I have just seen this thread. I was in chat yesterday, we were all discussing family history. I must start a thread on this. Trouble is, where?????
My main memory of Ealing was the Saturday morning in 1965 that the projectionist did not turn up for work at the ABC cinema and I had to rush over from Fulham and run the films on my own for 14 hours. With everything on 20 minute rolls, and being about 17 at the time, I was terrified, but fortunately I got through without a breakdown. Little did I know at the time, that after deciding to help show the films at our local cinema, rather than sell the popcorn, I would end up giving up my studies as a cardiologist and go on to become the chief engineer of the Odeon chain, run 14 Royal Film performances and design several new theaters. As you can see, running a cinema film is not how most people imagine it. The lamps were open carbon arcs that had to have the electrodes changed for every roll and you had to find the right button to open the curtains. One mistake and everything came to a grinding halt, particularly if the film broke. Up to 15 rolls of film had to be checked and rewound for the next performance and when one film was wide screen, the lenses and apertures had to be changed in the projectors, not to mention changing the screen masking while the curtains were closed in the interval. At some older theaters, this involved a trip from the projection rooms on the roof, down to the stage to crank the masking by hand into the correct position.
i love how this thread went from an intro thread to a discussion about family history and london : ) don't think ian and lindsey mind anyway
"ian&linz was last seen: Aug 1, 2019 " - Perhaps they've been busy in creating their dream? - One has to hope, - fortune favoured the brave
