Well friends, it’s that time again. Time to do a hand crank motion picture show at Two Strike Park. 

It has been over a year since we have done any kind of film program. This show has always been very popular with silent film fans and locals looking for a fun time. It has always been an extraordinary honor to do this kind of an out door show much like it would have been done over a hundred years ago. 

My memory of the last show that we did at Two Strike Park was something that I will never soon forget.  I remember driving up to the park with all of the 35mm  equipment in my truck. The excitement in the air as we unloaded it and began to set up the 1909 Power’s Motion Picture machine. Shane Glander and Gary Gibson erecting Shane’s 12 foot screen. Mike Lawler, Joanna Linkhorst and members of the Historical Society of Crescenta Valley setting up the popcorn machine and the goodies booth to provide the refreshments before the show and during intermission sponsored by the Historical Society of Crescenta Valley (for a small donation, of course). Cliff Retallic setting up his keyboard to provide the live musical score as only Cliff can do and what a great performance he does!

As the guests began to arrive I could see and feel their anticipation and excitement of experiencing something that only their great grand parents and grand parents may have seen. It is especially rewarding to see all of the young people there to see a silent film under the stars.

As darkness began to fall Gary Gibson was setting up the glass slide lantern attachment to the motion picture machine. These slides will be used to entertain the crowd as I frantically make the reel changes for the next film. I remember all of the young people coming up to the projector and looking at it in wonder and asking very intelligent questions about how the 112 year old contraption works. I tell them that it is a almost magical machine that tricks the eye into making a series of still images on film move as in real time. As darkness fell and a few announcements were made it was time to throw open the light damper and begin the slide show, after which the lamp house is repositioned and it is my turn….

As I turned the crank on the projector I could hear the intermittent clicking of the frames of film and then the magical images flashed up on the big screen as the audience watched and the music played I looked up at the starlit sky and thought this is how it was done over 100 years ago!

The show is at Two Strike Park, 5107 Rosemont Ave., La Crescenta, California 91214. The show begins at 8:00 p.m. with film starting at 8:30 p.m.. Please come early. Bring your blankets, chairs and refreshments.

I would thank: L.A County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, Mike Lawler, Joanna Linkhorst and the Historical Society of Crescenta Valley for making this show possible.

Hope to see you there,

Joe