Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site fortune.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxj!ihnp4!fortune!stein From: stein@fortune.UUCP (Mark Stein) Newsgroups: net.movies Subject: Re: Movie Curtains Message-ID: <4332@fortune.UUCP> Date: Mon, 24-Sep-84 16:13:53 EDT Article-I.D.: fortune.4332 Posted: Mon Sep 24 16:13:53 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 26-Sep-84 07:22:54 EDT References: <1309@ucla-cs.ARPA> Organization: Fortune Systems, Redwood City, CA Lines: 26 > Does anybody know why they close the curtains in a movie theatre after > showing the "coming soons" and the main feature? They must stay closed for, > oh, say, 3 second. I used to work in a movie theater back in my school days. There are several reasons why the curtain might be closed between the trailers and the main feature: 1) If the trailers are in a different aspect ratio than the feature (flat vs cinemascope, for example), closing the curtain will provide a better transition when the changover is made. The audience won't notice that the picture just got twice as wide! 2) It provides a way of announcing to the audience that the feature is about to start. Of course, some chains now use elaborate teasers for this purpose. This separates the "commercials" from the program. 3) Some of the studio logos were designed to be shown on an opening curtain (notably the 20th Century Fox crossing searchlights and the MGM lion). 4) Pure theatrics! Why not? The customers paid to see a show -- why not give them a professional one? Closing the curtain is a nice touch. --Mark Stein