I hope they will show some movies from time to time with the regular school music and plays. If they do show some prints they will have the largest wide screen in town. Does someone have some good 35mm projectors for them or do you think they still have them in the old booth?
The best thing about this theatre is the neon marquee with the neon rose. I hope they kept the history info about this cinema still up in the front. Next time I visit Portland I’ll check out the Roseway Theatre.
The ‘Forman’ brothers at Pacific Theatres need to bring the Todd-AO festival to the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood. Many classsic 70mm prints are now ready. They may not have two 70mm projector change over. As most studios will only show 70mm If it’s not used on a platter. Forget having It at the ‘Egyptian’ Hollywood as their screen is a small flat one and they have no curtains for a proper ‘Roadshow’ presentation. If the Dome in Hollywood won’t do It they can run the Todd-AO/70mm festival up in Seattle WA at the Cinerama Theatre.
Most of the theatres that have this advertising before the film starts in most of the theatres I have been to keep the ceiling lights on during the video ads. Some cinemas even have a row of lights over the screen top and the image of the ads is all washed out. I can’t believe companies that pay to advertise with these advertising theatre guys need to check out the bad image in many theatre chains around the USA. Many of the bulbs in the video projectors are way low and old/worn ready to go out plus mixed with the bad angle as most pre show projectors are not in the center port spot in the booth but off to the side. When you see tilted letters this is the problem. It is very easy to put lower watt bulbs in the ceiling above the screen or turn them off in the first row only and dim the house lights. Most movie people I know don’t even watch the ads. Some commercials can be very entertaining but they are very seldom used in the pre show line up. A theatre I went to last week in downtown San Francisco had the worst light level for the pre show ads. They even had the work lights on during the commercials. The bulb in the video ad projector was at about 10% level. I complained to the manager and she told me the bulb was bad and ready to go. (How about just turning it off and put in a new bulb) The overhead lights in the theatre while the pre show was on had the bright level up as people had newspapers out reading them and not watching the boring pre show ads. At least If your home you can watch commercials in the dark by turning down your house lights.
If you ever go to the Stanford Theatre get in the doors early for the organ pre show and two sets of curtains opening. Very few movie theatres today have curtains and the Stanford has two different types. One goes up the other parts. Check out the blue/purple lights up in the ceiling. This is a classic place to go if your in the Palo Alto area near San Francisco CA.
Does anyone have any photos of the Boyd in It’s Cinerama days? It’s so hard to find photos of the inside of theatres that had the big curved Cinerama screen. Good luck to all the people that have stayed with the ‘Boyd’ over the years. I remember going to Philly as a young kid and going to the ‘Randolph Theatre’. This place had the largest Todd-AO screen ever with ‘Cleopatra’ running to a empty crowd. Now I think It has been torn down for many years. It’s time for Regal, Cinemark, Landmark Theatres or the Disney people to get involved with the ‘Boyd’ and turn this old movie palace back into a first run movie theatre only this time with other entertainment pleasures not just movies. ‘Music Food Drinks and Movies!’ Let’s bring the Magic back to the Boyd Theatre. Make this the East Coast destination for Showmanship and Presentation. The curtains will rise again in downtown Philly!
This sounds like a good tour. To bad i am in californis. my friend Richard will be going this Sat. No one has any photos of the Oriental Theatre in Detroit. Once called the RKO Downtown. Rich is looking with interest to at least seeing what is left of the lobby. Even in MH’s great ‘Detroit Theatre Book’ no photos come up for the Oriental. I guess they went with the bulldozer in the early 70’s. How lucky people will be on this special Saturday tour and to hear the organ at the ‘Fox Detroit’ and a box lunch. If your in the Detroit area make it a date this Sat Aug 9 to see what is left in the MotorCity. Someday they may be able to go into the long closed ‘United Artists Theatre’ and see the torn out mess inside of what was once a great movie palace. Park your car in the once former ‘Michigan Theatre’. This place is a real trip to see and I think is on the tour. Have fun this Saturday!
Thanks Jodar**To bad they can’t add another 50ft and put a slight curve on it. Many studios have come out with new restored 70mm prints in the last year. I wonder if the ‘Silver’ has five speakers behind the scrren for full 6 track stereo with surrounds? With only 40ft the sound may not have much separation. In small 70mm theatres I have gone to and watched 70mm in the past some theatres have put the far left and far right stage speakers way up to the side away from the screen hidden, this gives a full wide sound look and feel when they don’t have the room behind the screen. Many theatres today don’t have the 5 speakers but they still do show 70mm from time to time. I often wonder what happens to the missing two channels of sound. I had a school friend who was a theatre sound nut. One time many years ago when no one was in the theatre before the film started he found his way backstage and moved the 3 stereo Altec speakers as the old owner had them 5 inches from each one in the center of the screen behind a 70ft semi curved screen with bad masking. This friend moved the right speaker way over to the right and the left speaker way over to the left behind the screen. They had wheels on them and had giant cones. This made a big change in how the stereo came across the stage speakers. This was in the early 70’s. We went back to the same theatre last year (now with Dolby Digital and air conditioned) and the same dusty Altec stage speakers had not been moved, they still gave off a great sound and kick ass base with the added distance. My friend was lucky the speakers had enough wire and he was not caught almost 40 years ago! His foot tracks were probably still on the dirty stage floor from that hot Saturday many years ago. The single screen cinema was in a big downtown theatre in a California valley town and is still open today. I think It did close late in the 80’s for some time.
The top grossing theatre in the USA when they have a stage show and movie is the El Capitain in Hollywood CA. At least that is what I read in Daily Variety. The two theatres on 42nd St in NYC are also each week in the top ten. To bad the city didn’t keep some of the other movie theatres they tore down on 42nd St as it’s so popular at this time. Most people in NYC don’t even bother going to the two big multiplexes on 42nd as they are way to crowded(mainly tourists). Even the AMC Metreon in SF makes it in the top ten from time to time. With three new movies opening today Wed many of the Multiplexes have moved ‘Dark Knight’ to the small cinemas. Strange the ‘Bat Man’ movie is still #1. Do they think the ‘Pineapple’ film is going to do bigger business then ‘Dark Knight’ or ‘The Mummy’? I think ‘Mamma Mia’ will hang on with word of mouth with the seniors who like it. If you get Daily Variety each week they list the top ten movie theatres in the USA and the money taken in per week.
Some Drive-Ins in the 50’s and 60’s had 70mm projectors and got a few 70mm prints to run on the big outdoor screens. With a new 70mm print of ‘West Side Story’ now avail I wonder If any drive-ins still have 70mm equipment in the booth today that can run this new 7Omm print and do a big advertising thing with it. The larger the outdoor screen the better for 70mm! One outdoor theatre in the Los Angeles CA area even had a curved Cinerama screen and three projector booths in the late 50’s or early 60’s.
Great story in the SF Cronicle about past Bay Area Drive-Ins. Now I hope they will do a story about the loss of the many indoor theatres in the SF Bay Area in the last 50 years. Many still remain but used for other things. The single screen theatres around the SF area are going fast. To start with the Cronicle needs to have a page from the movie listings of 1954 of all the local theatres that survived the Cinemascope remodel, then cross out all the cinemas that are no longer with us. You will find very few are still with us in 2008. Please don’t list any multiplexes as I don’t think we had any in the early 50’s. Show some photos of the Fox SF, Delmar San Leandro CA, Fruitvale and T&D in Oakland, Laurel in San Carlos CA. All torn down sadly now.
Just because Jam bought the building doesn’t tell the story on what they are going to do with it. It may be turned into a huge night club with no seats and levels of bars. Or they can cut it up and turn it into mega mini movie theatres. They may want to put in a Imax type system upstairs and a comedy night club downstairs. The Jam people need to bring in some other type of entertainment into this huge theatre that will draw all kinds of people not just the rock crowd. Thanks and good luck on bringing this great Uptown Theatre back to life!
In cities like Santa Cruz CA Regal took over the new Harris SC 9. The city of Santa Cruz has no digital theatres or 3-D. Regal won’t even spend money in the local papers for disply adds on what they are showing. Jim who runs the Nickelodeon Theatres ‘Delmar Theatre’ and other art theatres in the Santa Cruz area runs display adds in the local papers. Regal is so cheap but they love the money they are making in this Surf City Santa Cruz as being the only big megaplex in town. Most movie people have to drive over the hill to San Jose Ca (30 mn drive) to see the new digital 3-D as the Regal 9 in Santa Cruz does not have digital projection or even advertise. It’s so sad a big college town like SC and you have to leave town to see a movie like ‘Journey’ in 3-D because the Regal 9 is showing it in 35mm no 3-D. Now I hope someday the art deco ‘Delmar’ with it’s waterfall curtain and red/blue stage lights and a great Dolby Digital® surround system will have digital and 3-D. Regal down the street has no showmanship and even if they do install a digital projector no one in Santa Cruz will find out as Regal won’t advertise it! I guess you can drive downtown and look at the Regal 9’s dusty dirty marquee to see what is showing each week and stand in the long line with one cashier in a 3 window booth. Someone needs to open a big Imax Theatre with 3-D in this coast tourist city. Then Regal will wake up.
Wait till the article comes out in the regualar paper The East Bay Exprees about how things are so bad at the New Alameda. As of now only the limited people reading our great Cinema Treasures site can see what is going on. Now with the public and the many people that have had trouble with the Alameda going in a telling their horror stories maybe they will get some new people that know projection and management. The worst thing If there is a problem they give you a pass but when you try to use them they show in the paper no passes on all the films they are showing. When I go to use my pass (because the projector stopped 7 times in 20 minutes) If they don’t honor It I will call the police. The scam about passes will come to a end.
Thanks REndres**Can you imagine how a BIG curved Todd-AO or D-150 screen would look coming out of the huge stage with the booth moved downstairs with a new 70mm print shown and wrap a round curtins. Seems to me the Fox had a semi curved Cinemascope screen at one time? Now It’s just flat as they raise it for stage shows.
Thanks for your notes about last Sunday at The Fox. The people in the lobby I guess didn’t know the correct media used that night. It seems when I have been to the Fox in the past many years ago the Cinemascope screen was very wide. Wider then what I saw Sunday night. More like a big wide blind with the masking pulled down at the top. Now if someone can work out the pre show times and put in the add we won’t have all the people walking around in the dark 20 minutes into the feature. A new 70mm print of ‘West Side Story’ is now avail. Lets hope the Fox Atlanta can get a copy and advertise it in 70mm for future Coke shows. It is so great that the Fox runs the curtains and curtain lights. I still like the look of film 35mm or 70mm over digital video. Iam glad the Fox Atlanta still has kept the 35mm/70mm projectors. Even though they are not used much with the new digital video projector in the booth. To see a true 70mm film in the Fox with all the stereo surround speakers on It’s a dream come true!
I’d like to see the new 3-D video the Alameda is now showing ‘Journey. Can you imagine if they have so much problems with regular projection how will they do with Digital 3-D? Has anyone seen the 3-D system the Alameda? I know a few old Fox West Coast Theatre managers that can get this place in A-1 shape both in the theatres and candy counter. They know how to teach the new kids that the Alameda has hired that know nothing about the movie theatre business. To bad 'Elmer’ is no longer around with the projectionist union. The theatres he and his crew worked in Oakland had the best screen presentation. This was before the platter or Digital Video. Bring Jack Tillmany out of retirement! Let him clean house at the Alameda Theatre.
We just visited the Fox this past Sunday Eve for ‘Ben Hur’ While I love the theatre the problem for me and many other people these days is the Fox Atlanta is not showing film most of the time on thease Coke Summer Film Series. You see film reels in the window display the posters for all the summer FILMS. They are not showing film just digital video. Many people in the theatre Sunday thought they were going to see the 70mm version of ‘Ben Hur’ This was not the case. The new digital projector at the Fox is way up in the old projection booth. A super long distance. The screen is not as wide as when they use film. Plus the advertised time for the movie is 7 PM. This is correct, but for the first 25 minutes of the film you have hundreds of people wandering all over trying to find a seat in the dark. The pre show organ and video ‘Film’ pre show started at 6:15 PM. In the adds for Ben Hur it says 7PM. Most people missed the pre show. Please someone at the Fox needs to put in the adds Come early for the pre show Starts at 6:15 then put movie time. The video digital image of ‘Ben Hur’ looked fuzzy. The stereo sound did sound great with all the surrounds being used. They even played the oveture with red lights on the curtain. The Fox people need to put in the adds Digital Projection. The days of showing a restored 70mm or 35mm print or classic 35mm film are gone at The Fox. Many people think digital video is the way to go but at the Fox Atlanta the image is not as big and crisp as 35mm or 70mm film. Next time you go complain. They need to change the name from Coke Film Summer Series to Coke Digital Series. Most of the movies this year are new and on DVD. They showed the same newsreel during the pre show I saw last year. Someone must have some 35mm Cartoons and Newsreels to rent the Fox or loan out. Bring back FILM at the Fox Atlanta. I think the owners are more interested in the wine tasting they have before the theatre opens to the regular public (they charge extra) then the way they are presenting the image on the smaller Fox video screen. Bring on wide Cinemascope 35mm film, open the masking up to the full wide side of the screen. People can see video at home. I left after the organ pre show and after 25 mn of Ben Hur I got tired of people walking all over with bad video presentation on the smaller Fox screen. With all the ushers before the movie started they need to send them back into the theatre for the late people. I saw a few older people in the very dark balcony stumble on the stairs. It’s a accident ready to happen!
Most of us have no problem with the remodel. It’s the projection problems that happen everday! Plus many other things like training candy help and not opening the main curtains in the big house. How long will it take to get things in order?
Thanks ‘Don’ for the great photo. To bad they took off the front sign. I often wonder what happens to these big old neon theatre signs? Like the Royal Theatre on Polk St in SF. At one time I heard they were going to put it back on the new condo building on the lot that the Royal was on. I was not around when the big neon Cinemascope sign was taken off the front of the Fox Theatre on Market St in San Francisco in the mid 60’s. They had two of them, Some lucky person has them hidden away I guess. The big Fox sign was going to a store called the Fox Market but I never have scene it.
For anyone making bad remarks about anyone on this Movie Theatre board they need to be locked up and tied up for 5 days in the old Loews Kings Theatre in NY. Let them feel and breath the mold till they mellow out. Give them a box of old popcorn to eat found under one of the broken seats with pigeons to keep them company! I think they will be nicer when they come out and see the light! Don’t bring your camera or flashlight you will be busy fighting off the rats coming from the stage.
This place has not bit the dust yet. Just because the inside is down to the cement walls doesn’t mean the end for entertainment. A few curtains and nice seating, good sound and lighting can bring this place back to The Palace Theatre. The Live Event people are looking at many mid size venues in SF CA as they lost the Warfield Theatre lease that another company (GoldenVoice) is doing a big remodel job at the Warfield now. Other places the Live guys are looking at are the Metro Theatre the Alexandria Theatre plus the Harding Theatre with the small Strand Theatre in San Francisco all ready to open again for entertainment. Another company (Another Planet) has taken over the bookings for the new HUGE Fox Oakalnd Theatre in Oakland CA. The Fox opens in just a few months. To bad the Paramount and The Fox Theatre in SF are no longer with us. They are needed now by Live and they are long gone! Watch out for the Live people, don’t let them do what they did to the Boyd Theatre in PA. The Palace Theatre is waiting to sign the lease.
I hope they will show some movies from time to time with the regular school music and plays. If they do show some prints they will have the largest wide screen in town. Does someone have some good 35mm projectors for them or do you think they still have them in the old booth?
The best thing about this theatre is the neon marquee with the neon rose. I hope they kept the history info about this cinema still up in the front. Next time I visit Portland I’ll check out the Roseway Theatre.
The ‘Forman’ brothers at Pacific Theatres need to bring the Todd-AO festival to the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood. Many classsic 70mm prints are now ready. They may not have two 70mm projector change over. As most studios will only show 70mm If it’s not used on a platter. Forget having It at the ‘Egyptian’ Hollywood as their screen is a small flat one and they have no curtains for a proper ‘Roadshow’ presentation. If the Dome in Hollywood won’t do It they can run the Todd-AO/70mm festival up in Seattle WA at the Cinerama Theatre.
Most of the theatres that have this advertising before the film starts in most of the theatres I have been to keep the ceiling lights on during the video ads. Some cinemas even have a row of lights over the screen top and the image of the ads is all washed out. I can’t believe companies that pay to advertise with these advertising theatre guys need to check out the bad image in many theatre chains around the USA. Many of the bulbs in the video projectors are way low and old/worn ready to go out plus mixed with the bad angle as most pre show projectors are not in the center port spot in the booth but off to the side. When you see tilted letters this is the problem. It is very easy to put lower watt bulbs in the ceiling above the screen or turn them off in the first row only and dim the house lights. Most movie people I know don’t even watch the ads. Some commercials can be very entertaining but they are very seldom used in the pre show line up. A theatre I went to last week in downtown San Francisco had the worst light level for the pre show ads. They even had the work lights on during the commercials. The bulb in the video ad projector was at about 10% level. I complained to the manager and she told me the bulb was bad and ready to go. (How about just turning it off and put in a new bulb) The overhead lights in the theatre while the pre show was on had the bright level up as people had newspapers out reading them and not watching the boring pre show ads. At least If your home you can watch commercials in the dark by turning down your house lights.
If you ever go to the Stanford Theatre get in the doors early for the organ pre show and two sets of curtains opening. Very few movie theatres today have curtains and the Stanford has two different types. One goes up the other parts. Check out the blue/purple lights up in the ceiling. This is a classic place to go if your in the Palo Alto area near San Francisco CA.
Does anyone have any photos of the Boyd in It’s Cinerama days? It’s so hard to find photos of the inside of theatres that had the big curved Cinerama screen. Good luck to all the people that have stayed with the ‘Boyd’ over the years. I remember going to Philly as a young kid and going to the ‘Randolph Theatre’. This place had the largest Todd-AO screen ever with ‘Cleopatra’ running to a empty crowd. Now I think It has been torn down for many years. It’s time for Regal, Cinemark, Landmark Theatres or the Disney people to get involved with the ‘Boyd’ and turn this old movie palace back into a first run movie theatre only this time with other entertainment pleasures not just movies. ‘Music Food Drinks and Movies!’ Let’s bring the Magic back to the Boyd Theatre. Make this the East Coast destination for Showmanship and Presentation. The curtains will rise again in downtown Philly!
This sounds like a good tour. To bad i am in californis. my friend Richard will be going this Sat. No one has any photos of the Oriental Theatre in Detroit. Once called the RKO Downtown. Rich is looking with interest to at least seeing what is left of the lobby. Even in MH’s great ‘Detroit Theatre Book’ no photos come up for the Oriental. I guess they went with the bulldozer in the early 70’s. How lucky people will be on this special Saturday tour and to hear the organ at the ‘Fox Detroit’ and a box lunch. If your in the Detroit area make it a date this Sat Aug 9 to see what is left in the MotorCity. Someday they may be able to go into the long closed ‘United Artists Theatre’ and see the torn out mess inside of what was once a great movie palace. Park your car in the once former ‘Michigan Theatre’. This place is a real trip to see and I think is on the tour. Have fun this Saturday!
Thanks Jodar**To bad they can’t add another 50ft and put a slight curve on it. Many studios have come out with new restored 70mm prints in the last year. I wonder if the ‘Silver’ has five speakers behind the scrren for full 6 track stereo with surrounds? With only 40ft the sound may not have much separation. In small 70mm theatres I have gone to and watched 70mm in the past some theatres have put the far left and far right stage speakers way up to the side away from the screen hidden, this gives a full wide sound look and feel when they don’t have the room behind the screen. Many theatres today don’t have the 5 speakers but they still do show 70mm from time to time. I often wonder what happens to the missing two channels of sound. I had a school friend who was a theatre sound nut. One time many years ago when no one was in the theatre before the film started he found his way backstage and moved the 3 stereo Altec speakers as the old owner had them 5 inches from each one in the center of the screen behind a 70ft semi curved screen with bad masking. This friend moved the right speaker way over to the right and the left speaker way over to the left behind the screen. They had wheels on them and had giant cones. This made a big change in how the stereo came across the stage speakers. This was in the early 70’s. We went back to the same theatre last year (now with Dolby Digital and air conditioned) and the same dusty Altec stage speakers had not been moved, they still gave off a great sound and kick ass base with the added distance. My friend was lucky the speakers had enough wire and he was not caught almost 40 years ago! His foot tracks were probably still on the dirty stage floor from that hot Saturday many years ago. The single screen cinema was in a big downtown theatre in a California valley town and is still open today. I think It did close late in the 80’s for some time.
Does anyone know if the Silver Theatre has a curved or semi curved screen for 70mm projection?
Thanks Mike for the list. These outdoor theatres are most gone now. Some Drive-In’s today must still have some 70mm projectors left in the booth?
Are they showing these films on video or 35mm print film?
The top grossing theatre in the USA when they have a stage show and movie is the El Capitain in Hollywood CA. At least that is what I read in Daily Variety. The two theatres on 42nd St in NYC are also each week in the top ten. To bad the city didn’t keep some of the other movie theatres they tore down on 42nd St as it’s so popular at this time. Most people in NYC don’t even bother going to the two big multiplexes on 42nd as they are way to crowded(mainly tourists). Even the AMC Metreon in SF makes it in the top ten from time to time. With three new movies opening today Wed many of the Multiplexes have moved ‘Dark Knight’ to the small cinemas. Strange the ‘Bat Man’ movie is still #1. Do they think the ‘Pineapple’ film is going to do bigger business then ‘Dark Knight’ or ‘The Mummy’? I think ‘Mamma Mia’ will hang on with word of mouth with the seniors who like it. If you get Daily Variety each week they list the top ten movie theatres in the USA and the money taken in per week.
Some Drive-Ins in the 50’s and 60’s had 70mm projectors and got a few 70mm prints to run on the big outdoor screens. With a new 70mm print of ‘West Side Story’ now avail I wonder If any drive-ins still have 70mm equipment in the booth today that can run this new 7Omm print and do a big advertising thing with it. The larger the outdoor screen the better for 70mm! One outdoor theatre in the Los Angeles CA area even had a curved Cinerama screen and three projector booths in the late 50’s or early 60’s.
Great story in the SF Cronicle about past Bay Area Drive-Ins. Now I hope they will do a story about the loss of the many indoor theatres in the SF Bay Area in the last 50 years. Many still remain but used for other things. The single screen theatres around the SF area are going fast. To start with the Cronicle needs to have a page from the movie listings of 1954 of all the local theatres that survived the Cinemascope remodel, then cross out all the cinemas that are no longer with us. You will find very few are still with us in 2008. Please don’t list any multiplexes as I don’t think we had any in the early 50’s. Show some photos of the Fox SF, Delmar San Leandro CA, Fruitvale and T&D in Oakland, Laurel in San Carlos CA. All torn down sadly now.
Just because Jam bought the building doesn’t tell the story on what they are going to do with it. It may be turned into a huge night club with no seats and levels of bars. Or they can cut it up and turn it into mega mini movie theatres. They may want to put in a Imax type system upstairs and a comedy night club downstairs. The Jam people need to bring in some other type of entertainment into this huge theatre that will draw all kinds of people not just the rock crowd. Thanks and good luck on bringing this great Uptown Theatre back to life!
In cities like Santa Cruz CA Regal took over the new Harris SC 9. The city of Santa Cruz has no digital theatres or 3-D. Regal won’t even spend money in the local papers for disply adds on what they are showing. Jim who runs the Nickelodeon Theatres ‘Delmar Theatre’ and other art theatres in the Santa Cruz area runs display adds in the local papers. Regal is so cheap but they love the money they are making in this Surf City Santa Cruz as being the only big megaplex in town. Most movie people have to drive over the hill to San Jose Ca (30 mn drive) to see the new digital 3-D as the Regal 9 in Santa Cruz does not have digital projection or even advertise. It’s so sad a big college town like SC and you have to leave town to see a movie like ‘Journey’ in 3-D because the Regal 9 is showing it in 35mm no 3-D. Now I hope someday the art deco ‘Delmar’ with it’s waterfall curtain and red/blue stage lights and a great Dolby Digital® surround system will have digital and 3-D. Regal down the street has no showmanship and even if they do install a digital projector no one in Santa Cruz will find out as Regal won’t advertise it! I guess you can drive downtown and look at the Regal 9’s dusty dirty marquee to see what is showing each week and stand in the long line with one cashier in a 3 window booth. Someone needs to open a big Imax Theatre with 3-D in this coast tourist city. Then Regal will wake up.
Wait till the article comes out in the regualar paper The East Bay Exprees about how things are so bad at the New Alameda. As of now only the limited people reading our great Cinema Treasures site can see what is going on. Now with the public and the many people that have had trouble with the Alameda going in a telling their horror stories maybe they will get some new people that know projection and management. The worst thing If there is a problem they give you a pass but when you try to use them they show in the paper no passes on all the films they are showing. When I go to use my pass (because the projector stopped 7 times in 20 minutes) If they don’t honor It I will call the police. The scam about passes will come to a end.
Thanks REndres**Can you imagine how a BIG curved Todd-AO or D-150 screen would look coming out of the huge stage with the booth moved downstairs with a new 70mm print shown and wrap a round curtins. Seems to me the Fox had a semi curved Cinemascope screen at one time? Now It’s just flat as they raise it for stage shows.
Thanks for your notes about last Sunday at The Fox. The people in the lobby I guess didn’t know the correct media used that night. It seems when I have been to the Fox in the past many years ago the Cinemascope screen was very wide. Wider then what I saw Sunday night. More like a big wide blind with the masking pulled down at the top. Now if someone can work out the pre show times and put in the add we won’t have all the people walking around in the dark 20 minutes into the feature. A new 70mm print of ‘West Side Story’ is now avail. Lets hope the Fox Atlanta can get a copy and advertise it in 70mm for future Coke shows. It is so great that the Fox runs the curtains and curtain lights. I still like the look of film 35mm or 70mm over digital video. Iam glad the Fox Atlanta still has kept the 35mm/70mm projectors. Even though they are not used much with the new digital video projector in the booth. To see a true 70mm film in the Fox with all the stereo surround speakers on It’s a dream come true!
I’d like to see the new 3-D video the Alameda is now showing ‘Journey. Can you imagine if they have so much problems with regular projection how will they do with Digital 3-D? Has anyone seen the 3-D system the Alameda? I know a few old Fox West Coast Theatre managers that can get this place in A-1 shape both in the theatres and candy counter. They know how to teach the new kids that the Alameda has hired that know nothing about the movie theatre business. To bad 'Elmer’ is no longer around with the projectionist union. The theatres he and his crew worked in Oakland had the best screen presentation. This was before the platter or Digital Video. Bring Jack Tillmany out of retirement! Let him clean house at the Alameda Theatre.
We just visited the Fox this past Sunday Eve for ‘Ben Hur’ While I love the theatre the problem for me and many other people these days is the Fox Atlanta is not showing film most of the time on thease Coke Summer Film Series. You see film reels in the window display the posters for all the summer FILMS. They are not showing film just digital video. Many people in the theatre Sunday thought they were going to see the 70mm version of ‘Ben Hur’ This was not the case. The new digital projector at the Fox is way up in the old projection booth. A super long distance. The screen is not as wide as when they use film. Plus the advertised time for the movie is 7 PM. This is correct, but for the first 25 minutes of the film you have hundreds of people wandering all over trying to find a seat in the dark. The pre show organ and video ‘Film’ pre show started at 6:15 PM. In the adds for Ben Hur it says 7PM. Most people missed the pre show. Please someone at the Fox needs to put in the adds Come early for the pre show Starts at 6:15 then put movie time. The video digital image of ‘Ben Hur’ looked fuzzy. The stereo sound did sound great with all the surrounds being used. They even played the oveture with red lights on the curtain. The Fox people need to put in the adds Digital Projection. The days of showing a restored 70mm or 35mm print or classic 35mm film are gone at The Fox. Many people think digital video is the way to go but at the Fox Atlanta the image is not as big and crisp as 35mm or 70mm film. Next time you go complain. They need to change the name from Coke Film Summer Series to Coke Digital Series. Most of the movies this year are new and on DVD. They showed the same newsreel during the pre show I saw last year. Someone must have some 35mm Cartoons and Newsreels to rent the Fox or loan out. Bring back FILM at the Fox Atlanta. I think the owners are more interested in the wine tasting they have before the theatre opens to the regular public (they charge extra) then the way they are presenting the image on the smaller Fox video screen. Bring on wide Cinemascope 35mm film, open the masking up to the full wide side of the screen. People can see video at home. I left after the organ pre show and after 25 mn of Ben Hur I got tired of people walking all over with bad video presentation on the smaller Fox screen. With all the ushers before the movie started they need to send them back into the theatre for the late people. I saw a few older people in the very dark balcony stumble on the stairs. It’s a accident ready to happen!
Most of us have no problem with the remodel. It’s the projection problems that happen everday! Plus many other things like training candy help and not opening the main curtains in the big house. How long will it take to get things in order?
Thanks ‘Don’ for the great photo. To bad they took off the front sign. I often wonder what happens to these big old neon theatre signs? Like the Royal Theatre on Polk St in SF. At one time I heard they were going to put it back on the new condo building on the lot that the Royal was on. I was not around when the big neon Cinemascope sign was taken off the front of the Fox Theatre on Market St in San Francisco in the mid 60’s. They had two of them, Some lucky person has them hidden away I guess. The big Fox sign was going to a store called the Fox Market but I never have scene it.
For anyone making bad remarks about anyone on this Movie Theatre board they need to be locked up and tied up for 5 days in the old Loews Kings Theatre in NY. Let them feel and breath the mold till they mellow out. Give them a box of old popcorn to eat found under one of the broken seats with pigeons to keep them company! I think they will be nicer when they come out and see the light! Don’t bring your camera or flashlight you will be busy fighting off the rats coming from the stage.
This place has not bit the dust yet. Just because the inside is down to the cement walls doesn’t mean the end for entertainment. A few curtains and nice seating, good sound and lighting can bring this place back to The Palace Theatre. The Live Event people are looking at many mid size venues in SF CA as they lost the Warfield Theatre lease that another company (GoldenVoice) is doing a big remodel job at the Warfield now. Other places the Live guys are looking at are the Metro Theatre the Alexandria Theatre plus the Harding Theatre with the small Strand Theatre in San Francisco all ready to open again for entertainment. Another company (Another Planet) has taken over the bookings for the new HUGE Fox Oakalnd Theatre in Oakland CA. The Fox opens in just a few months. To bad the Paramount and The Fox Theatre in SF are no longer with us. They are needed now by Live and they are long gone! Watch out for the Live people, don’t let them do what they did to the Boyd Theatre in PA. The Palace Theatre is waiting to sign the lease.