Star Assessment

CRANBROOK MOVIE HOUSE IS PRAISED. – One of the Finest Houses Within Many Miles. – World Authority On Projection Pays Cranbrook Visit – “Star” Distinctly In A Class By Itself.

            Cranbrook recently had a visit from F.H. Richardson, world authority on sound reproduction and projection.  Mr. Richardson is editor of the Exhibitors Herald-World, a publication devoted exclusively to the motion picture development.  This gentleman has traveled in every corner of the United States and Canada.  It will be interesting, therefore, to hear what he has to say about Cranbrook and its show house.  The following account is taken from the September issue of the Exhibitors Herald-World:

            Sunday morning, August 31, Friend Daughter and I headed the Princess westward into what was to us the unknown.  Vancouver, B.C., was our next official stop, and it was something like 800 to 900 miles away.

            Gentlemen, I could not describe that trip if I tried.  It would take many pages, and language of which I am not the master.

            From Calgary to Banff the last thirty miles is through a valley with giant, rugged and majestically beautiful mountains on either side.  From Banff we decided to make a 44-mile excursion to Lake Louise, which we did.  We will never regret or forget it, for Lake Louise is the finest gem of lake beauty imaginable.  It is small.  Its water are 265 (memory quotation) feet deep and of most peculiar color.  On three sides gigantic mountains rise, literally from the water’s edge.  Near the summit of the rear one lay snow-capped ice, which we were advised was more than 200 feet deep.  Immediately in front of the lake is a huge inn, with charming grounds and a wonderful swimming pool.  It was all literally a dream of beauty, including the ride up to it.

            Half-way back to Banff we took the road to Vancouver which was really to us the road to the unknown, and that day drove through canyons surrounded by giant mountains, as rugged as they are made, I think.  The road was just one d_____d curve after another and some of those “curves” almost met themselves coming back.  SOME ride!

            At Cranbrook we paused for the night.  It boasts one small theatre, but with results both on the screen and through the horns which are not at all negligible.  My compliments to Manager A.C. Blaine and Projectionists W.A. Burton and J.A. Ward, all of whom knew your editor by the Bluebook and the Exhibitors Herald-World, and greeted him most cordially.  The sound was clear and very well regulated as to volume.  The picture was small, though plenty large enough for the size of the auditorium, and illuminated pretty close to perfectly.

            It is encouraging indeed to find so many small town theatre projectionists putting on such excellent screen and horn results.  I have seen more poorly illuminated screens in large cities, on this trip at least, than I have in small towns.  I also have found the sound results, in those small town theatres visited to be fully as good or perhaps a little better, on the average, than the results in large cities.

            However, that last should not be stressed too much, because the theatres in cities are larger and the distribution of sound is therefore harder to govern perfectly; also it must be remembered that in the larger city theatres there is the temptation to managers to increase the picture size to a point where brilliancy of screen illumination becomes very difficult, if not impossible.  I have said many times, and I again make the assertion that a small, well illuminated picture is far better than a large, poorly illuminated picture.  This, however, must be qualified by the statement that in a very large auditorium a very small picture would not look right.  I have, nevertheless, always held that an 18-foot wide picture is large enough for all but a few very large theatres, such as, for example, the Roxy, the Paramount, and the Capitol; of New York City.  Such theatres as these, seating from 4,000 to 6,000 people, require a 20 to 22-foot picture.

            I hold, however, that a 22-foot picture should be the absolute maximum of size, exclusive of course, of the coming wide film, which is an entirely different proposition.  If you will figure out the number of square inches in a 22-foot wide picture, and then calculate the exact area of the projector aperture, dividing the one by the other, I think you will come to the conclusion that the magnification set up by such a picture is not only all that it should be, but considerably more.

            This is being written in Cranbrook, British Columbia.  Last night, as I told you, Friend Daughter and I went over to the little “Star” theatre, the only one in the city.  Just now came a knock on the door and the delivery by messenger of one of the loveliest bouquets of flowers I have seen in many a long day, bearing the legend “From Cranbrook Projectionists.”  So lovely is the bouquet that when I consider it came from two small town projectionists, I am having a picture taken, just to show it to you, together with it recipient – another, in my opinion, very lovely creation.  Both myself and Friend Daughter were deeply touched by the thoughtful act of the Cranbrook projectionists.

            I might add, as an afterthought, that the Star theatre equipment is Wide sound and Simplex projectors equipped with Ashcraft lamps.  The walls of the projection room were very tastefully decorated by Projectionists Burton and Ward.  They must, one or the other of them, or maybe both, have some artistic ability, for each of the port shutters bears a very well painted scene.

            P.S. – I thought this account of Cranbrook was all finished and done, but later Projectionist Burton, accompanied by his son, who was partly named for your editor (second name Richards) came over to the hotel and, after some conversation, invited us back to the theatre, then, of course, not in operation.  We stepped into the darkened auditorium.  The lights flashed on and we were really astounded, because here in this little town of less than 4,000 was a little theatre auditorium seating 427, the decorations of which would do no discredit to some of our New York City Broadway theatres – and that is not mere idle words, either.  The screen was set back 15 feet on the stage.  Its surroundings were tastefully artistic.  At the front was a velvet draw curtain which, together with the other drapes around the auditorium, cost approximately $500.  And, mark you well, this little theatre has absolutely no competition.  I want to compliment manager Blaine again.  If he does things this way in a 4,000 population town, I am wondering what he would do on Broadway.  He is a manager who knows his business and does it.  It is one of the finest small town theatres I have looked at in many thousands of miles of travel.  In fact, it and one or two others are very distinctly in a class by themselves.  Projectionist Burton just informed me that the projection angle is only five degrees.