garro: The average “window” for a film’s release to DVD after first run is shrinking… Not surprising is that a lot of second run theatres are actually doing quite poorly. Now, the real profit comes from the concessions alone, as the theatres pay a large percentage of their ticket price directly to the studio.
A discount house makes about 70% of a $2.00 ticket, so that would be 1.75 ($2 less taxes) x .70 = $1.22, which is not a lot at all.
According to bigscreenbiz.com, a first run theatre pays atleast 70% to the studio, leaving up to 30% for gross before it pays all of its other bills…
burningdust- I would love to get a copy of that. E-mail me at please!
And thank-you for your comment! I really don’t think the building looked as bad as “they” all were saying. It was really just false drywall ceilings that collapsed.
I was re-reading this post, and sam_e mentioned “It somehow managed to avoid being divided”.
I wonder why they chose to split only the Captiol, and why the Capitol?
In my opinion, the Capitol was a much nicer theatre, even in that horrible conditon you can see in my pictures, because it was just the 70s renovations (i.e. lowered ceilings) that came apart anyways.
But, my vertical files indicate that the reason the Capitol closed was due to the closure of the Amy Steam Heating plant. They also indicate the Met had the same heating system, so I don’t know how the Met survived the same freeze/thaw cycle that the Capitol did.
Just thought I should update this: Looks like Burton Cummings and David Wolinski (with the help of their good friend Mayor Sam Katz) are being considered for their proposal to turn the Met into a Canadian Music RockNRoll Museum.
I think Mr. Anderson could’ve kept that site up this year, and even if he had a hissy fit with the company saving advertising dollars, he still could’ve helped promote it himself. Isn’t this all really a grassroots effort?
And in the newspaper, didn’t he say when his daughter was old enough, he wanted to take her there and share his “success story” with her? He was really the public’s face for revitalization, and then he just quit.
I read from some vertical files at the Centennial Library that the Garrick was remodelled and expanded into a twin because it was in such a bad state of dis-repair. Can anyone further this?
FilmExhibitor, please drop me an e-mail at my username at hotmail dot com. I’m posting my e-mail like that to block out spamware that searches the internet for addresses.
And then the theatre was largely gutted, slightly expanded, and opened with two screens in a similar style on May 21, 1968?
In the duplex/fourplex, they never renovated. It was in such remarkable condition. The carpet was great, the walls were great… it seemed that the building was entirely cared for.
As for the sconces, they had a trough cove running down the left and right side. Its hard to explain how it exactly worked, but they had blue and red lights there that washed the grey walls in either of those colours. It would alternate in blue and red sections of lights.
Also on the screen in Cinemas 1 & 2, they had foot and ceiling spots of red and blue (similar to the coloured version of household yard flood lights on motion detectors) pointing on the screens, washing them in red and blue as well. All of the theatre’s curtains were put out of operation in 1998 due to ‘service issues’.
Cinema 1 had a deeply curved Cinerama D150 screen. The picture on this screen in its final years was amazing, but the credits could make you laugh at how they were strecthed AND squished!
By lighting troughs, do you mean it was similar to what the ceiling looks like now (in those pics) with a recess paralel to the seats, with a light bar?
From http://www.film-tech.com:
Yeah, right, have them tell you another. Thomas Lamb always did them the same way, hung with steel cable about ½" to ¾" thick on a windlass that doesn’t need a brake or ratchet, mounted on the girders in the ceiling. None of his chandeliers have fallen. Somebody cut it loose. Whether it was cut loose for fun by vandals or by someone who just wanted it out of the way is an interesting question. But not a hard one.
This was in response to the fact that the chandelier came crashing down one night and was never replaced.
Ok, sorry, I didn’t read all of the comments, because the National Register is different from Winnipeg’s system. Otherwise, if its listed, it has to be restored (to a reasonable rate- like, brand new rocker seats could be put in a theatre).
When they torn down our Capitol Theatre, they saved a bunch of the architecture to put on display. It would’ve been nice if that grand window could have been saved.
I think its just great how there’s a list to preserve historic theatres, and with one simple vote, it can just be de-listed and torn down. (SARCASM, just in case you thought I was serious).
The same thing happened to a theatre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, called the Capitol Theatre.
CentreVenture is the city’s armlength downtown revitalize agency. They manage the site with current maintenance, structural improvements (they put the new roof on), etc.
They would be the first people to contact to see whether a new group is worth persuing (or can gain access). If they just want the building to rot away and they don’t want all that free labour fixing it up, then that’ll be fine.
One sure thing though: An operator present sure beats the hell out of one man babysitting 8-14 projector/platter systems himself. And, it would have been the times of the union projectionist, thus bumping the skill level through apprenticeships and book training, plus verification.
Yah, as a single that only lasted up to ‘87, I suspected a platter system was never installed. That’s good though! That would have meant that an operator was there consistantly to monitor the film and projectors, which would have equalled a better presentation.
Here’s a really cool website. I haven’t been able to see the 360 degree views yet as i have really bad dial-up and no QuickTime Player. Check it out: View link
garro: The average “window” for a film’s release to DVD after first run is shrinking… Not surprising is that a lot of second run theatres are actually doing quite poorly. Now, the real profit comes from the concessions alone, as the theatres pay a large percentage of their ticket price directly to the studio.
A discount house makes about 70% of a $2.00 ticket, so that would be 1.75 ($2 less taxes) x .70 = $1.22, which is not a lot at all.
According to bigscreenbiz.com, a first run theatre pays atleast 70% to the studio, leaving up to 30% for gross before it pays all of its other bills…
burningdust- I would love to get a copy of that. E-mail me at please!
And thank-you for your comment! I really don’t think the building looked as bad as “they” all were saying. It was really just false drywall ceilings that collapsed.
I was re-reading this post, and sam_e mentioned “It somehow managed to avoid being divided”.
I wonder why they chose to split only the Captiol, and why the Capitol?
In my opinion, the Capitol was a much nicer theatre, even in that horrible conditon you can see in my pictures, because it was just the 70s renovations (i.e. lowered ceilings) that came apart anyways.
But, my vertical files indicate that the reason the Capitol closed was due to the closure of the Amy Steam Heating plant. They also indicate the Met had the same heating system, so I don’t know how the Met survived the same freeze/thaw cycle that the Capitol did.
This theatre was sold by Cineplex Galaxy LP (now Cineplex Entertainment) to Empire Theatres effective September 30, 2005.
Just thought I should update this: Looks like Burton Cummings and David Wolinski (with the help of their good friend Mayor Sam Katz) are being considered for their proposal to turn the Met into a Canadian Music RockNRoll Museum.
Barf.
I think Mr. Anderson could’ve kept that site up this year, and even if he had a hissy fit with the company saving advertising dollars, he still could’ve helped promote it himself. Isn’t this all really a grassroots effort?
And in the newspaper, didn’t he say when his daughter was old enough, he wanted to take her there and share his “success story” with her? He was really the public’s face for revitalization, and then he just quit.
They caught me by surprise with that too, walking past the newspapers in 7-11 one morning.
Those were very exclusive pictures I posted. I had to sign a waiver, and wear a hard hat and face mask.
The pictures are from 2001. The building had already been condemned. Even city councillors were not allowed in at that time.
mntwister- Please see the Winnipeg listings at http://www.cinematour.com for Capitol pictures when it was condemned.
Here’s the exact link of pictures I took in 2001: http://www.cinematour.com/tour/ca/3021.html
Enjoy.
I read from some vertical files at the Centennial Library that the Garrick was remodelled and expanded into a twin because it was in such a bad state of dis-repair. Can anyone further this?
And what was this about the ceiling caving in?
FilmExhibitor, please drop me an e-mail at my username at hotmail dot com. I’m posting my e-mail like that to block out spamware that searches the internet for addresses.
Thanks!
When it was a Famous Players theatre, the projection booth equipment was as follows:
Cinema 1: “ALTO"
Xebex Supersol 4kw Lamphouse
Cinemeccanica VIC 8 35/70mm Projector
Strong ALPHA 35/70mm Platter
GS Showman II Automation *(later replaced to CineQ Automations)
Cinema 2: “RIO"
Xebex Hi-Beam III 3kw Lamphouse
Cinemeccanica VIC 8 (35mm only) Projector
Strong ALPHA Platter
GS Showman II Automation *(later replaced to CineQ Automations)
Cinema 2: “BIJOU"
Xebex Hi-Beam III 3kw Lamphouse
Cinemeccanica VIC 8 (35mm only) Projector
Strong ALPHA Platter
GS Showman II Automation *(later replaced to CineQ Automations)
I’m almost 100% certain that Famous never updated C2 or C3 for 35/70mm.
If all of their equipment remained in the building when Landmark took over, then it must still be there.
Wow! I missed the golden days.
Anyone (sam_e) know the architects of the original, twin and addition?
And then the theatre was largely gutted, slightly expanded, and opened with two screens in a similar style on May 21, 1968?
In the duplex/fourplex, they never renovated. It was in such remarkable condition. The carpet was great, the walls were great… it seemed that the building was entirely cared for.
As for the sconces, they had a trough cove running down the left and right side. Its hard to explain how it exactly worked, but they had blue and red lights there that washed the grey walls in either of those colours. It would alternate in blue and red sections of lights.
Also on the screen in Cinemas 1 & 2, they had foot and ceiling spots of red and blue (similar to the coloured version of household yard flood lights on motion detectors) pointing on the screens, washing them in red and blue as well. All of the theatre’s curtains were put out of operation in 1998 due to ‘service issues’.
Cinema 1 had a deeply curved Cinerama D150 screen. The picture on this screen in its final years was amazing, but the credits could make you laugh at how they were strecthed AND squished!
By lighting troughs, do you mean it was similar to what the ceiling looks like now (in those pics) with a recess paralel to the seats, with a light bar?
From http://www.film-tech.com:
Yeah, right, have them tell you another. Thomas Lamb always did them the same way, hung with steel cable about ½" to ¾" thick on a windlass that doesn’t need a brake or ratchet, mounted on the girders in the ceiling. None of his chandeliers have fallen. Somebody cut it loose. Whether it was cut loose for fun by vandals or by someone who just wanted it out of the way is an interesting question. But not a hard one.
This was in response to the fact that the chandelier came crashing down one night and was never replaced.
Ok, sorry, I didn’t read all of the comments, because the National Register is different from Winnipeg’s system. Otherwise, if its listed, it has to be restored (to a reasonable rate- like, brand new rocker seats could be put in a theatre).
When they torn down our Capitol Theatre, they saved a bunch of the architecture to put on display. It would’ve been nice if that grand window could have been saved.
I think its just great how there’s a list to preserve historic theatres, and with one simple vote, it can just be de-listed and torn down. (SARCASM, just in case you thought I was serious).
The same thing happened to a theatre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, called the Capitol Theatre.
No one loved this theatre more than me!
Does anyone have pictures of the inside (pre 1968 expansion)?
CentreVenture is the city’s armlength downtown revitalize agency. They manage the site with current maintenance, structural improvements (they put the new roof on), etc.
They would be the first people to contact to see whether a new group is worth persuing (or can gain access). If they just want the building to rot away and they don’t want all that free labour fixing it up, then that’ll be fine.
This theatre has a combined total of around 900 seats now.
This is getting pretty nitty gritty when it comes to the Met.
Still haven’t heard anything from CentreVenture.
One sure thing though: An operator present sure beats the hell out of one man babysitting 8-14 projector/platter systems himself. And, it would have been the times of the union projectionist, thus bumping the skill level through apprenticeships and book training, plus verification.
The Capitol Theatre apparently had best Dolby Stereo sound system in Winnipeg.
This was stated by Paul McKie and Randall King when they did ratings of each theatre in town.
Yah, as a single that only lasted up to ‘87, I suspected a platter system was never installed. That’s good though! That would have meant that an operator was there consistantly to monitor the film and projectors, which would have equalled a better presentation.
Here’s a really cool website. I haven’t been able to see the 360 degree views yet as i have really bad dial-up and no QuickTime Player. Check it out: View link