Neighborhood theatre
Encyclopedia
In the days before multiplexes, neighborhood theatre was the colloquial name given to smaller movie theatres located in local neighborhoods, as opposed to the large movie palace
s located in downtown
areas. Neighborhood theatres would typically show films at cheaper prices, and were often very conveniently located only a few miles from where one lived. However, because of their size, they would usually show reduction print
s of films shot in such larger sized formats as Todd-AO
, Super Panavision 70
, or Ultra Panavision. They would not show Cinerama
films unless the print used had been converted to a Cinemascope
or Panavision
format.
Often, very long films would be cut for neighborhood theatres, so that they could be shown continuously, rather than in the two-a-day performance roadshow
format in which they were intended to be shown.
Movie palace
A movie palace is a term used to refer to the large, elaborately decorated movie theaters built between the 1910s and the 1940s. The late 1920s saw the peak of the movie palace, with hundreds opened every year between 1925 and 1930.There are three building types in particular which can be subsumed...
s located in downtown
Downtown
Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....
areas. Neighborhood theatres would typically show films at cheaper prices, and were often very conveniently located only a few miles from where one lived. However, because of their size, they would usually show reduction print
Reduction print
A reduction print is a print of a large-size format film converted to a smaller size format . Often this is necessary because not all theaters have a screen of the size required to show a film in large format, or indeed the projection equipment. This is especially true of some screens in multiplex...
s of films shot in such larger sized formats as Todd-AO
Todd-AO
Todd-AO is a post-production company founded in 1953, providing sound-related services to the motion picture and television industries. The company operates three facilities in the Los Angeles area.-History:...
, Super Panavision 70
Super Panavision 70
Super Panavision 70 was the marketing brand name used to identify movies photographed with Panavision 70 mm spherical optics between 1959 and 1983.-History:...
, or Ultra Panavision. They would not show Cinerama
Cinerama
Cinerama is the trademarked name for a widescreen process which works by simultaneously projecting images from three synchronized 35 mm projectors onto a huge, deeply-curved screen, subtending 146° of arc. It is also the trademarked name for the corporation which was formed to market it...
films unless the print used had been converted to a Cinemascope
CinemaScope
CinemaScope was an anamorphic lens series used for shooting wide screen movies from 1953 to 1967. Its creation in 1953, by the president of 20th Century-Fox, marked the beginning of the modern anamorphic format in both principal photography and movie projection.The anamorphic lenses theoretically...
or Panavision
Panavision
Panavision is an American motion picture equipment company specializing in cameras and lenses, based in Woodland Hills, California. Formed by Robert Gottschalk as a small partnership to create anamorphic projection lenses during the widescreen boom in the 1950s, Panavision expanded its product...
format.
Often, very long films would be cut for neighborhood theatres, so that they could be shown continuously, rather than in the two-a-day performance roadshow
RoadShow
RoadShow , formerly known as "資訊娛樂共同睇" [paraphrased as Integrated View of Information and Entertainment]) is the first "Multi-Media On Board" service on transit vehicles in the world. It was launched by Kowloon Motor Bus Company on 26 November 2000...
format in which they were intended to be shown.