Here is another link to a set of interior of photos of this incredible theater. Click the SUBSCRIBE button at lower right. Apparently it has been re-listed at $18M.
Notice the odd placement of some of the interior granite/marble, both faux and real- especially on some of the lobby doors and in front of the auditorium murals. Makes me wonder if it is all original…
A year ago we ran a print in Monterey of EMPIRE and Mr Kershner spoke before the screenings. He was just great, with interesting stories and was very frank about working with big studio politics and his relationship with George Lucas. Some pics of the event are here (I hope).
I am not a pro at this, so I may mess up here, but i stumbled on a recent blog about answering a craigslist ad for the remains of The Eagle, which includes a set of photos and a link to a preservation group— scroll down a few feet—
Warner classics still has one 35mm full frame IB Tech print that is in good shape. We have shown it 4 times in Monterey. The last play was in July, and I was told then that the print was being removed from circulation, apparently so as not to compete with the digital “big screen” release.
Looked inside at ongoing work yesterday. The appearance is about as in the 2007 article mentioned above, but the ceiling decorative paint looked nicely restored, as well as a huge mural over the stage. It’s basically a wonderfully large space with a very high ceiling for a theater lacking a balcony. In the back of the house, the seats rise stadium-style over the relatively small lobby.
The place appears to be a purpose-built movie house, with lots of original deco details and light fixtures still intact. There is no real stage or fly loft, but it looks like a new thrust stage area has been built.
It seems as though the place is being restored a bit at a time, but should be really nice someday. Maybe room for 900-1000 seats. Extensive second floor offices and booth were being worked on.
This is where projector techs hang out online. They are super helpful and probably can provide you with names of experts in your area. The manual for your machine is also available on the site as a download.
It might also be a good idea to add a list of theaters that were lost in the past year. This would include accidental loss, like the sad demise of the Paxton the other day, and willful destruction as in the case of the Raymond in Pasadena.
This kind of list might help demonstrate that the danger to these great buildings is real, and inspire people to do more to save them.
Cinema Treasures was very important when I was gathering information on old theaters and again when eventually I acquired one. Since I am a movie palace owner, I have absolutely no extra money. However, I will be sending SOMETHING, I promise.
If I might make a suggestion— how about taking your show on the road? There are certainly enough of these old theaters across America— 1) a simple Power Point slide show — considering your resources of photos and information— would be great in an old theater; 2) all the people who run old theaters know you guys; 3) Record tours of each theater on video— You could end up on HGTV! 4) Combine your show with a classic film— there are actually some good ones that are public domain, and rights to most old movies are not expensive.
A 2-week vacation could put you into maybe half a dozen theaters. Fund raisers for restorations or regular bookings could net you a few thousand dollars. I would definitely be interested in a show like that.
The Golden State Theatre in Monterey CA shows classic double features as well as 2 or 3 live events per month. Most old movies are relatively easy to book, some are difficult or impossible! Since you are part of a chain, your company’s bookers probably have the contacts that you need for the distributors' classics departments. http://goldenstatetheatre.com/
Looks like The Park may soon become an ice cream parlor: View Link
The link in the blurb above points to another theater in New York.
Here is another link to a set of interior of photos of this incredible theater. Click the SUBSCRIBE button at lower right. Apparently it has been re-listed at $18M.
Notice the odd placement of some of the interior granite/marble, both faux and real- especially on some of the lobby doors and in front of the auditorium murals. Makes me wonder if it is all original…
A year ago we ran a print in Monterey of EMPIRE and Mr Kershner spoke before the screenings. He was just great, with interesting stories and was very frank about working with big studio politics and his relationship with George Lucas. Some pics of the event are here (I hope).
Hey I did mess up! I hate this! try—
here
Scroll down for this one— to Feb 12 2010
here
I am not a pro at this, so I may mess up here, but i stumbled on a recent blog about answering a craigslist ad for the remains of The Eagle, which includes a set of photos and a link to a preservation group— scroll down a few feet—
here
here
Warner classics still has one 35mm full frame IB Tech print that is in good shape. We have shown it 4 times in Monterey. The last play was in July, and I was told then that the print was being removed from circulation, apparently so as not to compete with the digital “big screen” release.
Looked inside at ongoing work yesterday. The appearance is about as in the 2007 article mentioned above, but the ceiling decorative paint looked nicely restored, as well as a huge mural over the stage. It’s basically a wonderfully large space with a very high ceiling for a theater lacking a balcony. In the back of the house, the seats rise stadium-style over the relatively small lobby.
The place appears to be a purpose-built movie house, with lots of original deco details and light fixtures still intact. There is no real stage or fly loft, but it looks like a new thrust stage area has been built.
It seems as though the place is being restored a bit at a time, but should be really nice someday. Maybe room for 900-1000 seats. Extensive second floor offices and booth were being worked on.
This is where projector techs hang out online. They are super helpful and probably can provide you with names of experts in your area. The manual for your machine is also available on the site as a download.
http://www.film-tech.com/
The linked article appears to be 3 years old. However in a quick web search I couldn’t find anything similar that was more current.
It might also be a good idea to add a list of theaters that were lost in the past year. This would include accidental loss, like the sad demise of the Paxton the other day, and willful destruction as in the case of the Raymond in Pasadena.
This kind of list might help demonstrate that the danger to these great buildings is real, and inspire people to do more to save them.
Cinema Treasures was very important when I was gathering information on old theaters and again when eventually I acquired one. Since I am a movie palace owner, I have absolutely no extra money. However, I will be sending SOMETHING, I promise.
If I might make a suggestion— how about taking your show on the road? There are certainly enough of these old theaters across America— 1) a simple Power Point slide show — considering your resources of photos and information— would be great in an old theater; 2) all the people who run old theaters know you guys; 3) Record tours of each theater on video— You could end up on HGTV! 4) Combine your show with a classic film— there are actually some good ones that are public domain, and rights to most old movies are not expensive.
A 2-week vacation could put you into maybe half a dozen theaters. Fund raisers for restorations or regular bookings could net you a few thousand dollars. I would definitely be interested in a show like that.
Warren Dewey
Golden State Theatre
Monterey CA
The Golden State Theatre in Monterey CA shows classic double features as well as 2 or 3 live events per month. Most old movies are relatively easy to book, some are difficult or impossible! Since you are part of a chain, your company’s bookers probably have the contacts that you need for the distributors' classics departments. http://goldenstatetheatre.com/