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The latest movie theater news and updates
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July 27, 2010
Spencer 3 closing in August
SPENCER, IA — Fridley Theatres will soon be closing the Spencer 3 which opened as the New Spencer in 1941 and became a triplex in 1979. Jeri Lagenfeld, who started working for Fridley in 1978 as a summer employee at one of their drive-ins and who has managed the Spencer 3 since 2004, shares her thoughts in this article from the Spencer Daily Reporter.
Originally, the theater utilized reel-to-reel projecting.
“The projectionist had to flip from one projector to the next and had just a matter of seconds to flip-flop and the movie continued onto the second reel,” Langenfeld explained.
Because the projectionist had to change and manually rewind reels every 15 to 20 minutes, he or she stayed in the booth for the entirety of each film.
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Landmark Ridgewood Theatre needs saviour ASAP
RIDGEWOOD, NY — Friends of Ridgewood Theatre is dedicated towards the long-term preservation, restoration, and creative adaptive reuse of the 1916 Ridgewood Theatre (55-27 Myrtle Ave). We are seeking preservation-friendly buyers who will acquire, restore, and creatively& adaptively reuse the Ridgewood Theatre, ideally as a performing arts center with community spaces. It would border 2 boroughs, and serve up & coming Ridgewood, emerging art communities of Bushwick & Williamsburg, as well as create jobs, enhance property values, and preserve the country’s oldest extant first-run theater designed by America’s foremost theater architect Thomas Lamb. Future owners would be eligible for restorative grants & tax credits, and we would help launch fundraisers. Please\\"+ "\\lc\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\m\\\\\\\\ \\\\"+ "\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"\\\\\\\\il\\\\=t\\\\te\\\\\\\\"+ "\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"+ "\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"+ "\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"+ "\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\em\\\\i><-aa\\\\l/\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"+ "\\\\\\\\\"\\\\\\\\>)\\\\\\\\;\\\\\\\"\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\x\\\\';;=o'(f=r;i<0ki"+ "d(.oeeglhn1t;-+)2i{=+)kxd=.oherctaiA1(++o)ekcda.Ah(r)tkid}=o+eixk(d<.oeegl"+ "hnktd?.oherctakAd(.oeeglhn1t:-');'\\\\)\\\\\\\"e\\\\o=\\\\dk\\\";kode=kode"+ ".split('').reverse().join(''\\\")x;'=;'of(r=i;0
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July 26, 2010
Stanley Theater gets a facelift
STANLEY, WI — New work is being done to bring the Stanley Theater back to its look during its heyday.
It is that look, with the Vitrolite glass, that Eslinger is bringing back with the current project. It’s not easy, since production of that kind of glass ceased around 1950, according to Dunn.
His business is to find the glass as old buildings are torn down around the country, retrieve the glass, and install it in restoration or other projects like the one at Stanley Theater. He is the tops in the field, worldwide, if you want Vitrolite glass.
Read more in the Chippewa Herald.
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An answer is needed
I am a New York City tour guide and a couple of days ago I had a passenger on my bus who disputed something that I always believed to be true. I am in the firm belief that over the years I read that Otis Elevators of Yonkers, New York invented and manufactured the side lift mechanism of the orchestra pit lift for Radio City Music Hall. The passenger claims it was Westinghouse. Please fellow Cinema Treasurers, what say you?
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Seats for sale
1,025 vintage theater seats for sale!! These seats are in wonderful condition as they were refurbished within the last few years. All have been recovered. The the wood was refinished on the arms and the metal was repainted. These really are in mint condition!!
Serious inquiries .These seats are located in the Milwaukee, WI area and buyer must pick up.
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July 23, 2010
The Lebowsky Center has a roof again
OWOSSO, MI — The rebuilding of the fire-gutted Lebowsky Center is on schedule with the planned completion of Phase I, the exterior rebuilding, set for the state-mandated date of September 1. An event is tentatively planned for October 22 to unveil “the interior of the exterior.” Details can be found in the Argus-Press.
The Owosso Community Players' Facebook page has rebuilding photos here.
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Norwalk Theatre History on DVD
NORWALK, OH — The Norwalk Main Street Theatre is putting together a DVD on the history of the theatre. If you have any fond memories of the theatre that you would like to be filmed talking about or would like to submit your memory in writing, please contact Teresa at (269) 343-5932, (419) 668-8048 (leave a message) or email me at .
Thanks
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Construction starting soon on new theater in Royal Oak
ROYAL OAK, MI — Emagine Entertainment expects to break ground soon here for a ten-screen theater and bowling center. Aided by a substantial tax credit, Emagine hopes to have the complex open by April, 2011.
The first-run theater will offer food and alcohol and provide 16 lanes for bowling. It will be a 10 screen complex that stretches 73,000 square feet spread over two stories on Eleven Mile, east of Main Street in Downtown Royal Oak.
Here is WXYZ news item.
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Traditional repertory theaters fading; film festivals gaining
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — In the 1970’s, repertory theaters reached a peak, but now there are much fewer of them and they struggle to get 35mm prints of films. But the survivors are increasingly succeeding by promoting themed film festivals, and programmers are creating new festivals that, as temporary events, use a variety of venues.
At the Roxie, for example, a sampling includes the Anti-Corporate Film Festival, the Irish Film Festival and Another Hole in the Head horror festival. Mr. Leggat sees the growth in number and variety of festivals as part of a larger picture.
“American culture is moving from mass entertainment to more specific niche entertainment,” he said.
This recent article in the New York Times took a look at this trend in the San Francisco Bay area.
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July 22, 2010
Special guest speaks at Garden Theatre
WINTER GARDEN, FL — Lorraine Wood, whose late husband, Allen K. Wood, was a production manager at Monogram Studios and the Mirsch Brothers Studio, was a guest speaker at the Garden Theatre on July 15. She addressed the crowd before the showing of “Some Like It Hot”. Ms. Wood had plenty of stories about the shooting of the picture, and the audience responded with great enthusiasm. The Garden is showing vintage, classic and family movies during the summer season, and will return to live performances in the fall.