Thanks for the great aeril drinklime! Took me a minute to spot the drive-in near the upper right-hand corner. Sure looks tiny from the air. Wow! This area has certainly changed since 1948.
Thanks again!
I’m very surprised the roadshow engagement bypassed the Tampa market entirely and opened at the Center Theatre in St. Petersburg instead. I assume the reason being the only 70mm venue at the time was the Britton Theatre which may not have been available for the lengthy BEN-HUR engagement.
However, a friend tells me he did see BEN-HUR at the Britton so I can only assume it was probably the 35mm release that followed the roadshow playdates.
Mike: Yep, I saw “Planet of the Apes” here first-run. It was one heck of a popular film too. I remember the newspaper ads: HELD OVER FOR THE 4TH WEEK – TAMPA WON’T LET IT GO!
It was showing at the Florida at the same time “2001: A Space Odyssey” was playing one block away at the Palace in 70MM Cinerama. I remember comparing the ape make-up from the two films. They were both very realistic and well done for their time.
That minor tornado sounds scary enough. Glad it passed over without damaging the Miller!
Mike, You should have done it! Your local paper may have taken notice and photographed it. They may even have done a feature story on Columbia Square! When the 20th Century Drive-In closed the marquee read: “GOODBYE TAMPA AND THANKS FOR 35 YEARS!” At least that shows some class and an acknowledgment of gratitude. The management of the Hillsboro at the time was either not thinking or just didn’t care, and I’m inclined to believe it was the latter.
Thanks for the plugs!! Will see if it does any good. “American Werewolf” was funny and frightening. And I never saw an uglier werewolf! It also did very well at every theatre it played in Tampa from first runs to the dollar house.
A real “classy” horror film with style! The Tampa Theatre played this first-run and I remember the one-sheet on display: “Love means never having to say you’re ugly”. Seeing that tagline I knew we were in for a treat, and the film wasn’t gonna be your typical horror film. Would love to see it again on the big screen.
Mike: Nice choice of films for a dusk-to-dawn! I may be wrong but I doubt any drive-in today has had an all-nighter in many, many years. Most would not even attempt it. The last time the Fun-Lan ran one was probably in the 70s when it was still a single screener.
The reason being multiple film rentals would probably be far too costly for today’s drive-in market. Of course they could go the cheaper route with films from the 50s 60s & 70s but it’s doubtful
good prints for most of these remain in existence today. Now let’s see if anyone else out there remembers those dusk-to-dawns!
Mike, MATINEE was actually filmed at Universal Studios Orlando. I remember reading an article explaining how the filming of the kids in the theatre auditorium was done.
Included in the article was a photo showing all these kids seated in theatre seats on a huge platform surrounded by breakaway walls in the middle of a soundstage. One side wall was missing allowing for camera setups. Fascinating stuff!
Yes, Charlie’s theatre is a must-see for film fans. A real theatre experience at home!
I was standing in line for “I Saw What You Did” when the theatre manager came out carrying dozens of seatbelts. He walked down the line giving one to each person. I still have mine! They were paper belts with plastic buckles stapled to the end with “I Saw What You Did” starring Joan Crawford and buckle up for terror! printed across the belt.
The idea was to keep you from being jolted out of your seat during the film’s suspensful moments. It was simply another of Castle’s ploys to draw attention to the film. It was a nice souvenier to remember the film though — gotta love Bill Castle!! I still have my “13 Ghosts” viewer as well.
His films usually frightened me but in a fun way. His more serious efforts like “Homicidal” and “Mr. Sardonicus” are masterpieces of unease and tension despite their limited budget.
I’ve seen “Matinee” several times. I always thought John Goodman was an excellent choice to portray the Castle-like moviemaker.
Mike…that’s a great story! I love the ‘personal’ touch in your descriptions of co-workers and various incidents that occured. The Kenny Rogers incident is priceless! But just as you said…you’re glad you’re not in the business anymore. I worked at a drive-in back in 1969 so I had a small taste of the business. It was fun back then but today it’s an entirely different world. Keep posting more of these great stories!!
Here’s some information which will clear up the confusion on the theatre building. The link above of the 1981 photo is the original Todd Theatre building. It was located near the southwest corner of Nebraska and Fowler. This building and the attached strip stores were completely demolished years ago with the exception of the Todd Theatre sign.
The sign was moved a few blocks north to a new location at the corner of Nebraska and Fletcher where the Todd Theatre had relocated to. It was installed on the roof and remained for several years before being taken down. The building is still open today as an adult business but not sure whether it’s still called the Todd. I went once but only to browse through the videos in the lobby.
I never did go inside the theater.
The original Todd Theatre at Nebraska & Fowler opened on 12/26/69 but not as an adult theatre. It opened with the award-winning film “The Fixer” starring Alan Bates. The Todd’s owner was inter-viewed on opening day and stated that the Todd will not be showing skin flicks. And exactly one week later it went adult!
From time to time the theatre ran general films as well. I remember seeing “MASH” and “Don’t Look Now” as well as a James Bond film in the mid 1970s.
The land where the theatre stood is now part of the parking lot for Family Dollar Stores which was the former Luby’s Cafeteria.
Mike, They played it up big when “Wait Until Dark” ran at the Florida. Just before the shock scene near the climax, when Audrey Hepburn is smashing all the lightbulbs, all exit sign lights and low-lit lights on the walls were turned completely off leaving a totally dark auditorium except for the dim light coming off the screen…. really sureal! And then came the surprise shock scene that sent most audience members about a foot off their seats screaming! This is one of those films that works best when seen in a theatre – television diminishes the impact.
“The Party” was a fairly big attraction at the Florida. I think it ran for at least 3 weeks if not longer. I thought it was funny as heck! Evidently it performed well enough at the box office in 1968 as it was re-released in the early 1980s. And this time it played at the Hillsboro.
The Tampa Pitcher Show has been in operation for quite a few years. It’s a cinema draft house serving food, wine, and beer. I only saw two films there, “Twilight Zone: The Movie” and “Officer and a Gentlemen”. That should give you an idea of how long it’s been in operation.
For now I’ll probably write about theatres that are no longer with us.
Thanks Mike! This is great! It’s amazing you found this! Appreciate you taking the time to post it here word-for-word. It’s always exciting to find articles on your local theatres in those great old Boxoffice magazines.
Regarding Hillsboro I: here’s some additional information I had forgotten to include in my posting.
I was just thinking about this today. For a time the management of Hillsboro I had instituted a policy of inserting an intermission midway through the feature. Regardless of how short the film was, at midpoint the intermission card would flash up on the screen followed by the closing of the curtain.
The audience’s response was usually: “Whaaaatt?” (and sometimes worse). Let’s be realistic here…a short feature like the 81-minute long “Let It Be” does NOT need an intermission midway through.
Poor management decision on that one although we all know the reasoning behind it…let’s get that extra concessions revenue in.
Mike, You’re right about that. It was the popcorn kids running the booth! Had I known the location of the stairs to the booth I would’ve gone up and focused the picture myself! A film out of focus for a few seconds is excuseable but not through nearly 4 minutes of credits!!
Jorgito2001, I remember the college across the street but I can’t remember the name. Was it Tampa College? The last time I drove past the former theatre building I didn’t look in that direction so not sure if the college is still there. There’s an apartment complex nearby that I believe has expanded in that direction but not sure how far.
Mike, I do seem to remember Hieronymus being rated X. The only thing I can recall about this movie is that it didn’t make one bit of sense at all not to mention it was b-o-r-i-n-g as heck.
2001 did play at the Florida around a year or so following its run at the Palace in 70mm Cinerama. Once you’re seen it in 70mm on a giant curved screen in stereo its just not the same seeing it in 35mm on a much smaller screen. That awesome feeling of grandeur the film possessed seemed to be missing.
2001 was part of M-G-M’s Fabulous Four Series. Remember the four films? Gone with the Wind, 2001, Dr. Zhivago, and Ryans' Daughter. Each film played for one week at selected theatres. The series ran locally at the Florida, Palace, and Hillsboro Theatres.
Yep, it was just a curtain that separated the lobby from the auditorium at the Florida. Of course this was before the long overdue rennovation when doors were finally installed.
Mike! That’s too funny! I would easily and gladly stake my life on this without any hesitation. The films I’ve listed absolutely played first-run at the Florida. No doubt about any of ‘em. And if there’s any dispute then off I go to the library to copy the ad from microfilm.
But I do need to point out that the black exploitation titles I listed above DID NOT play at the Florida, including “Lady Sings the Blues”. I was using them as an example. “Lady Sings the Blues"
opened at the Loew’s Theatre. And it also played at the Tampa Theatre sometime afterwards.
Hey Guys…Seeing as the last entry on this thread was made in 2006 I’m not certain whether or not anyone still checks it out. If anyone does and is interested…as a lifelong fan of the Hillsboro I’ll soon be posting a history of the complex from its beginning as a single screener to the closure of the 8-plex.
I’m also posting a story on the drive-in which was Tampa’s first. I hope to have both posted under Tampa’s theatres within the next week or so…please check back if you’re interested. I have most of the story complete but need to check microfilm at the library for verification of a couple dates.
Thanks Mike. There was only a small handfull of black-themed films that didn’t have to rely on cheap exploitation to sell tickets. The two that come to mind are the relatively unknown “Sounder” and the more popular “Lady Sings The Blues”. Both were emotional films that dealt with the human spirit. Films of this calibre are few and far between. It seems the masses were more interested in the gangsta/drug dealing/pimp genre that was so prevalent in the early 1970s: “Shaft” “Slaughter” “Cleopatra Jones” “Superfly” “Black Shampoo” “Foxy Brown” “Mandingo” among many others.
I’ve been racking my brain to come up with some additional films that opened first-run at the Florida so here they are:
“Catch 22” “Rachel Rachel” “I Saw What You Did” “The Party” “Sounder” “Mary Poppins” (was moved over from the Palace where it had played for months to continue its engagement at the Florida) “Sword In The Stone” “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” “The Carpetbaggers” “Georgy Girl” “Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines” The Great Race" “Alice’s Restaurant” “Dr. Goldfoot and The Bikini Machine” “Secret Ceremony” “Thomas Crown Affair” “Can Hieronymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness?” (could be the longest title in movie history!)
Ray: Enjoyed your theatre story! It’s great that you were able to actually achieve what so many of us theatre lovers often dream of. It must surely have been exciting for you to see it happen. Opening my own theatre has been an ambition of mine for years but I don’t envision it happening in view of today’s market and economy. And not to mention the ever growing threat to today’s theatres — the ever expanding number of home theatre set-ups that can duplicate and in some cases surpass the “movie theatre experience”.
It’s great that family and friends were eager to assist, and worked so hard to make your theatre a success. I would’ve gladly offered my assistance if I lived nearby! Opening day had to be worth all the hard work.
You mentioned Jim Shirrah from Metter. I met Jim at a Western Film Convention several years back. He had a part in the film “Buster and Billie” playing Billie’s father. I had my photo taken with him…a real nice guy. I believe the drive-in he owned was also featured in the film.
Do you recall the size of your screen when Southside was a single screener?
Al: Thanks for the ‘breakdown reel’ update! Interesting why “This Is Cinerama” apparently didn’t have one. Quite possibly breakdowns weren’t taken into consideration at first, and when they began occuring a decision was made to produce one for the 2nd Cinerama travelog, “Seven Wonders”.
How I’d love to see the one made exclusively for “Cinerama Holiday” not to mention Renault!
A operator friend of mine who did some relief work at the Palace (he was called in one afternoon
to run “2001: A Space Odyssey” in 70MM ) told me that he never had a chance to run 3-projector Cinerama but said he remembers hearing that the system supposedly had a built-in mechanism which would automatically shut down all projectors if one malfunctioned. Now that would certainly explain all 3 machines going down within seconds of each other.
Thanks CWalczak! Glad to hear the reel is still in existence. My guess is that during each showing of a Cinerama film it was probably threaded up on a separate projector and ready to run ASAP in the event of a breakdown. As I recall (and someone please correct me if I’m wrong) all the b&w prologues for the 3-strip films were on separate reels apart from the feature, and were run on separate projectors.
Al: thanks for the additional info…will check out the Granada.
A: Thanx for the heads up on the Teck. The photos are great. Theatre was larger than I expected. The Palace only had 13 rows of seats in the orchestra (main level). In comparison to photos of other Cinerama venues, it was considerably smaller.
“How The West Was Won” was the the last 3-strip film to play. When it ended its run, “Under the Yum Yum Tree” opened. This was the first 35mm feature to play on the Cinerama screen. A vast difference in image size from wide 3-strip down to 35mm flat. Interestingly, when “Yum Yum” ended it’s run, the Palace closed down for several weeks prior to reopening & continuing with roadshow engagements. As to why they temporarily closed it…I’ve not been able to figure that one out.
Appreciate the back & forths…looking forward to responses/stories from others but not holding my breath on that one! :–)
Hey Al: What a wild coincidence your breakdown also originated with the right panel! I certainly can’t complain about our 5 minute wait in compairson to your 45 minutes of silence to say the least. I bet there were several disgruntled walkouts. At least we were entertained! It was a nice touch. Apparently not every Cinerama theater was issued a copy of this breakdown reel.
Thanks for the interesting explanation of your theater’s layout with the added side wall booths — definitely unique. The projectionists evidently took their lives in their hands when walking the catwalk on a cold windy/rainy day! Is the building still standing?
There was one other time when a malfunction occured although it didn’t involve an interruption of the film. During a showing of “This is Cinerama” (the 70mm reissue in 1973) the projectionist forgot to fully open the curtain at the conclusion of the Lowell Thomas prologue. The curtains finally began opening just as the coaster was approaching the top of that first dip, and cleared the screen just as it began it’s downward plunge. Talk about poor showmanship!
Al: I had almost forgotten! Your mention of a film breakdown brings to mind the Saturday afternoon I was at the Palace for a matinee showing of “The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm”. This breakdown happened during a sold-out showing. Not certain if film breakage or projector malfunction was the culprit.
Here’s what occured: about 10 minutes into the film the image on the right panel seemed to be either slighly ahead or behind the other two. This was very noticeable at the panel’s join line with the center panel. Seconds later the right panel image appeared to slide right out of the projector’s film path (or appeture plate) leaving a brightly lit but blank right panel. Seconds later both the left and center panels also lost their image leaving a fully lit screen which suddenly went dark.
About a minute later a black and white film featuring Lowell Thomas was projected on the center of the screen (same image size as the prologues for the Cinerama films) with Lowell apologizing to the audience for the breakdown. As best as I can recall he said something to the effect of: “Ladies and Gentlemen, we apologize for the interuption. Our technicians are working on the problem and the feature will be back up on the screen shortly. Those of you who have projectors of your own at home…you know how it is…you probably also experience occasional problems with your films or projectors…so while they’re working on the problem let’s take a few minutes to talk about…”
I can’t quite recall what followed but I believe he spoke about the areas and countries where the various Cinerama films were shot (a sort of mini-travelogue). Around 5 minutes later he closed the film saying, “well I think they’re probably ready by now so let’s get back to our feature”. The feature began immediately afterwards (at exactly where it had left off) without any further problems.
I’ve read many Cinerama articles and I’ve visited many websites devoted to the medium but I’ve never seen any mention of this “breakdown reel”. I’m certain each theatre that ran Cinerama had one. I’d love to see it again. Anyone else remember seeing this reel?
Thanks for the great aeril drinklime! Took me a minute to spot the drive-in near the upper right-hand corner. Sure looks tiny from the air. Wow! This area has certainly changed since 1948.
Thanks again!
I’m very surprised the roadshow engagement bypassed the Tampa market entirely and opened at the Center Theatre in St. Petersburg instead. I assume the reason being the only 70mm venue at the time was the Britton Theatre which may not have been available for the lengthy BEN-HUR engagement.
However, a friend tells me he did see BEN-HUR at the Britton so I can only assume it was probably the 35mm release that followed the roadshow playdates.
Mike: Yep, I saw “Planet of the Apes” here first-run. It was one heck of a popular film too. I remember the newspaper ads: HELD OVER FOR THE 4TH WEEK – TAMPA WON’T LET IT GO!
It was showing at the Florida at the same time “2001: A Space Odyssey” was playing one block away at the Palace in 70MM Cinerama. I remember comparing the ape make-up from the two films. They were both very realistic and well done for their time.
That minor tornado sounds scary enough. Glad it passed over without damaging the Miller!
Mike, You should have done it! Your local paper may have taken notice and photographed it. They may even have done a feature story on Columbia Square! When the 20th Century Drive-In closed the marquee read: “GOODBYE TAMPA AND THANKS FOR 35 YEARS!” At least that shows some class and an acknowledgment of gratitude. The management of the Hillsboro at the time was either not thinking or just didn’t care, and I’m inclined to believe it was the latter.
Thanks for the plugs!! Will see if it does any good. “American Werewolf” was funny and frightening. And I never saw an uglier werewolf! It also did very well at every theatre it played in Tampa from first runs to the dollar house.
A real “classy” horror film with style! The Tampa Theatre played this first-run and I remember the one-sheet on display: “Love means never having to say you’re ugly”. Seeing that tagline I knew we were in for a treat, and the film wasn’t gonna be your typical horror film. Would love to see it again on the big screen.
Mike: Too funny! Love your “passion pit” comment! Who would have suspected years ago that this passion pit would become a church?!
Mike: Nice choice of films for a dusk-to-dawn! I may be wrong but I doubt any drive-in today has had an all-nighter in many, many years. Most would not even attempt it. The last time the Fun-Lan ran one was probably in the 70s when it was still a single screener.
The reason being multiple film rentals would probably be far too costly for today’s drive-in market. Of course they could go the cheaper route with films from the 50s 60s & 70s but it’s doubtful
good prints for most of these remain in existence today. Now let’s see if anyone else out there remembers those dusk-to-dawns!
Mike, MATINEE was actually filmed at Universal Studios Orlando. I remember reading an article explaining how the filming of the kids in the theatre auditorium was done.
Included in the article was a photo showing all these kids seated in theatre seats on a huge platform surrounded by breakaway walls in the middle of a soundstage. One side wall was missing allowing for camera setups. Fascinating stuff!
Yes, Charlie’s theatre is a must-see for film fans. A real theatre experience at home!
I was standing in line for “I Saw What You Did” when the theatre manager came out carrying dozens of seatbelts. He walked down the line giving one to each person. I still have mine! They were paper belts with plastic buckles stapled to the end with “I Saw What You Did” starring Joan Crawford and buckle up for terror! printed across the belt.
The idea was to keep you from being jolted out of your seat during the film’s suspensful moments. It was simply another of Castle’s ploys to draw attention to the film. It was a nice souvenier to remember the film though — gotta love Bill Castle!! I still have my “13 Ghosts” viewer as well.
His films usually frightened me but in a fun way. His more serious efforts like “Homicidal” and “Mr. Sardonicus” are masterpieces of unease and tension despite their limited budget.
I’ve seen “Matinee” several times. I always thought John Goodman was an excellent choice to portray the Castle-like moviemaker.
Mike…that’s a great story! I love the ‘personal’ touch in your descriptions of co-workers and various incidents that occured. The Kenny Rogers incident is priceless! But just as you said…you’re glad you’re not in the business anymore. I worked at a drive-in back in 1969 so I had a small taste of the business. It was fun back then but today it’s an entirely different world. Keep posting more of these great stories!!
Here’s some information which will clear up the confusion on the theatre building. The link above of the 1981 photo is the original Todd Theatre building. It was located near the southwest corner of Nebraska and Fowler. This building and the attached strip stores were completely demolished years ago with the exception of the Todd Theatre sign.
The sign was moved a few blocks north to a new location at the corner of Nebraska and Fletcher where the Todd Theatre had relocated to. It was installed on the roof and remained for several years before being taken down. The building is still open today as an adult business but not sure whether it’s still called the Todd. I went once but only to browse through the videos in the lobby.
I never did go inside the theater.
The original Todd Theatre at Nebraska & Fowler opened on 12/26/69 but not as an adult theatre. It opened with the award-winning film “The Fixer” starring Alan Bates. The Todd’s owner was inter-viewed on opening day and stated that the Todd will not be showing skin flicks. And exactly one week later it went adult!
From time to time the theatre ran general films as well. I remember seeing “MASH” and “Don’t Look Now” as well as a James Bond film in the mid 1970s.
The land where the theatre stood is now part of the parking lot for Family Dollar Stores which was the former Luby’s Cafeteria.
Mike, They played it up big when “Wait Until Dark” ran at the Florida. Just before the shock scene near the climax, when Audrey Hepburn is smashing all the lightbulbs, all exit sign lights and low-lit lights on the walls were turned completely off leaving a totally dark auditorium except for the dim light coming off the screen…. really sureal! And then came the surprise shock scene that sent most audience members about a foot off their seats screaming! This is one of those films that works best when seen in a theatre – television diminishes the impact.
“The Party” was a fairly big attraction at the Florida. I think it ran for at least 3 weeks if not longer. I thought it was funny as heck! Evidently it performed well enough at the box office in 1968 as it was re-released in the early 1980s. And this time it played at the Hillsboro.
The Tampa Pitcher Show has been in operation for quite a few years. It’s a cinema draft house serving food, wine, and beer. I only saw two films there, “Twilight Zone: The Movie” and “Officer and a Gentlemen”. That should give you an idea of how long it’s been in operation.
For now I’ll probably write about theatres that are no longer with us.
Thanks Mike! This is great! It’s amazing you found this! Appreciate you taking the time to post it here word-for-word. It’s always exciting to find articles on your local theatres in those great old Boxoffice magazines.
Regarding Hillsboro I: here’s some additional information I had forgotten to include in my posting.
I was just thinking about this today. For a time the management of Hillsboro I had instituted a policy of inserting an intermission midway through the feature. Regardless of how short the film was, at midpoint the intermission card would flash up on the screen followed by the closing of the curtain.
The audience’s response was usually: “Whaaaatt?” (and sometimes worse). Let’s be realistic here…a short feature like the 81-minute long “Let It Be” does NOT need an intermission midway through.
Poor management decision on that one although we all know the reasoning behind it…let’s get that extra concessions revenue in.
Mike, You’re right about that. It was the popcorn kids running the booth! Had I known the location of the stairs to the booth I would’ve gone up and focused the picture myself! A film out of focus for a few seconds is excuseable but not through nearly 4 minutes of credits!!
Jorgito2001, I remember the college across the street but I can’t remember the name. Was it Tampa College? The last time I drove past the former theatre building I didn’t look in that direction so not sure if the college is still there. There’s an apartment complex nearby that I believe has expanded in that direction but not sure how far.
Mike, I do seem to remember Hieronymus being rated X. The only thing I can recall about this movie is that it didn’t make one bit of sense at all not to mention it was b-o-r-i-n-g as heck.
2001 did play at the Florida around a year or so following its run at the Palace in 70mm Cinerama. Once you’re seen it in 70mm on a giant curved screen in stereo its just not the same seeing it in 35mm on a much smaller screen. That awesome feeling of grandeur the film possessed seemed to be missing.
2001 was part of M-G-M’s Fabulous Four Series. Remember the four films? Gone with the Wind, 2001, Dr. Zhivago, and Ryans' Daughter. Each film played for one week at selected theatres. The series ran locally at the Florida, Palace, and Hillsboro Theatres.
Yep, it was just a curtain that separated the lobby from the auditorium at the Florida. Of course this was before the long overdue rennovation when doors were finally installed.
Mike! That’s too funny! I would easily and gladly stake my life on this without any hesitation. The films I’ve listed absolutely played first-run at the Florida. No doubt about any of ‘em. And if there’s any dispute then off I go to the library to copy the ad from microfilm.
But I do need to point out that the black exploitation titles I listed above DID NOT play at the Florida, including “Lady Sings the Blues”. I was using them as an example. “Lady Sings the Blues"
opened at the Loew’s Theatre. And it also played at the Tampa Theatre sometime afterwards.
Hey Guys…Seeing as the last entry on this thread was made in 2006 I’m not certain whether or not anyone still checks it out. If anyone does and is interested…as a lifelong fan of the Hillsboro I’ll soon be posting a history of the complex from its beginning as a single screener to the closure of the 8-plex.
I’m also posting a story on the drive-in which was Tampa’s first. I hope to have both posted under Tampa’s theatres within the next week or so…please check back if you’re interested. I have most of the story complete but need to check microfilm at the library for verification of a couple dates.
Thanks Mike. There was only a small handfull of black-themed films that didn’t have to rely on cheap exploitation to sell tickets. The two that come to mind are the relatively unknown “Sounder” and the more popular “Lady Sings The Blues”. Both were emotional films that dealt with the human spirit. Films of this calibre are few and far between. It seems the masses were more interested in the gangsta/drug dealing/pimp genre that was so prevalent in the early 1970s: “Shaft” “Slaughter” “Cleopatra Jones” “Superfly” “Black Shampoo” “Foxy Brown” “Mandingo” among many others.
I’ve been racking my brain to come up with some additional films that opened first-run at the Florida so here they are:
“Catch 22” “Rachel Rachel” “I Saw What You Did” “The Party” “Sounder” “Mary Poppins” (was moved over from the Palace where it had played for months to continue its engagement at the Florida) “Sword In The Stone” “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” “The Carpetbaggers” “Georgy Girl” “Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines” The Great Race" “Alice’s Restaurant” “Dr. Goldfoot and The Bikini Machine” “Secret Ceremony” “Thomas Crown Affair” “Can Hieronymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness?” (could be the longest title in movie history!)
Ray: Enjoyed your theatre story! It’s great that you were able to actually achieve what so many of us theatre lovers often dream of. It must surely have been exciting for you to see it happen. Opening my own theatre has been an ambition of mine for years but I don’t envision it happening in view of today’s market and economy. And not to mention the ever growing threat to today’s theatres — the ever expanding number of home theatre set-ups that can duplicate and in some cases surpass the “movie theatre experience”.
It’s great that family and friends were eager to assist, and worked so hard to make your theatre a success. I would’ve gladly offered my assistance if I lived nearby! Opening day had to be worth all the hard work.
You mentioned Jim Shirrah from Metter. I met Jim at a Western Film Convention several years back. He had a part in the film “Buster and Billie” playing Billie’s father. I had my photo taken with him…a real nice guy. I believe the drive-in he owned was also featured in the film.
Do you recall the size of your screen when Southside was a single screener?
Al: Thanks for the ‘breakdown reel’ update! Interesting why “This Is Cinerama” apparently didn’t have one. Quite possibly breakdowns weren’t taken into consideration at first, and when they began occuring a decision was made to produce one for the 2nd Cinerama travelog, “Seven Wonders”.
How I’d love to see the one made exclusively for “Cinerama Holiday” not to mention Renault!
A operator friend of mine who did some relief work at the Palace (he was called in one afternoon
to run “2001: A Space Odyssey” in 70MM ) told me that he never had a chance to run 3-projector Cinerama but said he remembers hearing that the system supposedly had a built-in mechanism which would automatically shut down all projectors if one malfunctioned. Now that would certainly explain all 3 machines going down within seconds of each other.
Thanks CWalczak! Glad to hear the reel is still in existence. My guess is that during each showing of a Cinerama film it was probably threaded up on a separate projector and ready to run ASAP in the event of a breakdown. As I recall (and someone please correct me if I’m wrong) all the b&w prologues for the 3-strip films were on separate reels apart from the feature, and were run on separate projectors.
Al: thanks for the additional info…will check out the Granada.
A: Thanx for the heads up on the Teck. The photos are great. Theatre was larger than I expected. The Palace only had 13 rows of seats in the orchestra (main level). In comparison to photos of other Cinerama venues, it was considerably smaller.
“How The West Was Won” was the the last 3-strip film to play. When it ended its run, “Under the Yum Yum Tree” opened. This was the first 35mm feature to play on the Cinerama screen. A vast difference in image size from wide 3-strip down to 35mm flat. Interestingly, when “Yum Yum” ended it’s run, the Palace closed down for several weeks prior to reopening & continuing with roadshow engagements. As to why they temporarily closed it…I’ve not been able to figure that one out.
Appreciate the back & forths…looking forward to responses/stories from others but not holding my breath on that one! :–)
Hey Al: What a wild coincidence your breakdown also originated with the right panel! I certainly can’t complain about our 5 minute wait in compairson to your 45 minutes of silence to say the least. I bet there were several disgruntled walkouts. At least we were entertained! It was a nice touch. Apparently not every Cinerama theater was issued a copy of this breakdown reel.
Thanks for the interesting explanation of your theater’s layout with the added side wall booths — definitely unique. The projectionists evidently took their lives in their hands when walking the catwalk on a cold windy/rainy day! Is the building still standing?
There was one other time when a malfunction occured although it didn’t involve an interruption of the film. During a showing of “This is Cinerama” (the 70mm reissue in 1973) the projectionist forgot to fully open the curtain at the conclusion of the Lowell Thomas prologue. The curtains finally began opening just as the coaster was approaching the top of that first dip, and cleared the screen just as it began it’s downward plunge. Talk about poor showmanship!
Al: I had almost forgotten! Your mention of a film breakdown brings to mind the Saturday afternoon I was at the Palace for a matinee showing of “The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm”. This breakdown happened during a sold-out showing. Not certain if film breakage or projector malfunction was the culprit.
Here’s what occured: about 10 minutes into the film the image on the right panel seemed to be either slighly ahead or behind the other two. This was very noticeable at the panel’s join line with the center panel. Seconds later the right panel image appeared to slide right out of the projector’s film path (or appeture plate) leaving a brightly lit but blank right panel. Seconds later both the left and center panels also lost their image leaving a fully lit screen which suddenly went dark.
About a minute later a black and white film featuring Lowell Thomas was projected on the center of the screen (same image size as the prologues for the Cinerama films) with Lowell apologizing to the audience for the breakdown. As best as I can recall he said something to the effect of: “Ladies and Gentlemen, we apologize for the interuption. Our technicians are working on the problem and the feature will be back up on the screen shortly. Those of you who have projectors of your own at home…you know how it is…you probably also experience occasional problems with your films or projectors…so while they’re working on the problem let’s take a few minutes to talk about…”
I can’t quite recall what followed but I believe he spoke about the areas and countries where the various Cinerama films were shot (a sort of mini-travelogue). Around 5 minutes later he closed the film saying, “well I think they’re probably ready by now so let’s get back to our feature”. The feature began immediately afterwards (at exactly where it had left off) without any further problems.
I’ve read many Cinerama articles and I’ve visited many websites devoted to the medium but I’ve never seen any mention of this “breakdown reel”. I’m certain each theatre that ran Cinerama had one. I’d love to see it again. Anyone else remember seeing this reel?