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Topic: Cinema To Close

Pasquale DAlessio
Film God

Posts: 3523
From: Bristol,RI, USA
Registered: May 2010

posted May 20, 2013 05:27 AM

Graham

I'll bet you had a lump in your throat when you took these photos. I know the feeling. We had an old cinema torn down here and I felt a piece of my life was taken away. The theater where I saw my first James Bond film for 20 cents is gone. And to think, I almost bought the theater when it was up for sale. I just couldn't come up with the down payment. You never know.

PatD

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Lee Mannering
Film God

Posts: 3216
From: The Projection Box
Registered: Nov 2006

posted May 20, 2013 08:10 AM

Quite an important document/thread this one and perhaps its good to look at one upside as well in that many collectors have jumped at the opportunity to preserve equipment which otherwise would have hit the skip. The mind boggles how much it would cost to re tool for a production run of new 35mm projectors if the need ever arose some years on. As you mention Graham the down side of owning a Kinoton is they blasted nearly break your back when lifting, but what a cracking projector and so pleased I rescued mine in time.

I'm looking for a pair of good Premier rewinders at the moment.

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David Ollerearnshaw
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1373
From: Penistone Sheffield UK
Registered: Oct 2012

posted May 20, 2013 09:18 AM

Hi, Sometimes progress is backwards. At least you have the happy memories, and the photos.

I noticed on one of the pictures looking at the platters, was there some films left on them?

Best Wishes.

David

--------------------
I love the smell of film in the morning.

http://www.thereelimage.co.uk/

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Hugh Thompson Scott
Film God

Posts: 3063
From: Gt. Clifton,Cumbria,England
Registered: Jan 2012

posted May 21, 2013 03:11 AM

Graham, I know just how you feel,the sense of loss,the anger and
wondering why.I think a curse is following me,where ever I spend
any length of time......gets demolished, my last school, my tech.
college, my places of employment, even the street where I was
born, half gone.This is the throwaway society we live in,everything
must make a profit,or it's destroyed,there's no room for anything
that doesn't make someone a fistful of money.At least you have
your memories of happy times in a place that was really your
second home,and a collection of photo's that you can ponder
over on a quiet night.The old saying that "you don't know what
got 'til it's gone" certainly rings true and makes one think of
our own mortality.Change is not always progress,but for the
greedy entrepreneur,that does'nt matter,he cares not a jot that
a lovely little cinema,a place of meeting and pleasure,it's sitting
on a goldmine for him, and his line of defence will be,think of
the jobs I've created. In England, we had a place of execution
called Tyburn, I wish it was still in use for some of the self serving people in this country.

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Graham Ritchie
Film God

Posts: 4001
From: New Zealand
Registered: Feb 2006

posted May 21, 2013 07:11 PM

It certainly felt strange taking those final photos, it was the only city cinema that was still running with little damage after those earthquakes, the rest were closed for quite a while. The building did shake and bounce, but held up well. If you had seen me hanging for dear life onto the old Bauer projector one night as a magnitude 5-6 really shook the place...what a picture that would have been.

One of the best decisions I made over those 12 years was to give a young kid who had just turned 15 yrs at the time, the chance to do part time projection work. His enthusiasm for the job was really something. I left one night and told him not to start the evening private screeing without checking with the folk involed in it, to make sure the raffles and speeches are over first. Anyway I found out the next day, he had done just that, but while he was downstairs looking looking for the main organizer of this private, a lady came up to him and asked if he was "lost" and looking for his parents....much to her surprise, he told her he "WAS" the projectionist [Eek!]

...they thought it was great [Big Grin]

I remember once we had 200 intermediate school children 11-12 age arrive to watch some nice safe "G" rated cartoon for the end of term break. I had the Bauer all threaded and ready to go, when the manager came through the projection room and said the kids dont seem very interested in the film the teachers had picked out.

So I thought mmmmm I had just finished putting together the first "Pirates of the Caribean" film due for its release the nest day, a wee voice in my head said "WHY NOT"...put that one on instead...so I unthreaded the projector and replaced that film with "Pirates" instead and away we went. Well it was a surprise for those kids and not what they expected thats for sure, but going by the reaction and clapping at the end of the movie it was certainly a big hit.

The down side of all this, was I was going to be in "BIG" trouble so tried to hide. The manager did come into the projection room and shouted GRAHAM...yes I said...she replied THEY ENJOYED THAT ONE...and left [Roll Eyes]

...relief

Cinemas are places that are full of stories thats for sure.

Graham. [Smile]

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Paul Adsett
Film God

Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted May 21, 2013 10:10 PM

Sounds to me like you had your own 'Cinema Paradiso'. Well done Graham, I'm sure all those kids will have happy memories of your cinema that they will carry for the rest of their lives. [Smile]

--------------------
The best of all worlds- 8mm, super 8mm, 9.5mm, and HD Digital Projection,
Elmo GS1200 f1.0 2-blade
Eumig S938 Stereo f1.0 Ektar
Panasonic PT-AE4000U digital pj

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Lee Mannering
Film God

Posts: 3216
From: The Projection Box
Registered: Nov 2006

posted May 22, 2013 02:46 AM

I thought of you Paul yesterday as I passed one of our remaining old cinema buildings which were built in the early part of the 20th century. In our area I’m pleased to say a good number of the original cinema structures still remain although they are either used as shops or boarded up. This particular one has been empty for a few years but I did some time ago make a film about the old cinemas that were in our town and got into the building which was being used as a furniture shop. It was really interesting to find the projection room, cinema managers office and even the proscenium were still there which rather floored me. The building is just about to be converted into units so it will be interesting to see if they make a feature of the old proscenium. Here then is the old Ritz Cinema building.

The first films shown in our town were in 1902 within the town hall and we got our first cinema built in 1910 with sound being installed in 1929 with a film called 'Donovan Affair' getting a screening. Locals used to give nick names to each of our cinemaslike Tuppeny rush, Laugh and scratch etc.

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Hugh Thompson Scott
Film God

Posts: 3063
From: Gt. Clifton,Cumbria,England
Registered: Jan 2012

posted May 22, 2013 03:49 AM

It looks as though it's had a bit of a face lift Lee,so someone wants
the building proper kept.It is all very sad really when these places
close.Wouldn't it be nice if the amateurs could run a few films in them every now and then,but the by laws,restrictions,fire inspections, health and safety wreck that dream.

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Lee Mannering
Film God

Posts: 3216
From: The Projection Box
Registered: Nov 2006

posted May 22, 2013 04:43 AM

Was even worse when it caught fire and amazing its still here. They dont build em like that anymore...

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Graham Ritchie
Film God

Posts: 4001
From: New Zealand
Registered: Feb 2006

posted September 13, 2014 04:07 PM

Well its coming up to the three year mark and the new department store etc that now stands where the cinema once was is about to open. I called into the mall for the first time in a long while and one of the lady mall cleaners recognized me...so we had a wee chat, seemingly the kids no longer go there now...go elsewhere.

Pity... as it was the school holidays and sold out kids movies that brought in the families which in turn would often do a bit of shopping in that mall at the same time.

Its interesting that some of the kids that I once worked with at the cinema still miss the place, and its nice to still keep in touch with some of them.

For myself... I am enjoying the new challenge of driving a small school bus around town and building at present a better home for the BauerU4 projector and the five deck platter [Cool]

Graham.

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Pasquale DAlessio
Film God

Posts: 3523
From: Bristol,RI, USA
Registered: May 2010

posted September 13, 2014 04:18 PM

Nice to know all was not forgotten.

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Derek Dorking
Junior
Posts: 9
From: Norfolk, UK
Registered: Sep 2013

posted September 19, 2014 01:41 PM

I have just read through Graham's post and all I can do is agree with him. It's a terrible thing to leave a job and place you love. I did- November 2012- Made redundant after 33years in film and cinema due to DIGITAL. Here in the UK most projectionists lost their jobs due to this with all the cinema companies cutting well over 80% of the workforce and scrapping all the equipment. [Confused]

Digital is great for live broadcasts, theatre, screentalks but you can't beat the quality of film. When shown side by side, film always wins! You know, I filmed or took photos of every show I ever worked at (there was a few!) but once I knew my entire team along with myself were to be axed I just couldn't do it and just left on my last night. Never been in a cinema since. Oh, and I hear there are still green or black screens going on all over the company due to poor equipment. Pity. [Razz]

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