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Author Topic: West Side Squeezed Terry Monohan Master Film Handler Posts: 379 From: San Francisco CA USA Registered: May 2014 posted 07-19-2015 11:07 PM                     My friend Jack Tillmany wrote me tonight about the big problem at this past Friday night showing (7/17) at the big Paramount Theatre in Oakland CA. Every few months they run classic film night with 35mm movies along with shorts and cartoons and the organ. Well on Friday night they showed a scope 35mm print of West Side Story. My friends who saw the print said everyone on the screen looked tall and thin. I think the projection person forgot to put on the correct CinemaScope® or Panavision® lens. Did anyone complain? People said the whole movie played that way. Did anyone complain, I don't think so! If I was there yes I'd get my money back. Next time I talk to my friends I'll have to ask them If they even heard a stereo sound track? They probably ran in plain mono sound.  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 07-19-2015 11:49 PM                        Tall and thin would suggest that an anamorphic print was projected with a "flat" lens, certainly. Does this house still run film regularly? I find it strange that whoever played this print was competent enough to thread up and run film projectors, but not to put the correct lens in.  |  IP: Logged Sean Goodrich Film Handler Posts: 22 From: Dallas, TX, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 07-20-2015 12:56 PM                     It's been a few years since I played this in 35, but I think it had a mono soundtrack. But if the operator couldn't tell the difference between flat and scope, there's no reason to think he would have the processor set to mono. I'm sure it sounded lovely with the Stereo SR button pressed.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 07-20-2015 01:15 PM                     quote: I think the projection person forgot to put on the correct CinemaScope® or Panavision® lens. Did anyone complain? People said the whole movie played that way. Did anyone complain, I don't think so! The audience members may have had their faces too buried into their mobile phones to notice the problem.  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 07-20-2015 02:02 PM                        There were certainly 35mm prints of the most recent reissue/restoration that had a DTS timecode on them, and for which you could use the same CDs as for the 70mm version. What the analog audio track was (i.e. whether mono or SVA, and if the latter, what flavor of SVA), I can't remember.  |  IP: Logged Jim Cassedy Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1661 From: San Francisco, CA Registered: Dec 2006 posted 07-20-2015 02:40 PM                     quote: Leo Enticknap Does this house still run film regularly? I find it strange that whoever played this print was competent enough to thread up and run film projectors, but not to put the correct lens in. The Oakland Paramount is now mostly a live performance venue, however, they still run film on an irregular regular basis. I've actually worked that booth once. I know who the regular projectionist is, and I can't imagine him making a mistake like that. Even the back-up projectionists have to have a somewhat above average level of projection skills, since The Paramount is an old-style carbon-arc changeover booth, with NO automation which requires an extreme ability to multi-task to get a show on screen. There are multiple manual dimmers for stage & house lights, two curtains, etc. (Back in it's heyday, due to union rules, the projectionist even had to operate the organ elevator. The organist had "up" & 'down' buttons on his console, but all it did was flash a couple of signal lights in the booth.) That being said- - I have attended a couple of poorly screened shows there myself, when the regular projectionist was not working. I once sat through almost half a reel of "Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein" that was mis- framed after a change-over. I kept waiting, thinking to myself "he's GOT to notice this". Finially, just as I was about to get up and complain, (or personally march upstairs and frame the damn thing myself) the framing was corrected. I happened know for sure 'the regular guy' was off that nite. As for the audio processor, the last time I was in that booth, there was NO audio processor. Sound was still handled by an early 1950's vintage Simplex vacuum tube amplifier system, which was installed for mag sound. (see photo link) Westside Story was released in stereophonic sound, but only on 35 and 70mm roadshow prints. Since I doubt they got their hands on a vintage 35mm IB-Tech multi-track magnetic sound print, the sound Friday nite was most likely mono. The projectors are Simplex XL's (with old mag penthouses still in place) and bigfriggin Strong carbon arc lamphouses. (The Paramount seats 3000) If you're curious, there are some excellent pictures of The Paramount's booth, taken in 2008 here in the FT Warehouse. Here's an overall view: (FT Photo by Paul Michaels) Link To Paramount Pix Page I worked a booth like this for many years. Definitely not for 'amateurs' or the faint-of-heart! (Take a look at the "operators control panel" photo !)  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 07-20-2015 07:25 PM                        Which makes Terry's report all the more strange. I can't imagine how anyone would be capable of putting a show on the sheet in that booth but not of selecting the right lenses and plates.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 07-20-2015 07:31 PM                        Wow, what a gorgeous theatre. The booth reminds me a bit of the one at the Providence Performing Arts Center ("PPAC"), the former Loews State in Providence, RI. They show film very rarely, although the same booth is used by the followspot operators for their regular live stage performances. As for the original issue: my only thoughts might be that the lenses were stored in some oddball location that could not be located or that the stagehands configured the screen and masking for Academy and were unable to change it to scope. Or, possibly, the screen had to be moved to a different lineset and the existing lenses were the wrong focal length. Not that any of these possibilities would excuse running a show like that, though.  |  IP: Logged Sam D. Chavez Film God Posts: 2153 From: Martinez, CA USA Registered: Aug 2003 posted 07-20-2015 08:17 PM                       This is a highly modified CP50 to take 3 35mm projectors and the 16mm Eastman. Lonny Jennings fine work. It is capable of Stereo minus surrounds. I'm looking into who was working this show as it's in my IA local's juristriction.  |  IP: Logged Terry Monohan Master Film Handler Posts: 379 From: San Francisco CA USA Registered: May 2014 posted 07-20-2015 09:09 PM                     Someone told me that the 35mm print delivered to the Paramount Theatre for Friday's West Side Story showing was a very old worn scratched print that was even missing a reel plus the cues were in the wrong spot? The poor projection guy had enough problems keeping It going on the two projectors. May have been some strange format print that even a scope lens did not help It? When they run a true Cinemascope® 35mm print at the Paramount they don't seem to run It as wide as It needs to be shown like in the old days when they ran wide screen on the big wide screen at the Fox West Coast Paramount Theatre Oakland CA.  |  IP: Logged Sam D. Chavez Film God Posts: 2153 From: Martinez, CA USA Registered: Aug 2003 posted 07-20-2015 11:38 PM                       The scope lenses probably go back to the '50's so they work the same way they always did. They are not adjustable like the Panatar's so that is not the problem. There are only two possible aspect ratios for West Side Story; 2:35 and 2:55. Either way the expansion ratio of the lens is 2:1. I believe the scope image is cropped, same as it ever was at something like 2:1. I have not done work there recently but have been all around it. Also, set up and ran a double system show of "Star is Born" 1954 version.  |  IP: Logged Steve Matz Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 672 From: Billings, Montana, USA Registered: Sep 2003 posted 07-21-2015 01:45 AM                     JIM,From your photo I recognize the Far left Projector as an EASTMAN 25 16mm with Carbon Arc Lamphouse. I had that same Lamp and Rectifier. They were made especially for Kodak by Strong. Apparently this Theater still shows 16mm once in a while... EASTMAN/STRONG CARBON ARC (EASTMAN 25A)  |  IP: Logged Martin Brooks Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 900 From: Forest Hills, NY, USA Registered: May 2002 posted 07-21-2015 09:37 AM                        quote: Sam D. Chavez There are only two possible aspect ratios for West Side Story; 2:35 and 2:55. Either way the expansion ratio of the lens is 2:1. I've never heard of a 2.55 version of West Side Story. It was shot in Super Panavision 70 (2.2:1). 35mm anamorphic prints would have been 2.35:1.  |  IP: Logged Sam D. Chavez Film God Posts: 2153 From: Martinez, CA USA Registered: Aug 2003 posted 07-21-2015 09:50 AM                       I was talking in theory only. I do have a print of Woodstock that's mag only and I'd never heard of that until I saw it for myself. It was not 2:55 though, just a blank optical track.  |  IP: Logged Michael Cornish Film Handler Posts: 26 From: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA Registered: Sep 2011 posted 07-21-2015 06:05 PM                     Carbon Ach projectors.....When projectionist were real people. Especially when you had a projector go down......  |  IP: Logged

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