Photographer Leza Macdonald on the prowl inside the historic Oliver Theatre

Three metal doors, were on a series of ropes and pulleys, automatically closed IF the arc light projecting the early highly flammable film started a fire.  The portholes and windows looking out into the auditorium would also be part of the same system and would be closed off by metal plates.

Cinema carbon rods created the arc light.  The original carbon rods did not have a copper coating. The carbon arc was replaced by xenon bulbs in the 1980’s.

Brenkert Projectors, from the 1950’s were used up until the time they were replaced by modern digital projection.

 

Triggered by the speed of the reel on the projector, a bell would ring
when it was time to change over to the other projector.  The average movie
would be 5 – 6 reels. There was no need for two projectors in the early 1990’s,
when the platter system was put in place.  The system allowed the entire movie to be put on a large platter, it would go through the projector, then back onto another platter.

The original lamp house was the light source. The dowser at the front of the lamp house would be pulled down once the film was moving, otherwise the heat from the light would burn the film.  The circular part inside the lamp house would have held a mirror.

An original Elvis and Mary Tyler Moore poster.