Winter Garden Theatre

Man Of The Movies

Dipson Theatres employee Bill Arthurs may be preparing for the cinemas to enter the digital age, but not without first remembering how he used to use lit carbon sticks at the Wintergarden to project brightness for films to pass through so people could go to the movies.

"I was 16 years old and needed a job," said Arthurs about why he began working at the movies. Since he liked to watch the movies, he thought the cinema may provide a good place to work. He began in concessions and then recalls using the hot lit carbon sticks that would burn for about 20 minutes to project light for the films that a motor pulled so people could watch them..

"It was really, really hot," he said about the process once used before lamps took over for the carbon sticks.

Although he took off from area movies while in the U.S. Navy for 10 years, he still worked in the movies where he was stationed. He was a medic in the Marines, but still found time to work part-time at the privately owned cinemas.

He not only returned to the area, but, also back to the local movie scene.

As he continued his work at Dipson Theatres Cinema 1 and II at the Chautauqua Mall, he said different projectors were used to get through one full-length film so when one reel was complete, another began. His work changed more, however, as he currently works a few nights a week "building" movies that come in pieces. He puts them together using slicing tape, adding previews and commercials and putting the finished product on plates that shine through a light so people can watch the movies at area Dipson Theatre locations.

He has even brought his Cub Scout troop in to see how it's done.

It's been 23 years since he began working at the movies, and, Arthurs, also the computer technician for the Bemus Point Central School District, said he could "build" a movie "with his eyes closed."

Further changes are coming as the Lakewood 8 will soon use digital projectors in order to improve picture and sound quality. Arthurs said that will be like popping a disk in a drive. He will still work on film at some of the other Dipson Theatre sites.

Arthurs is used to things changing. Movies are more expensive to make today, he said, adding they are filmed differently as the once-used 35 millimeter flat film has been replaced by digital or 3-D. Films are more violent too, he said, adding what is rated PG today wouldn't have passed for an R-rated film years ago. Despite that, he said, people bring youth to see the films, and infants are brought in sometimes too.

Tim Minchin at the Winter Garden Theatre - Mike's Weekly Skeptic ...

Last night, however, he was on point. It was a fantastic show with a good mix of older songs the audience knew ( If I Didn't Have You, The Pope Song, Prejudice ) with new ones that were immediately well received. Some personal highlights were "Cont" , a new song about groups of which Minchin is not fond, Song for Sam's Mum" about God fixing the eyes of a Christian fan's mother, and the first encore where Minchin played my favorite Christmas song, White Wine in the Sun . It always makes me cry and this was no exception. Tim Minchin is a fabulous pianist, a gifted lyricist, and a tremendous entertainer. My wife, who is not a skeptic/atheist/heathen like myself (although she is exposed to me regularly and bluntly when I, as Tim would say in his beat poem Storm , "go off on one of my rare, but fun, rants" ) had a stellar time and retold the event to her friend, who had been babysitting for us, with gusto and many laughs.

Things I Doubt: Ray Comfort & Kirk Cameron's ability to put together a decent argument...or a decent sandwich, for that matter; Oprah Winfrey's judgment about anything; Jenny McCarthy's anatomical conformity, by which I mean, I think she has neither a brain nor a heart; Jim Carrey's status as a Canadian - am I allowed to unilaterally decline that?; believers in acupuncture and their ability to accept that it is a fantasy; and the justness of a world where I am not rich for my truly amazing humor but Reality TV "stars" continue to rake in the cash.

A history of the New York stage from the first performance in 1732 to 1901

Winter Garden Theatre, Brisbane, Program File].

The Cambridge guide to American theatre

At this theatre, 100 years of Broadway shows, stories and stars

Tamburlaine the great