On July 30, 2022, we presented another movies in the park show. We had over 200 people show up and it was a great show!
As many of you may know, I dedicate my shows to those itinerant projectionists, both men and women, who trooped film, music and equipment across the United States from the early 1900’s to the early 1930’s, bringing motion picture shows to small towns that didn’t have movie theaters. The itinerants sometimes never knew where they might have to do their show. It could be on a sheet hung on the side of an old barn with a beat up old piano. Or it could have been in a church with a pipe organ.
The itinerants always used hand crank projectors because electric motors were heavy and expensive. Motors were not practical as they never knew what kind of voltage would be available. An arc light can use almost any voltage to work but motors run on specific filtered current. So they were hardly ever used in traveling shows. The entire show was hand cranked. The itinerant projectionist thought that he was a big part of the performance as he could speed up or slow down the action on the screen as he saw fit.
Glass lantern slides were used to entertain the audience while the projectionist made reel changes. In this case Gary Gibson performs the lantern show of slides.
I was thinking about all of this as I drove my truck into the park. There I was met by Mike Lawler and Joanna Linkchorst from the Crescenta Valley Historical Society. Gary Gibson and Shane Glander (who provided the screen) were there as well. As I began setting up the projection equipment, I watched Shane Glander, Gary Gibson, Mike Lawler and others helping to erect the huge 12 by 12 foot screen. Members of the Historical Society were setting up the popcorn machine and the tables for the sale of goodies. Cliff Retallick was setting up his piano along with the sound engineer Mike Dooley setting up speakers and the sound board. People were starting to arrive and find places to sit. There was excitement in the air as every one was doing their job and anticipating the moment when the first image would flicker to life on the screen!
All was finally ready. As I grabbed the crank on the projector, I looked up at the star lit sky and down at the assembled crowed with the giant dark screen before them. I thought that this is what it must have been like 100 years ago as I turned the crank on the 1906 projector and the magical image came to life on the big screen before us.
The show is sponsored by the Crescenta Valley Historical Society and L.A. County Parks Department. All monies from the sale of refreshments benefit the Historical society. The show is free. Subscribe to The Newsreel (Silent Cinema Society’s newsletter) and don’t miss any upcoming events.
