I guess I should also mention that 9-11 sped up the process of the theater’s closing. They had talked about possibly saving it or delaying it’s close, and then on the day of 9-11 we were unable to get to or open the theater for a number of days. Once we did re-open the numbers had fallen drastically, and I don’t think many people were in the movie going mood. We did indeed show films from during it’s run for free admission during it’s last week, at which time I was transferred by the union over to the Leow’s State theater in the basement floor of Virgin Megastore in Time’s Square. Unfortunately, it’s days were numbered as well. At one point, I believe the only thing keeping it alive were the Richard B. Film School screenings, and the Uraban World Film Festival. Once those were moved, the State theater had had it’s last hurrah as well.
I saw my very first movie in the Burwell. The film was “The Goonies” and unfortunately the film broke down half way through. We were given passes to come back and watch the film at a later date, but sadly the theater was shut down before my parents had time to take me back. It was but a few of the classic theaters left that were once in the city of Parkersburg, and sadly as you look upon the site now, you can see a very new, very modern, CVS pharmacy. /sigh
I didn’t know if you would find it interesting, but I was actually the final projectionist at the Baronet Coronet theater, and was so for it’s final 2yrs. Seeing the picture above brought back memories because those 2 movies being advertised on the marquee played during it’s last year. The decline of the theater was not only due to lack of funding put into it’s interior, as you said like the escalator, but however also due to Leows and other large chain’s growing greed. They increased the concession prices and lowered the quality at the same time to therefor increase their profit margins further. By doing so I mean they began fizzling the union projectionists like myself out of their theaters by reducing us to very few days a week, while their managers, whom they gave 2 week crash courses on how to run a projection booth, ran the remainder of the week. Generally I would build a print Thursday nite for Fridays open, and when I came back in on my next shift it was already scratched, and generally playing in the wrong sound format. But what can you do, projection isn’t the only craft that’s been fizzled out by big company to increase profits margins. Why pay someone $25hr when you can give an 18yr old a crash course and pay him $7.
I guess I should also mention that 9-11 sped up the process of the theater’s closing. They had talked about possibly saving it or delaying it’s close, and then on the day of 9-11 we were unable to get to or open the theater for a number of days. Once we did re-open the numbers had fallen drastically, and I don’t think many people were in the movie going mood. We did indeed show films from during it’s run for free admission during it’s last week, at which time I was transferred by the union over to the Leow’s State theater in the basement floor of Virgin Megastore in Time’s Square. Unfortunately, it’s days were numbered as well. At one point, I believe the only thing keeping it alive were the Richard B. Film School screenings, and the Uraban World Film Festival. Once those were moved, the State theater had had it’s last hurrah as well.
I saw my very first movie in the Burwell. The film was “The Goonies” and unfortunately the film broke down half way through. We were given passes to come back and watch the film at a later date, but sadly the theater was shut down before my parents had time to take me back. It was but a few of the classic theaters left that were once in the city of Parkersburg, and sadly as you look upon the site now, you can see a very new, very modern, CVS pharmacy. /sigh
I didn’t know if you would find it interesting, but I was actually the final projectionist at the Baronet Coronet theater, and was so for it’s final 2yrs. Seeing the picture above brought back memories because those 2 movies being advertised on the marquee played during it’s last year. The decline of the theater was not only due to lack of funding put into it’s interior, as you said like the escalator, but however also due to Leows and other large chain’s growing greed. They increased the concession prices and lowered the quality at the same time to therefor increase their profit margins further. By doing so I mean they began fizzling the union projectionists like myself out of their theaters by reducing us to very few days a week, while their managers, whom they gave 2 week crash courses on how to run a projection booth, ran the remainder of the week. Generally I would build a print Thursday nite for Fridays open, and when I came back in on my next shift it was already scratched, and generally playing in the wrong sound format. But what can you do, projection isn’t the only craft that’s been fizzled out by big company to increase profits margins. Why pay someone $25hr when you can give an 18yr old a crash course and pay him $7.