Old Movie Theater

[Ltransam]

Hi,Eveyone 

                   I only have a few minutes .

First Im driving to the post office to get a money order for an item i got off greed bay . I round a small curve and see the weird'es thing  A large black thing coming out a second story window & crashing to the ground  Yep a movie Projector I stop right in the middle of the street & YELL Stop DON'T do anymore ! Who's in Charge !!! I spoke with the forman and cot premission to look in the Old Theater called a Buddy I havent seen in 2 years He show up in 20 mimutes .Now Im loading in his van what left of the second Projector & Lights & Speakers & and other stuff i have NO Ideal what it is .My Buddy gives the guy's $30 bucks each .Then my friend ( Who is 68 ) Has me diving in the huge dumpster throwing at least 125 full & short rolls of film to him (Now I.v been there an Hour & I soupose to be Back at work !!)
Anyway after loading his van (Did I mention It's Raining the Hole time  First time in 3 weeks )
I did grap a few small items I thought were Cool off the Projector that was thrown out the window . I had to get back to work !!I did'nt even get to the post office & now I'm covered in Mud .
I return to the Theater an hour later to give the Forman a Busness card .For Later jops .One of the crew brings me a MOVIE poster from the movie Species 2 (1998) and it's a Holagram style (Cool ) I also load a short row ( 4 ) of the Theater Seats for another buddys Daughter for her yard .  All in All Majior F U N  !!!!

[MoonDawg]

      Great story. Can't say I've ever had such a fun lunchhour....dumpster diving   

[Jim]

Gr-8 lunch break ! ! !
Too bad there wasn't a soda machine in the back room...

[halehouse]

Yeah, I'd love to hear more about the inside of the theater.

[collecture]

I just can't believe that people still just chunk things out the window like that?
I'm glad you didn't have a face-to-face meeting with a client after dumpster diving in the rain....PU!

[MoonDawg]

       Those old theater seats work well for maximum seating in
a minimum amount of space, plus the seat cushion springs up out
of the way when not in use.

[Creighton]

What a great lunch hour!!
Post pics of what all you found and should be able to sort what it is. The old carbide arc projectors are very cool. Theater seats are worth good coin. If there are any art deco light fixtures left grab those as well. Looking forward to pics!!
Creighton

[Ltransam]

Hello' All 

              I'm Back !
The reason i only had a short time before is because I was called to go Back to the Theater 
 
Jim . There was nothing left of the Refreshment stand & no old machines .BUT the call was to pick-up a Cavalier CS-64 C Squre Corrner that was found in the celler 

Dan . Sorry They would not let me inside for safety reason .  I did bring a Hard hat Just in case .

Tom , Yep I stunk  & Check Picture for another Chunked piece of projector part .

Glen . Theres still a few left  ( See Picture )
 
Creighon . Sorry no light's or Fixtures left The Ceiling Metal was cool but they messed it up removing it . Maybe you'll know what kind of Projector they were from the part in Picture ??Posted

I did find a few more peices of glass marked Simplex for the side of the projector in the dumbster (Dirty again ) I added a couple of pictures to this Post & the next post Of the Theater & The Window that Projector's fly from 

                                                                              Leonard

[halehouse]

In your initial post you said the 4 theater seats are for your buddy's daughter's yard???

[Ltransam]

Free !!!!! Cavalier CS-64C   The sign was a mess !!! Really sticky black Mold ?Stuff on the seal around it .Took me 2 hours just to clean the sign   Also ther was tape over the front coin entery area at one time .And it looks to me the Changer must have shorted out ? I have not pluged it in yet due to laying it on it's back for traveling .There were 3 slug rejectors with it .

[Ltransam]

Dan

             Yep that what I said .  She going to re-do them & set them by her small pond . I just deliver .

[Ltransam]

Projector Part?

[Creighton]

Hello Leonard,
Darn on the fixtures. Too bad they trashed the stamped ceiling metal. That's cool stuff as well.

Can't tell from that pic but send anything you have to :
cjsmith1@ix.netcom.com and I'll try and sort it out. Don't worry about the file size.
Thanks!!
Creighton

[Pat Pixley]

Well this is a darn shame to see a movie theater shut down for good
A long long long long time ago I worked at M-78 Drive In in East lansing and
had some good time there , and I got to work every were when I was there
 from the snackbar,ticket booth,  helping up in the projectio Booth & patroling
fields at night for people slip in and cleaning the field in the morning.

  When it closed I did slip back in in and help myself to two pairs of speakers
 and a few other little items  . 

 They did build a a super 8  in front  of the drive in  ( the drive in still stands)
 then that shut down 8 yrs after it was built.
So I'm waiting when they get ready to tear that down so I can get in there
for some theater seats 

[Pat Pixley]

Those are some photo's of M-78 Drive In Theater
you can see more at www.michigandriveins.com
It's a cool site  if you  get a chance check it out.

I just hate to see Drive In's and old indoor theaters
 die like this.

[collecture]

ALL this for FREE!!!
Man - I wish my lunch hours were as personally productive!

[MoonDawg]

      Not only is it sad to see the old drive-in's and theaters close,
it is a shame when these cool old buildings get torn down and
replaced with huge glass boxes.
      Is this a demolition or a re-model?

[Ltransam]

  I for one HATE change ! It used to be a simpleler life & slower now I can't slow down or Ill get bowled over .

Glen there turning it in to of all things an Art store! So they guted all the art Dumb :censored:S

Heres a closer picture of the seats my buddys Daughter is getting .


                                                             Leonard

[Pat Pixley]

Leonard,  those are some very cool seats   

Pat

[Ken Layton]

That 'projector part?' appears to be a "Super Simplex" projector head. This is the unit that actually projects the picture. It normally sits atop a soundhead (which reproduces the optical soundtrack) and the soundhead with projector head are bolted to a heavy pedestal base. That Super Simplex glass goes in the operator's side door of the projector head.

Super Simplex projectors were in production from 1928 through 1940. They are a great projector! Many of them are still in use in theaters around the world and parts are readily available.

I just happen to install, repair, and operate theater equipment too. Here's a website with the manual for the Super Simplex projector:
http://www.darrell.org/SSCoverF.html

Click on the front cover to take you to the rest of the manual.

As to those theater seats those are very old. I would estimate they were manufactured around 1920. Fear not though, parts are still available for most brands of theater seats going back to 1900. Contact Cy Young Industries (www.cyyoungind.com). They make seat cushions, seat fabrics (flameproofed by law!), seat back pads, arm rests, and they even manufacture a full line of retrofit cupholder armests (some models simply drop over existing armrests and attach with a screw).