Notice the tube preamplifier cabinet next to the piece of plywood with the circle cut in it. The tube preamp was a homemade job by S.F. Burns for the B.F. Shearer Company, a longtime northwest theater equipment dealer. The preamp was still there and complete with tubes in 2001 when I snapped this picture.
The false front of Rainier Appliance hides the theater entrance and boxoffice. I was told by the people operating the appliance store that the theater operated up until late 1979.
Considering these so-called “movies” are now simply a big budget “tv movie of the week”, there’s really no need to spend all that money at the theater. Wait and watch it on tv at home.
All the major studios have now signed a contract with Kodak to continue supplying the studios with billions of feet of 35mm film. The studios/film distributors still must supply 35mm prints of first run American releases to foreign countries. So 35mm film is not dead. Here is a link to the story:
The theater is hidden by a stand of trees. To find it, continue traveling southbound on Point Brown Avenue past the McDonald’s Restaurant and the traffic roundabout. The theater is about a half mile south of the McDonald’s and will be on your right. The theater has conventional sloped floors in all three auditoriums
When you enter the front doors of the building, you enter an indoor courtyard of several restaurants on your left. On the right is a mural depicting an old west theme. You have to walk past all these restaurants to get to the combination theater snack bar/ticket office. This theater has all stadium seating, but with center aisle design.
Original projection booth equipment was Ballantyne Pro-35 projector heads on top of Ballantyne Model VII soundheads (all mono sound in all houses). All those were mounted on Ballantyne “VIP” pedestals. Sound was mono Ballantyne model T-25 tube amplifiers mounted in each VIP pedestal. These were all two projector changeover houses running large reels. Auditoriums were done in Tom Moyer’s usual color scheme of yellow-orange-brown pleated drapes.
The Chalet Theatre and the Enumclaw Cinemas (both in Enumclaw) are just a few miles east of the Tall Firs 10. Just stay on the same highway and it will take you to Enumclaw.
Wow, thieves steal nearly 1,100 speakers from the theater:
http://www.nbc4i.com/story/22833761/1060-speakers-stolen-from-drive-in-theater
When I was doing drive-in speaker repair, I used 6 feet of 18-2 stranded outdoor wire per speaker. I bought the wire in bulk rolls from Home Depot.
Yup, it’s posted on their facebook page about the speaker vandalism:
https://www.facebook.com/Southdrivein
Behind the door and out of view in this picture is the ladder to get into the projection booth. It comes up into the floor of the generator room.
Notice the tube preamplifier cabinet next to the piece of plywood with the circle cut in it. The tube preamp was a homemade job by S.F. Burns for the B.F. Shearer Company, a longtime northwest theater equipment dealer. The preamp was still there and complete with tubes in 2001 when I snapped this picture.
The false front of Rainier Appliance hides the theater entrance and boxoffice. I was told by the people operating the appliance store that the theater operated up until late 1979.
I used to go there in the late 1960’s.
The Bremerton Cinema (adult movies) is just a few doors to the left of this theater.
The Charleston Cinema is just three storefronts to the right of this theater.
I wonder where all the equipment went from this theater?
Simple solution: go back to using sloped floors. I can’t stand stadium seating.
Another nearby theater is the Bremerton Cinema which shows only adult movies.
Was originally a six plex, then they expanded it to 12 screens.
Other nearby theaters: Charleston Cinema Roxy Theater Admiral Theater Olympic Cinemas Dragonfly Cinemas South Sound 10
I like it! A blend of the old and new. :)
Considering these so-called “movies” are now simply a big budget “tv movie of the week”, there’s really no need to spend all that money at the theater. Wait and watch it on tv at home.
All the major studios have now signed a contract with Kodak to continue supplying the studios with billions of feet of 35mm film. The studios/film distributors still must supply 35mm prints of first run American releases to foreign countries. So 35mm film is not dead. Here is a link to the story:
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/kodak-reaches-motion-picture-film-150000177.html
This theater is just three miles from the Blue Fox Drive-in Theater in Oak Harbor.
The theater is hidden by a stand of trees. To find it, continue traveling southbound on Point Brown Avenue past the McDonald’s Restaurant and the traffic roundabout. The theater is about a half mile south of the McDonald’s and will be on your right. The theater has conventional sloped floors in all three auditoriums
When you enter the front doors of the building, you enter an indoor courtyard of several restaurants on your left. On the right is a mural depicting an old west theme. You have to walk past all these restaurants to get to the combination theater snack bar/ticket office. This theater has all stadium seating, but with center aisle design.
Original projection booth equipment was Ballantyne Pro-35 projector heads on top of Ballantyne Model VII soundheads (all mono sound in all houses). All those were mounted on Ballantyne “VIP” pedestals. Sound was mono Ballantyne model T-25 tube amplifiers mounted in each VIP pedestal. These were all two projector changeover houses running large reels. Auditoriums were done in Tom Moyer’s usual color scheme of yellow-orange-brown pleated drapes.
Originally opened in the early 1980’s by Tom Moyer Theatres.
The Chalet Theatre and the Enumclaw Cinemas (both in Enumclaw) are just a few miles east of the Tall Firs 10. Just stay on the same highway and it will take you to Enumclaw.
Digital Cinema is in reality big screen tv and complete with commercials. So it is better to stay at home. And at home you can mute commercials!
Those speaker posts sure could use a coat of paint.