Thank goodness the days of such politically correct codswallop are almost behind us. My most painful memory from NFT days was the Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. In particular, they would always show dreadful porn films made by someone called Bruce LaBruce, usually shot on super 8. Once you've seen one buggery scene the rest really aren't very different! I once nearly missed a changeover out of sheer boredom.
I've got no problem with responsible adults watching this stuff if it's their idea of entertainment, but calling it art and subsidising it with taxpayers' money is another thing altogether. If anyone attempted to raise funding for a similar film only with heterosexual protagonists, there would be an outcry.
Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 02-19-2003, 03:58 PM:
Wow, Bernard. That's some great inside info. Thanks!
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Posted by Bernard Tonks (Member # 809) on 02-20-2003, 04:44 AM:
Glad you enjoyed it Tim. I watched the film yesterday afternoon on BBC 2.
Posted by Gordon Bachlund (Member # 124) on 02-22-2003, 12:24 PM:
I count myself among the many fans of "The Smallest Show on Earth," having a videotape that was obviously made from a 16mm print. We can probably thank early television for saving many wonderful films, this title among them.
Ken's recollection of the venerable Mr. Quill "jump starting" the projectors by giving the front shutter a spin reminded me of an experience I had in the 1950s when I was working relief, months after passing the City projectionist test. Being lower than low on the grand totem pole of seniority (a permit holder rather than a full member of the local), the houses I found myself in were often an order of magnitude lower than the lowest of today’s sub run venues. One in particular, the Lux Theatre on the seedy outskirts of downtown LA, was equipped with Simplex Standard heads residing atop WE universal bases with the old WE sound heads that included the (as I recall) exciter supply and pre-amp below, and diminutive Strong lamphouses of the size that were found 1950s 16mm machines in school auditorium booths, with Tungar bulb rectifiers on the floor below. Now these WE sound heads had no sound drum with flywheel; rather, the sound (drive) sprocket shaft had an enormous flywheel that was driven directly from the motor by a leather belt. Whether these motors' starting capacitors were failing, or whether they were simply drenched with oil from the leaking projector heads, each machine took about 5 seconds to come up to speed after the motor was started, and on many occasions the motor would just stall. In this booth, therefore, to prevent disaster, it was the practice to give the flywheel a shove after switching on the motor. Ah, memories...
However substandard this theatre's equipment may appear from the description above, the picture and sound quality were quite good, thanks in part to the excellent design and workmanship of the early equipment, and in part to the Altec Sound Service tech who serviced the theatre.
In addition, this house, while shabby by second and third run standards of the day, sported a gold title curtain with manual dimmer controlled curtain warmers and house lights, and the owner, while also a bit down at the heel, was a showman of the old school who saw to it that even the young relief man controlled these amenities to his satisfaction. This was priceless training for the better relief jobs to come.
Posted by Bernard Tonks (Member # 809) on 06-05-2003, 06:48 AM:
With kind permission of Ken Roe of the CTA, I have posted the following for John Wilson who worked at the Electric Cinema many years ago. I thought it would be of interest as the screen moves out of the old small square proscenium (thus retaining the original architecture) and expands for wide or scope ratios.
I've just returned from a most enjoyable afternoon at this cinema, screening "The Hours"
Upon arriving for the first show of the day (3:45pm) there was a notice on the foyer wall stating all shows 'Sold Out' until Tuesday. What a surprise for my friend and myself, as we really didn't expect that for a matinee performance at this 'out-of-the-way' venue. Well my luck was in, as the box office had just received a phone call from a customer who could not use his pre-booked tickets for that performance and we were told he would come around to the cinema within the next 15 minutes to sell them to us, which he did.
They were £10 ($12USD) tickets for allocated seating on the front 3 rows, it's £12.50 ($15USD) for other seats further back, a little pricey I thought for this particular cinema, but we went ahead.
Upon entering the auditorium, we were surprised by the transformation this once decrepit 'flea-pit' has undergone in its recent renovation. Instead of the old 600 tip up seats of days gone by, there were only 7 rows of luxury leather armchairs, each having 14 chairs across the auditorium which gives a seating capacity now of only 98, with plenty of leg room between the rows. There are also 4 leather futon style seats at the rear of the auditorium where you can lay down in an incline position to view the film.
The picture frame Academy size proscenium opening at this cinema has always been a problem with previous operators when screening wide-screen movies, and the last operators had erected a huge un-curtained screen forward of the Academy size opening. This has now been removed and the Academy Picture frame is now curtained, covering the screen behind. I thought how are they going to show widescreen movies now? Will it be a really small picture image?
Well the curtain tabs slowly opened and images were projected onto the screen welcoming patrons to the Electric, and these included a short slide show of vintage images and the history of this 1910 built cinema (England's oldest operating cinema) which was a nice touch I thought. The houselights then dimmed to half and slowly the screen moved forward out of the Picture Frame Proscenium opening and proceeded to open wider, beyond its previous limits as the adverts and trailers began to roll. This gave a perfect widescreen image on the now expanded screen, and the main feature followed immediately after the trailers as the houselights dimmed to zero.
At the end of the feature, as the credits started to roll, the houselights came on full (the only downside of the excellent presentation) and as the last of the credits rolled, the screen then reversed on itself and retracted back into the Picture Frame proscenium and the curtain house tabs closed. Wonderful !
Facilities pre show starting are a fully licensed bar at the rear of the auditorium and also a mobile bar at the front to one side of the screen. A different treat for patrons instead of ice cream is a tub of hot mashed potato with a sausage to dip into it!! There is No smell of popcorn within the building at all ! The staff were smartly dressed and very courteous.
As I say, a pleasure to go to see a movie here (even if it is at a slightly Premium price) and in a 'traditional' cinema as well. "The Hours" is a very intelligent movie and I did have my doubts as whetherit would be 'my' type of film, but it does live up to the 'hype' and I recommend it heartily.
Ken Roe.
www.electriccinema.co.uk
www.cinema-theatre.org.uk
Posted by Per Hauberg (Member # 529) on 06-05-2003, 07:59 AM:
I love "The Smallest Show" - and would like to buy rights for it - without luck now for many years. It would be a kick-off to be able to run this lovely film, when my theatre this summer gets sixty (and i've been here for thirty).
Anybody know, who' selling theatrical rights for this one ?
Per
Posted by Dick Prather (Member # 1136) on 06-05-2003, 11:04 PM:
Purchased the new DVD of "The Smallest Show on Earth" from the Peter Sellers collection. They sell them individually. The quality was very good and looked like from a 35mm print. 1.66 wide screen presentation. Much better then any VHS tape I have seen. Got mine at Amazon. Great film.
Posted by System Notices (Member # 2357) on 03-21-2009, 10:13 AM:
It has been 2115 days since the last post.
Posted by Jim Cassedy (Member # 4115) on 03-21-2009, 10:13 AM:
I have this on DVD and watched it with a fellow projection-guy the other night after not seeing it for about 7 years. I know the projectors have been identifed on this thread as KALEE 7's, but does anyone know what type of lamphouses those were?
I also notice the front wall of the booth in the movie has one of those big old Western Electric dual-fader boxes on it.
. . . and we'd both laughourbuttsoff every time Peter Sellers would give those front shutters a spin to get the machines going.
Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 03-21-2009, 07:05 PM:
It's some years since I've seen the film, but I seem to remember that they were early model Kalee Vulcans; if this was the case they would be round topped, rather like the shape of an old Western waggon.
Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 03-21-2009, 10:06 PM:
the one that is also a classic that compares to "Smallest Show" is "Cinema Paradiso" ... and you get to see Provosts in this one.
Posted by Andy Frodsham (Member # 4061) on 03-22-2009, 04:49 AM:
A lot of the exterior shots (when the couple arrive at the station etc) were shot here in Stoke on Trent; a somewhat depressing claim to fame.
Posted by Jim Cassedy (Member # 4115) on 03-22-2009, 10:13 AM:
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Unfortunately, this is the version I received from Netflix.