Berore it reopened as the “Ritz” it was named “Ace”. After it reopened I was the projectionist there until I went into service. I live in Memphis,Tn and I would like to talk with Helen and biggie4852. my email is will you pass it on.
I don’t know when the Savoy was built, I can only go back to 1945 when my parents carried my brother and I to see Song of The South. We lived one block over and had the same numbers in our address. The Theater was owned by Chalmers Cullins. He was aslo the co-owner of the W.C.Handy on Park Ave at the corner of Airways Blvd. Thats another story. The theater colosed for a while in about 1954 and my parents reopened it in 1955. It faced West on Thomas St.(Hwy 51North). On the North side was a resturant named The Harlem House on the South side was a barber shop. The projection room had 2 Simplex projectors, sound and carbon arc lamps. The film cabinet had 12 bins. There was a fire door that would slide shut should the fire line break and so would the port hole shutters. There was 2 windows and a ladder at the one next to the recifier switches, no water and no restroom. My job was to open at 6:45pm to 8 and back in the projection room at 10:30 to close. The theater remained open until around 1959.
The Carver Theatre located at 1519 Hardin St. in Columbis,Sc. was remolded in the summer of 1966. I got my license and in the fall it opened. After I got out of service Mr.Z asked if I wanted to come here and help with the remolding of the theatre. It had the same type equipment as the Ritz in Memphis. It had a balcony the floors were carpeted the restrooms were upstairs either side of the balcony. The projection room about 12'x 20'. Two windows 18"x24"high off the floor. the ac in the pictures were installed sometime later. The other projectionist name was Mr. Watson The manager name was A.E.Smith. The ticket booth was on the corner of the building with the consecession stand was right behind it. The office was upstaris behind the balcony. The glass window next door was a barber shop operated by a man with a bad led, called Little Joe .
In 1960 I was introduced to a Mr.Zarro, I called him ‘Mr.Z’ by my father. He wanted to know if I wanted the job of running pictures at the theatre he was opening(remodeling). I had just gotten my license a year earlier. You know the answer to this? I went to work right away. first installing new seats, building sound proofing racks for the walls. when the century projectors came I installed them and the 2 peerless lamps driven by 6 selium rectifier each. With the help of Butch I hung the 30' screen. A big Indian named Casey did the electrical, he was familar with RCA sound system. In the earlier days of the theatre it had the smaller version of lamps with simplex projectors and the projection room was not very large
The Esquire theatre building is still there 2492 Carnes ave in the Orange Mound district of Memphis,Tn. When the theatre opened the projectionist was John C. Williams Sr. He worked there until it closed. I was 11yrs old when he said,“Come go with me.” we got in his light blue 4dr 1953 Hudson.(some things you never forget) He took me upstairs and began to teach me the art of being a motion picture operator. the projection room contained two simplex projectors/ peerless carbon arc lamps two, four tube rectifiers a steroptican. work bench/manual rewinders and an electric rewinder.
There were two set of stairs leading to the room. It had its own toilet and water fountain. The lobby entrance had double doors on either side of the ticket booth. a candy/popcorn counter, a icecream booth. The auditorum had three emergency exit doors on each wall two on either side of the lobby, two mid either side and two at the front either side of the stage. The stage was abour 4' high. Behind the screen stood a huge speaker, seems like it was 8' tall. the seats had isle light about every third row. The isles were carpeted as was the lobby. need more detail let me know.
When the theatre closed we went to the north sisde of town and took over the Savoy Theatre.
Berore it reopened as the “Ritz” it was named “Ace”. After it reopened I was the projectionist there until I went into service. I live in Memphis,Tn and I would like to talk with Helen and biggie4852. my email is will you pass it on.
Thanks
esquire
I don’t know when the Savoy was built, I can only go back to 1945 when my parents carried my brother and I to see Song of The South. We lived one block over and had the same numbers in our address. The Theater was owned by Chalmers Cullins. He was aslo the co-owner of the W.C.Handy on Park Ave at the corner of Airways Blvd. Thats another story. The theater colosed for a while in about 1954 and my parents reopened it in 1955. It faced West on Thomas St.(Hwy 51North). On the North side was a resturant named The Harlem House on the South side was a barber shop. The projection room had 2 Simplex projectors, sound and carbon arc lamps. The film cabinet had 12 bins. There was a fire door that would slide shut should the fire line break and so would the port hole shutters. There was 2 windows and a ladder at the one next to the recifier switches, no water and no restroom. My job was to open at 6:45pm to 8 and back in the projection room at 10:30 to close. The theater remained open until around 1959.
The Carver Theatre located at 1519 Hardin St. in Columbis,Sc. was remolded in the summer of 1966. I got my license and in the fall it opened. After I got out of service Mr.Z asked if I wanted to come here and help with the remolding of the theatre. It had the same type equipment as the Ritz in Memphis. It had a balcony the floors were carpeted the restrooms were upstairs either side of the balcony. The projection room about 12'x 20'. Two windows 18"x24"high off the floor. the ac in the pictures were installed sometime later. The other projectionist name was Mr. Watson The manager name was A.E.Smith. The ticket booth was on the corner of the building with the consecession stand was right behind it. The office was upstaris behind the balcony. The glass window next door was a barber shop operated by a man with a bad led, called Little Joe .
In 1960 I was introduced to a Mr.Zarro, I called him ‘Mr.Z’ by my father. He wanted to know if I wanted the job of running pictures at the theatre he was opening(remodeling). I had just gotten my license a year earlier. You know the answer to this? I went to work right away. first installing new seats, building sound proofing racks for the walls. when the century projectors came I installed them and the 2 peerless lamps driven by 6 selium rectifier each. With the help of Butch I hung the 30' screen. A big Indian named Casey did the electrical, he was familar with RCA sound system. In the earlier days of the theatre it had the smaller version of lamps with simplex projectors and the projection room was not very large
The Esquire theatre building is still there 2492 Carnes ave in the Orange Mound district of Memphis,Tn. When the theatre opened the projectionist was John C. Williams Sr. He worked there until it closed. I was 11yrs old when he said,“Come go with me.” we got in his light blue 4dr 1953 Hudson.(some things you never forget) He took me upstairs and began to teach me the art of being a motion picture operator. the projection room contained two simplex projectors/ peerless carbon arc lamps two, four tube rectifiers a steroptican. work bench/manual rewinders and an electric rewinder.
There were two set of stairs leading to the room. It had its own toilet and water fountain. The lobby entrance had double doors on either side of the ticket booth. a candy/popcorn counter, a icecream booth. The auditorum had three emergency exit doors on each wall two on either side of the lobby, two mid either side and two at the front either side of the stage. The stage was abour 4' high. Behind the screen stood a huge speaker, seems like it was 8' tall. the seats had isle light about every third row. The isles were carpeted as was the lobby. need more detail let me know.
When the theatre closed we went to the north sisde of town and took over the Savoy Theatre.