What's the latest theatre to close or open you have heard about?

[Frank Cox]

No details are given as to why the fire marshal and the county as relaxing the rules

I suspect they realized that nitrate film won't be used in the theatre today.

[Ed Gordon]

My hope would be they reimplemented 35mm capacity. Or added digital. If they kept original equipment it that would be a very interesting booth to work in, carbons perhaps, older simplex maybe?

Yes, probably they probably used carbon arc. The projection booth was added to show silent/sound so it must be have been built to meet the standards for showing nitrate film. I do know that there are 35mm projectors from the early 1900's that have be re-furbished and work just fine. I doubt any digital projectors will last that long.

That theater is a two hour trip from me. It might be fun to contact them and ask for a tour!

We're off to see the wizard,
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz!
We hear he is a whiz of whiz if ever a whiz there was
If ever oh ever a whiz there was
The Wizard of Oz is one because
because, becuase, because, because, becaaaauuuussseee...
Because of the wonderful things he does...
We're off to see the Wizard, the Wonderful Wizard of Oz!!!!

[Leo Enticknap]

...a bottle of acetone...

It was used to clean the blades and mating surfaces of cement splicers. Agreed that if the projectionist who bought it was also using the Lucky Strikes in proximity to the splicer, the acetone (which itself is highly volatile and flammable, as well as the nitrate film it was used to help splice) and the film, that would certainly explain why the county and the fire marshal "had concerns!" It would have been a somewhat unlucky strike if one of them had struck a 2,000ft reel.

However, if those concerns persisted until 1958, they could also be related to battery maintained emergency lighting, crush bars on doors, sprinkler systems, and a whole bunch of other requirements in today's fire code that likely weren't in 1958's.