Simple,, They thought they were saving money by going non union.. Even though tons of footage was scratched or totally destroyed, they were saving money,..
Kellygirl,,,, How are you dear??? Mungo here, I really miss all of you and never forgot anyone..After I left PGH. in Eighty Four I became a somewhat famous blues drummer for the late Bo Diddley, and in o four I teamed up with Virgil Gibson Virgil was the former leadd singer with the original members of the Platters, My e-mail is Please keep in touch…
We started to install the level floor and turn it into a roller rink in sixty six in sixty seven we opened the grand Roller Rink,,It did well for about six months then the neighborhood bbadasses tried to take over,, Once we told them to stay out , they started to harrass the customers outside the building, then they just stopped comming, and we closed it up…
When they built the new city hall where the spot was for yuears,, The spot moved down the street to the corner of Second Street and Walnut Street, It is now out of business,,, Was there for years…I guess you could say it went to the dogs…
Yes there was,,I nnever went there much great hot dogs,, They got busted once for serving dog food with thier cheese steak meat, so I said no way will I eat there again…
One of my fellow projectionist James Ira Brown worked the Senate for a long time,He finally retirerd at a not so very old age, can’t remember how old Browny was, but not that olld,, anyway the first weekend he had off and did'nt have to go to work he had a fatal heart attack, Damn shame he never got to collect his first retirement check.. I have a hard time with the demolishion too, of any theatre.. Browny and I used to go to a little sandwich shop down the alley from the Senate, We would go get each other food..
Moviebuff,,, I waas the one who wrote the post about you dad and I am sorry… It was mass confusion that night. I was at the Warner when Marty our business agent called and he was'nt sure where or when it happened, but he knew it happened.. I ended up going there the next day to work all day.. I was really sad your dad was a good friend and a fellow projectionist…He liked me from day one, because I was really into projectors and he could'nt get over how someone as young as me knew so much About them, We spent many hours up in the booth of the SHT, He always sat on a green chair that tilted back in the room next to the booth, I would sit on the other one…We used to all get together after work and meet at a place called Cips, right up the street from the Theatre on the oppositew side of the street…How I miss those days and how we all miss John….
Sadly the South Hills Theatre died the day they decided to split it up , and add more screens.. Why would idiots do that to such a wonderfull old Theatre??That is not rain,, That is John crying as he looks down and sees his beloved Theatre being gone, for a stupid drug store…
I remember fondly openning day at the Warner in Pittsburgh, Pa…I dimmed the lights to start the movie and the whole theare broke out in applause all 1980 of them,,Every show was sold out after that for a long time….
I know it broke my heart the day they finally took those Norelco projectors out of that upstairs booth….Just seeing them in that photo almost brought tears,, It was'nt long after that, they moved the Cinerama projectors downstairs….and very rarely ever used the booth upstairs again…
Great piture… Was also the first cinerama film I ever ran…I know your Grandfather,, but can’t for the life of me remember his name,,, What great memories,,, I was such a young buck then….
Embassy was a dream job, Century 35/70 JJ' and a Christie platter.in a single screen theatre,, could'nt beat it…And who really cares about what sound was in it Randy,,, It did have dolby and not everyone is perfect…
We are'nt going to have any theatres to go to anymore….I don’t live there no more but I did work at everyone of these as a projectionist one time or another… what a pity…I miss them all..
The Goodyear tire dealer was renting it for awhile when they sold tires there at 13th and Derry St. They were using it as a warehouse. I went in to look at it once,, the old booth was large, but was then an office..
WSarner was the first Todd A O then the Nixon then the Fulton.. When the Fulton closed the Norelco projectors were still up in the booth, don’t know if they are still there or not…..
I know you guys will do a great job,, When my Uncle taught me in 56 he used to say there are projectionist, and there are film runners, He then said I was going to be a projectionist, and 54 years later here I am…A damn good one too.
Joe, Thanks for clearing that up. I was running movies there one day and did some exploring and found some Stanley Warner signs, I thought it could be but was not sure, and of course no one who worked there did not know anything, they were'nt even born then…
I WAS A PROJECTIONIST FOR 54 YEARS NOW, AND I WORKED ALOT OF THEATRES ALL OVER THE COUNTRTY BUT PITTTSBURGH IS MY HOMETYOWN AND WE HAD THE BEST OF ALL, I WORKED IN NEW YORK ALOT TOO AND THEY HAD SOME GREAT ONES AS WELL….
It was with the Uptown, I don’t remember the owners name he never came around.. Being we were up in the booth we never had much contact with the Manager also..The night of the riot I heard the projectionist got sprayed in the face with mace, Was a projection problem that caused it.. Projectors were junk untill I got there,, I don’t remember the regular guys name but before he retired he left them go to hell. I at least got them usable, but if you did'nt know what you were doing look out,, Most guys with any sense refused to go there, so the business agent would send the new people up there.I used to do it for him, but would go out of my way to find an excuss not to go there.
The Rialto was at third and Harris Street right on the corner…Projectors were held together with rubber bands and wedged toothpicks, Real old Simplex Standards, Brenkart Enarc Lamps RCA sound… Terrible place to work,, You had to go into the Theatre and out a door and up a ladder and go up over the roof to get to the booth.. If you had to use the bathroom you had to use trashbags and bring them down at end of your shift.Was a challange when the winter came and the walkway was icy,
One of my best memories was they used to keep popcorn in yellow bags in a room above my booth, one day they were dumping out a bag in the popcorn warmerm for 2 ladies who ordered some, and a large rat jumped out right at them. The one poor lady wet her pants scared the hell out of her, and they both let out a blood curdling scream…I have to laugh now just thinking about it… PS. I am also Dave Grau (Mungo)
Simple,, They thought they were saving money by going non union.. Even though tons of footage was scratched or totally destroyed, they were saving money,..
Kellygirl,,,, How are you dear??? Mungo here, I really miss all of you and never forgot anyone..After I left PGH. in Eighty Four I became a somewhat famous blues drummer for the late Bo Diddley, and in o four I teamed up with Virgil Gibson Virgil was the former leadd singer with the original members of the Platters, My e-mail is Please keep in touch…
We started to install the level floor and turn it into a roller rink in sixty six in sixty seven we opened the grand Roller Rink,,It did well for about six months then the neighborhood bbadasses tried to take over,, Once we told them to stay out , they started to harrass the customers outside the building, then they just stopped comming, and we closed it up…
RIP Joe we will all miss yourwork but your theatres hopefully will live on a long long time..
When they built the new city hall where the spot was for yuears,, The spot moved down the street to the corner of Second Street and Walnut Street, It is now out of business,,, Was there for years…I guess you could say it went to the dogs…
Yes there was,,I nnever went there much great hot dogs,, They got busted once for serving dog food with thier cheese steak meat, so I said no way will I eat there again…
One of my fellow projectionist James Ira Brown worked the Senate for a long time,He finally retirerd at a not so very old age, can’t remember how old Browny was, but not that olld,, anyway the first weekend he had off and did'nt have to go to work he had a fatal heart attack, Damn shame he never got to collect his first retirement check.. I have a hard time with the demolishion too, of any theatre.. Browny and I used to go to a little sandwich shop down the alley from the Senate, We would go get each other food..
Moviebuff,,, I waas the one who wrote the post about you dad and I am sorry… It was mass confusion that night. I was at the Warner when Marty our business agent called and he was'nt sure where or when it happened, but he knew it happened.. I ended up going there the next day to work all day.. I was really sad your dad was a good friend and a fellow projectionist…He liked me from day one, because I was really into projectors and he could'nt get over how someone as young as me knew so much About them, We spent many hours up in the booth of the SHT, He always sat on a green chair that tilted back in the room next to the booth, I would sit on the other one…We used to all get together after work and meet at a place called Cips, right up the street from the Theatre on the oppositew side of the street…How I miss those days and how we all miss John….
Sadly the South Hills Theatre died the day they decided to split it up , and add more screens.. Why would idiots do that to such a wonderfull old Theatre??That is not rain,, That is John crying as he looks down and sees his beloved Theatre being gone, for a stupid drug store…
They are in Columbus, Ga.. Nice area.. was down there twice when I worked for them
I remember fondly openning day at the Warner in Pittsburgh, Pa…I dimmed the lights to start the movie and the whole theare broke out in applause all 1980 of them,,Every show was sold out after that for a long time….
I know it broke my heart the day they finally took those Norelco projectors out of that upstairs booth….Just seeing them in that photo almost brought tears,, It was'nt long after that, they moved the Cinerama projectors downstairs….and very rarely ever used the booth upstairs again…
Great piture… Was also the first cinerama film I ever ran…I know your Grandfather,, but can’t for the life of me remember his name,,, What great memories,,, I was such a young buck then….
Embassy was a dream job, Century 35/70 JJ' and a Christie platter.in a single screen theatre,, could'nt beat it…And who really cares about what sound was in it Randy,,, It did have dolby and not everyone is perfect…
We are'nt going to have any theatres to go to anymore….I don’t live there no more but I did work at everyone of these as a projectionist one time or another… what a pity…I miss them all..
If your not showing movies,, Tear it down,, they were built for movies, not stupid performing arts…
The Goodyear tire dealer was renting it for awhile when they sold tires there at 13th and Derry St. They were using it as a warehouse. I went in to look at it once,, the old booth was large, but was then an office..
WSarner was the first Todd A O then the Nixon then the Fulton.. When the Fulton closed the Norelco projectors were still up in the booth, don’t know if they are still there or not…..
I know you guys will do a great job,, When my Uncle taught me in 56 he used to say there are projectionist, and there are film runners, He then said I was going to be a projectionist, and 54 years later here I am…A damn good one too.
Joe, Thanks for clearing that up. I was running movies there one day and did some exploring and found some Stanley Warner signs, I thought it could be but was not sure, and of course no one who worked there did not know anything, they were'nt even born then…
I WAS A PROJECTIONIST FOR 54 YEARS NOW, AND I WORKED ALOT OF THEATRES ALL OVER THE COUNTRTY BUT PITTTSBURGH IS MY HOMETYOWN AND WE HAD THE BEST OF ALL, I WORKED IN NEW YORK ALOT TOO AND THEY HAD SOME GREAT ONES AS WELL….
It was with the Uptown, I don’t remember the owners name he never came around.. Being we were up in the booth we never had much contact with the Manager also..The night of the riot I heard the projectionist got sprayed in the face with mace, Was a projection problem that caused it.. Projectors were junk untill I got there,, I don’t remember the regular guys name but before he retired he left them go to hell. I at least got them usable, but if you did'nt know what you were doing look out,, Most guys with any sense refused to go there, so the business agent would send the new people up there.I used to do it for him, but would go out of my way to find an excuss not to go there.
The Rialto was at third and Harris Street right on the corner…Projectors were held together with rubber bands and wedged toothpicks, Real old Simplex Standards, Brenkart Enarc Lamps RCA sound… Terrible place to work,, You had to go into the Theatre and out a door and up a ladder and go up over the roof to get to the booth.. If you had to use the bathroom you had to use trashbags and bring them down at end of your shift.Was a challange when the winter came and the walkway was icy,
One of my best memories was they used to keep popcorn in yellow bags in a room above my booth, one day they were dumping out a bag in the popcorn warmerm for 2 ladies who ordered some, and a large rat jumped out right at them. The one poor lady wet her pants scared the hell out of her, and they both let out a blood curdling scream…I have to laugh now just thinking about it… PS. I am also Dave Grau (Mungo)
Great pics, but could do without the Steven Segal b.s. who cares about him.. We are just interested in the Theatre’s…..