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Author Topic: The Tingler seating equipment Mark Farr-Nash Film Handler Posts: 40 From: Vernon, TX, USA Registered: Mar 2007 posted 07-04-2007 08:41 PM                        Do any of you learned gents know how the seats were wired for The Tingler? I've heard everything from a joy buzzer-like device (mechanical noise and vibration) to actual electrical current that zapped a few folks (highly unlikely). I'd love to get a print of this and wire up my seats, just for the fun of it. Maybe, though, a newer and better system of making the vibro-buzz would be helpful. I'm open to suggestions... Mark  |  IP: Logged James Westbrook Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1133 From: Lubbock, Texas, Usa Registered: Mar 2006 posted 07-05-2007 12:18 PM                     I have heard that is was a vibrating motor of some sort. Film director John Waters, in an interview, mentioned that when Tingler opened in the 50's, he checked under the seats until he found one that was wired and that was where he sat. (Not all the seats were wired for cost considerations.) One should be able to use more modern equipment for the effect, I would think. I don't think today's seat pans are too thick for this...  |  IP: Logged Christian Appelt Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 505 From: Frankfurt, Germany Registered: Dec 2001 posted 07-05-2007 04:02 PM                     Mark, do you know that fine book on movie gimmicks, BEYOND BALLYHOO? It covers most of the William Castle installations. IIRC, they used electric motors with an excenter weight to vibrate the seats. Maybe easier to recreate the miracle of EMERGO (flying skeleton on a wire flying from the screen side to the projection room).  |  IP: Logged Wayne Keyser Master Film Handler Posts: 272 From: Arlington, Virginia, USA Registered: May 2004 posted 07-05-2007 05:07 PM                     Heaven knows, I've been to enough $1 second-run houses where the Smell-O-Vision still works. That must be what's happening there, right?  |  IP: Logged Edwin Schwing Expert Film Handler Posts: 116 From: Las Vegas NV Registered: May 2002 posted 07-05-2007 10:25 PM                     You could always go down to your local "Adult Bookstore" and get some "Tingler seating equipment". E  |  IP: Logged Floyd Justin Newton Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 559 From: Phoenix, Arizona, USA Registered: Jun 2002 posted 07-07-2007 03:44 PM                     When I was working the booth at the Heights Theatre in Houston way back in the 50's we ran The Tingler for a week. The vibrators were a simple device to rock Hell out the seat they were attached to. The power supply in the booth was a 12 volt car battery that powered the whole array. Cues were provided by cues on the screen. Simple system, but, a good drawing card.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 07-07-2007 04:50 PM                     Of course, you can now buy "Butt-Kickers" to vibrate your seat...rather than hooking them up to a car battery...you can feed them just like a speaker.  |  IP: Logged Mark Farr-Nash Film Handler Posts: 40 From: Vernon, TX, USA Registered: Mar 2007 posted 07-14-2007 07:35 PM                        Thanks, Christian, for the book recommendation. I'm a fan of old movies like this, but that particular book got by me. I'm rectifying it now. If I come up with an acceptable "Tinger" gimmick, I'll be sure to share it with you folks. Mark  |  IP: Logged Michael Wilkinson The Entertainment King of Colusa and Beyond Posts: 89 From: Colusa, CA USA Registered: Apr 2004 posted 08-20-2007 12:13 AM                        A friend of mine once took an electric fence charger and somehow connected it to armrests which were wrapped in aluminum foil. Low current of course and only some select seats were wired while the others were dummied. All of the audience had to sign release of liability which they readily did. Sounds crazy but apparently it went well. Personally I like the vibrating idea because it is probably a little less risky.  |  IP: Logged

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