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Topic: Attending "Sound of Music" in STL

Travis Cape
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 122
From: St. Louis, MO, USA
Registered: May 2000

posted 01-21-2001 09:51 PM

Another theatre manager and I went down to the Fox to see the Sing-A-Long "Sound of Music" on Saturday. I had been told that this was originally a 70MM release. Of course, St. Louis is far too cheap to ever play it that way. We went into the auditorium and were staring at a 30' by maybe 50' screen. Of course I was suprised because I expected the 70' screen. The cropping was so obvious. I mean the cast titles bearly fit on the screen! It was a pretty good print except that the projectionist hadn't bothered to clean off the homemade changeover marks. Sorry to rant, but this was the Fox and you would think since they have union operators and run one movie a year it could have been great. It seems that St. Louis always has lacked the ability to put on a good show. I was told originally the SOM played for 80 something weeks at the St. Louis theatre across from the Fox. The 70MM print never came to town.

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Edwin Graf Diemer
Film Handler

Posts: 47
From: Red Bank, NJ, USA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 01-21-2001 10:25 PM

They only used 35mm prints for the sing-a-long version of SOM. I saw it at New York's Ziegfeld, and it would have been great to have used 70mm-with the optical work required to add the lyrics, the print was pretty "blah". Of course, I'd like to see anything at the Fox!

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Sean Weitzel
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 619
From: Vacaville, CA (1790 miles west of Rockwall)
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 01-22-2001 12:41 PM

Kind of off topic a bit, but I visited the Fox last Thursday and took their theatre tour. My friend and I were the only two people on the tour so the guide had a lot more freedom to take us to places normally prohibited..as well as the freedom to photograph whatever I liked. Unfortunatly, She refused to take us into the booth. :-( She said the tour used to visit the booth until "someone touched something they shouldn't have and now we don't go into the booth anymore" Too bad, because she said that they have "...a lot of original equipment up there..." Anyone know what the Fix has up there?

The theater is beautiful though. I was very impressed - especially with all the graffiti in the dressing rooms from all of the talent who have played there.

-sean

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Travis Cape
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 122
From: St. Louis, MO, USA
Registered: May 2000

posted 01-23-2001 06:27 AM

From what I ahve been told, the Fox has a pair of Super Simplex projectors on Rca 1040 soundheads. They are running carbon, but I don't know which lamp. They have the same equipment in the screening room in their basement where they used to run the trade screenings. I continue to plead with the owner to let me see the booth when I see her at the Hi-Pointe, but so far I haven't. There is a picture of the booth in one of the storefront windows alongs Grand Ave. out front.

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Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 01-23-2001 06:57 AM

Ack! That stuff is ancient! I'd think that they could upgrade to Century C's or something old but newer than what they have which would be substantially better than Super Simplexes.

I hope they're not using the really old screw-feed arc lamps (like the ones used for followspots) which tend to have a fairly low output.

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Jeff Newman
Film Handler

Posts: 14
From: Fenton, MO, USA
Registered: Jan 2001

posted 02-01-2001 09:15 AM

Simply put, the fox is one of the most beautiful place I have ever seen. From the outside, it looks like any other building, but step inside, and you feel like you have entered an era gone by. EVERYTHING is detailed such that every time you go there, you see something different.

Sean Weitzel and I attened the tour together. I have seen a few productions there, but for anyone who has not taken the tour, I would *HIGHLY* recommend it. I was in awe of the entire building. And to think, they were ready to tear it down. Thankfully, someone saved it.

Though not very decorated or ornate, my favorite was the drinking/smoking lounge just before you hit the mens restroom downstairs. Ala titanic, you step down the stairs and you can almost see what it would have been like in the 20's, the men going down to have a quick smoke or drink. I liked that the elevators were still operated by an operator (the pull lever for the floor you are going to)

Well I could go on and on with the wonder and beauty of this place, but that would fill pages, and this is a film forum :-)

On the topic of films, the tour guide told us that at one time, one night a week, they used to show the old silent films complete with live organ accompaniment (sp!) Would have been great to see, but they stopped doing it... (BTW They have one of 4 of the largest Wurlitzers ever made)

Oh well, off my soap box :-)

-Jeff "Box office god" Newman

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Jeff Stricker
Master Film Handler

Posts: 481
From: Calumet, Mi USA
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 02-02-2001 11:29 AM

I saw SOM in it's initial release in 70 mm in the 60's. FABULOUS!! I think this was the first 70 mm film I had ever seen. What I remember is that it was extremely bright on the screen and very steady.

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 02-02-2001 11:56 AM

Jeff:

I used my experience in seeing SOM in 70mm as a teenager for two articles I wrote regarding the "Splendor of 70mm":
http://www.kodak.com/country/US/en/motion/newsletters/reel/december98/pppp.shtml
http://www.kodak.com/country/US/en/motion/newsletters/reel/march99/pytlak.shtml

Nothing compares to using 65mm camera negative to produce 70mm prints. Kodak stocks the film, Panavision and Arriflex have the cameras, labs in the US, Europe and Japan can print and process it, and hundreds of theatres still have 70mm projectors. Yet audiences today rarely have the opportunity to see "Film Done Right" in the most splendid and practical way! IMHO, Michael Todd had it right 45 years ago --- we need true showmen like him again today.

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 02-02-2001 05:32 PM

Indeed S.O.M. was one of the films that inspired me to work in this industry. The 70mm screening at the Michael Todd Theater in Chicago definately left an indellible impression on me. I was seated just right to be able to turn around and see those huge 70mm reels spinning through the projector and view port.....that was pretty cool stuff when I was 7. Indeed it was a bright image on screen, but the dark scenes were also just that! IMHO, the light from the big Ashcrafts will never be equaled by Xenon.
I insisted that my dad take us to see it a 2nd time and he did. I also saw many other films at that theater in 70mm as well as 70mm films next door at the Cinestage till both closed down in the 70's. These were two great Chicago 70mm theaters back in the 50's and 60's.
Mark @ GTS

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Bruce McGee
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1776
From: Asheville, NC USA... Nowhere in Particular.
Registered: Aug 1999

posted 02-02-2001 08:14 PM

I saw a faded 70mm print of "Sound" in 1984 at the old Columbia Theatre in Atlanta. I did not care too much about the faded image. I'd seen it at least 10 times before this. I was overwhelmed by the stereo sound and the size of the screen!

The print was made up of odd reels that varied in color and contrast, but the final reel was brand new and the color shocked all of us in the theater. I've never forgotten how great the sound was on this and the other 70mm prints that I saw there.

I saw a fantastic print of "Guys And Dolls" (1955) at the Fox theatre in Atlanta around the same time. I'm not sure, but I think it was in 70mm too. The image was sharp as a tack and appeared to leap off the screen!

We need more like Mike Todd today in cinema. Not all these people that think that we will go watch a big TV image in the near future....

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99

posted 02-02-2001 08:58 PM

I still think every sound mixer should have to study sound of music as how to mix and pan sound
Voices that come from right behind each person

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William Hooper
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1879
From: Mobile, AL USA
Registered: Jun 99

posted 02-04-2001 10:48 PM

quote:
On the topic of films, the tour guide told us that at one time, one night a week, they used to show the old silent films complete with live organ accompaniment (sp!) Would have been great to see, but they stopped doing it...

The silent movie Ben Hur will be at the St. Louis Fox Sunday 4/22/01 at 2 p.m.

Stan Kann will accompany the film on the St. Louis Fox's 36 rank Wurlitzer. Ben Hur's a bunch of fun as a silent (yee-hah on the chariot race), plus you get Stan Kann! Stan de-mothballed the Wurlitzer after the silents days (& spent much time & sweat keeping it in excellent operation), & is now pretty much the organist associated with the St. Louis Fox for a long time. Stan Kann's a hoot, & besides being the reference St. Louis Fox organist is a great showman: you may have seen him when he did appearances on the tonight Show in Johnny Carson's day.

Tickets are $8.00.
http://www.metrotix.com/eventdetail.asp?engageid=4312&eventid=10485

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