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Topic: The Show Must Go On
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Hugh McCullough
Expert Film Handler
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Posts: 147
From: Old Coulsdon, Surrey, UK
Registered: Jan 2003
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posted 02-11-2010 04:46 PM
A few years ago I got called out one evening to a similar problem with the screen curtains, or Tabs as we call them in the UK.
The cable had broken, and wrapped itself, in a right tangle, around the drum. This had caused the motor fuse to blow. Luckily there was a walkway behind the curtain track, so it was just a case of unhooking all the bobbins and letting the curtain drop on to the stage. We then just dragged them over to the side, and restarted the film.
The cause of the cable break was found the next morning. Whoever had recabled the curtains, apparently he was the very well known Mr Don't Know, had somehow managed to wrap the cable around one of the screen frame poles. Made a nice sharp groove completely through the metal resulting in the cable eventually jamming tight.
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John T. Hendrickson, Jr
Jedi Master Film Handler
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Posts: 889
From: Freehold, NJ, USA
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted 02-11-2010 05:32 PM
Many years ago I was working at the Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park, NJ. Per union contract, operators were not allowed to open and close the curtain. This was usually done by ushers. We placed a curtain cue at the end of the credits, and someone was supposed to throw the switch backstage to close the curtain.
As fate would have it, the kid who was to perform the task hit the switch at the beginning of the credits. Realizing his mistake, he hit the switch again to close the curtain. This was a no-no, as the motor and wench had to complete a cycle. Of course, the curtain cable left the wench and jammed, leaving the curtain partially open.
Fortunately, it was the last show of the night. Stage maintenance guy had to come in and lower the curtain from the fly to the stage. It took two days before they could get it repaired. In the meantime, the screen was left exposed- something that just wasn't done back in the old days.
In the meantime, the show went on.
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Tom Inglis
Film Handler
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Posts: 34
From: Croydon London, England
Registered: Mar 2009
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posted 02-12-2010 05:23 AM
Well, just yesterday we had an interesting set of problems. We'd had a lamp flickering for a few days so it was due to change a few days ago, only its negative connector was stuck, so Matt couldn't just take the lamp out.
Our PM came in yesterday and they both attempted to change the whole assembly (i'm not sure of all the exact details) which they took out of a different screen (where we have digital and print). Only that was aligned differently and they had to bodge it.
When they went on screen to test it, the shutter drive went.
When they changed that, the Xenon autofocus went.
Many spanners later, it is, sort of, fixed.... First show we got on was 21.15, poor Matt was there from 0900 to 2000...
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