This is topic most times you've shown the same title? in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.


To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=008737

---

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 05-29-2007, 05:45 PM:
 
Subject pretty much says it. What film have you shown the greatest number of times and how many shows was that?

For the purposes of this discussion, let's not count shows at automated multiplexes, since, in most cases, one can "show" a film dozens of times in such a venue without actually seeing or hearing any of it. I'm more interested in films that people have had to run repeatedly in single-screen houses, screening rooms, or smaller manually-operated multiplexes which require that one pay at least some attention to the film itself throughout the run.

I just finished a run of about 46 shows of "Brooklyn Rules," plus a preview screening (and test screening) two years ago, plus a press screening. This is by far the most that I've shown any one title. I do know someone who ran "Brokeback Mountain" something like 150 times (with 2000' changeovers, no less). I'm sure that these numbers pale by comparison to those of some people here.
 

---

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 05-29-2007, 07:34 PM:
 
"WHAT A DUMP!" "What's the name of that film George?" So what's your plan, buddy boy -- you gonna plow a few pertinent wives?" "Oh George, I don't want to play this game any more."

Scottie, me-boy, I've got you beat by a mile.....and if you want, I can pretty much run through the entire movie for you line by line and get most of it verbatum. Because, boys and girls, I ran this awesome film, WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? plus attractions AND a WB cartoon (we ran a WB cartoon at every feature at that theatre) by my count, I ran it 144 times! AND on 2000ft reels, carbon arc change-over, Simplex Supers in a sweet little 800 seat neighborhood theatre (considered a small theatre in those days) in Bryan-College Station TX, at one end of A&M. I was 20yrs old and worked 8hr shifts 6 days a week and I couldn't get enough of it -- often went back to hang out in the booth on my day off.

And even at 144 times, I STILL loved that particular movie; I saw new stuff in it the night it closed that I hadn't seen before. And yes, in a change-over booth, we had to pay attention to the movie -- it wasn't a chore. I always had the sound up in the booth too.

We ran MY FAIR LADY in that same theatre even longer, but we only ran one show a night, so WAOVW still wins. Besides, Scott, maybe we should limit this contest to a certain cut-off period because anyone running film BV (Before Video) can easily trump younger guys running even as far back as the last two decades because films routinely ran much longer than even the hottest of today's blockbusters. MY FAIR LADY ran in RoadShow for almost two years in NY -- 2000ft reels too, my friends! How long do you think even the biggest record-breaking PIRATES will run for? We old-timers will beat the young multiplex turks hands down every time. We've got to keep it apples and apples, or give them a big handicap.
 

---

Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 05-29-2007, 08:27 PM:
 
As a relief projectionist with 224 in DC in the 70's and 80's I'd run into the same films over and over during the summer, but didn't keep count. Ghostbusters I'm sure I've run over 100 times (5 shows a day, at least 20 times at various theatres, multiple releases). I could do the changeovers by listening.

It was a little before my time, but I remember the old Tyson Twin (not the Tyson Corner, the one down the street with the Bauer U2's) ran Jaws for 6 months. IIRC, they only ran two movies that year, but can't remember what they had before Jaws.
 

---

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 05-29-2007, 09:04 PM:
 
LOL - try me, once again, back in 1977 when I did "StarWars" in this booth below (in which I've posted this pix before...)



For six months - from June 15 til December 22nd, "Star Wars" played from these two machines in this booth with open ports, thus we projectionists (I was chief projectionist) HAD to listen to the film (in as well as making the classic changeovers) for 5 showings during the summer and 3 showing during the fall and when it left.

Granted, it was a heck of a movie, but when that damned thing left that December, I was SO glad to get rid of it - only to be "cursed" with it the following year when FOX did the re-release..and we got stuck with it again for 6 weeks in that re-issue.

It's funny when the 1997 reissues came out that on how horrid memories had to come back of that summer of 1977.

Then, I had to tie the duration with "Titanic" at the 21 complex that I was Presentation Manager/engineer at...but as Scott said-single screen venues....thus megaplex runs doesn't count.

Yet, I feel for the guys in SLC at the VILLA when, in 1981, they had to play 'Raiders of the Lost ARK' for a straight year, but at least they got to run it in 70mm through Century JJ's with Ashcraft lamphouses.

[ 05-30-2007, 12:44 AM: Message edited by: Monte L Fullmer ]
 

---

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 05-29-2007, 09:39 PM:
 
We've run a few movies for 3 weeks over the years, but none longer than that. So, since we usually do 2 shows on Fri/Sat and usually a matinee one or two of the Sundays, my record would probably be 28 shows of one movie. Small taters by some of you guys' standards!

Before we were automated, we never ran a movie longer than one week that I know of...so, probably 9 or 10 showings maximum of any one movie in the changeover era for me.
 

---

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 05-29-2007, 09:58 PM:
 
While at the Uptown...we had MANY extended stays...when I started there, THE LAST EMPEROR was playing (in 70mm) and that had a lot of runs...months and months. But having a film for 15-weeks was more common than not. If the film was a dude...it left quickly...if it was a hit...we played it to death. We knew that if it was good, we could out run any of the plexes...by week-15...all of the business was ours...as they dropped their screens, we picked up their audience such that our attendence leveled out quite a bit on a long run.

Like Martin, there are some titles that as a relief, I just kept hitting all around a chain. _FAME_ was one..._BEING THERE_ was another. They seemed like they were playing wherever I was showing a movie.

I also ran ET to death.
 

---

Posted by Rick Raskin (Member # 1561) on 05-30-2007, 06:38 AM:
 
Like Steve & Martin, when I worked relief with Local 224 I would run into the same films over and over. I caught "MASH" when it when it was first run at the Trans Lux (14th & NY Ave -- remember that one?) and again when I settled in at the KB Baronet. I probably ran it 150 times or more. Another was "Patton" which seemed to follow me everywhere. All were run on 2000' reels, changeover and carbon arcs.
 

---

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 05-30-2007, 04:13 PM:
 
I have run An Officer And A Gentleman, Tron, RHPS, Fast Times At Ridgemont High, and Raiders Of The Lost Ark 2000' carbon changeover at least 150-200 times (not all in the same theatre).

I had the dialogue to 'Officer', 'Tron', 'RHPS', and 'Fast Times' memorized...

-Aaron
 

---

Posted by John T. Hendrickson, Jr (Member # 849) on 05-30-2007, 07:05 PM:
 
I ran Patton through most of the summer of 1970 at the Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park NJ. Simplex XL's with Ashcraft Lamps, 6 track magnetic sound. Ten reels with an intermission at the end of reel 6. Had about five minutes of call-back music on reel 7. Sometimes the manager would have me skip the intermission, in which case I ran down reel #7 to a predetermined point and stopped it while #6 was playing, then made the changeover, thereby eliminating the intermission and call-back music.

We played to packed houses for weeks. As near as I can figure, it ran a total of 190 performances, so I would have shown it over 150 times.
 

---

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 05-30-2007, 07:50 PM:
 
As noted in another thread, I lost count around 120 times for "Smokey and the Bandit" (1977). I had so learned the soundtrack, that I didn't even have to look at the screen to make changeovers! I knew exactly where all the cue marks appeared.

It was fun to see the expressions on the faces of my operator friends, when I'd make a changeover standing with my back to the screen!
 

---

Posted by Don Furr (Member # 1469) on 05-30-2007, 09:23 PM:
 
When we opened our first discount theatre in 1991, I threaded and ran HOME ALONE from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. That's about 420 show times. That first summer we ran 5 show every day.
 

---

Posted by Dave Ritchie (Member # 4030) on 05-30-2007, 10:37 PM:
 
We had The Worlds Fastest Indian playing for just under 8 month's and had over 400 screenings
 

---

Posted by Phil Blake (Member # 2012) on 05-30-2007, 10:43 PM:
 
The early part of my career being in Drive ins , most features were in this week gone the next.

Like Monte, Stars Wars we ran 7 nights for two weeks straight on reel to reel carbon arcs , it was then brought back as a sub run a number of time later.

In more recent times our longest running show was "Shall We Dance" as a sub run I was surprised it went for 18 weeks, with about 120 screenings.
 

---

Posted by Thomas Hauerslev (Member # 566) on 05-31-2007, 04:18 AM:
 
I ran "Amadeus" for 16 months. Knew all the dialouge by heart back then in 1985/86 - I think it was.

Great film, still love it.
 

---

Posted by Richard May (Member # 2627) on 05-31-2007, 09:52 AM:
 
Ok, I know you said multi's don't count, but I just had to. A couple years ago, we ran "Spellbound" (The spelling bee movie) for over 8 months. Since we are open 12 hours a day, it came out to about 1400 shows.
 

---

Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 05-31-2007, 10:44 AM:
 
Years ago (back in the late 60s) I was the projectionist at the Bijou Theatre in Palo Alto, California and whenever the owner wanted to do business he would book the Beatles movie "Help". Those Stanford students came out in droves and filled the place. I was there for about six months and we must have booked that film at least three times (for a week each). I understand the theatre is no longer there (it was a single screener built in a former auto repair shop) but I'll bet that film would still do business in Palo Alto (or actually just about anywhere else).
 

---

Posted by Ben Wales (Member # 92) on 05-31-2007, 03:20 PM:
 
The film I shown the most times was the 70mm DTS short "Blackadder - Back & Forth" at the Millennium Dome in London in 2000.

It was screened in two 2500 seater Cinemas and that was screened about 6 times daily in each screen, so no escape, even now 6 years on I can still remember the script and the running time of this film.

We did try to organize some other 70mm screenings at Skyscape, but all they organized was a screening of "Abba - The Movie" in 35mm (Mono) and I had to arrange to collect the print from a Film Carrier at a Motorway Service Station!
 

---

Posted by Aaron Burgess (Member # 3875) on 05-31-2007, 03:43 PM:
 
I ran RHPS for the 150th time last week. Ugh
 

---

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 05-31-2007, 06:15 PM:
 

quote: Aaron Burgess

---

I ran RHPS for the 150th time last week. Ugh

---

(lol)-If you've ran RHPS that long, how are the prints been like - like the 'scratched prints' in "Grindhouse"?

Back in the late 70's til the mid 80's, I ran RHPS almost weekly-and almost the same print that would be shipped to us...(and tons of water and trash on the floors afterwards...)

2nd and 3rd are the durations of "Heavy Metal" and "Pink Floyd's-THE WALL" for me for mid showings. Ran those two almost every other week after the demise of RHPS..

-Monte
 

---

Posted by Gracia L. Babbidge (Member # 582) on 06-01-2007, 10:55 AM:
 
For a little bit longer than three years, I've been at a single screen outfit - doing changeovers on 2k reels. There's a small handful of titles that I may have projected at least 100 times. Those titles would be: Fahrenheit 9/11, What The F@#! Do We Know?, An Inconvenient Truth, Little Miss Sunshine, The Queen.

And there is a much longer list of others that I didn't run as many times - but enough that I could do the changeovers by listening to the audio!
 

---

Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 06-01-2007, 06:12 PM:
 
Just to add to the history. Other places I relieved, but thankfully didn't have to run the film every day:
The Shirley Duke/Foxchase (Alexandria, VA) ran The Opening of Misty Beethoven for well over 5 years on Super Simplexes with platters. Several shows a day. I think they went through about 3 prints in that time. I know when I shipped it out for the last time, the print was so oil soaked I couldn't get the splicing tape to stick.

The Biogragph(DC) ran midnight shows of Pink Flamingos for several years. Legend has it that the projectionist threw the print down the stairs when it was finally gotten rid of. I think it was a 16mm print, so not as dramatic.
 

---

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 06-02-2007, 06:39 AM:
 
Though they are not active on Film-Tech...I'm sure the projectionists at the Williamsburg Visitor's Center would win this one hands down. Since 1957 showing The Story of a Patriot...first in VistaVision and now in 70mm with some of the projectionist there going back to at least the '60s. How do you top that? They are honest to God projectionists that monitor the picture and sound on each and every performance and clean the projectors between each showing.
 

---

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 06-02-2007, 01:48 PM:
 
I imagine special-venue doesn't count here, but what the heck. Ran a 15-minute 70mm short called Thrillsphere from '75 to '77. It showed at Circus Circus in Las Vegas, then went on the road playing the state fair circuit. I ran it at Circus and with both road units. Don't have my logs anymore but I'd say I ran it over 2200 times, all manually. The Circus booth used a Westrex then went to a Norelco. Both machines went into the road units the following year.

Same with IMAX. The Caesars Palace Omnimax would typically run a title for six months. The operators usually worked 8- or 12-hour shifts getting in up to 11 showings a day of a typically 40-minute title. Again, no logs but I've screened titles like To Fly, The Dream is Alive, Grand Canyon: Hidden Secrets, Speed, Flyers, Beavers, We Are Born of the Stars/Skyward, Niagara: Miracles, Myths and Magic, Wings of Courage, and Yellowstone hundreds of times each.

In live shows I've done over 700 performances each of Starlight Express, The Folies Bergere, An Evening at La Cage, and Jubilee as a spot operator, board operator, projectionist, or house sound mixer.

[ 06-04-2007, 02:06 PM: Message edited by: Paul Mayer ]
 

---

Posted by Demetris Thoupis (Member # 833) on 06-02-2007, 02:38 PM:
 
2000 When Ridley Scott gave Gladiator to the public, showed for 7 solid weeks, 2 shows a night so that makes in a two screen cinema with changeovers
7 x 2 x 7 = 98 Shows.

Demetris
 

---

Posted by Tony Bandiera Jr (Member # 2365) on 06-02-2007, 04:22 PM:
 
Knott's Berry Farm, many years ago:

In the Cloud Nine Ballroom, a hideous 3-D short film called "Sea Dream" (AKA "Wet Dream", "Sea Scream" etc.) Running time of 22 minutes. Used the over/under prints with polarized glasses.

Original prints were 35mm mag, later switched over to optical after I sold and installed an Ultra*Stereo processor to them.

Ran on Century MDAW projectors, first with a Potts Alpha Puker, then later an ELF. When on the Potts we had eight prints spliced and cued so there was only one thread-up daily. LP Assoc. Automation.

5-8 shows a day, every day for a year. You do the math. I still remember our post-show exit tag and most of the narration from that classic.

We ran it from the tech booth, above the projection booth. The early mag prints had a pre-show narration, that we muted at the sound console while the house ushers did the pre-show live, then the cue would hit and open the dowser and we were on screen. It was really interesting when the ushers would mess up and I cut them off with the film, or worse on the few occaisions where the film would break during that spiel, then a mad dash downstairs to fix it while the usher would ad-lib.

I actually had a print of the old mag version, but lost it when it was never returned from a certain cinema companies "Film Academy" some years ago.
 

---

Posted by Rick Raskin (Member # 1561) on 06-02-2007, 04:31 PM:
 

quote: Martin McCaffery

---

Legend has it that the projectionist threw the print down the stairs when it was finally gotten rid of. I think it was a 16mm print, so not as dramatic.

---