RE:
“Vito: I would have loved to have seen that booth. There was a picture on the wall at Local #306 which showed what was probably the Roxy booth with the three projectors set up for Cinemiracle and it did seem pretty cramped.”
FYI, the CineMiracle booth was a temporary set-up in the closed mezzanine section built especiallay for the Windjammer engagement. The front balcony projection room was not used for this engagement.
“Those 1950 images taken from backstage show how much more "intimate” the Roxy was than RCMH, even though the seating capacity was virtually the same. Patrons sitting upstairs at the Roxy got a closer view of the performers. One feels miles away in RCMH’s mezzanines. If the Roxy still existed today, I believe that it would be more popular than RCMH as a concert venue."
Yes, I agree. The projection booth situated at the front of the balcony was capable of creating shaper, more detailed and perhaps larger, images than the RCMH installation. But then the ROXY was created as a movie theater, whereas movies were an afterthought at RCMH.
The vast ROXY balcony was incredible; so large and yet each seating section had its own “intimate” feel. I am sure audiences did feel “closer” to the ROXY stage than RCMH audiences.
Yes Ricka, you may be right about the rug. Perhaps it was replaced later during 1950s. I have photos of the rotunda taken in 1956 and the oval rug is gone. A wall-to-to wall carpet is in its place.
RE: “This photo puzzles me as well because there is scaffolding there which doesn’t seem to belong if the theater was open. Yet the style of clothes people are wearing plus the military men signify it must have been during the mid 1940s. Any other suggestions?”
Yes, this photo does date from 1940s. The oval rug was replaced during late 1940s by a wall-to-wall version. The original oval rug wore out. The scaffolding must be related to a maintence/cleaning effort at the time.
RE:
“Vito: I would have loved to have seen that booth. There was a picture on the wall at Local #306 which showed what was probably the Roxy booth with the three projectors set up for Cinemiracle and it did seem pretty cramped.”
FYI, the CineMiracle booth was a temporary set-up in the closed mezzanine section built especiallay for the Windjammer engagement. The front balcony projection room was not used for this engagement.
“Those 1950 images taken from backstage show how much more "intimate” the Roxy was than RCMH, even though the seating capacity was virtually the same. Patrons sitting upstairs at the Roxy got a closer view of the performers. One feels miles away in RCMH’s mezzanines. If the Roxy still existed today, I believe that it would be more popular than RCMH as a concert venue."
Yes, I agree. The projection booth situated at the front of the balcony was capable of creating shaper, more detailed and perhaps larger, images than the RCMH installation. But then the ROXY was created as a movie theater, whereas movies were an afterthought at RCMH.
The vast ROXY balcony was incredible; so large and yet each seating section had its own “intimate” feel. I am sure audiences did feel “closer” to the ROXY stage than RCMH audiences.
Some more great ROXY views from Life:
View link
View link
Yes Ricka, you may be right about the rug. Perhaps it was replaced later during 1950s. I have photos of the rotunda taken in 1956 and the oval rug is gone. A wall-to-to wall carpet is in its place.
RE: “This photo puzzles me as well because there is scaffolding there which doesn’t seem to belong if the theater was open. Yet the style of clothes people are wearing plus the military men signify it must have been during the mid 1940s. Any other suggestions?”
Yes, this photo does date from 1940s. The oval rug was replaced during late 1940s by a wall-to-wall version. The original oval rug wore out. The scaffolding must be related to a maintence/cleaning effort at the time.