Best Kept Birmingham Secret! (Arab, Brookwood: houses, theater, wages)

[seekinghome]

The ALABAMA THEATRE is an awesome place. It is an old Paramount theater with all the ornate decor of the 1920s. It has never been messed up or "remodeled"-just cleaned up and in it's original splendor. It is in downtown Birmingham on 3rd Ave. N and for only 2 more weeks the "Summer Movie Series" is taking place. From beneath the stage floor the "Mighty Wurlitzer" pipe organ rises while being played and you have a small concert before the movie (complete with sing a long-if you are old enough to remember these from back in the day). Then the movie follows. It ends with the organ once again. They have a sign up sheet for recommendations as to what movies you would like them they play next season. (All are old movies-nothing first run.) They also have children matinees on the weekends too. I only wish it ran all year. But there are other concerts and events throughout the year to attend there as well.
I had a fabulous time and can't wait to go back. We need to keep this listed as one of those things not to miss when visiting Bham! Alabama Theatre > Home Check out the calendar of events etc.

[Threestep2]

:>)))
The on-line calender is unfortunately not always updated. Check the Citi-Scene insert of the Birmingham News on Fridays.

[cpg35223]

We go 2-3 times a year. Those big-screen epics such as Doctor Zhivago or Lawrence of Arabia just look paltry anywhere else.

[pvjd]

3 things to see if you can at AL Theater--Phantom of the Opera, Rocky Horror Picture Show, and It's A Wonderful Life.

[bhamkaren]

i really miss thursday night flicks. nothing beats the shining with a guinness.

[harry chickpea]

I just wish the sound was up to today's standards. While I love the old barns (worked in one a number of years ago), they do suffer from echo, distorted pictures, and even back when oil and power were cheap cost an arm and a leg to heat or cool.

If the Alabama is a secret, it is a pretty open one. APT uses it in their logo background, and there are references to it everywhere.

The website:
Alabama Theatre > Home

Here are some photos that don't require the invasive quicktime plugin:
Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record

Here is a photo of the projection booth. See the angle on those projectors? That severe angle was a concession to architectural glory and an attempt to keep projector noise to a minimum. It was a common egregious error in movie palace design.

LOC Photo Display

[Southlander]

Originally Posted by harry chickpea

Here is a photo of the projection booth. See the angle on those projectors? That severe angle was a concession to architectural glory and an attempt to keep projector noise to a minimum. It was a common egregious error in movie palace design.

LOC Photo Display

No platters??

[harry chickpea]

I wonder if they have them now? FWIW, Brookwood had one of the strangest systems, similar to a SWORD, but just a big black box with giant reels and some sort of payout mechanism.

For those wondering what we are talking about, movies come on 20" 20 minute reels. In the old days we loaded a reel on one projector, started it, then swapped to a different projector when that reel was near the end. The audience never knew of the changeover, other than seeing some dots in the upper right corner of the picture, and hearing the carbon arc strike. In the 1970s, theatres started splicing the reels together and using large rotating platters to hold the film, and using a xenon lamp instead of carbon arcs. That meant eliminating the second projector, less work for the projectionist, and eventually the demise of the projectionist unions. A few rare theatres still have the old systems.

[Southlander]

Originally Posted by harry chickpea

I wonder if they have them now? FWIW, Brookwood had one of the strangest systems, similar to a SWORD, but just a big black box with giant reels and some sort of payout mechanism.

For those wondering what we are talking about, movies come on 20" 20 minute reels. In the old days we loaded a reel on one projector, started it, then swapped to a different projector when that reel was near the end. The audience never knew of the changeover, other than seeing some dots in the upper right corner of the picture, and hearing the carbon arc strike. In the 1970s, theatres started splicing the reels together and using large rotating platters to hold the film, and using a xenon lamp instead of carbon arcs. That meant eliminating the second projector, less work for the projectionist, and eventually the demise of the projectionist unions. A few rare theatres still have the old systems.

I've heard of a Sword band of projectors, but never seen one. Aw, Dad would know what you're talking about... Yep, big union, thanks to the flammability of celluloid back in the REALLY old days. Those guys got paid more than the manager. But they all seemed to spend it all on smokes and booze. I think you had to be union to handle the carbon system, too.
Are there 4 projectors in that picture? Most had 2, and often 3...but 4??

[harry chickpea]

Originally Posted by Southlander

I've heard of a Sword band of projectors, but never seen one. Aw, Dad would know what you're talking about... Yep, big union, thanks to the flammability of celluloid back in the REALLY old days. Those guys got paid more than the manager. But they all seemed to spend it all on smokes and booze. I think you had to be union to handle the carbon system, too.
Are there 4 projectors in that picture? Most had 2, and often 3...but 4??

Yeah, a lot of union guys smoked like chimneys. But a pack cost less than 45 cents back then. And like you say, they made decent wages.

The four projectors consist of two (Century? can't really see) 35mm projectors towards the camera (you can tell by the reels and exposed upper reel arm) and beyond them are two Norelco 70mm projectors with penthouse mag stripe sound. Beyond those is what looks to be a trooper follow spot. (I don't have X-ray vision, there are a couple other photos that show a view from the other side.)

Usually, costs meant that when a 70mm projector was installed, it was a DP 35-70, which could handle both formats. Whoever specced the booth was smart though, as there were issues running a 35-70 in 35mm mode. The lamphouses had to be realigned, the bands on the gate always wore out, and the plastic parts had a tendency of skiving off bits of emulsion, creating dust.

It is hard to tell for sure, but I'd guess the photos of the booth were taken no earlier than the late 1960s, and more likely after the initial restoration efforts of the 1980s, to allow it to show 70mm prints of some of the classics.

There are a lot of other black and white photos of all over the building if you follow the link to the B&W photos in the Historic America link.