I was a manager-trainee at the Newmarket Theatre under Dewanner Stallings (R. D. Stallings) in 1971-74. There was a deli a few doors up the sidewalk where I’d get us coffee. Most of the time I’d get there before he arrived and check the theater—then he’d come in and mention a lobby light was out or something I’d missed (darn it). I remember the three ushers: Randy Winfree, Robert Huth and David Price. We ran the movies “Billy Jack” and “Walking Tall” so many weeks that they were memorizing the lines. Mr. Stallings was a local advertising genius.
The Newmarket Theatre was a rocking chair, ultra-vision theatre. Back then you needed two projectors because the film was on reels that ran a max of 20 minutes, and you had to change between the projectors to keep the movie going.
Ultra-vision was a system where both projectors shot their picture into a central “box” instead of directly on the screen. The box contained mirrors and allowed the image to be projected from the center of the projection booth—this was meant to eliminate the slight out of focus problem you get when you have two projectors shooting at a slight off-center angle from the screen. I never thought it made significant difference.
The Newmarket also had an ongoing problem with the lights in the marquee. Every few months we had to have an electrician replace the ballasts…the odd things you remember.
Mr. Stallings used to say that the experience you got working for the theater was so valuable, you should pay the theatre to get to work there.
If any of you want to trade some stories, I can be found at http://www.mackarrington.com
I was a manager-trainee at the Newmarket Theatre under Dewanner Stallings (R. D. Stallings) in 1971-74. There was a deli a few doors up the sidewalk where I’d get us coffee. Most of the time I’d get there before he arrived and check the theater—then he’d come in and mention a lobby light was out or something I’d missed (darn it). I remember the three ushers: Randy Winfree, Robert Huth and David Price. We ran the movies “Billy Jack” and “Walking Tall” so many weeks that they were memorizing the lines. Mr. Stallings was a local advertising genius.
The Newmarket Theatre was a rocking chair, ultra-vision theatre. Back then you needed two projectors because the film was on reels that ran a max of 20 minutes, and you had to change between the projectors to keep the movie going.
Ultra-vision was a system where both projectors shot their picture into a central “box” instead of directly on the screen. The box contained mirrors and allowed the image to be projected from the center of the projection booth—this was meant to eliminate the slight out of focus problem you get when you have two projectors shooting at a slight off-center angle from the screen. I never thought it made significant difference.
The Newmarket also had an ongoing problem with the lights in the marquee. Every few months we had to have an electrician replace the ballasts…the odd things you remember.
Mr. Stallings used to say that the experience you got working for the theater was so valuable, you should pay the theatre to get to work there.
If any of you want to trade some stories, I can be found at http://www.mackarrington.com