Page 17 - CinemaRecord Edition 3-2003 #41

What equipment?
Simplex projectors with Western
Electric sound heads on universal
bases, tended by Albert Boss, who had
come to the Capitol as chief
projectionist when it opened.
The organist at the Capitol was
Stanfield Holliday. He was quite a good
organist and very popular. But there
was a hate session between Bert Boss,
chief projectionist and the organist. We
had Brenkert spotlights in the
projection room (see CR 43) and we
used one near the slide machine to
flood the organ, and Bert would come
and freeze the carbons up so it made
the carbons splutter, and you’d see
Stanfield Holliday squirming on his
organ seat, his head coming around a Capitol House is now apartments, not
little bit as if to say “what’s going on commercial premises. Access to the lifts
up there?” And Bert would say “Don’t requires a key. Otherwise, Brian’s description of
touch it, don’t touch the ruddy thing.” the way to the projection room is still accurate.
The unmarked first iron door (centre) and the
Did you operate the famous ceiling
bio room (below) as he knew it.
lights, or was it done from backstage?
They were operated from backstage
when I was there. In recent years
they’ve put them on electronic dimmers
and they’re in the projection room now,
but in those days there was an
electrician on duty all the time the
cinema was open.
The whole theatre was on DC
power (direct current) at that time too.
On the roof above the projection room,
on the roof of the cinema, we had to go
up and start what’s called Roth
converters, which converted DC to
alternating current through an AC
generator, or an AC alternator. There
were two of them.
We had to have AC to run the sound
system, through the 41, 42 and 43
amplifiers with large transmission-type
valves. Just simple technology like
triodes they used.
Halfway through the day at the end
of the afternoon session we had to go
up on the roof and change over the
Roth converters. We used to run one
during the day and switch over to the
other one for the intermediate and night
sessions.
Was DC power to allow low voltage for
the lighting in the ceiling?
No, the lights were on 240 volts, but
the power was even DC on the power
points. To boil water you couldn’t use
an open element electric jug - it would
turn the water black. I had to use an
immersion heater to boil water to make
a cup of tea.

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