Sorry Pal, it is just the Warner is still a touchy subject with me, even after all these years. Cinemette was looking for any excuse to do in the Warner, and that stupid usher who stepped off that plank gave them what they were looking for. The same time there was a shop off to the right of the front entrance on 5th, Ave. that they also owned and wanted out of the Warner building. One night right after the ceiling incident, Jewish lightning hit the shop and burned it out. That was the end.You would think they would know after the failure of the Bank Cinema tower mall, witch they also ran, why would anyone think Pittsburgh needed another tower mall.Money was the real downfall of the Warner. I hope they all rot in hell.
Norelco
I love Cinema Treasures, I think they are even better than the historical society. One it is free, two, you have more people responding who know what they are talking about,(not reading,or hearing)hands on expeirience. You are right, there is nothing stupid, just my spelling sometimes. I also want to appologize to aLL, I am on a friends computer till mine gets fixed. It is very sensative, some of my post have registered 2 & 3 times. SORRY.
Norelco
Thank God Cineplex Odeon got the hell out or they might have tried an 8 plex just to piss off the public, and wonder why the hell they were losing business. Ill never forget when I was still in Pittsburgh,Pa. I cant remember the name of the theatre, but good old Cinnemete corp. wanted to make a 5 PLEX OUT OF A 3 PLEX, and while the afternoon matinee was going on the idiots were knocking out the walls for exit doors. Then they raised hell because the patrons wanted thier money back. They just could not grasp why.
Norelco
Thank God Cineplex Odeon got the hell out or they might have tried an 8 plex just to piss off the public, and wonder why the hell they were losing business. Ill never forget when I was still in Pittsburgh,Pa. I cant remember the name of the theatre, but good old Cinnemete corp. wanted to make a 5 PLEX OUT OF A 3 PLEX, and while the afternoon matinee was going on the idiots were knocking out the walls for exit doors. Then they raised hell because the patrons wanted thier money back. They just could not grasp why.
Norelco
Guess so,the booth was rewired,we had Noreco projectors AAII`s where you had to push a large green button to start them, the toilet wAs replaced, and the cigar smoke could only be smelt in the booth, with the only exhaust being the lamps. You could walk out of the booth and not smell anything, go back in and there it was. I also remember the ice cold air, that came and went and was noit always present, one would think it would be constant, not come and go in a soundproof booth, with one door witch we kept shut. just to many weird things, believe me I thought of everything to check, and turned up allot of mystery,as to why.
Norelco
Good luck Elks, I had the honor of being a projectionist there in the early 60s while visiting relatives in the Harrisburg area. My Uncle was the projectionist Walt Finch was his name. He had gotten sick and told the Manager at the time I could fill in for him. I worked there for 3 days, what a great place. After I left Pittsburgh in the mid 80s, I returned to the area for awhile and went to visit the Elks. Great place.
Norelco
Seems like the only stupid one is you, I have worked many a theatres where allot of unexplained things have happened. Projectors starting up on thier own in a manual booth, lights going on & off, by themselves, the booth toilet flushing, the hand washing sink turning on & off, and oh yes the strong smell of cigar smoke in the booth and the balcony was empty, every once in awhile the rewind table would start running with a manual switch. All this with ice cold air in a booth with carbon arc lamps, plus a large generator throwing off heat. Ask anyone whoever worked one of these booths, they can get realy hot, not ice cold.
Norelco
Take it easy on my friend Patsy,she has no idea just what a wonderfull Theatre the Warner was. It was probably the best acoustical, Theatre ever built, no matter were you sat, you could hear everything perfectly. The screen was 140 by 65, with a 23 foot deep curve, for cinerama. No one misses this Theatre more than me, I was the last projectionist who ever worked there, I still choke up just sitting here right now thinking of this great old beauty.
Norelco
I LOVE YOU WARNER,AND ALWAYS WILL MISS YOU DEEPLY.
e-mail me at
would liketo hear from anyone.
I also miss the Chatham cinema I think the big movie there was Raiders Of The Lost Ark, after that it did not do so well.
another thing I want to put to rest is there was a rumor that the ceiling of the Warner fell on a lady. Yes it did fall on her, a piece of it anyway. BUT this would not have happened if a certain Usher had not been up on the catwalk above the auditorium, stepped off the catwalk and knocked down the plaster. To this day I hate him was tthe beginning of the end for my favorite Theatre of all time. When I die you will find me fondly and lovingly haunting the Warner in Pittsburgh, Pa. My home Town.
Norelco
I remember when we twined the Penn Hills and opened with E T, a fun time was had by all. While we were twinning it the 700 club`s offices were rught across the hall from the booth. One day the preacher came over and wanted to know who was in charge, everyone said I was. So he started in my direction, when I said he is going to tell us to watch our f——-g language. He stopped turned around and never said a word to any of us.
Norelco
I remember the old Mt. Oliver, you had to take a broom with you and beat the rats and bats silly just to get up in the booth, and when you got there, don`t dare let the booth door open. After work you repeated the prosses going down, and left the broom there for the morning shift projectionist to use going up.
Norelco
Hey John, Norelco here, the projectors that are now in the Elks, were 2 of the three taken out of the old Senate in Harrisburg, I still remember the last movie I ran at the Elks was Bonnie & Clyde.
My new e-mail is
Miss my weekly questions.
Your Pal
Norelco
Jim is right, really do your research, My family was in this business for many years, I have been a projectionist for 50 years, as well as managing, don`t be fulled by the lights and glamour.
Norelco
I hope some of his talent has rubbed off on you. It is a great honor just to say hi to one of the relatives of this great man. I have been a projectionist for 50 years, and have worked in allot of his theatres all over the Country. All have been just fabulous. The shame of it all is many are gone for parking lots.
Thanks Again
Norelco
Thank you all, it will be for me, just went through triple by-pass surgery and I am doing great. I hope each and everyone of you has a great year.
Norelco
Fanny Mae will probably take over the Wisconsin since they used to lease the space all the time for presentations. They do not make 70MM film anymore, but the Wisconsin could probably run what is out there. The last 70MM film I ran there was Gettysburg. in theatre #4. It was always my favorite Theatre to work in DC. I will miss it allot.
Norelco
I wish they all had carbons and reel to reel, then they would find out real quick just how many idiots they have in booths across the Country. Bring back the Real Projectionist.
Norelco
Oh so true, I have had the idiots wanting to come in my booth to check for tiny cameras on my projectors. When I say no they go nuts. I know this is for anti piracy, but it seems sometimes they get a little carried away,and half the garbage coming out of the studios now adays you would have to be pretty hard up to want to steal. Let us keep one thing in mind, they should pay more attention to what people are carring in during the regular shows. I worked a theatre where the ushers let people carry in suitcases, and big backpacks. All it would take was one explosion of any kind
, and that would be the end of the theatre industry as we know it.
Norelco
Had worked this theatre five or so times, sad to see this or any other theatre go.
Norelco
Sorry Pal, it is just the Warner is still a touchy subject with me, even after all these years. Cinemette was looking for any excuse to do in the Warner, and that stupid usher who stepped off that plank gave them what they were looking for. The same time there was a shop off to the right of the front entrance on 5th, Ave. that they also owned and wanted out of the Warner building. One night right after the ceiling incident, Jewish lightning hit the shop and burned it out. That was the end.You would think they would know after the failure of the Bank Cinema tower mall, witch they also ran, why would anyone think Pittsburgh needed another tower mall.Money was the real downfall of the Warner. I hope they all rot in hell.
Norelco
I love Cinema Treasures, I think they are even better than the historical society. One it is free, two, you have more people responding who know what they are talking about,(not reading,or hearing)hands on expeirience. You are right, there is nothing stupid, just my spelling sometimes. I also want to appologize to aLL, I am on a friends computer till mine gets fixed. It is very sensative, some of my post have registered 2 & 3 times. SORRY.
Norelco
Thank God Cineplex Odeon got the hell out or they might have tried an 8 plex just to piss off the public, and wonder why the hell they were losing business. I
ll never forget when I was still in Pittsburgh,Pa. I cant remember the name of the theatre, but good old Cinnemete corp. wanted to make a 5 PLEX OUT OF A 3 PLEX, and while the afternoon matinee was going on the idiots were knocking out the walls for exit doors. Then they raised hell because the patrons wanted thier money back. They just could not grasp why.Norelco
Thank God Cineplex Odeon got the hell out or they might have tried an 8 plex just to piss off the public, and wonder why the hell they were losing business. I
ll never forget when I was still in Pittsburgh,Pa. I cant remember the name of the theatre, but good old Cinnemete corp. wanted to make a 5 PLEX OUT OF A 3 PLEX, and while the afternoon matinee was going on the idiots were knocking out the walls for exit doors. Then they raised hell because the patrons wanted thier money back. They just could not grasp why.Norelco
Guess so,the booth was rewired,we had Noreco projectors AAII`s where you had to push a large green button to start them, the toilet wAs replaced, and the cigar smoke could only be smelt in the booth, with the only exhaust being the lamps. You could walk out of the booth and not smell anything, go back in and there it was. I also remember the ice cold air, that came and went and was noit always present, one would think it would be constant, not come and go in a soundproof booth, with one door witch we kept shut. just to many weird things, believe me I thought of everything to check, and turned up allot of mystery,as to why.
Norelco
Good luck Elks, I had the honor of being a projectionist there in the early 60
s while visiting relatives in the Harrisburg area. My Uncle was the projectionist Walt Finch was his name. He had gotten sick and told the Manager at the time I could fill in for him. I worked there for 3 days, what a great place. After I left Pittsburgh in the mid 80s, I returned to the area for awhile and went to visit the Elks. Great place.Norelco
Seems like the only stupid one is you, I have worked many a theatres where allot of unexplained things have happened. Projectors starting up on thier own in a manual booth, lights going on & off, by themselves, the booth toilet flushing, the hand washing sink turning on & off, and oh yes the strong smell of cigar smoke in the booth and the balcony was empty, every once in awhile the rewind table would start running with a manual switch. All this with ice cold air in a booth with carbon arc lamps, plus a large generator throwing off heat. Ask anyone whoever worked one of these booths, they can get realy hot, not ice cold.
Norelco
Take it easy on my friend Patsy,she has no idea just what a wonderfull Theatre the Warner was. It was probably the best acoustical, Theatre ever built, no matter were you sat, you could hear everything perfectly. The screen was 140 by 65, with a 23 foot deep curve, for cinerama. No one misses this Theatre more than me, I was the last projectionist who ever worked there, I still choke up just sitting here right now thinking of this great old beauty.
Norelco
I LOVE YOU WARNER,AND ALWAYS WILL MISS YOU DEEPLY.
e-mail me at
would liketo hear from anyone.
I also miss the Chatham cinema I think the big movie there was Raiders Of The Lost Ark, after that it did not do so well.
another thing I want to put to rest is there was a rumor that the ceiling of the Warner fell on a lady. Yes it did fall on her, a piece of it anyway. BUT this would not have happened if a certain Usher had not been up on the catwalk above the auditorium, stepped off the catwalk and knocked down the plaster. To this day I hate him was tthe beginning of the end for my favorite Theatre of all time. When I die you will find me fondly and lovingly haunting the Warner in Pittsburgh, Pa. My home Town.
Norelco
I remember when we twined the Penn Hills and opened with E T, a fun time was had by all. While we were twinning it the 700 club`s offices were rught across the hall from the booth. One day the preacher came over and wanted to know who was in charge, everyone said I was. So he started in my direction, when I said he is going to tell us to watch our f——-g language. He stopped turned around and never said a word to any of us.
Norelco
I remember the old Mt. Oliver, you had to take a broom with you and beat the rats and bats silly just to get up in the booth, and when you got there, don`t dare let the booth door open. After work you repeated the prosses going down, and left the broom there for the morning shift projectionist to use going up.
Norelco
You covered it pretty well, I useed to work allot of them I miss the Warner most of all.
Norelco
Hey John, Norelco here, the projectors that are now in the Elks, were 2 of the three taken out of the old Senate in Harrisburg, I still remember the last movie I ran at the Elks was Bonnie & Clyde.
My new e-mail is
Miss my weekly questions.
Your Pal
Norelco
With that kind of luck I hope she went to the racetrack the next day.
Norelco
Jim is right, really do your research, My family was in this business for many years, I have been a projectionist for 50 years, as well as managing, don`t be fulled by the lights and glamour.
Norelco
I hope some of his talent has rubbed off on you. It is a great honor just to say hi to one of the relatives of this great man. I have been a projectionist for 50 years, and have worked in allot of his theatres all over the Country. All have been just fabulous. The shame of it all is many are gone for parking lots.
Thanks Again
Norelco
Thanks Patsy, same to you and your family, and to everyone the world over.
Your Friend
Norelco
Thank you all, it will be for me, just went through triple by-pass surgery and I am doing great. I hope each and everyone of you has a great year.
Norelco
Fannie Mae is a real estate company that has most of the building at 4000 Wisconsin Ave.
Norelco
Fanny Mae will probably take over the Wisconsin since they used to lease the space all the time for presentations. They do not make 70MM film anymore, but the Wisconsin could probably run what is out there. The last 70MM film I ran there was Gettysburg. in theatre #4. It was always my favorite Theatre to work in DC. I will miss it allot.
Norelco
I was a projectionist at the Wisconsin 6 and it was built by Cineplex Odeon, not Loews. It was later sold to Loews.
Norelco
I wish they all had carbons and reel to reel, then they would find out real quick just how many idiots they have in booths across the Country. Bring back the Real Projectionist.
Norelco
Don`t piss them off Patsy, they will probably add 2 more screens,just to show you how to really mess one up.
Norelco
Oh so true, I have had the idiots wanting to come in my booth to check for tiny cameras on my projectors. When I say no they go nuts. I know this is for anti piracy, but it seems sometimes they get a little carried away,and half the garbage coming out of the studios now adays you would have to be pretty hard up to want to steal. Let us keep one thing in mind, they should pay more attention to what people are carring in during the regular shows. I worked a theatre where the ushers let people carry in suitcases, and big backpacks. All it would take was one explosion of any kind
, and that would be the end of the theatre industry as we know it.
Norelco