Comments from Vito

Showing 276 - 300 of 1,412 comments

Vito
Vito commented about Radio City Music Hall on Dec 15, 2009 at 7:30 am

Well what ever it takes to get the butts in the seats.
Warms my heart to know the Hall is thriving.

Vito
Vito commented about Radio City Music Hall on Dec 15, 2009 at 3:42 am

Christmas show held over thru 1/3/10
I guessing Buisiness is good?

Vito
Vito commented about Cinemark Hazlet 12 on Dec 14, 2009 at 5:13 am

Hi Mark, nice hearing from you. Out of respect to NA I am not at liberty to discuss the sale until after the transition and have been given the green light to do so.
Plesae give Carl my best wishes.

Vito
Vito commented about Paramount Theatre on Dec 10, 2009 at 9:14 am

That’s a gteat shot. i would not have wanted to be on the crew changing that wonderful marquee in that weather.
What a work of art those marquees were in those days, all the lettering perfectly centered and spaced.

Vito
Vito commented about Radio City Music Hall on Dec 9, 2009 at 10:19 am

Great pics, thanks.
Kinda sad to see those projectors wrapped up like that.
Please continue to share those pictures, they are both very intersting and appreciated. The sorta thing we don’t get to see.
What a joy it must be to get to work there everyday.

Vito
Vito commented about Radio City Music Hall on Dec 9, 2009 at 8:59 am

I would be interested in knowing what the staffing is now.
During the current Christmas show how many stagehands, projectioninst spotlight people does the Hall use? How does it comapare to the staffing in the glory days of movies and a stage show.

Vito
Vito commented about Radio City Music Hall on Dec 8, 2009 at 9:28 am

Fasinating stuff Robert.
I just get goose bumps thinking about what went on behind the scenes. When i watch a show even today I have the crew in mind thinking how important they are and how masterfully they do their job. Seriously, when the cast takes the final bow in any live show the crew should be out there with them.
I do remember the buzzers, I am old enough to rememeber hearing them.
Even when the movie was showing you knew when the end of the picture was near cause you heard the buzzers from the booth to the stage and back.I always sat directly under the booth where I could that wonderful sound of the arc light striking and the projectionist calling changeover cues. “Hit it” I believe was the diretion given by one man to another on the second cue.
Speaking of sounds, I have never forgotten the “clucks” the ushers sounded to call to one another.

Vito
Vito commented about Radio City Music Hall on Dec 6, 2009 at 5:59 am

Thanks RCDTJ, I am glad to hear that.
Anyone else notice when ever REndres posts, the love he has for the Music Hall Just pours out of every word he writes. We have learned so much about RCMH from Robert, he is truly one of Cinema Treasures great treasures.
Thanks to RCDTJ as well for keeping us up to date on the current events.

Vito
Vito commented about Radio City Music Hall on Dec 5, 2009 at 1:32 pm

So we know the projection booth is very little thess days.
I wondered about the many spotlights in those three rooms.
How much use are they given now and are any of them still using carbons.

Vito
Vito commented about Radio City Music Hall on Dec 5, 2009 at 7:21 am

We can always count on REndres to come in and fill us up with all the facts. Thanks Rob for a very interesting read.
I loved hearing he handled the Zhivago intermission. That was he sort of thing that made working in those days so much fun :)
With GWTW I did leave the house lights up full during the music at the end of the first half, then when the music ended I took a beat lowered the lights to half and started the music for part two.
Those Roadshow overtures and intermissions were always an adventure and a lot of fun to play with. During the tech rehersal (dry run) we would find he best spots to change the lighting levels (usually at least 2 often 3) then mark the spot with a china marker so later we could splice a “click” (one perf of stock spliced emulsion to cell) on the print to notify us when to change lighting.

Vito
Vito commented about Radio City Music Hall on Dec 5, 2009 at 7:21 am

We can always count on REndres to come in and fill us up with all the facts. Thanks Rob for a very interesting read.
I loved hearing he handled the Zhivago intermission. That was he sort of thing that made working in those days so much fun :)
With GWTW I did leave the house lights up full during the music at the end of the first half, then when the music ended I took a beat lowered the lights to half and started the music for part two.
Those Roadshow overtures and intermissions were always an adventure and a lot of fun to play with. During the tech rehersal (dry run) we would find he best spots to change the lighting levels (usually at least 2 often 3) then mark the spot with a china marker so later we could splice a “click” (one perf of stock spliced emulsion to cell) on the print to notify us when to change lighting.

Vito
Vito commented about Radio City Music Hall on Dec 4, 2009 at 10:57 am

After five weeks on February 16th 1938 the run of “Snow White” had to come to an end at RCMH.
Advertised as Multiplane Technicolor

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Vito
Vito commented about Radio City Music Hall on Dec 4, 2009 at 10:38 am

The five minute break would have been in addition to the exit and entrance music between parts one and two. As I recall that would have added about 7-8 more minutes.
GWTW had music everywhere, at the beginning and end of part one,
as well as the beginning and end of part two.
In one of the 70mm engagements I ran in order to fit all the music and still fit in three showings the projectors never stopped rolling between parts one and two. The music was enough time for the intermission.

Vito
Vito commented about Radio City Music Hall on Nov 28, 2009 at 8:51 am

REnders could probably know the intermission question.
I believe he was working at RCMH then.
Or perhaps RCDTJ could find something in the file cabinet he found in the old generator room.

Vito
Vito commented about Radio City Music Hall on Nov 28, 2009 at 5:01 am

Here is the ad for the Gone With the Wind showing with “it’s in your Stars on stage.It is dated April 24, 1975, the opening day of a four-week engagement of "classics” originally released by MGM. By this time, United Artists had the distribution rights. All but “Singin' in the Rain” were shown in 70mm
The same stage revue, “It’s in Your Stars,” was used throughout, but it ran less than 30 minutes and featured only the Rockettes, some “guest artists,” and the Symphony Orchestra. This was probably the first and only time in history that “GWTW,” with its exceptional running time of 3.7 hours, was ever presented with a stage show. It was shown three times daily, preceded by the stage show. First complete show started at 10:50 AM, and the last one at 7:35 PM.

Simply click on ad to enlarge

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Vito
Vito commented about Radio City Music Hall on Nov 26, 2009 at 3:43 am

RCDTJ, thanks for the responce.
So the 3-D image is not on the LED screen but 70mm projected on a screen from the booth,have I got that right?
You must be like a kid in a candystore rummaging through that old generator room :)

Vito
Vito commented about Radio City Music Hall on Nov 25, 2009 at 7:02 am

That bus giving them trouble again,same thing last year.
The review mentions 3-D effects on gisnt LED screen, are they not using the 70mm from the original booth?

Vito
Vito commented about Radio City Music Hall on Nov 19, 2009 at 5:25 am

In March 1970 Radio City presented Airport
The first time 70mm was presented at the hall.

On screen “Airport"
On stage "Glory of Easter”

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Vito
Vito commented about Loew's State Theatre on Nov 19, 2009 at 5:14 am

The world Premiere of Ben Hur 50 years ago this week

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Vito
Vito commented about Lane Theatre on Nov 15, 2009 at 6:51 am

Sure is bitter sweet to see the Lane today.
Bitter because I would have loved for the ole girl to remain a movie house.Sweet because I am happy the theatre did not end up like the Paramount in total disrepair and left to die.

Lppokong at that SILive article I was sad not to see any pictures of the front of the auditorium I would love to see what they did with the stage area. Anyone have any photos of that?
Also, anyone know what the old projection booth is being used for?

Vito
Vito commented about Silent movies return to Seattle's Paramount on Nov 4, 2009 at 4:58 am

35mm or DVD?

Vito
Vito commented about Radio City Music Hall on Oct 12, 2009 at 4:12 am

RCDT Too bad they dodn’t use more film to replace that video projection that has been eliminated. Yes,I know,sadly film is all but dead. Would you kindly decribe how LOTR was screened.
I recall being told that digital projeotion is often set up in the first mezz, how was it done this time?
How were all the musicians positioned. I am sure 300 did not squeese into the pit :)
Nice pics Gabe.

Vito
Vito commented about Roxy Theatre on Sep 28, 2009 at 9:10 am

From July 1953 Monroe and Russell in glorious Technicolor
Plus Ice Show on stage

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Vito
Vito commented about Lane Theatre on Sep 25, 2009 at 2:33 am

I may have been a bit rude with the guy who did the video. It was not good but I guess I was disappointed in what we actually go to see. I cut my teeth in this buisiness in that wonderful ole theatre and so it may have been a dificult for me to see the way it looks now. Like they say, If I may reverse the phraise,one mans treasure ia s another mans garbage. I just want it to be 1950 again and the Lane looking like it did then. Silly ole fool that I am.

Vito
Vito commented about Lane Theatre on Sep 20, 2009 at 9:43 am

That was aweful!
The guy taking the video spent most of the time showing us his big fat head and very little of the interior. What you do see is photographed so poorly it is difficult to view. A lot of panning jumping and swirling around. A 10 year old child could have done a better job. Too bad really.