Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: effects of smoke in a theater

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Posted by Carl Martin (Member # 1146) on 11-17-2005, 05:02 AM:

so we all know cigarette smoke in a theater will over time coat surfaces in nastiness and discolor the screen. speaking purely hypothetically, will pot smoke do similar physical damage?

(please don't stray off-topic to matters of legality, etc.)

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 11-17-2005, 05:17 AM:

Smoke is smoke, no matter how it's burned, what's burned, who burns it, who tokes it, who snorts it, who gets high, who gets sick, or who is dying from breathing in smoke.. et.al. .... It's all the same ....

..and don't EVEN try to rationalize....

-Monte

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 11-17-2005, 05:18 AM:

I've no idea, but are there any theatres that still allow any sort of smoking in the auditorium? I haven't seen one for years now.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 11-17-2005, 05:40 AM:

I agree with Monte, smoke is smoke. The amount of "tars" and other components may vary somewhat, but smoke almost always contains nasty things that stick to things, or particulates that get everywhere.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 11-17-2005, 06:12 AM:

And even if you escaped the legal ones, there'd be some health and safety implications arising from smoking pot in a theatre, I'd guess. If you've got 200 customers sitting there, as high as a kite, and then the fire alarm goes off (not outside the bounds of possibility, given that smoking has been going on), I wouldn't want to be the one who has to try and persuade them to evacuate through the fire exits in an orderly manner!

Posted by Dick Vaughan (Member # 540) on 11-17-2005, 06:58 AM:

Leo

All you have to do is stand near the exit and wave chocolate brownies [Smile]

Those who have the munchies after smoking the herbal cigarettes will lead and others will follow [Big Grin]

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 11-17-2005, 07:38 AM:

Dick said "Those who have the munchies after smoking the herbal cigarettes will lead and others will follow "
One way to improve snack bar sales [Smile]

Posted by Marin Zorica (Member # 1716) on 11-17-2005, 07:52 AM:

Hm.... smoke is smoke maybe when someone burns car tiers you're eyes get's Cray!!! :-)

Mostly theaters i know don't allow smoking, and there's markings :
NO SMOKE!

But on legal side how is that, are somewhere in law who tell us to do not smoke in theater, i know here for public place that we have smoke and no smoke sets in cafe bars, restaurants... but what with cinemas?

Posted by Peter Hall (Member # 695) on 11-17-2005, 10:04 AM:

We were involved some years ago with a guy who ran "Cinema Fume'" in the Brixton Academy (nee Astoria - 3000 seat atnospheric cinema turned club). I couldnt comment on the consumption of anything in the venue however the films screened from midnight to dawn, smoking was allowed and films were "Up In Smoke", Hendrix and the like. The screen was miles away (they used the circle from memory, although I cant remember that much about anything really - I just didnt seem to be too bothered) but I wouldnt say that no smoke is better or worse than any others. I do however have vile memories of changing screens in ex ABC sites that allowed smoking in the early days - hte screens were yellow and any moisture, even sweat on your hands when climbing the frames, "liquidated" the tar and you went home smelling llike a workingmens club.

The nights at Brixton were sponsored by Rizzla (Zig Zags in some countries) and the tickets were printed on a complimentary packet of jumbo sized rizzlas. From memory this was the most trouble free midnight screening that we have ever experienced.. lots of people asleep

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 11-17-2005, 02:38 PM:

quote: Carl Martin
speaking purely hypothetically, will pot smoke do similar physical damage?

Planning a "special" showing of Harry POTter, maybe? [Wink]

Posted by Robert John Jeromson (Member # 2559) on 11-17-2005, 04:18 PM:

quote: Monte L Fullmer
Smoke is smoke, no matter how it's burned

And most modern fire control systems won't dicriminate, a few wiffs in the smoke detector or Vesda sniffers and the audience is out on the street.

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 11-17-2005, 05:19 PM:

I also agree... "smoke is smoke"...

The only difference with smokin' dope is the patrons DON'T CARE how shitty the pic is... yellow screen or Kodak RED print... ALL is OK! [thumbsup]

Posted by Carl Martin (Member # 1146) on 11-18-2005, 03:36 AM:

smoke may be smoke, but my impression is that pot smoke doesn't spread quite as aggressively as ciggie smoke. it could also be that it burns cleaner. i don't know. i really dislike either type of smoke, myself.

i know of at least one theater, here unnamed, that "turns a blind eye" for some shows. i don't intend to repeat the mistake of going to one of those shows.

but that's not why i ask. in fact, i'd rather not say why. and if anyone has an opinion on this topic but is reticent about making a public posting, please do email me. i promise i won't narc on you.

carl

Posted by Erick Akers (Member # 875) on 11-18-2005, 12:12 PM:

Carl,
You will shortly have truely informative mail on this subject.
Smoke is Smoke! Bull Shit!!!

On the plus side, the snack bar sales would tripple!

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 11-18-2005, 02:53 PM:

quote: Peter Hall
We were involved some years ago with a guy who ran "Cinema Fume'" in the Brixton Academy

Ah, this brings back memories. I visited the place with the CTA at that time, we were shown around by a fearsome looking man who was in charge of 'security' They had only just started the film thing, there was no screen frame, I'll come back to that in a minute, they had found an old, rather small, silver screen somewhere, underneath the stage I think, the surface was gone, so they painted it white. I think you are right about the projection being from the circle, they just hired in equipment when needed. The former projection box under the balcony had been turned into a sort of VIP area, for invited guests of the band that was playing. Large windows had been fitted in the front wall, one with a steel girder running across it. I think there was also a small bar in this room.

Because there was no frame the screen had been hung from a spare lighting barrel. The counterbalanced lines were operated from stage right, and there was a tubular metal guard rail in front of them, which was bent. The story was that somebody who was working to remove the original sgreen frame had fallen onto it. I don't know if there was any truth in this story; for their sake I hope not!

The original projectors were said to still be in the building somewhere, but wrapped up in plastic due to being 'full of asbestos'. The security man also said that there were other boxes in the theatre that used to contain 'huge effects machines', Brenographs?, which they had removed. At one time the CTA held their archives in the building, first in a former battery room, and then in what had been a manager's office.

The proscenium arch is based on the design of a famous bridge, but I cannot remember which one. There's a picture here It's possible to walk across this, it's reached by means of a small door and very narrow staircase on stage right. Once you reached the centre you could move forward through the doors onto the small balcony which can be seen in the picture. I'm told that Bella Lugosi once appeared on that balcony, with a lime on him, promoting his Dracula performance the following week.

There was something of a hazard on that bridge; it was dark up there, and everything was painted black, including an RSJ at just the right height th hit the top of your head on; as most of us did!

We visited all sorts of places with the CTA; one in the East End of London had ceased to be a cinema decades before, the previous time they had tried to visit the place it had been a used car salesroom, but had been closed down because the building was unsafe. It had re-opened some time later, without any repairs being carried out as far as I know, as a (probably illeagal and unlicenced) rave club. The operators had agreed to the visit after the place closed, which was at something like 6am on Sunday. I think the visit actually took place rather later.

Another place we visited had become a rather strange night club, complete with dungeon and torture chamber! I think some of us weren't quite sure what we had let ourselves in for there, but the man from the club who showed us round was really nice, and interesteed in features of the building we pointed out that he had never noticed. With just a few exceptions, nearly all of the places we visited would let us go anywhere we wanted, getting into long disused parts of the buildings, carrying a torch (flashlight, not the flaming variety) was always a good idea on a CTA visit. We sometimes got very odd looks by the users or these buildings which had become bingo halls, markets, churches or whatever, when their building was invaded by a load of loonies who would climb up un the roof, or under the stage, on into some plant room disused for thirty years. Great fun; I suppose the health and safety people will have put a stop to that sort of thing now.

One other place I remember was the Ex. Odeon, Northfields, which had become a nightclub, and then a church. We managed to get into the old projection box, and the projectors were still there; Vic. 8s with converted Kalee President arcs. There were no lights working, and for some reason nobody had a torch that day. We opened a spoolbox on one of the long-disused machines, and discovered that it still had film laced up in it! Because it was too dark to see we never did find out what the mystery film was.

Has anybody here had their theatre visited by the CTA?

Posted by Bernard Tonks (Member # 809) on 11-19-2005, 07:29 AM:

Yes, I had three visits by the CTA during my 24 years at my old cinema the Regal in Cranleigh. Most enjoyable was the showing of vintage 3 ¼ inch square slides which included Morgan made forthcoming film titles advertised during the 1940s & 50s. A reel of old adverts & trailers.

The late President of the CTA, Tony Moss gave a wonderful slide show and talk of old cinemas.

The enlarged projection room was an obvious attraction with two projectors, and a tower. But also behind the screen which revealed the old screen curtain track still in situ. The old academy screen wooden screen frame and speaker chamber on the stage back wall.

The last cinema in UK to allow smoking in the circle was the Coronet Cinema an old Edwardian theatre also known as the Gaumont in Notting Hill Gate London. The cinema was featured in the Hugh Grant, Julia Roberts film “Notting Hill”

Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 11-21-2005, 01:16 AM:

quote: Stephen Furley
The proscenium arch is based on the design of a famous bridge, but I cannot remember which one.

Do you remember if they said the Bridge of Sighs or the Rialto?

It looks vaguely Venetian-inspired, but the broken pediment at the CL doesn't ring any bell.