Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Christmas Eve... Give Us A Break!

This is topic Christmas Eve... Give Us A Break! in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Dennis Udovich (Member # 1066) on 11-24-2003, 11:45 PM:

Figuring I will be getting FIVE new movies for Christmas Day, maybe a few double prints too, [Eek!]

wouldn't it be nice [Big Grin]

if some of the film could be delivered a day earlier (Dec. 23). This would be a great gift from the film distributors. My staff and I don't need to be checking in and making up film on Christmas Eve, yet five or more prints to contend with. [Frown]

Season's Greetings Hollywood!

Posted by Rachel Gilardi (Member # 1016) on 11-25-2003, 12:23 AM:

Dennis, are you guys closing early on Christmas eve or opening a little later on Christmas day? Just wondering because we aren't. [Roll Eyes]

Posted by Aaron Garman (Member # 1653) on 11-25-2003, 03:03 AM:

Hollywood choosing to open films on such a big holiday just stinks. Sure, many folks go to the movies on Christmas day, but shouldn't we be at home with our families? Also, we don't need to be at work late Christmas eve just because we booked multiple copies of Peter Pan or Cold Mountain. Honestly, if they really want to keep opening films on a day that we should ALL have off, then at least bring them a couple days early so that we can go home to our families and friends. And even though many do not celebrate Christmas, it is still a time that anyone can take and set aside for being with those who we love instead of splicing celluloid. Ok, off my soapbox now. Cheers!

AJG

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 11-25-2003, 03:31 AM:

Hmmm...maybe yous are in the wrong biz? It's the way of the show-biz world...get with it or move on... [Razz]

>>> Phil

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 11-25-2003, 03:38 AM:

Historically both ETS and TES depots have shipped an extra day prior for Christmas releases, so I don't think you are asking for anything special. You should have Christmas eve off. [Smile]

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 11-25-2003, 11:00 AM:

Seems like everyone in that distribution chain is in the same boat you are, wanting Xmas Eve off as early as possible: Labs, shippers, etc. Everyone would be motivated to get the prints out a little early I would think. [Smile]

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 11-25-2003, 12:31 PM:

I have had a print ('Michael') that arrived Christmas Eve that opened Christmas Day (which fell on a Friday), and the print had three reels with totally screwed (big thunderous booms in random places) analog tracks. And there were more profitable pictures in the two digital houses, so playing in digital was out. Getting a replacement print wasn't gonna happen until at least the following Monday. [Mad]

It would be nice to get the 12/25 openers at least three business days prior...

-Aaron

Posted by Aaron Garman (Member # 1653) on 11-25-2003, 02:08 PM:

I know it's expected to be open and working on Holidays (especially Christmas) in this business. However, I don't think it's right. We work enough already, and just one day off for everyone is a great thing. Heck, even our 24/7 Meijer closes on Christmas day. I think Wal Mart here does too!

AJG

Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 11-25-2003, 03:13 PM:

Yeah, I agree we should all be off on Christmas and we should be closed for a week on Thanksgiving. Forget the fact that this is the busiest time of the year and Christmas is usually the busiest day of the year. We don't actually open the theater to make a profit, we just do it for fun. [evil]

Of course, recieving prints early would always be nice, not jsut for Christmas.

Posted by Rachel Gilardi (Member # 1016) on 11-26-2003, 01:41 AM:

Christmas Eve at night and Christmas Day, matinee don't really do business - at least where I have ever worked. I don't think it would be a huge crime to close those times, not the whole day, just part of the shift. Same with maybe opening for any show after 3pm on Thanksgiving! [Smile]

Well, that would be nice. We're running normal schedule all year...PHEW!

Anyway, who's complaining about schedules, this thread is about getting prints early! [Big Grin]

Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 11-26-2003, 02:06 AM:

I believe AJG was complaining about schedules.

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 11-26-2003, 08:54 AM:

As long as Rachel gets her pints early it shouldn't be a problem. [beer]

Posted by Dennis Udovich (Member # 1066) on 11-26-2003, 03:00 PM:

I believe WE HAVE TO BE OPEN on all big holidays! Let's face it.... take the money when we can. BUT, I would really appreciate a day early delivery of the film. That's all I am asking. [Smile]

Thanksgiving weekend we are opening at 10 a.m.; Christmas Eve we operate matinees. The only day of the year we close is the evening of Christmas Eve. Christmas Day through New Year's Day we are open daily noon to midnight.

Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 11-26-2003, 03:42 PM:

Traditionally the movie theatre has always been open 365 days a years. As staff members or owners we have a responsibility to the community to be consistent. I believe we should even give the community a "gift" Christmas eve or Christmas day in appreciation for their patronage and offer free admission even if we have to book a flat-fee older holiday film and pay the days rental out of our own pocket. While the holiday season is one of the biggest money-makers of the year you're not going to make a profit on ticket sales Christmas eve or Christmas day anyway. You may as well increase your concession sales. The biggest mistake we can make in our business is to run it to suit OUR personal desires. If someone has a problem with working in the entertainment field on holidays then they should not be in the entertainment field.

Posted by Dustin Mitchell (Member # 372) on 11-26-2003, 04:49 PM:

My company always used to make us run full schedules Christmas Eve/Day, it sucked. The last two or three years though they've been less 'grinchy' and allowed their theatres to close early on Christmas Eve/open late on Christmas Day. Since the mandatory showtimes for LotR are already out I'm betting if they let us run a curtailed schedule again this year the last show on Christmas eve will be the 8:15 LotR and the first show Christmas day will be the 2:45 LotR.

Posted by John T. Hendrickson, Jr (Member # 849) on 11-26-2003, 07:05 PM:

Robert E. Allen wrote:

"While the holiday season is one of the biggest money-makers of the year you're not going to make a profit on ticket sales Christmas eve or Christmas day anyway"

Okay, I'll give you Christmas Eve, but SURPRISE- Christmas Day is one of our busiest days of the year in our area. For non-Christians, we are the only game in town as everything else is closed. And... for those who have Christmas dinner early and are looking for something to do in the evening, again, we are the only game in town.

Nothing personal- just business. And yes, I'll agree that it's nice to receive those prints two days before Christmas.

Posted by Dennis M Dow Jr (Member # 1970) on 11-26-2003, 08:04 PM:

We usually receive our Christmas prints 2 days before Christmas.. We also run a curtailed Schedule on Christmas eve with last show starting around 8pm... Has been this way for the 5 years we have been open..
The old chain I used to work for also closed early on Christmas eve.

Posted by David Graham Rose (Member # 1450) on 11-27-2003, 03:32 PM:

Greetings from the historic City of Cambridge

A number of years ago, too many years ago now I come to think of it, when I was a Chief Projectionist with the Gaumont circuit here in the UK, I was asked by our Managing Director at the time to work on Christmas day. The reason being was that he wanted to entertain his friends and family in an alternative manner over the Festive period. At the time, and being single, I was not too bothered about this.

I duly arrived on Christmas Day at 11am, in readiness for a 6pm start, and found that the secondary lamp gas supply had failed. I duly spent the next four hours attempting to re-establish a supply in order that our Managing Director and his family could view the entertainment. Imagine my dismay when I realised that the main incoming gas supply had failed.

Fortunately, my Senior Projectionist was a former gas fitter with British Coal, as it was in those days, and he was able to gain access to the local supply. With luck, he was able to divert enough gas to the stalls lighting circuit from the adjacent fish and chip shop to allow the performance to continue.

In those days we were fortunate enoughg to have a full Variety act in anticipation of the supporting programme. We began with the usual Organ interlude - Reginald Dixon, bless him- was kind enough to give up his day off, and 13 of the 14 Tiller Girls were gracious enough to make the effort to attend and perform their routine. The only absent girl was one Elizabeth Boothroyd- the former Madam Speaker of the House of Commons!

At the end of the performance the MD personally requested a visit to the Projection Suite with his family to thank me for the evenings performance. His only criticism of the show was that newsreel was out of date!! It seems that Gaumont-British news even had Christmas Eve off.

How times change.

With fond memories of the Tiller Girls, I bid you all a very, very good evening. And to all my colleagues across the pond a very happy Thanksgiving.

Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 11-27-2003, 04:51 PM:

Dustin,

Dont' eb surprised if you're wrong about Christams Day this year... Insiders say differently... [Frown]

Back to the days of full operation..

There is rumor that we'll drop 9pm shows Christmas eve tho... BUT, with our LOTR schedule, it's still midnight before we get out... [Shrug]

Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 11-27-2003, 11:45 PM:

quote:
We began with the usual Organ interlude - Reginald Dixon

Wow!

Posted by Joe Schmidt (Member # 822) on 11-28-2003, 12:39 PM:

So nice to find someone besides myself who remembers Reginald Dixon. I have many of his recordings in my theatre pipe organ collection.

CHEERS... from one Obsolete Person to another!

Posted by David Graham Rose (Member # 1450) on 11-28-2003, 03:03 PM:

Greetings to All from Cambridge, UK

I quote;

'So nice to find someone besides myself who remembers Reginald Dixon. I have many of his recordings in my theatre pipe organ collection. CHEERS... from one Obsolete Person to another'

Indeed, Reg was one of the greatest (if not THE greatest) organist ever to grace the manuals of theatre organs. I have many recordings of him, including one of 'Lullaby of Broadway' which he personally recorded for my late father at the console of the Wurlitzer at the Gaumont State Kilburn.

My Father, as well as being a Chief Projectionist was a very accomplished theatre organist, and had the pleasure of playing one of the three Kimball consoles at the Roxy along with Dezso Von D'Antalffy and Dr. Parmitter, standing in for Lew White who was off sick at the time. His favourite stop on the organ was the Vox Humana, with which he recorded 'Jiggery-Jig-Jog Down O'er Bridge of Weir' in 1928.

Indeed, due to cuts in academic research in the UK it may very well be that soon I too may be obsolete, since the next academic years budget for research in Cinema Technology has been halved. I believe that the University Funding Council has no time for matters appertaining to the Cinema Industry.

From a very annoyed head of research, I bid you good evening.

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 11-29-2003, 12:04 PM:

Has anybody ever tried calling the depot and requesting an early delivery and, if so, did they accommodate your request?

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 11-29-2003, 01:18 PM:

There seem to have been quite a few cinema organists called 'Reginald' for some reason; perhaps it was just a common name at the time.

I've just picked up the December programme booklet for the David Lean Cinema in Croydon, single screen art house, closed completely from Dec 24th to Jan 2nd inclusive. I don't know if it was the same last year.

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 11-29-2003, 06:13 PM:

I'm still puzzling over "secondary lamp gas supply."

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 11-30-2003, 08:33 AM:

Excuse this probably obvious question from someone who books his titles to play when HE wants them: are theatres forced by contract to play a title on a particular opening day? Suppose I decided that the audience numbers for Christmas day would be very light and coupled with the desire to give the staff a break on Christmas eve, decide to forgo opening on Christmas day and pushed the openings to the 27th. Do theatres today have the option of deciding when they want to open a picture? Or has that option been preempted by the studios?

Frank

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 11-30-2003, 11:11 AM:

I will give you a speculative answer; someone else will give a more authoritative reply:

Anything can be negotiated for between the distributor and the booker which means that anything is possible especially if they really want your theatre and depending what their other options are. But in general probably no...they want their film to open on a given day and since opening grosses seem to be more important than ever now even if your contribution to them will be small they still want them. Of course part of the calculus would be how the calendar falls because if the few tickets you would have sold are merely deflected into another day that will count as part of the opening then you would stand a better chance. But they still probably would not agree to it.

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 11-30-2003, 12:44 PM:

Steve, gas for secondary lighting was quite common well into my lifetime. My primary school had it, my secondary school had it, though disused by then, and I was in a church hall just a few years ago that had gas lit exit signs.

Many early cinemas had no mains electricity, all lighting was by gas, projectors were hand cranked, and arcs were run off dynamos driven by gas engines.

Posted by David Graham Rose (Member # 1450) on 11-30-2003, 12:52 PM:

Good Evening all from Cambridge;

Quote
'I'm still puzzling over "secondary lamp gas supply."'

Puzzle no longer my dear chap. Quite simply, along with many cinemas of this era, the secondary - or maintained/emergency- lighting was not run from batteries, but all secondary lighting in the theatre were illuminated with gas lit mantles. Thus avoiding the need for electricity - particularly handy in the event of a power failure.

It is with some regret, I would imagine, that the British Broadcasting Corporation, based in London, England, had not invested in gas powered back up broadcasting equipment. This would have avoided disappointing the many millions of listeners to the early morning Radio 4 'Today' programme last week.

Maybe I will recommend it, the next time the Broadcasting Technology Committee meets.

With that thought, I shall retire.

Posted by Don Bruechert (Member # 1538) on 11-30-2003, 07:13 PM:

Where do you hear about "Mandatory Showtimes"? The owner doesn't share any of that stuff with me, and if he sets up the show schedule to some stupid times that conflict with a bunch of stuff I just change the runtimes by 10 or 15 minutes to make everything work out. Sometimes he has 3 prints starting at the exact same time, which is impossible, so I just add 5 minutes here or subtract 5 minutes there to help keep things sane. I have found it is much better if you find you need to change showtimes a tad to send the changes to the paper and let everyone know, than to just keep them as they are so the boss is happy, because if there happen to be 3 prints starting at the same time then we start one 5 minutes early, 1 on time and one 5 minutes late. The people who come to the movie we started early get pissed off, or don't buy concessions - much easier to publish the change and keep everyone but the boss happy... after all, we are supposed to be in this business for the customers....

Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 12-01-2003, 12:19 AM:

quote:
I'm still puzzling over "secondary lamp gas supply."

You'll still find them in remaining older theaters. By the time of 1926-1927, they'd become so dense in the architectural design that you don't even notice them. You'll see the jets on the walls at about 6'2". They'll have the gas to them long since shut off, since people will grab them, break them off, etc. Some theaters when they renovate remove them & plaster over.

It worked like this, explained to me personally by a guy whose dad ran theaters in the silent days, & who himself worked in those theaters before starting it as a career: "It was emergency lighting. Back in those days, audiences were a little better behaved than they are now, & if there was a power failure, an announcement would be made to please remain seated while the lighting is restored. The audience would remain seated, & the ushers would walk through the theatre lighting the gas lights."

Posted by Dustin Mitchell (Member # 372) on 12-01-2003, 05:01 AM:

quote:
after all, we are supposed to be in this business for the customers...

Don, you obviously don't work for a large chain.