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On Saturday May 31 I began a week’s vacation from my job as a produce clerk at a local supermarket. When you feed the Minions three days a week year round, sometimes you just have to get away for a while.
Sunday June 2 my sister said since I was on a break let’s do something together. I assumed she meant lunch at a local place as we sometimes do that, too.
Not this time. Instead she offered to drive and buy tickets to the Tampa Theater located just off 275 in Tampa Florida. I think it was exit 44 and a few quick turns and we were parking the car a block away from the theater.
Right away I could tell this was going to be special. Definitely not your usual run of the mill multiplex. Approaching the box office window outside on the sidewalk I noticed a glass poster display. Under the glass were 8 x 10 photo cards highlighting the summer series Saturday afternoon matinee. We were there for Thelma & Louise starring Susan Sarandon and Gena Davis.
I happened to notice four movies listed that I have full length on super 8. They were, “Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Wizard of Oz, Chinatown, & Casablanca.”
Once inside the building behold a magical movie palace built/opened in October 1926 one year before my Dad was born. Buddy Rich the jazz drummer was 9 years old and already fronting his own band. The RMS TITANIC met its fate 14 years earlier.
I thought just how many movies through time and technology have lit up the screen. I could not come up with a number. Walking through the building, restrooms were up and down stairs. Before entering the facility I walked through a large room with a bench. I assume men and ladies separately could relax or if they had to wait their turn. Inside the men’s room, the urinals went all the way down to the floor. It didn’t stop just below your knees.
The dark brown stain on the building wood construction stood the test of time. The balcony appeared to be in two halves way up high. And above that was the projection room. I asked about a tour of the booth but they were not able to allow it that day. They did advise me to write to the director to see if it could be arranged. I was told the downward angle was so drastic that if anyone bumped the equipment a technician would be required to realign it. I accepted this because early in my career I worked in theaters with very great downward pitch. I had a very nice chat with the man I spoke with and he understood my fascination of movies and projecting and that I had a 35+ year career running analog projectors.
Taking our seats we finished watching standard slide advertisements along with movie trivia questions. This went on for about 30 minutes. Then the curtain closed as the final slide from Bank of America who sponsors the theater to keep it going appeared on the closed curtain.
Just when we thought here comes the previews – all of a sudden the organ music blasts through the sound system. They played several classic movie scores from the days of the silents however I was unable to identify any of them. The sound was so loud when it began some people in front of us actually jumped a little bit. I found this to be quite funny actually.
A few minutes of organ music with the curtain closed continues and next a spot light appears on the stage as the live organ performer rises on an elevator type platform and appears on stage. The music was very loud – almost too loud. But it was the best damn music experience I have ever heard. Absolutely positively gosh darned AMAZING.
As he finished his performance the organ began to lower back in to the basement. A round of applause from the audience for his part of the show. In a few seconds two people came out and said a few things about the theater. Then they went behind the screen and the show began.
My only tiny little complaint or observation was when looking at the stage and screen, it could have used a re-design because there was definitely enough room for a HUGE screen for that building. However, I get it. In 1926 we only had 4 x 3 movies and it would be many years before Cinemascope would come into the cinema experience. And yes – they wanted to keep this building the way it was back in its day.
Sometimes I wish I could have been a 10 year old boy living in Tampa in 1938. This would have been the place to see great films like Way Out West, Snow White, or Birth of a Nation and so many others.
When I worked all those years as a projectionist – I didn’t always watch every single movie. It was just a job after all. You do it every day – it can get mundane to some degree. Funny though. There are quite a few movies I love to watch on super 8 or 16mm in my home – and yet when I was running these titles in 35mm I had absolutely no desire to see them at work. I had no interest in going to other theaters on my nights off to see them either. Nights off, especially in the summer on Cape Cod – I wanted to be out doors just doing whatever fit the mood.
Through it all I made some exceptions to travel to Boston to see certain movies in 70mm on huge wide appropriate screens for the cause. Those films were like the Tampa Theater – a genuine thrill to have taken part. A Chorus Line was one. Baraka & the sequel Samsara were others. Some of the Star Trek films, too.
Which brings me to the film we saw yesterday, “Thelma & Louise.” Back when it was out – it was one of these typical movies that did well while we had it – but it did not interest me at the time. And I like Gena Davis as an actress. She was born in Wareham, Massachusetts not too far from Falmouth where I lived 40 years. One of my optical features has Susan Sarandon in it. This movie while working did not grab me. Until yesterday.
The acting was superb. Harvey Keitel stole the show as the detective on the chase. Gena and Susan did well starting out on a vacation and realizing as it went along it would not end well. The scope image was good. And it was big enough based on where I sat. The sound was good but I think they need a Dolby alignment. Center channel seemed weak – and I was getting a lot more dialog from right channel.
Folks I can say this was the best theater experience I’ve had in a very long time. They say in Florida from any location you are less than 65 miles from ocean. Well if that is true – then from wherever you are in the Sunshine State – it is worth the trip to the Tampa Theater in down town Tampa, Florida. It’s the only theater where the popcorn will find its way to your mouth in the dark by itself.
Thank you to my beautiful sister for doing this.
THE TAMPA THEATER
711 N Franklin St, Tampa, FL 33602
https://tampatheatre.org/
Sunday June 2 my sister said since I was on a break let’s do something together. I assumed she meant lunch at a local place as we sometimes do that, too.
Not this time. Instead she offered to drive and buy tickets to the Tampa Theater located just off 275 in Tampa Florida. I think it was exit 44 and a few quick turns and we were parking the car a block away from the theater.
Right away I could tell this was going to be special. Definitely not your usual run of the mill multiplex. Approaching the box office window outside on the sidewalk I noticed a glass poster display. Under the glass were 8 x 10 photo cards highlighting the summer series Saturday afternoon matinee. We were there for Thelma & Louise starring Susan Sarandon and Gena Davis.
I happened to notice four movies listed that I have full length on super 8. They were, “Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Wizard of Oz, Chinatown, & Casablanca.”
Once inside the building behold a magical movie palace built/opened in October 1926 one year before my Dad was born. Buddy Rich the jazz drummer was 9 years old and already fronting his own band. The RMS TITANIC met its fate 14 years earlier.
I thought just how many movies through time and technology have lit up the screen. I could not come up with a number. Walking through the building, restrooms were up and down stairs. Before entering the facility I walked through a large room with a bench. I assume men and ladies separately could relax or if they had to wait their turn. Inside the men’s room, the urinals went all the way down to the floor. It didn’t stop just below your knees.
The dark brown stain on the building wood construction stood the test of time. The balcony appeared to be in two halves way up high. And above that was the projection room. I asked about a tour of the booth but they were not able to allow it that day. They did advise me to write to the director to see if it could be arranged. I was told the downward angle was so drastic that if anyone bumped the equipment a technician would be required to realign it. I accepted this because early in my career I worked in theaters with very great downward pitch. I had a very nice chat with the man I spoke with and he understood my fascination of movies and projecting and that I had a 35+ year career running analog projectors.
Taking our seats we finished watching standard slide advertisements along with movie trivia questions. This went on for about 30 minutes. Then the curtain closed as the final slide from Bank of America who sponsors the theater to keep it going appeared on the closed curtain.
Just when we thought here comes the previews – all of a sudden the organ music blasts through the sound system. They played several classic movie scores from the days of the silents however I was unable to identify any of them. The sound was so loud when it began some people in front of us actually jumped a little bit. I found this to be quite funny actually.
A few minutes of organ music with the curtain closed continues and next a spot light appears on the stage as the live organ performer rises on an elevator type platform and appears on stage. The music was very loud – almost too loud. But it was the best damn music experience I have ever heard. Absolutely positively gosh darned AMAZING.
As he finished his performance the organ began to lower back in to the basement. A round of applause from the audience for his part of the show. In a few seconds two people came out and said a few things about the theater. Then they went behind the screen and the show began.
My only tiny little complaint or observation was when looking at the stage and screen, it could have used a re-design because there was definitely enough room for a HUGE screen for that building. However, I get it. In 1926 we only had 4 x 3 movies and it would be many years before Cinemascope would come into the cinema experience. And yes – they wanted to keep this building the way it was back in its day.
Sometimes I wish I could have been a 10 year old boy living in Tampa in 1938. This would have been the place to see great films like Way Out West, Snow White, or Birth of a Nation and so many others.
When I worked all those years as a projectionist – I didn’t always watch every single movie. It was just a job after all. You do it every day – it can get mundane to some degree. Funny though. There are quite a few movies I love to watch on super 8 or 16mm in my home – and yet when I was running these titles in 35mm I had absolutely no desire to see them at work. I had no interest in going to other theaters on my nights off to see them either. Nights off, especially in the summer on Cape Cod – I wanted to be out doors just doing whatever fit the mood.
Through it all I made some exceptions to travel to Boston to see certain movies in 70mm on huge wide appropriate screens for the cause. Those films were like the Tampa Theater – a genuine thrill to have taken part. A Chorus Line was one. Baraka & the sequel Samsara were others. Some of the Star Trek films, too.
Which brings me to the film we saw yesterday, “Thelma & Louise.” Back when it was out – it was one of these typical movies that did well while we had it – but it did not interest me at the time. And I like Gena Davis as an actress. She was born in Wareham, Massachusetts not too far from Falmouth where I lived 40 years. One of my optical features has Susan Sarandon in it. This movie while working did not grab me. Until yesterday.
The acting was superb. Harvey Keitel stole the show as the detective on the chase. Gena and Susan did well starting out on a vacation and realizing as it went along it would not end well. The scope image was good. And it was big enough based on where I sat. The sound was good but I think they need a Dolby alignment. Center channel seemed weak – and I was getting a lot more dialog from right channel.
Folks I can say this was the best theater experience I’ve had in a very long time. They say in Florida from any location you are less than 65 miles from ocean. Well if that is true – then from wherever you are in the Sunshine State – it is worth the trip to the Tampa Theater in down town Tampa, Florida. It’s the only theater where the popcorn will find its way to your mouth in the dark by itself.
Thank you to my beautiful sister for doing this.
THE TAMPA THEATER
711 N Franklin St, Tampa, FL 33602
https://tampatheatre.org/
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