FOX THEATER - Billings,Mt held the Premier in Aug 1951 of the Film shot in Billings in 1950 “WAR PATH” 1951 They built a Large Stage Platform in front of the Theater and most of the Major Stars were there and gave Speeches before Viewing the Premiere Film which had been Shot in 3 Strip Tecnicolor. Main Stars like Forrest Tucker, Dean Jaggar, Edmund O'Brien,Polly Bergen and many recognizable Co=stars attended the Premiere also. The FOX Marquee and Projection Room Equipment ended up going to OSCAR’S DREAMLAND in the early 80’s supposedly to be setup as a Display but that never happen …
The Screen/Drive-In built prior to Cinemascope /Widescreen (1953) was in the old 1:37-1 Format which is why it looks more Vertically Square. When the Projectionist recieved a Scope/Widescreen Print he would have to change the aperature plate in the projector to compensate for tthe intended wider width. Consequently most movie goers weren’t aware that what they were seeing or not seeing was cropped. If they used a Scope Aperature plate which was usually a 2:35-1 ratio the picture would be off the Screen. The Motor-Vu which was built prior to the City-Vu in 1948 did widen their Screen in the Mid 50’s when more feature films were being shot in Widescreen Format. In fact the Motor-Vu Screen after the Addition was the Lrgest Screen in Montana …
Inside the Projection Booth.The Smaller Rectangular Window on the Right was the 35mm Projection Port. The Larger Window on left was the viewing Port Window so the Projectionist could see the Screen and look for the Cue Marks on the Upper right corner of the film. This was his Signal for a Change over to another Projector ready to go with another reel of film. There were about 8 seconds between Cue Marks for the 2nd Projector to startup.A good projectionist could do the changeover without the Audience even noticing it. Carbon Arc Lamp houses could only go for less than a ½ hour, thats why 2 projectors were needed back then. 2000 ft Reels ran at 90 ft a minute so each Reel only lasted around 18 minutes. A 2 hr film usually took 6 Reels which would have been 3 changeovers. These Old Theater Projection Booths had to be Fire Coded for safety as up to the early 50’s they used Nitrate Film Stock which was extremely Flammable. Projections back in the day were journeymen Electricians who could not only run the projection equipment but repair and rebuild the Equipment. They were real Specialists not the Modern day Projectionists who also sell the Popcorn and know Nothing of Specialized Projection Equipment …
Looks to be a SIMPLEX XL 35mm Projector Head and Sound Head. The XL came about in 1948 after the Prior Model E7(1937-47) was discontinued. The XL Projector had Auto Oiling verses the E7 which used a Push Style Button called One Shot Oiling which distributed oil to all the Necessary Parts that needed Lubrication. A projectionist just pushed the Button Once before Showing a Film and it was Good for the Whole Day/Nite of Film Projection …
Sage Drive-In was the only Drive-in in Billings that Featured a Children’s Playground and a Miniature Scale Train that went through the Base of the Screen out to 24th Street West and Back.The Playground also had a Shetland Pony Ride,A Small Ferris Wheel, also a Horseshoe Pit.Probably the Most Popular Drive-in of the 1st 3 Drive-in’s in Billings as Families with Children Loved this Place. Sage featured Bingo games over your Speaker and you honked your Horn and could win Future Tickets and Snack bar items. Real Estate Values in the 70’s and the Invention of the VCR/BETA Machines were most Responsible for the Demise of Many Drive-ins across the Country. Montana being a State where you basically could only Run your Drive-in 6 months out of the Year wasn’t the most Profitable for Drive-In Owners. Sage Now Long Gone and you would never ever know a Drive-in existed on 24th West that was Between The Country Kitchen Cafe Building and Barnes and Noble Book Store. The Screen being Located where the Petro Lewis Building resided. Lots of Good Memories For People that Went to this Gone but Not Forgotten GREAT DRIVE-IN …
FOX THEATER - Billings,Mt held the Premier in Aug 1951 of the Film shot in Billings in 1950 “WAR PATH” 1951 They built a Large Stage Platform in front of the Theater and most of the Major Stars were there and gave Speeches before Viewing the Premiere Film which had been Shot in 3 Strip Tecnicolor. Main Stars like Forrest Tucker, Dean Jaggar, Edmund O'Brien,Polly Bergen and many recognizable Co=stars attended the Premiere also. The FOX Marquee and Projection Room Equipment ended up going to OSCAR’S DREAMLAND in the early 80’s supposedly to be setup as a Display but that never happen …
The Screen/Drive-In built prior to Cinemascope /Widescreen (1953) was in the old 1:37-1 Format which is why it looks more Vertically Square. When the Projectionist recieved a Scope/Widescreen Print he would have to change the aperature plate in the projector to compensate for tthe intended wider width. Consequently most movie goers weren’t aware that what they were seeing or not seeing was cropped. If they used a Scope Aperature plate which was usually a 2:35-1 ratio the picture would be off the Screen. The Motor-Vu which was built prior to the City-Vu in 1948 did widen their Screen in the Mid 50’s when more feature films were being shot in Widescreen Format. In fact the Motor-Vu Screen after the Addition was the Lrgest Screen in Montana …
Modern Day Digital Projectors made by Christy
Inside the Projection Booth.The Smaller Rectangular Window on the Right was the 35mm Projection Port. The Larger Window on left was the viewing Port Window so the Projectionist could see the Screen and look for the Cue Marks on the Upper right corner of the film. This was his Signal for a Change over to another Projector ready to go with another reel of film. There were about 8 seconds between Cue Marks for the 2nd Projector to startup.A good projectionist could do the changeover without the Audience even noticing it. Carbon Arc Lamp houses could only go for less than a ½ hour, thats why 2 projectors were needed back then. 2000 ft Reels ran at 90 ft a minute so each Reel only lasted around 18 minutes. A 2 hr film usually took 6 Reels which would have been 3 changeovers. These Old Theater Projection Booths had to be Fire Coded for safety as up to the early 50’s they used Nitrate Film Stock which was extremely Flammable. Projections back in the day were journeymen Electricians who could not only run the projection equipment but repair and rebuild the Equipment. They were real Specialists not the Modern day Projectionists who also sell the Popcorn and know Nothing of Specialized Projection Equipment …
Looks to be a SIMPLEX XL 35mm Projector Head and Sound Head. The XL came about in 1948 after the Prior Model E7(1937-47) was discontinued. The XL Projector had Auto Oiling verses the E7 which used a Push Style Button called One Shot Oiling which distributed oil to all the Necessary Parts that needed Lubrication. A projectionist just pushed the Button Once before Showing a Film and it was Good for the Whole Day/Nite of Film Projection …
Sage Drive-In was the only Drive-in in Billings that Featured a Children’s Playground and a Miniature Scale Train that went through the Base of the Screen out to 24th Street West and Back.The Playground also had a Shetland Pony Ride,A Small Ferris Wheel, also a Horseshoe Pit.Probably the Most Popular Drive-in of the 1st 3 Drive-in’s in Billings as Families with Children Loved this Place. Sage featured Bingo games over your Speaker and you honked your Horn and could win Future Tickets and Snack bar items. Real Estate Values in the 70’s and the Invention of the VCR/BETA Machines were most Responsible for the Demise of Many Drive-ins across the Country. Montana being a State where you basically could only Run your Drive-in 6 months out of the Year wasn’t the most Profitable for Drive-In Owners. Sage Now Long Gone and you would never ever know a Drive-in existed on 24th West that was Between The Country Kitchen Cafe Building and Barnes and Noble Book Store. The Screen being Located where the Petro Lewis Building resided. Lots of Good Memories For People that Went to this Gone but Not Forgotten GREAT DRIVE-IN …