I too went to see the showing of It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World and while I was impressed with the screen width I only heard three channels in the front left center and right. The left extra and right extra were silent.
I was one of those summer employees and the second floor has private rooms for Interstate’s summer projectionists but only three were from off cape and lived there. George Nelson was there the longest. I had never heard of the space being used as an ice cream parlor.
To answer Jloew’s comment regarding the boxed space that is above what used to be the stage at the Chinese. That boxed space is standard fly space that most older theaters have. The organ was forward of that space. There is space between the ceiling and the roof of the Chinese and the organ was in that space located in rooms that were built to house the organ.
David Kornfeld trained to be a projectionist at the Astor but he never worked there as a projectionist. He did receive very extensive training and spent many a late night there. I had full run of the theater as head projectionist in charge of all maintenance. Even though we never used the six channel sound system for a regular performance I kept it operational. On many occasion I did run a 70mm 1000 foot reel borrowed from the Sack 57 that demonstrated the Todd-AO system. When the theater closed I joined the navy and gave David the lenses and gates to hold on to. After the theater was vandalized he removed the intermittent movements.
In answer to jloew’s question about a Wurlitzer console in the pit at the Chinese. The Chinese underwent an extensive remodel in the late 1950’s for the installation of Cinemiracle. The projection booth was moved to the orchestra level at the back of the theater. The front of the stage and the proscenium arch was ripped out along with two of the stone columns to the left and right of the stage and a 120' screen holder was installed where the stage once was. I believe the organ was removed at this time as part of the remodel. The pipes for the organ were above the stage and were ducted so that the sound came from the main chandelier.
The proscenium at the Chinese was not removed until Cinemiracle was installed for Windjammer. Two support columns had to be removed one to the right and the other to the left of where the stage once was and a shearing wall was installed. Those columns are visible in early pictures and in the movie Singing In the Rain. The ceiling dropped several inches when the supports were removed. The original CinemaScope picture was not very large as it was limited by the width of the stage. For the Cinemamiracle installation a 120 foot screen holder was constructed and the projection booth was moved to the lower level in the back of the auditorium because Cinemiracle required a zero degree projection angle. There was a brass plaque in the forecourt dating the Cinemiracle installation. The Cinemiracle booth has since been removed and the projection booth was rebuilt in its original location. This was done during the last major restoration. The organ was also removed at some point probably during the Cinemamiracle retrofit but I’m not sure when the organ was removed. The organ music used to come from the main chandelier as it was ducted to come from there.
It is obvious that segask does not know his history as he stated “yeah. In order to properly convert his famous movie palaces to widescreen Sid Grauman ripped out the prosceniums at his Egyptian and Chinese theaters in Hollywood.” Sid Grauman died in 1950 before the advent of widescreen! The proscenium was not taken out of the Chinese until the installation of Cinemiracle for Windjammer in the late 50’s early 60’s. The Egyptian was modified for D-150 again well after the start of widescreen and long after Sid’s death. Another fact is that Sid Grauman never owned the Chinese outright and lost everything in the stock market crash of ‘29.
the El Capitan screen is not very big as it is on the stage. The largest screen holder in California is at the Chinese and the screen holder is 120 feet. The stage at the Chinese was ripped out to accommodate this large screen holder. The masking at the Chinese opens to 65 feet for 35mm scope the largest picture able to be projected without burning the film. It opens further for digital presentations.
It is amazing this theatre has survived but as I remember it was the only cinema within miles. When I worked there in the early 70’s the original VitaPhone equipment was still being used. The projection and sound system carried patents held by Edison. A motor generator was used to provide the DC for the antique vacuum tubes. Of course the illumination for the projectors was supplied by carbon arch. It is indeed a historic theatre. To bad the other theatres on Cape Cod didn’t survive.
anyone who wants to view footage of the re-premiere of It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World can view it at [url=http://youtube.com/results?search_query=roger+antoniotti&search_t
ype=] it is in three parts
The Charles Cinema was not the biggest screen in Boston. The Astor had the biggest screen until it closed in the late 70’s. Originally a stage theater the stage at the Astor was ripped out to accomodate the large curved Todd-AO screen. The screen at the Beacon Hill theater was also bigger than the Charles screen. In fact, the screen at the Charles may have been reduced in size by Sack theaters. After Ben Sack was ousted from the company they made an effort to get away from large screens and when Sack took over the Charles they reduced the size of the screen. It was Sack company policy to avoid 70mm when ever possible. I was responsible for getting a 70mm print of Star Wars shown at the Charles and Sack theaters was very much against it.
After it was closed and sold in the early 1970’s the theater was remodeled. The stage, which was in very bad shape, was restored. Although the theater had ample fly space there were few dressing rooms. After the remodel the theater was used in an attempt to revive vaudeville, which fail miserably. One of the acts booked at the theater was Dennis Day the singing star of the Jack Benny radio program. After the attempt to revive vaudeville failed the theater was used for several stage shows but eventually was gutted and turned into office space.
The last time I was there the space had been converted into retail and housed a variety of shops but all remains of the theater are gone as the interior of the building had been gutted.
Too bad that the original negative of Sound of Music is in such bad shape. It was restored in the early 1990’s and two 70mm prints were struck at that time but the negative spices that had to be redone showed if the film was shown using an aperture cut to the full academy standards.
I too went to see the showing of It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World and while I was impressed with the screen width I only heard three channels in the front left center and right. The left extra and right extra were silent.
and Davis Square is getting 70mm
there is a large screen 70mm theater in boston it is called the Wang Center now
I was one of those summer employees and the second floor has private rooms for Interstate’s summer projectionists but only three were from off cape and lived there. George Nelson was there the longest. I had never heard of the space being used as an ice cream parlor.
To answer Jloew’s comment regarding the boxed space that is above what used to be the stage at the Chinese. That boxed space is standard fly space that most older theaters have. The organ was forward of that space. There is space between the ceiling and the roof of the Chinese and the organ was in that space located in rooms that were built to house the organ.
A picture of the Hyannis Theater
View link
A picture of the booth in the 1990's
View link
David Kornfeld trained to be a projectionist at the Astor but he never worked there as a projectionist. He did receive very extensive training and spent many a late night there. I had full run of the theater as head projectionist in charge of all maintenance. Even though we never used the six channel sound system for a regular performance I kept it operational. On many occasion I did run a 70mm 1000 foot reel borrowed from the Sack 57 that demonstrated the Todd-AO system. When the theater closed I joined the navy and gave David the lenses and gates to hold on to. After the theater was vandalized he removed the intermittent movements.
Here are some rare photographs of the Astor View link
In answer to jloew’s question about a Wurlitzer console in the pit at the Chinese. The Chinese underwent an extensive remodel in the late 1950’s for the installation of Cinemiracle. The projection booth was moved to the orchestra level at the back of the theater. The front of the stage and the proscenium arch was ripped out along with two of the stone columns to the left and right of the stage and a 120' screen holder was installed where the stage once was. I believe the organ was removed at this time as part of the remodel. The pipes for the organ were above the stage and were ducted so that the sound came from the main chandelier.
The proscenium at the Chinese was not removed until Cinemiracle was installed for Windjammer. Two support columns had to be removed one to the right and the other to the left of where the stage once was and a shearing wall was installed. Those columns are visible in early pictures and in the movie Singing In the Rain. The ceiling dropped several inches when the supports were removed. The original CinemaScope picture was not very large as it was limited by the width of the stage. For the Cinemamiracle installation a 120 foot screen holder was constructed and the projection booth was moved to the lower level in the back of the auditorium because Cinemiracle required a zero degree projection angle. There was a brass plaque in the forecourt dating the Cinemiracle installation. The Cinemiracle booth has since been removed and the projection booth was rebuilt in its original location. This was done during the last major restoration. The organ was also removed at some point probably during the Cinemamiracle retrofit but I’m not sure when the organ was removed. The organ music used to come from the main chandelier as it was ducted to come from there.
It is obvious that segask does not know his history as he stated “yeah. In order to properly convert his famous movie palaces to widescreen Sid Grauman ripped out the prosceniums at his Egyptian and Chinese theaters in Hollywood.” Sid Grauman died in 1950 before the advent of widescreen! The proscenium was not taken out of the Chinese until the installation of Cinemiracle for Windjammer in the late 50’s early 60’s. The Egyptian was modified for D-150 again well after the start of widescreen and long after Sid’s death. Another fact is that Sid Grauman never owned the Chinese outright and lost everything in the stock market crash of ‘29.
the El Capitan screen is not very big as it is on the stage. The largest screen holder in California is at the Chinese and the screen holder is 120 feet. The stage at the Chinese was ripped out to accommodate this large screen holder. The masking at the Chinese opens to 65 feet for 35mm scope the largest picture able to be projected without burning the film. It opens further for digital presentations.
Re-premiere of It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World at the Cinerama Dome twenty years ago. Lots of familiar faces.
Part 1
http://youtube.com/watch?v=FSY47UEvOuc
Part 2
View link
Part 3
View link
http://www.in70mm.com/index.htm
View link
View link
In memory of George Nelson projectionist at the Center Theatre for many years until it burned down.
It is amazing this theatre has survived but as I remember it was the only cinema within miles. When I worked there in the early 70’s the original VitaPhone equipment was still being used. The projection and sound system carried patents held by Edison. A motor generator was used to provide the DC for the antique vacuum tubes. Of course the illumination for the projectors was supplied by carbon arch. It is indeed a historic theatre. To bad the other theatres on Cape Cod didn’t survive.
this is a better way to get to the footage of the re-premiere of It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World
Part 1
http://youtube.com/watch?v=FSY47UEvOuc
Part 2
View link
Part 3
View link
anyone who wants to view footage of the re-premiere of It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World can view it at [url=http://youtube.com/results?search_query=roger+antoniotti&search_t
ype=] it is in three parts
The Charles Cinema was not the biggest screen in Boston. The Astor had the biggest screen until it closed in the late 70’s. Originally a stage theater the stage at the Astor was ripped out to accomodate the large curved Todd-AO screen. The screen at the Beacon Hill theater was also bigger than the Charles screen. In fact, the screen at the Charles may have been reduced in size by Sack theaters. After Ben Sack was ousted from the company they made an effort to get away from large screens and when Sack took over the Charles they reduced the size of the screen. It was Sack company policy to avoid 70mm when ever possible. I was responsible for getting a 70mm print of Star Wars shown at the Charles and Sack theaters was very much against it.
After it was closed and sold in the early 1970’s the theater was remodeled. The stage, which was in very bad shape, was restored. Although the theater had ample fly space there were few dressing rooms. After the remodel the theater was used in an attempt to revive vaudeville, which fail miserably. One of the acts booked at the theater was Dennis Day the singing star of the Jack Benny radio program. After the attempt to revive vaudeville failed the theater was used for several stage shows but eventually was gutted and turned into office space.
The last time I was there the space had been converted into retail and housed a variety of shops but all remains of the theater are gone as the interior of the building had been gutted.
Too bad that the original negative of Sound of Music is in such bad shape. It was restored in the early 1990’s and two 70mm prints were struck at that time but the negative spices that had to be redone showed if the film was shown using an aperture cut to the full academy standards.