Why Siskel and Ebert

Their arguements aside, Siskel and Ebert brought reviews of eclectic and avante garde films to my attention. What they really never said, was that some of those films were limited release, limited release art films. So, the Tropic was showing first run films that only the high-priced art houses in New York, Miami, and my only other competition, the Enzian theater in Orlando.

My movie booker advised against most of my films, but his alternative was second run older films. I opted for as new as film as possible.

The Vista Cinema Pub

With the success of the Tropic, the opportunity to eliminate some competition came up. There was a second theater in town who played second run films. They had been a sore spot for business when they would get the same film I was showing. But, that company was going to close their operation. The same owner of  the Tropic, owned the Vista as well, and I had always told him if the Vista was available, I would run it as well.

The Vista was a restaurant, beer and wine theater and required some fast licensing bt to everyones amazement, the day the Vista was to close, I took it over fully licesed with the health and state alcohol permits, plus a building certificate which was reluctantly given.

I showed the first matinee and packed the house which was filling with smoke. Well, it seems that the old owners were required to restore the building back to its working state as part of the lease. They inadvertantly connected a motor behind the stage that had shorted out years ago. We cleared the building and called the fire department who sent 3 engines, some police and set up smoke fans in the auditorium. This was the same day I had applied for my insurance policy and it wouldn't be in force til the next week.

We cleared the smoke and ran the show an hour later. But, that was the start of the Vista. 

China Cry

How come the only Jewish theater owner in 4 counties played the major religious film release in a decade? What'd I care, no one was showing up for my first run art films, why not play religious films.

Surpised me beyond belief when the film sold out for six weeks, not surprising to the churches who had no choice but to either go to Orlando, 50 miles away and pay twice the admission, or see it right here in their own backyard. I didn't know it, but I had an exlusive for over six counties in Central Florida and people were making reservations. They also were blessing me after each performance and wanted me to testify.

There were people crying and praying, and blessing each other, and I was moved by the film, but it was just another film for me.

The Church group who rented from me had persuaded me to get the film and this was a coupe for him and his faith. That film lasted 10 weeks.

 

Forest Gump

The ads were placed as usual, the doors opened for a matinee and outside the theater, for the first time in over 40 years there was a line of people around the block. Ever parking space in the downtown area of Leesburg was filled. It was Mid July, hotter than hell and I had the most popular film in a decade and it was about to ruin me.

My usual prices for films was $4, but I raised the price of this one to $5 and $3 for senior citizens and matinees. Well, the first showing was a matinee, the theater seated 300 and I had 2000 people in line. Paramount films was getting 90% of the admission price for the first 4 weeks of this deal, they also had a ticket auditor assigned to my front door who counted every ticket, and every seat for every show. Most of the people in line were senior citizens who went right from the ticket area, bypassing the concession and quickly went to the auditorium to grab a seat before it was taken. I shut the line off at 300, forgetting about the few broken seats in the back rows. I wound up placing folding chairs in the aisles against the walls. I had $900 in the til, sold $100 worth of drinks,  popcorn and candy and I just lost money on the showing. With a staff of three, rent, insurance, electric, ads and booker fees, I would lose money with every show.

I played the film every day, all day and night with 20 minutes between film times. I even cancelled a second film on the old side of the theater, another auditorium with 275 seats including the balcony, and "trucked" the film back and forth between theaters. As each reel ended, I took it to the other theater while the first film was still playing. This was the only way I could accomodate 2000 people lined up around the block.

Showing the film on two screens was going to ruin the film, as each projector left its imprint on the sprockets. By week one, the film stock was already ragged.

The traffic in town was backed up as each showtime arrived 600 people left as 600 more arrived. I called the newspaper to cover this phenominon and they ignored the event.

Meanwhile, it was getting hotter each day, and the air conditioners started to fail in both theaters. the compressors, it seamed, were only working at half capacity. This was never a problem in the past, as there weren't many films that had 50 people attending. But 300 hot bodies, made the temporature soar to 90 degrees in the auditorium. The machines could never catch up. So, I called the ac guys and had the install 3 new compressors (it really needed six), but it would have to do.

The older auditorium was even hotter yet, it had an antiquated system from the 50's, and so I opened the fire escapes in the balcony and put some giant fans blowing the hot air out. 

Next, the ice machine broke down, and I was forced to get ice from across town and dole it out from barrels alongside the soda fountains. My suppliers couldn't deliver candy fast enough, the soda syrup kept running out, and we did all of this with 3 people.

In between each showing, The auditoriums had to be cleaned. Normally, we blew out the seats and loor, but the trash from 300 people was huge and we just couldn't get it off the floors fast enough. Again, 2000 people or more at the gates, the dumpsters were full, the ice was melting, the air didn't work, and I was the projectionist and ticket taker.  that was week number one.

 

 

 

 

The Theater

It was late in 1989, and I needed to find a location for a business.

 I peered into the window of an ancient movie theater and saw an empty lobby. The theater lobby had 8 huge plate glass windows, and a marquis on the front of the buidling. What a great place for a Halloween store and magic shop, I found the owner and asked the rent. Amazingly it was $550 and that was for the entire buidling. I accepted the deal and rented without a deposit.

I went exploring in this huge structure with its art deco exterior. There were huge neon lit palm trees, and a newer sign board with chaser lites that made a clattering sound when lit. The circuitry was an open box mounted on concrete and as the timer switch hit each circuit, it would spark as each group of bulbs lit up, then switched off with more sparks splashing against the concrete wall. It wasn't a fire hazzard, just how it was made.

The theater had been inactive for several years, and two mammouth projectors were in a loft area above the lobby.  These machines were identical to the carbon arc machines I had used when I was a sprockey jockey in the 60's, except they replaced the carbons with projector bulbs.

I couldn't resist hiting the power and firing it up, and soon I had a massive light beam shooting out over a 300 seat auditorium, and the clatter of sprockets and gears clicking away.  I explored the room a bit more and found an old metal case with 5 reels of ancient film inside. I threaded one of the reels into the machine which was pretty good for not having done so for 40 years. I fired up the machine again, and there was an old aviation film with Howard Hughs on the 50 foot silver screen. I was really excited.

 

 

The Church

A local babtist Church needed some space to hold services on Sundays and I needed some help with the rent.

Losing Sleep

Its been 11 years since I closed the door to the theater. Its 4:30 in the morning and my sleep is tormented with the nightmare of a theater full of patrons and an electrical fire in the projection booth. The film has broke, 100 people are getting vocal and my machine is on fire.

In reality, this was mild compared to how it really happened. Almost every day for 4 years starting in 1991.

I can recall film breaks, sprocket damages on the film, bulbs blowing up, film spools strewing onto the floor, or frames melting in the projector with nothing but a white screen with a packed house.

This was the year of Forest Gump. One of the most successful films Paramount had made in years. It was a sleeper, and even Paramount didn't know how to market it. No one warned me that I was abouut to make Leesburg history.