called Satellite Theatre networks or something). Showing up at 5:00am to set these things up sure was fun. Was made into head projectionist after Ian quit. Shortly thereafter I quit, and then the other projectionist quit as well. Why? Uniforms began to be enforced, amongst other reasons.

1998-2000 - Mann's Chinese 16 - (Head Projectionist) - I helped during construction in the booth, assembling the equipment out of the box (or crane as it was lifted into the booth) and got to wheel lots of speakers around. This was, for the most part, a kick ass theatre. Stupid people were in charge, though, and they ended up selling the theatre to people who are even more stupid! I know the new "chain" which is operates only locally has lost more than 6 projectionists, including me, since they took over. The techs don't even know how to thread the projectors. It makes me sad to see such a great theatre go down.

Various (can't remember the years exactly):

UA Continental 6 - Helped in the final stages of the booth during the retrofit and ran the booth for a week, training the staff (we added 5 piddly screens to the large existing one.. each of the 5 smaller screens have better sight and sound than the huge big house... and the small houses really aren't that good either!).

UA Park Meadows Starport 6 - Did the same thing here as I did in the Continental. This was a dumb theatre. This was a brand new expensive theatre. I always have hated it. It was great when I got to remove the projectors when UA closed the theatre only four years later!

UA Longmont Twin Peaks 10 - Did the same thing when this place opened as I did in the previous two. The theatre smelled like cow, but it was kind of fun driving over 50 miles one way to go to work!

UA Denver West 12 - You guessed it! Did the same here as I did in the previous three. I got good before and after pictures of this theatre that are in the warehouse.

I have also done the Telluride Film Festival and the Denver Film Festival. Woo hoo!


 


Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 01-24-2001, 10:22 PM:
 
Grove Drive-In Mackay, Queensland. http://www.drive-insdownunder.com.au/australian/qld_mackaygrove.htm

Westline Drive-In Mackay, Queensland. http://www.drive-insdownunder.com.au/australian/qld_mackaywestline.htm

City Cinema, Mackay, Queensland.

Hayden Richmond Regent, Richmond, NSW.

Hayden Penrith 1+2, Penrith, NSW.

Hayden Penrith 3+4, Penrith, NSW.

Hornsby Cinema, Hornsby, NSW.

Hayden Avalon Cinema, Avalon, NSW.

Hayden Collaroy, Collaroy, NSW.

Cronulla Cinema, Cronulla, NSW.

Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace, Cremorne, NSW.

Village Cinema City, Sydney, NSW.

Village Double Bay, Double Bay, NSW.

Village Parramatta, Parramatta, NSW.

Greater Union Mosman, Mosman, NSW.

Electric Cinema, Portobello Rd, London.

Riverside Cinema, Hammersmith, London.

Panasonic IMAX, Darling Harbour, NSW.

Randwick Ritz Cinema, Randwick, NSW.
 


Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 01-26-2001, 10:07 AM:
 
countless 16mm school films: B&H
Cypress Village Twin, Saint Ann MO (ooo, 6000' changeovers!): Simplex
Principia College Theater, Elsah IL (ooo, carbons!)
Northwest Square 10, Saint Ann MO
Saint Charles 10, Saint Charles MO
Village Square 6, Hazelwood MO
Kenwood Towne Centre 5, Kenwood OH: Vic 5
Tri-County 6&7, Springdale OH: Vic 2, Norelco
Kenwood Twin, Kenwood OH: Century, Pro-35
Norgate 4, Indianapolis IN
Forum 8, Columbia MO: Simplex
Arrowhead 6, Muskogee OK: Simplex
North Rock 6, Wichita KS: Simplex, Norelco
Town & Country 6, Springfield MO: Pro-35
Carmike 6, Muskogee OK (ack!): Century
Arrowhead 6, Muskogee OK (ack, back again!): Simplex
Biscayne 3, Columbia MO: Pro-35
Mall 3, Wichita KS: Simplex
Showest 3, Weatherford OK: Simplex
66 West Twin Drive-In, Weatherford OK(reopened after 18 years!): Simplex
Starworld 20, Bixby OK: Erneman
Cinemark IMAX, Dallas TX: IMAX SR-P3D
Cinemark IMAX, Tulsa OK: IMAX SR-P3D
Henry Ford Museum IMAX, Dearborn MI: IMAX GT-P3D

Brain hurts, must stop . . .
 


Posted by John Eickhof (Member # 323) on 01-27-2001, 12:42 AM:
 
I will try and keep it short, but working on the extra board at the union hall landed me many booth assignments! Vacations / temp are in a sperate list. #= Booths I installed
Reel to reel: 2000 ft or later 6000 ft:
Brockway, Kings Beach CA. Wenzels/Strong arc
Tahoe, Kings Beach CA. Supers, Peerless E
Meeks Bay CA. E-7s / Peerless F
Cobblestone, Tahoe City, #Supers, ORC 1000
Squaw Valley, CA. Century C, Strong mogul
Incline Village NV, #E-7, ORC 1000(Later XL)
Martis Village Truckee CA.# BX-60 / Xetron
Stateline CA, Century / Christie H-30
Tahoe Cinema, CA# XLs / Orc 1000
Lakeside, S.L.T. CA. Century C / Peerless F
Colfax CA. Supers / Peerless E (I owned it)
UIP Screening Room Oakland, CA E-7/Peerless

PLATTER or AUTOMATED HOUSES:
Del Oro 3 Grass Valley CA. Century / Christie
Lakeside 4 S.L.T. CA, Pro-35 / Christie AW-3

Vacations or fill-in: (Short term)
Crest Theatre Sacto. CA XLs / Strong 135 arcs
Varsity Davis CA, Century / AW-2 / CH-10s
Cinema 2 Davis CA, Century, AW-2, CH-20
Westlane Drive-in (Porno) Century, ORC 4kw
Showcase Sacto, CA. Century / Peerless F
Birdcage 6 Sacto, CA XLs / LP-270 / Xelamps
Sunrise 4 Sacto, CA Century / AW-2 / H-20s
Cinemas, Grass Valley,# CA E-7s / ORC Xenon
Cinemas, Auburn CA.,# E-7s / H-20s AW-2
Kukui Grove 2 Lihue, HI. Century, CK-20s,
River Park 2 Napa, CA BX-80 / xenon / 6k ft
D-150 Sacto, Century JJ / Strong X-60D
Go West Drive-in Missoula MT XLs / Strong 135
Times, Sacto, CA BX-80s / Peerless F

And a few 'one night stands' in various cities!!!

------------------
John Eickhof President, Chief Slave
Northwest Theatre Equipment Co., Inc.
P.O.Box 258
Wendell, ID. 83355-0258
208-536-5489
email: jeickhof@nteequip.com
 


Posted by David Kilderry (Member # 142) on 01-27-2001, 04:33 AM:
 

OK, I'm going to do this list more for me, rather than you guys as I've never written it down before. I'll see what I can remember.


Bercy - Kalee 21, carbons, mag, 821 seats.
Russell - 70mm, Vic 8's.
Forum - 70mm, Vic 10, 944 seats,best theatre
Rapallo - Vic 8, 625 seats.
Liberty, Brunswick - C & W P6, Westrex 14
Australia Twin - Bauer U3.

New Malvern - Philips FP20, 1,600 seats.
Cinema Centre 4 - 70mm, CP100, Vic 8, DP75.
Midcity 3 - 70mm, Vic 8, CP100
Waverley Gardens Twin - FP20.
Maribyrnong drive-in - Vic 8, 1,400 cars.
Oakleigh drive-in - FP20, 1,600 cars.
Chadstone 8 - FP30.
Northland 8 - FP30.
Highpoint 10 - FP30.

Doncaster Twin - Century
Southland 8 - FP30
Knox 10 - FP30
Dandenong 10 - FP30
Waverley Gardens 6 - FP 20/30
Rivoli Twin - Bauer U3/U4
VCC 4 - Bauer U3/U4, THX, 70mm.
Frankston 4 - Bauer U3.
Jam Factory - Vic 5.
Sunshine 20 - FP50.

I know I've missed many single nighters and one week engagements, but this list even scares me. It stretches from carbon arcs and 2,000 foot spools with only mag stereo to an all digital 20 plex.

David


 


Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 01-29-2001, 08:32 PM:
 
My...I haven't thought about this one...let me give it a go. These are only theatres where I have been employed where my primary function was as a projectionist, not as a technician (that would make the list way too long). Those where I was the regular or 1st operator are so noted. The names of the theatres will be what they were called when I FIRST started working at them...some have changed names (due to being sold or expanded) some have closed (sigh). All of the theatres are/were in Washington DC and suburbs.

K-B Annapolis Mall IV
Circle Avalon 1 & 2
K-B Bethesda
K-B Baronet West
K-B Georgetown Square Twin
K-B Congressional 5
K-B Cerberus 1, 2, 3 (yes the 1,2,3 was part of its offical name).

K-B Studio
K-B Cinema (regular operator)
K-B MacArthur (regular operator)
K-B Foundry 7
K-B Paris III
Circle Jenifer (regular operator)
K-B Janus
K-B Janus North (a rear screen theatre around the corner from the Janus...originally had a separate operator in a tiny booth...later the second job was eliminated).

K-B Capitol Hill
K-B Town (downtown)
Circle Uptown (regular operator/current)
Circle West End 4
Circle West End 5-7
K-B Fine Arts
Circle Outer
K-B Crystal
K-B Cinema 7 (the "7" referred to the road it was located on...it was one of the last palaces and sat 1100 seats...in the mid '80s it was twined by making the balacony a second theatres, in the mid '90s it was shuttered)

Cineplex Tyson 4
Cineplex Fairfax Square
Cineplex Rio 8
K-B Montgomery Mall III (regular operator)
Cineplex Lakeforest
Cineplex White Flint
Wolftrap (several special film events)
National Cable TV Assocation (a jewel of a theatre two Kinoton DP-75s and THX approved, I'm their regular projectionist for film events)

MPAA
AFI Theatre
AFI Screening room
National Archives II
Senate Office Building
RF Kennedy estate
Circle Embassy
Circle Tenley
LCE St. Charles 9 (just ran it for the first time Saturday 1/27/01)

K-B Silver (regular operator)
George Mason U
Smithsonian Hirshhorn Museum Ring Theatre
Cineplex Wisc. Ave Cinemas
K-B Rockville Drive In
Showcase Weaton Plazza 4
Showcase Old Towne
K-B Langley
Showcase Waldorf South (5-9)
Showcase Tacketts Mill
Circle Shirlington 7

I either forgot or blotted out my memory of the Circle Dupont 5 as well

That will do for now.

Steve

------------------
"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"


 


Posted by Scott D. Neff (Member # 185) on 01-30-2001, 05:34 PM:
 
This should be rather short.

1994 - Silver Screen Amusments' Washington Square Cinema 5 Petaluma, CA - 2 Victoria 8, 3 Simplex xl - 3 CFS-SPP3 - 2 AW2
1995 - UA Empire 4 - Rohnert Park CA - 4 Norelco FP-20 w/ AW3s
1995 - Cinema West Washington Square - this time with ALL 5 Simplex and ALL 5 CFS.
1997 - Cinema West Fairfax 4 Theatre - Fairfax, CA - Century/AW3

Those were my major stints... while I did do my share of midnight movies ALL over Cinema West, I have run my fair share of projectors at

Cinema West Tiburon Playhouse - 2 Century, 1 Simplex, AW3 at the time.
Cinema West Sonoma Cinema 6 - 6 Monee (later Simplex) and CFS-SPP3
Cinema West Sebastopol Cinema 9 - what a hodge-podge of projectors.
Cinema West Noyo Theatre, Willits CA
Cinema West Angels Theatre, Angels Camp CA

I also did some mercy threading for an old manager of mine at
Hoyt's Acton 4 in Acton MA
UA Riverfront Twin, Santa Cruz CA
UA Pruneyard 3, Campbell CA

I miss projectors... I was just surrounded by 20 of them today -- I wanted to touch them and make them feel loved.

Although it was clear -- the platters were loved. Apparently Century buys a platter cover for EVERY FLIPPIN DECK!! of their AW3's.


 


Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 01-30-2001, 09:48 PM:
 
>>Sebastopol Cinema 9 - what a hodge-podge of projectors.<<

Oh, come on Scott... All but #1 are Centurys!

Hodge-Podge of PLATTERS, perhaps (2 different models of CFS, Strong and a currently dead Christie MW3)

-Aaron

 


Posted by George Roher (Member # 91) on 01-30-2001, 11:16 PM:
 
Here is my list-o-theatres, in alphabetical order.

Dupont Circle 5
Key Theatre (4 screens, closed December 7, 1997)
Lakeforest 5 (closed)
Laurel Cinema (6 screens)
Marlow (6 screens)
National Geographic Society (I broke down prints during a festival while someone else ran the shows)
Outer Circle 1-2 (2 screens)
Rio Cinemas (14 screens, now 18 screens)
Springfield Mall (10 screens)
Tenley Circle (3 screens, closed)
Tyson's Fairfax Square Cinemas (8 screens)
Uptown (opened by Warner Brothers in 1936, still a one-plex )
White Flint Movies 5
Wisconsin Avenue Cinemas (6 screens)

These are the venues where I have been paid to handle film. I listed the number of screens the theatres had when I was there, some of them originally had a smaller screen count and were butchered at some point)


 


Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 01-31-2001, 09:10 AM:
 
Lets see The first theatre was the Heritage theatre in Toronto, Then the Naaz Theatre and then the China Cinema all in Toronto then I joined Iatse 173 and work every booth in the greater toronto area Cinesphere Imax theatre currently as a engineer the list is just to long
 




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