The concert people are gone. The owner said that he would like to open in 4-6 weeks. He just loves the place. It was his chilhood dream to own the Ritz. He took my phone # in case he ever need a back up projectionist. I told him that I would work for a box of popcorn.
We just finshed up the 2009 season with a dusk to dawn show Labor Day Eve. Reopening in April, 2010. Thanks, Crazy Bob’s Harvest Moon drive-in theatre.
The owner said that he recently got the theatre back from the “teenage concerts people” I guess that they replaced the old Motiograph projectior with a Century. He asked me how to lube it & gave me a tour. Pretty nice inside. Rest rooms are in the basement.
I see that there is now fire hydrant in front of the entrance.
Too bad the Great Escape 12-plex is @ the nearby Lycoming Mall.
In the hallway, behind the projectoion booth, must have been some kind of ushers changing room. The wall is signed with names & dates from the eary ‘50s. I was supposed to paint that wall, but didn’t have the heart to cover up history. I even found vintage candy wrappers that the ushers stuck in the nooks & crannies. That was in the '70s.
The last thing I did at the end of each shift, was to make sure that the men’s room was empty on the way down from the booth. The manager was I.“Scotty” Carton, a local barber. The managers office was down by the stage on the left.
I found a Mickey Mouse “Buy War Bonds” poster back stage. I gave it to Mrs. Barbera Frank about a year before she died at the young age of 44.
In 1971, The Steel pier Music Hall had Simplex E-7 projectors & Ashcraft Super High arc lamps. Hall & Connell spot lights. The screen was on a “fly”. The two man projection shift operators were Ed Oliver, & Goerge Innis.
In the Casino Theatre, were a pair of Simplex XL projectors & Peerless Magnarc carbon arc lamps. The operators were Lou Glendenon, & Frank Bernato. I probably messed up their names.
Behind the Casino projection booth was a room with metal letters that ran on a convayor belt. They brushed against electified feelers for the giant marquee chaser sign.
The theatre on Virginia between Pacific & the BW, may have been the Quarterdeck? I went there in 1970 & it was a teenage (hippie) dance club called “Phaze II”. In 1971 I remember some kind of a stage show on the marquee: “What Is Life?”. I can still see the nearby Morton Hotel.
I remember a large round dome in the middle of the auditoium ceiling. It was lighted, & had spotlight ports. I used to get bored, & go on the catwalks inside the ceiling. I looked out into the theatre through the port holes. I remember seeing a huge motor & belt running the air conditioning system back there. I couldn’t hang out for more than 15 minutes, or I’d miss my change-over!
We also used to play the organ, & go into the pipe chambers, & the dressing rooms below the stage.
Wow…. Those pictures put me right back at the Brunswick! I wished that I brought a camera back then. I’m pretty sure that it had “RKO” Brunswick on the front. ….Thank You!
I was up in the booth in 1998. It was still as it was left in 1974. There was a pair of Super Simplex 35mm projectors, with Ashcraft cabon arc lamps. The sound system RCA tube type.
Films could be running in no time, with some simple upgrades & an oilcan!
I just posted a google earth image on drive-ins.com. You can still see the Atlantic drive-in footprint. The screen was to the south. GSP entrance ramp ran behind it. http://www.drive-ins.com/detail/njtatla
As a little kid,in the ‘50s, My parents took me to a place just south of the oringinal Atlantic drive-in, called “Frontierland” or something like that.
Hey I heard that they just tore down “Adventure Village” on the Black Horse Pike. We went to “Story Book Land” on our kindergarten trip back in 1958. Thats still open!
We were discussing sensuround on another board, & I posted this, as it pretains to the Ventnor. Some of it is redundent.
“Yes, the Ventnor also had the large speaker
bins just below the foot lights, in front of the stage.
In ‘75, we had “Earthquake”, in '76, it was “Midway”, & in '77 We
ran, “Rollercoaster”. We had a theatre in Atlantic City called the
Charles, that ran “Battle Star Galattica” in SensurounD back in 1978.
Another thing about the Ventnor Theatre. It became my booth in the
spring of 1973. The theatre was as it was circa 1935, only run down.
The projectors were older Super Simplex (with crank holes), the sound
heads were Western Electric 208 B’s. They had a gate, instead of a
sound drum. There was a large flywheel & motor on the back. We had
all Western Electric/erpi tube sound. Both machines were equipted
with Sentry Safty Shutters. It was like an extra douser that would
drop down if the film broke. The arc lamps were Peerless Magnarc
model E’s. Two Hertner Generators occupied the ajacent room.
The next year we got remodeled with the equipment from the Rialto in
Pleasentville, NJ. We got a newer pair of Super’s, RCA Phot Phone
sound head. The old 5 point pedestals were replaced with Motioghraph
bases. They covered the tapastry walls with sound fold drapes, & put
in a drop ceiling about 10' lower than the ornate gold & rust stained
one.
The problem was that the old ceiling was falling down piece by piece.
The metal mesh that reinfored the concrete was rusting from years of
roof leaks. The sensuround would shake a piece loose now & then. I
mean a big enoungh piece that could kill someone! You didn’t know
where the next chunk was coming from becuse of the beautiful new drop
ceiling. More than once I saw a piece come flying through like a
meteor!
In 1979 the Ventnor got twinned. The generator room wall was removed,
& the projector was moved over. A 5 teir Christe platter was placed
in between. I put on a suit & became a manager/operator. I could now
start the shows by pushing a button down in the box office!"
Starting in 2009, The Port drive-in will be known as the ‘Moon drive-in. When all of the factors are weighed, It justs makes better sense (& hopefuly, cents!). Thanks, Crazy Bob. http://moondrivein.com
Hi stillwagon. I was 19 years of age in 1971. I showed “Patton” at the Greenwood on my birthday in June of ‘71. I will be 56 next week. My memory is a little fuzzy after 35+ years. I remember the E-7’s, & the Amprex penthouses. The operator was a fairly young guy who wore glasses? He did call the machines “cameras”. One of the soft-core films was “Borlelro” or something like that. I think that it was the final Friday night in November, 1971.
Is there a Trenton Times newspaper archive to see what was playing? I’m very sorry if I offended you. The Olden was non-union at that time. That I do know.
Update: 2008. The Port drive-in now has a new owner. After many years, Bob & Darlene Crouse have retired. I have sold my interest in the Pike drive-in, & have acquired the ‘Port. This is a beautiful theatre. It was originally named “The Harvest Moon drive-in”. It was part of the Comerford chain. Here is the new web site: http://portdrivein.com Thanks, Crazy Bob.
I had the honor to be hired to show Crispin Glover’s “What Is It?”, at the Baronet 5/4 & 5/5/2007. The Baronet is a change-over booth, and, still has two carbon arc lamps, and two projectors. His feature film came on five reels. The theatre had large crowds both nights.
Crispin did a live prensentation of his short stories, then then movie was shown. After that, the house lights came up, and Crispin came back out on the stage have a question and answer session. To top off the evening, he came out in the lobby to meet the patrons, and sign autographs.
I got to hang out with Crispin, and I’ll tell you the he is a genius, and just an all around nice person! He spent some time in the projection booth with us, and my wife took a picture of Crispin challenging me to arm wrestle! View link
I visited the Trans-Lux booth in early seventies. They were showing “The Last Picture Show”. I Remember the projectionist giving me a tour of the booth. He was a black man, and he said that he used to work in Atlantic City.
The foot print of the Atco drive-in is still behind the Multi-Plex. Saw it on google earth.
..Hey, I used to work @ Atco Raceway as a part time announcer. ..NITRO BURNING FUNNY CARS!
1914 postcard of the Levoy
View link
I sold my interest in the Pike to my partner in 2007, & acquired the Harvest Moon aka: Port drive-in, in Linden, Pa.
http://moondrivein.com
The concert people are gone. The owner said that he would like to open in 4-6 weeks. He just loves the place. It was his chilhood dream to own the Ritz. He took my phone # in case he ever need a back up projectionist. I told him that I would work for a box of popcorn.
I made a small video of the 2008 season. It starts with the day we acquired it, until we closed & changed the name back to the Moon.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yYOMLm64cU
We just finshed up the 2009 season with a dusk to dawn show Labor Day Eve. Reopening in April, 2010. Thanks, Crazy Bob’s Harvest Moon drive-in theatre.
I took this shot of the marquee lit up on 9-25-2009
http://doctorgrooveband.com/ritz-9-25-09-1.jpg
The owner said that he recently got the theatre back from the “teenage concerts people” I guess that they replaced the old Motiograph projectior with a Century. He asked me how to lube it & gave me a tour. Pretty nice inside. Rest rooms are in the basement.
I see that there is now fire hydrant in front of the entrance.
Too bad the Great Escape 12-plex is @ the nearby Lycoming Mall.
In the hallway, behind the projectoion booth, must have been some kind of ushers changing room. The wall is signed with names & dates from the eary ‘50s. I was supposed to paint that wall, but didn’t have the heart to cover up history. I even found vintage candy wrappers that the ushers stuck in the nooks & crannies. That was in the '70s.
The last thing I did at the end of each shift, was to make sure that the men’s room was empty on the way down from the booth. The manager was I.“Scotty” Carton, a local barber. The managers office was down by the stage on the left.
I found a Mickey Mouse “Buy War Bonds” poster back stage. I gave it to Mrs. Barbera Frank about a year before she died at the young age of 44.
In 1971, The Steel pier Music Hall had Simplex E-7 projectors & Ashcraft Super High arc lamps. Hall & Connell spot lights. The screen was on a “fly”. The two man projection shift operators were Ed Oliver, & Goerge Innis.
In the Casino Theatre, were a pair of Simplex XL projectors & Peerless Magnarc carbon arc lamps. The operators were Lou Glendenon, & Frank Bernato. I probably messed up their names.
Behind the Casino projection booth was a room with metal letters that ran on a convayor belt. They brushed against electified feelers for the giant marquee chaser sign.
The theatre on Virginia between Pacific & the BW, may have been the Quarterdeck? I went there in 1970 & it was a teenage (hippie) dance club called “Phaze II”. In 1971 I remember some kind of a stage show on the marquee: “What Is Life?”. I can still see the nearby Morton Hotel.
I believe the City Square was later the Beach Theatre.
In 1963, My parents took me to the Embassy to see “Brothers Grimm”, on my 11th birthday. We lived out near Mays Landing.
In 1968, My parents took me & my 1st date there to see “The Subject Was Roses”. ..I also saw “Bullet” there.
The Embassy was one of the classiest places to go see a movie. …Four years later it was “Deep Throat”! What the heck happened?
I remember sitting on the tracks around 1968. We saw “You Only Live Twice”, & “Hotrods To Hell”.
I remember a large round dome in the middle of the auditoium ceiling. It was lighted, & had spotlight ports. I used to get bored, & go on the catwalks inside the ceiling. I looked out into the theatre through the port holes. I remember seeing a huge motor & belt running the air conditioning system back there. I couldn’t hang out for more than 15 minutes, or I’d miss my change-over!
We also used to play the organ, & go into the pipe chambers, & the dressing rooms below the stage.
Wow…. Those pictures put me right back at the Brunswick! I wished that I brought a camera back then. I’m pretty sure that it had “RKO” Brunswick on the front. ….Thank You!
I was up in the booth in 1998. It was still as it was left in 1974. There was a pair of Super Simplex 35mm projectors, with Ashcraft cabon arc lamps. The sound system RCA tube type.
Films could be running in no time, with some simple upgrades & an oilcan!
I just posted a google earth image on drive-ins.com. You can still see the Atlantic drive-in footprint. The screen was to the south. GSP entrance ramp ran behind it.
http://www.drive-ins.com/detail/njtatla
As a little kid,in the ‘50s, My parents took me to a place just south of the oringinal Atlantic drive-in, called “Frontierland” or something like that.
Hey I heard that they just tore down “Adventure Village” on the Black Horse Pike. We went to “Story Book Land” on our kindergarten trip back in 1958. Thats still open!
We were discussing sensuround on another board, & I posted this, as it pretains to the Ventnor. Some of it is redundent.
“Yes, the Ventnor also had the large speaker
bins just below the foot lights, in front of the stage.
In ‘75, we had “Earthquake”, in '76, it was “Midway”, & in '77 We
ran, “Rollercoaster”. We had a theatre in Atlantic City called the
Charles, that ran “Battle Star Galattica” in SensurounD back in 1978.
Another thing about the Ventnor Theatre. It became my booth in the
spring of 1973. The theatre was as it was circa 1935, only run down.
The projectors were older Super Simplex (with crank holes), the sound
heads were Western Electric 208 B’s. They had a gate, instead of a
sound drum. There was a large flywheel & motor on the back. We had
all Western Electric/erpi tube sound. Both machines were equipted
with Sentry Safty Shutters. It was like an extra douser that would
drop down if the film broke. The arc lamps were Peerless Magnarc
model E’s. Two Hertner Generators occupied the ajacent room.
The next year we got remodeled with the equipment from the Rialto in
Pleasentville, NJ. We got a newer pair of Super’s, RCA Phot Phone
sound head. The old 5 point pedestals were replaced with Motioghraph
bases. They covered the tapastry walls with sound fold drapes, & put
in a drop ceiling about 10' lower than the ornate gold & rust stained
one.
The problem was that the old ceiling was falling down piece by piece.
The metal mesh that reinfored the concrete was rusting from years of
roof leaks. The sensuround would shake a piece loose now & then. I
mean a big enoungh piece that could kill someone! You didn’t know
where the next chunk was coming from becuse of the beautiful new drop
ceiling. More than once I saw a piece come flying through like a
meteor!
In 1979 the Ventnor got twinned. The generator room wall was removed,
& the projector was moved over. A 5 teir Christe platter was placed
in between. I put on a suit & became a manager/operator. I could now
start the shows by pushing a button down in the box office!"
The Delsea has added a second screen in 2008.
Starting in 2009, The Port drive-in will be known as the ‘Moon drive-in. When all of the factors are weighed, It justs makes better sense (& hopefuly, cents!). Thanks, Crazy Bob. http://moondrivein.com
I used to visit Frank Copper & his wife at his home, near Washington’s crossing. I think that he lived in Titusville?
Frank showed me how to make “carbon savers” from tin.
Hi stillwagon. I was 19 years of age in 1971. I showed “Patton” at the Greenwood on my birthday in June of ‘71. I will be 56 next week. My memory is a little fuzzy after 35+ years. I remember the E-7’s, & the Amprex penthouses. The operator was a fairly young guy who wore glasses? He did call the machines “cameras”. One of the soft-core films was “Borlelro” or something like that. I think that it was the final Friday night in November, 1971.
Is there a Trenton Times newspaper archive to see what was playing? I’m very sorry if I offended you. The Olden was non-union at that time. That I do know.
Update: 2008. The Port drive-in now has a new owner. After many years, Bob & Darlene Crouse have retired. I have sold my interest in the Pike drive-in, & have acquired the ‘Port. This is a beautiful theatre. It was originally named “The Harvest Moon drive-in”. It was part of the Comerford chain. Here is the new web site: http://portdrivein.com Thanks, Crazy Bob.
No orchestra pit or elevator at the Trent in 1970-72, when I worked there. However,the Lincoln, did have them.
Some of the old projectionists were Frank Cook, Frank X. Cooper, & a man named Whalen.
I found the old Philadelphia Daily News article, dated May 25th, 1973.
It sure turned yellow since Steve gave it to me.
View link
I had the honor to be hired to show Crispin Glover’s “What Is It?”, at the Baronet 5/4 & 5/5/2007. The Baronet is a change-over booth, and, still has two carbon arc lamps, and two projectors. His feature film came on five reels. The theatre had large crowds both nights.
Crispin did a live prensentation of his short stories, then then movie was shown. After that, the house lights came up, and Crispin came back out on the stage have a question and answer session. To top off the evening, he came out in the lobby to meet the patrons, and sign autographs.
I got to hang out with Crispin, and I’ll tell you the he is a genius, and just an all around nice person! He spent some time in the projection booth with us, and my wife took a picture of Crispin challenging me to arm wrestle!
View link
I visited the Trans-Lux booth in early seventies. They were showing “The Last Picture Show”. I Remember the projectionist giving me a tour of the booth. He was a black man, and he said that he used to work in Atlantic City.