I worked there in ‘66 – ‘68 as an usher. Alvin Kruger was the manager. Powers owned it along with the Woodlawn and Texas Theaters. Candy girls were Judy & Debbie Hedtke, Beverly Gail Kruger, her sister Becky (Alvin’s daughters), Jenny Quan and Janet Dreslin. Ushers were Wayne Sholtz (who married Beverly), Charles Barley, Steve Keller (joined the Coast Guard and maybe went to 'Nam.) Keith Hoechten. There were others I can’t remember.
I saw Gone With The Wind (over 35 times), In The Heat of the Night with Sidney Portier & Rod Steiger (Academy Award Best Picture ‘68 & inspiration for the TV series); Wait Until Dark with Audrey Hepburn.; The Fox (G rated about lesbians) with Sandy Dennis and Barefoot in the Park among others.
There were windows in the lobby through which you could watch but not hear the movie. Inside the north (left) door to the main room there was a doorbell we would press if the film ran out or was out of focus. It rang a bell in the projection room.
A projectionist was O. B. Thomas who always told us jokes. Projectionists were union and kept to themselves. The projection room had steel guillotine plates over each opening for fire suppression from the old days of celluloid film.
Movies came by courier in heavy film cans the size of a suitcase. The projectionist would unwind them, splice them together into one continuous loop about 4 feet in diameter. The movie would play from that loop situated on a large turntable. The projector used a carbon arc with rods like an arc welder has. Rods were motor fed but projectionist had to constantly tweak the gap.
Across the street and north was the Budha Lounge, a gathering place for gay men. Sometimes, we had to go there to get change for the cashier. It was scary at age 16 to go in there so we usually took someone with us. The bartender would call you “sweetheart”, etc.
Laurel had a ticket sales window on the right as you entered (south west corner). The ushers' changing room was upstairs east of the projection room. We wore uniforms which they provided and kept cleaned. Mr. Kruger’s office was north of the projection room.
I think we closed the balcony sometimes when it wasn’t busy.
We sometimes went into the attic to change light bulbs. The screen was perforated with large speakers behind it. The southeast corner had a compressor room for the air conditioners which was multi-level and noisy but a good place to take a break.
We got all of our pop corn from the basement of the Texas Theater. We would drive there periodically and stuff a car with hefty bags of popped corn which we would re-heat and sell. Butter was extra.
There was a marquee over the front facing San Pedro. We changed the plastic letters on it when necessary using a very tall step ladder and a spotter, late at night after everyone left.
Most of the crew were in school. We were close and often spent free time together when we had it. Steve Keller was assistant manager and our natural leader. Kruger was our surrogate Dad. We used to go to Edge Falls or someone’s house to relax together.
I went by it years ago and was sad to see that it had been razed. There was parking south of the building but also one block north— both on the east side of San Pedro. We had to patrol the parking lots as well.
Laurel Theater was my second home, my second family and I’ll cherish the memories no matter what. Sam, 2015
I worked there in ‘66 – ‘68 as an usher. Alvin Kruger was the manager. Powers owned it along with the Woodlawn and Texas Theaters. Candy girls were Judy & Debbie Hedtke, Beverly Gail Kruger, her sister Becky (Alvin’s daughters), Jenny Quan and Janet Dreslin. Ushers were Wayne Sholtz (who married Beverly), Charles Barley, Steve Keller (joined the Coast Guard and maybe went to 'Nam.) Keith Hoechten. There were others I can’t remember.
I saw Gone With The Wind (over 35 times), In The Heat of the Night with Sidney Portier & Rod Steiger (Academy Award Best Picture ‘68 & inspiration for the TV series); Wait Until Dark with Audrey Hepburn.; The Fox (G rated about lesbians) with Sandy Dennis and Barefoot in the Park among others.
There were windows in the lobby through which you could watch but not hear the movie. Inside the north (left) door to the main room there was a doorbell we would press if the film ran out or was out of focus. It rang a bell in the projection room.
A projectionist was O. B. Thomas who always told us jokes. Projectionists were union and kept to themselves. The projection room had steel guillotine plates over each opening for fire suppression from the old days of celluloid film.
Movies came by courier in heavy film cans the size of a suitcase. The projectionist would unwind them, splice them together into one continuous loop about 4 feet in diameter. The movie would play from that loop situated on a large turntable. The projector used a carbon arc with rods like an arc welder has. Rods were motor fed but projectionist had to constantly tweak the gap.
Across the street and north was the Budha Lounge, a gathering place for gay men. Sometimes, we had to go there to get change for the cashier. It was scary at age 16 to go in there so we usually took someone with us. The bartender would call you “sweetheart”, etc.
Laurel had a ticket sales window on the right as you entered (south west corner). The ushers' changing room was upstairs east of the projection room. We wore uniforms which they provided and kept cleaned. Mr. Kruger’s office was north of the projection room.
I think we closed the balcony sometimes when it wasn’t busy. We sometimes went into the attic to change light bulbs. The screen was perforated with large speakers behind it. The southeast corner had a compressor room for the air conditioners which was multi-level and noisy but a good place to take a break.
We got all of our pop corn from the basement of the Texas Theater. We would drive there periodically and stuff a car with hefty bags of popped corn which we would re-heat and sell. Butter was extra.
There was a marquee over the front facing San Pedro. We changed the plastic letters on it when necessary using a very tall step ladder and a spotter, late at night after everyone left.
Most of the crew were in school. We were close and often spent free time together when we had it. Steve Keller was assistant manager and our natural leader. Kruger was our surrogate Dad. We used to go to Edge Falls or someone’s house to relax together.
I went by it years ago and was sad to see that it had been razed. There was parking south of the building but also one block north— both on the east side of San Pedro. We had to patrol the parking lots as well.
Laurel Theater was my second home, my second family and I’ll cherish the memories no matter what. Sam, 2015