8mm Forum: The Glen Cinema Disaster

This is topic The Glen Cinema Disaster in forum General Yak at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on January 07, 2018, 02:08 PM:

The other day I was asked about emergency lighting that I used to check weekly at the cinema, that question, reminded me of this terrible tragedy and the changes that would take places regarding safety.

Its a three part...here is a link to the fist one..

https://youtu.be/pEQKagxCti8

Posted by Brian Fretwell (Member # 4302) on January 08, 2018, 02:43 AM:

As soon as they mentioned it was in 1929 I thought "Nitrate fire".

Posted by Allan Broadfield (Member # 2298) on January 09, 2018, 01:50 AM:

The 1929 Glen cinema disaster post should be seen by anyone interested in film history.
The building is now a showroom, and the shots above the false ceiling of the original features are beyond spooky.

Posted by Janice Glesser (Member # 2758) on January 09, 2018, 09:47 AM:

What a tragedy. I had never heard about this. From that short documentary it sounded like the children died more from the exits being locked than any fire. It's sad that it takes such a horrific disaster like this to establish safety regulations... very sad indeed [Frown]

[ January 10, 2018, 11:50 AM: Message edited by: Janice Glesser ]

Posted by Allan Broadfield (Member # 2298) on January 10, 2018, 05:29 AM:

The terrible danger of nitrate based film was well known in the industry from the beginning, but there wasn't much awareness among the general public.
My first introduction as a child to this magical busìness was around 1950 when i was given a toy 35mm hand cranked projector by my uncle. It was housed in a large biscuit tin and also contained several small rolls of film which even then I could tell were at varying stages of decomposition.
I found it great fun tearing pieces off and watching them flare up in the fireplace. Ignorance was bliss I suppose!
It was a revelation later to find that I could hire complete films on a smaller guage
that turned out to be 9.5mm, which probably saved me from being blown up!

Posted by David Hardy (Member # 4628) on January 10, 2018, 10:09 AM:

That Glen Cinema disaster changed things a lot with regards to health and safety both IN and OUT of the projection box here in the UK. The Cinematograph Act Regulations and Legislations were tightened.

Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 892) on January 10, 2018, 12:08 PM:

Incredibly tragic. How sad that an awful happening such as that is necessary to enact common sense procedures.

Is that furniture store still around? I wonder what would be found by poking around above the ceiling towards the former balcony and (of course) the booth!

Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on January 10, 2018, 02:57 PM:

I remember once at the cinema and just to see what it would be like, I brought the lights down to "complete darkness" standing at the back. The feeling I got was one of "disorientation", although you might think cinemas are dark places and they are, the projector lamp always will give some light even in a dark scene. If you take the projector out of the equation its a very different story.

I was on my own when I tried that out, and it was for only a minute or so, even with exit lights in the distance, the darkness in the place still made me uneasy. It was an "experiment" as to what it might feel like at that level of darkness, in a full cinema that "disorientation" could easily create panic, thats why "emergency lighting", that will come on automatic in a instant is so important.

Every morning before any of the sessions started, I would also check the ease of freedom of operation of all "outward facing" exit doors, any inward opening door would simply be a death trap when large numbers are on the move.

Getting large numbers of people out of a building quickly and safely was always in the back of my mind, and practiced with other staff during my time as a projectionist.

Posted by Allan Broadfield (Member # 2298) on January 11, 2018, 03:59 AM:

When in darkness I should imagine a theatre auditorium could spread a sense of panic in certain circumstances.
Years ago, when working at the Rialto just off leicester square, London, we were asked if we would take turns standing in for the nightwatchman who was ill (shouldn't think this would happen today with health and safety), and this would involve turning off all the lights under the stage and returning to the lobby in pitch black, apart from a torch. Pretty creepy stuff for an over imaginative young fellow as I was at the time, especially with the legend of the 'lady in a crinoline' supposedly haunting the place! Probably all theatres had their ghosts.

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