Hi Terry- 1) On its “CINEMASCOPE 55™"page, The well respected "American Widescreen Museum website claims that there is no record of any 55mm release prints shown, or even made, anywhere, for any of the "Cinemascope 55” (Although I suppose it’s reasonable to assume there had to be at least one or two 55mm positive work-prints made for editing and screening room check purposes.
2) The Chinese Theater has a web-page with very detailed technical info and pictures of every projection & sound system that has ever been installed there, and they too categorically state that they never had 55mm projection capabilities. They also state that CAROUSEL and THE KING AND I, were both projected there using a standard 35mm Cinemascope print, synchronously interlocked with a 6 track 35mm fullcoat magnetic sound playback machine for the sound track. - Jim C-
Although the opening date of this theater is given as 1940 on this website, a story printed in an Oct 1938 issue of BOXOFFICE magazine, says that a fire caused by “exploding film” in the projection room of “The Arrow Theater at 251 S Main St”, caused $5000 in damage, but everyone got out with no injuries. It also says “the owner plans to re-build” (BoxOffice, 10/15/1938 Pg77)
I’ve worked in a lot of theaters & private screening rooms, but I don’t recognize those particular projectors & lamphouses. I’m curious to know what they are, if anybody here can identify the for me. Thanx!
In a previous comment, somebody wondered what was still inside the closed Century Plaza 10.
In June of 2012, I got a ‘tour’ of the closed theater by the guy who was thinking of turning it into a Bowling Alley and “Entertainment Center”.
He was also considering keeping at least one of the auditoriums for private movie shows for birthday parties, etc.
At that time, on the main floor of the building, most of the interior non-load bearing walls had been demolished or torn down to the steel framework. Nothing remained of the former lobby or concession area. All carpeting and ceiling tiles were gone. There was no electricity in this part of the building, except for strings of bare work lights. Water was turned off except for one, still functioning restroom.
All the auditoriums except for two of the smaller ones had been completely or partly demolished or trashed. There were no seats, although a couple of the auditoriums had piles of seats stacked in the back, and I think I recall the owner telling me he was going to sell them.
Holes had been cut in the screens to remove the speaker systems behind them, and it was obvious that the surround speakers had simply been ripped down from the side walls.
The mezzanine area,where the projection rooms were, was still pretty intact, and had some limited AC power still working.
The projection equipment (35mm)and sound equipment had all been ripped out, except for one projection room which served the two surviving auditoriums. I understand one of the demolished auditoriums once had a 70mm projector, but it was long gone in 2012.
I had brought a big ‘platter-reel’ of film with me that day to test the remaining projection equipment, and after I gave the system a check up, we ran a bit of film to evaluate if the remaining equipment was still usable.
The theater never had any digital cinema projectors, which I advised the owner they would almost certainly need to consider installing as film was rapidly being phased out in 2012.
I’m not sure what happened after that. As far as I know, the bowling alley/entertainment complex idea fell through, or at least was on indefinite hold.
Last time I went by there, over a year ago (in 2017) the the building was still there, but looked abandoned.
I am posting a few pictures I took during the 2012 visit.
robboehm: Yes, it was the one on Main St that was run by Prudential, and not the one in the shopping center. I know nothing about either of the Moriches theatres.
Back in the 1970’s when I first started working, “the union” would send you out to fill in at different theaters on the regular operator’s night off or when they were on vacation, so that you would get experience on all different types of equipment and the different theaters. I worked at almost all the theaters on that Prudential pamphlet at one time or another. (I just found a bunch of pictures of the old East Islip theater from when I worked there which I’ll be posting on that theater’s page soon)
At the time I worked at the Farmindale, I was with Local 640 IATSE&MPMOOE (“The International Alliance of Television & Theatrical Stage Employees and Moving Picture Machine Operators of America”) [ ! ] With a name like that, my union card was so big I had to fold it to get it to fit in my wallet!
Back then, you couldn’t work in a projection room unless you were in the union. It was hard to get into, but it paid very well. In fact, it was not unusual for the projectionist to be the highest paid person in the theater- – in many cases making even more than the manager. There are still a number of jobs I do that require me to have a union affiliation. (and it still pays well!)
rrocket17: “Ask and you shall receive” – I just came across several more old negatives. I’ve scanned them and added them to the photo collection- JimC-
I remember some of the names you mention in your post.
I liked working at the N.Massapequa because it was very near my house. (I graduated from Seaford HS)
Norman Slotnick was the regular projectionist at the N. Massapequa for many years. I used to fill in for him sometimes on his nights off or when he was was on vacation.
After the theater closed he wound up over at the AIT Bethpage and eventually ended up working a several of the really big “A List” theaters on Long Island. I think his last assignment was at the UA Syossett.
I spent most of 1970’s working at the UA Farmingdale, after “the union” gave it to me as my ‘permanent’ projection assignment.
If you visit the Farmindale (NY) page on this website, you can see some pictures of me taken back then and now that I recently posted.
I occasionally worked at this theater as a projectionist between appx 1968 & 1971.
Poster EdinNY mentioned seeing “Yellow Submarine” there. I remember running that movie there. Perhaps he was at one of ‘my’ shows!
Yes, I remember the dance studio too.
It was located on the 2nd floor, right above the theater lobby. There was one night a week that they gave tap-dancing lessons, and it would create quite a din in the lobby below.
There was also one night a week that they held ‘judo’ classes, and I remember I could hear loud “UGH!’s” and the sound of people being thrown to the floor and against the wall, since the studio was right on the other side of the wall from the projection room.
EdinNY also mentioned them giving away door prizes.
Yes- – they were doing this for awhile when AIT ran the place to try to bring in more mid-week business when things were slow. I remember this because I was one of the people who would sometimes have to go up on the stage to pick the winning number out of the fishbowl full of tickets.
When the theatre closed, some sort of “home improvement” store moved into the space that had formerly been occupied by the auditorium. It was sort of a mini ‘home deopt’ type of place, but I don’t remember the name. That’s where the Marshalls store is now.
This is also the same shopping center where several people were killed in 1996 after a large accumulation of snow & ice after a big winter storm caused the roof to collapse.
I still have a couple of posters & other artifacts from the old AIT North Massapequa. I just posted a picture on the ‘picture page’ – Checkitout!
Hello All!– I recently discovered a stash of negatives of pictures taken when I worked at the old Farmindale theater in the late 1970’s & early 80’s. I’ve scanned them & added them to the ‘photos’ page. Enjoy!
Even though I now work at a number of famous film festivals and have a really great projection ‘gig’ where I now live in San Francisco, I still have fond memories of the old Farmindale Theater and all the people I worked with, and still consider it “the best job I ever had”
Hi Terry- 1) On its “CINEMASCOPE 55™"page, The well respected "American Widescreen Museum website claims that there is no record of any 55mm release prints shown, or even made, anywhere, for any of the "Cinemascope 55” (Although I suppose it’s reasonable to assume there had to be at least one or two 55mm positive work-prints made for editing and screening room check purposes. 2) The Chinese Theater has a web-page with very detailed technical info and pictures of every projection & sound system that has ever been installed there, and they too categorically state that they never had 55mm projection capabilities. They also state that CAROUSEL and THE KING AND I, were both projected there using a standard 35mm Cinemascope print, synchronously interlocked with a 6 track 35mm fullcoat magnetic sound playback machine for the sound track. - Jim C-
Although the opening date of this theater is given as 1940 on this website, a story printed in an Oct 1938 issue of BOXOFFICE magazine, says that a fire caused by “exploding film” in the projection room of “The Arrow Theater at 251 S Main St”, caused $5000 in damage, but everyone got out with no injuries. It also says “the owner plans to re-build” (BoxOffice, 10/15/1938 Pg77)
The March 10th 1945 issue of BOXOFFICE magazine (available at several sources online) has a detailed account of the fire on page 75.
I’ve worked in a lot of theaters & private screening rooms, but I don’t recognize those particular projectors & lamphouses. I’m curious to know what they are, if anybody here can identify the for me. Thanx!
In a previous comment, somebody wondered what was still inside the closed Century Plaza 10.
In June of 2012, I got a ‘tour’ of the closed theater by the guy who was thinking of turning it into a Bowling Alley and “Entertainment Center”.
He was also considering keeping at least one of the auditoriums for private movie shows for birthday parties, etc.
At that time, on the main floor of the building, most of the interior non-load bearing walls had been demolished or torn down to the steel framework. Nothing remained of the former lobby or concession area. All carpeting and ceiling tiles were gone. There was no electricity in this part of the building, except for strings of bare work lights. Water was turned off except for one, still functioning restroom.
All the auditoriums except for two of the smaller ones had been completely or partly demolished or trashed. There were no seats, although a couple of the auditoriums had piles of seats stacked in the back, and I think I recall the owner telling me he was going to sell them.
Holes had been cut in the screens to remove the speaker systems behind them, and it was obvious that the surround speakers had simply been ripped down from the side walls.
The mezzanine area,where the projection rooms were, was still pretty intact, and had some limited AC power still working. The projection equipment (35mm)and sound equipment had all been ripped out, except for one projection room which served the two surviving auditoriums. I understand one of the demolished auditoriums once had a 70mm projector, but it was long gone in 2012.
I had brought a big ‘platter-reel’ of film with me that day to test the remaining projection equipment, and after I gave the system a check up, we ran a bit of film to evaluate if the remaining equipment was still usable.
The theater never had any digital cinema projectors, which I advised the owner they would almost certainly need to consider installing as film was rapidly being phased out in 2012.
I’m not sure what happened after that. As far as I know, the bowling alley/entertainment complex idea fell through, or at least was on indefinite hold.
Last time I went by there, over a year ago (in 2017) the the building was still there, but looked abandoned.
I am posting a few pictures I took during the 2012 visit.
robboehm: Yes, it was the one on Main St that was run by Prudential, and not the one in the shopping center. I know nothing about either of the Moriches theatres.
Back in the 1970’s when I first started working, “the union” would send you out to fill in at different theaters on the regular operator’s night off or when they were on vacation, so that you would get experience on all different types of equipment and the different theaters. I worked at almost all the theaters on that Prudential pamphlet at one time or another. (I just found a bunch of pictures of the old East Islip theater from when I worked there which I’ll be posting on that theater’s page soon)
At the time I worked at the Farmindale, I was with Local 640 IATSE&MPMOOE (“The International Alliance of Television & Theatrical Stage Employees and Moving Picture Machine Operators of America”) [ ! ] With a name like that, my union card was so big I had to fold it to get it to fit in my wallet!
Back then, you couldn’t work in a projection room unless you were in the union. It was hard to get into, but it paid very well. In fact, it was not unusual for the projectionist to be the highest paid person in the theater- – in many cases making even more than the manager. There are still a number of jobs I do that require me to have a union affiliation. (and it still pays well!)
rrocket17: “Ask and you shall receive” – I just came across several more old negatives. I’ve scanned them and added them to the photo collection- JimC-
Hi BG-
I remember some of the names you mention in your post.
I liked working at the N.Massapequa because it was very near my house. (I graduated from Seaford HS)
Norman Slotnick was the regular projectionist at the N. Massapequa for many years. I used to fill in for him sometimes on his nights off or when he was was on vacation.
After the theater closed he wound up over at the AIT Bethpage and eventually ended up working a several of the really big “A List” theaters on Long Island. I think his last assignment was at the UA Syossett.
I spent most of 1970’s working at the UA Farmingdale, after “the union” gave it to me as my ‘permanent’ projection assignment.
If you visit the Farmindale (NY) page on this website, you can see some pictures of me taken back then and now that I recently posted.
I occasionally worked at this theater as a projectionist between appx 1968 & 1971.
Poster EdinNY mentioned seeing “Yellow Submarine” there. I remember running that movie there. Perhaps he was at one of ‘my’ shows!
Yes, I remember the dance studio too. It was located on the 2nd floor, right above the theater lobby. There was one night a week that they gave tap-dancing lessons, and it would create quite a din in the lobby below.
There was also one night a week that they held ‘judo’ classes, and I remember I could hear loud “UGH!’s” and the sound of people being thrown to the floor and against the wall, since the studio was right on the other side of the wall from the projection room.
EdinNY also mentioned them giving away door prizes. Yes- – they were doing this for awhile when AIT ran the place to try to bring in more mid-week business when things were slow. I remember this because I was one of the people who would sometimes have to go up on the stage to pick the winning number out of the fishbowl full of tickets.
When the theatre closed, some sort of “home improvement” store moved into the space that had formerly been occupied by the auditorium. It was sort of a mini ‘home deopt’ type of place, but I don’t remember the name. That’s where the Marshalls store is now.
This is also the same shopping center where several people were killed in 1996 after a large accumulation of snow & ice after a big winter storm caused the roof to collapse.
I still have a couple of posters & other artifacts from the old AIT North Massapequa. I just posted a picture on the ‘picture page’ – Checkitout!
Hello All!– I recently discovered a stash of negatives of pictures taken when I worked at the old Farmindale theater in the late 1970’s & early 80’s. I’ve scanned them & added them to the ‘photos’ page. Enjoy!
Even though I now work at a number of famous film festivals and have a really great projection ‘gig’ where I now live in San Francisco, I still have fond memories of the old Farmindale Theater and all the people I worked with, and still consider it “the best job I ever had”