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Author Topic: most times you've shown the same title? Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-29-2007 05:45 PM                        Subject pretty much says it. What film have you shown the greatest number of times and how many shows was that? For the purposes of this discussion, let's not count shows at automated multiplexes, since, in most cases, one can "show" a film dozens of times in such a venue without actually seeing or hearing any of it. I'm more interested in films that people have had to run repeatedly in single-screen houses, screening rooms, or smaller manually-operated multiplexes which require that one pay at least some attention to the film itself throughout the run. I just finished a run of about 46 shows of "Brooklyn Rules," plus a preview screening (and test screening) two years ago, plus a press screening. This is by far the most that I've shown any one title. I do know someone who ran "Brokeback Mountain" something like 150 times (with 2000' changeovers, no less). I'm sure that these numbers pale by comparison to those of some people here.  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 05-29-2007 07:34 PM                        "WHAT A DUMP!" "What's the name of that film George?" So what's your plan, buddy boy -- you gonna plow a few pertinent wives?" "Oh George, I don't want to play this game any more." Scottie, me-boy, I've got you beat by a mile.....and if you want, I can pretty much run through the entire movie for you line by line and get most of it verbatum. Because, boys and girls, I ran this awesome film, WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? plus attractions AND a WB cartoon (we ran a WB cartoon at every feature at that theatre) by my count, I ran it 144 times! AND on 2000ft reels, carbon arc change-over, Simplex Supers in a sweet little 800 seat neighborhood theatre (considered a small theatre in those days) in Bryan-College Station TX, at one end of A&M. I was 20yrs old and worked 8hr shifts 6 days a week and I couldn't get enough of it -- often went back to hang out in the booth on my day off. And even at 144 times, I STILL loved that particular movie; I saw new stuff in it the night it closed that I hadn't seen before. And yes, in a change-over booth, we had to pay attention to the movie -- it wasn't a chore. I always had the sound up in the booth too. We ran MY FAIR LADY in that same theatre even longer, but we only ran one show a night, so WAOVW still wins. Besides, Scott, maybe we should limit this contest to a certain cut-off period because anyone running film BV (Before Video) can easily trump younger guys running even as far back as the last two decades because films routinely ran much longer than even the hottest of today's blockbusters. MY FAIR LADY ran in RoadShow for almost two years in NY -- 2000ft reels too, my friends! How long do you think even the biggest record-breaking PIRATES will run for? We old-timers will beat the young multiplex turks hands down every time. We've got to keep it apples and apples, or give them a big handicap.  |  IP: Logged Martin McCaffery Film God Posts: 2481 From: Montgomery, AL Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-29-2007 08:27 PM                        As a relief projectionist with 224 in DC in the 70's and 80's I'd run into the same films over and over during the summer, but didn't keep count. Ghostbusters I'm sure I've run over 100 times (5 shows a day, at least 20 times at various theatres, multiple releases). I could do the changeovers by listening. It was a little before my time, but I remember the old Tyson Twin (not the Tyson Corner, the one down the street with the Bauer U2's) ran Jaws for 6 months. IIRC, they only ran two movies that year, but can't remember what they had before Jaws.  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 05-29-2007 09:04 PM                     LOL - try me, once again, back in 1977 when I did "StarWars" in this booth below (in which I've posted this pix before...) For six months - from June 15 til December 22nd, "Star Wars" played from these two machines in this booth with open ports, thus we projectionists (I was chief projectionist) HAD to listen to the film (in as well as making the classic changeovers) for 5 showings during the summer and 3 showing during the fall and when it left. Granted, it was a heck of a movie, but when that damned thing left that December, I was SO glad to get rid of it - only to be "cursed" with it the following year when FOX did the re-release..and we got stuck with it again for 6 weeks in that re-issue. It's funny when the 1997 reissues came out that on how horrid memories had to come back of that summer of 1977. Then, I had to tie the duration with "Titanic" at the 21 complex that I was Presentation Manager/engineer at...but as Scott said-single screen venues....thus megaplex runs doesn't count. Yet, I feel for the guys in SLC at the VILLA when, in 1981, they had to play 'Raiders of the Lost ARK' for a straight year, but at least they got to run it in 70mm through Century JJ's with Ashcraft lamphouses. [ 05-30-2007, 12:44 AM: Message edited by: Monte L Fullmer ]  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 05-29-2007 09:39 PM                        We've run a few movies for 3 weeks over the years, but none longer than that. So, since we usually do 2 shows on Fri/Sat and usually a matinee one or two of the Sundays, my record would probably be 28 shows of one movie. Small taters by some of you guys' standards! Before we were automated, we never ran a movie longer than one week that I know of...so, probably 9 or 10 showings maximum of any one movie in the changeover era for me.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 05-29-2007 09:58 PM                     While at the Uptown...we had MANY extended stays...when I started there, THE LAST EMPEROR was playing (in 70mm) and that had a lot of runs...months and months. But having a film for 15-weeks was more common than not. If the film was a dude...it left quickly...if it was a hit...we played it to death. We knew that if it was good, we could out run any of the plexes...by week-15...all of the business was ours...as they dropped their screens, we picked up their audience such that our attendence leveled out quite a bit on a long run. Like Martin, there are some titles that as a relief, I just kept hitting all around a chain. _FAME_ was one..._BEING THERE_ was another. They seemed like they were playing wherever I was showing a movie. I also ran ET to death.  |  IP: Logged Rick Raskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1100 From: Manassas Virginia Registered: Jan 2003 posted 05-30-2007 06:38 AM                     Like Steve & Martin, when I worked relief with Local 224 I would run into the same films over and over. I caught "MASH" when it when it was first run at the Trans Lux (14th & NY Ave -- remember that one?) and again when I settled in at the KB Baronet. I probably ran it 150 times or more. Another was "Patton" which seemed to follow me everywhere. All were run on 2000' reels, changeover and carbon arcs.  |  IP: Logged Aaron Sisemore Flaming Ribs beat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups any day! Posts: 3061 From: Rockwall TX USA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 05-30-2007 04:13 PM                     I have run An Officer And A Gentleman, Tron, RHPS, Fast Times At Ridgemont High, and Raiders Of The Lost Ark 2000' carbon changeover at least 150-200 times (not all in the same theatre). I had the dialogue to 'Officer', 'Tron', 'RHPS', and 'Fast Times' memorized... -Aaron  |  IP: Logged John T. Hendrickson, Jr Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 889 From: Freehold, NJ, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 05-30-2007 07:05 PM                     I ran Patton through most of the summer of 1970 at the Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park NJ. Simplex XL's with Ashcraft Lamps, 6 track magnetic sound. Ten reels with an intermission at the end of reel 6. Had about five minutes of call-back music on reel 7. Sometimes the manager would have me skip the intermission, in which case I ran down reel #7 to a predetermined point and stopped it while #6 was playing, then made the changeover, thereby eliminating the intermission and call-back music. We played to packed houses for weeks. As near as I can figure, it ran a total of 190 performances, so I would have shown it over 150 times.  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 05-30-2007 07:50 PM                       As noted in another thread, I lost count around 120 times for "Smokey and the Bandit" (1977). I had so learned the soundtrack, that I didn't even have to look at the screen to make changeovers! I knew exactly where all the cue marks appeared. It was fun to see the expressions on the faces of my operator friends, when I'd make a changeover standing with my back to the screen!  |  IP: Logged Don Furr Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 509 From: Sun City, Ca USA Registered: Nov 2002 posted 05-30-2007 09:23 PM                     When we opened our first discount theatre in 1991, I threaded and ran HOME ALONE from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. That's about 420 show times. That first summer we ran 5 show every day.  |  IP: Logged Dave Ritchie Film Handler Posts: 65 From: Thames, New Zealand Registered: Oct 2006 posted 05-30-2007 10:37 PM                     We had The Worlds Fastest Indian playing for just under 8 month's and had over 400 screenings  |  IP: Logged Phil Blake Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 558 From: esperance western australia Registered: Nov 2003 posted 05-30-2007 10:43 PM                        The early part of my career being in Drive ins , most features were in this week gone the next. Like Monte, Stars Wars we ran 7 nights for two weeks straight on reel to reel carbon arcs , it was then brought back as a sub run a number of time later. In more recent times our longest running show was "Shall We Dance" as a sub run I was surprised it went for 18 weeks, with about 120 screenings.  |  IP: Logged Thomas Hauerslev Master Film Handler Posts: 451 From: Copenhagen, Denmark Registered: Aug 2000 posted 05-31-2007 04:18 AM                        I ran "Amadeus" for 16 months. Knew all the dialouge by heart back then in 1985/86 - I think it was. Great film, still love it.  |  IP: Logged Richard May Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1057 From: Floral Park, NY USA Registered: Aug 2004 posted 05-31-2007 09:52 AM                     Ok, I know you said multi's don't count, but I just had to. A couple years ago, we ran "Spellbound" (The spelling bee movie) for over 8 months. Since we are open 12 hours a day, it came out to about 1400 shows.  |  IP: Logged

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