What is behind that big screen movie?
When you go into a movie theater and sit down, do you think about how that film is projected on
the screen?  Most people don't, but I do.  I grew up in an age when movies were not much more
than a big version of what television was in the 1960s and 1970s.  

You sat in the theater (they called them movie houses then) and the film started.   We were lucky
if a movie would make it all the way through without any technical difficulties.  In the 1950s with
the film projectors they had there would be two projectors (remember we did not have multiplexes
back then).  Usually one young man, probably in high school, manned the projectors.  The two
projectors would each have a reel for the movie on it.  When one reel finished the projectionist had
to start the other projector with the second reel.  Sometimes that worked well and you would not
see anything difference in the movie.  Then there were the times the projectionist would be
reading, maybe a comic book, or eating.  Then the first reel would finish and there would be this
big blank white screen in the dark theater.  People would yell to the projectionist, back then they
were not always behind glass, they would look out and start the next reel.  Then sometimes you
would see 5...4...3...2...1...start reel; the projectionist forgot to feed the film through to the right
spot.   There were the times that you would see the film actually burn up on screen.  The
projectionist would have to splice the film and then start it again; you would lose quite a bit of the
movie.  Those were the days.  Film (specially nitrate film) and those carbon arc lamps did not go
together well.  The carbon arc lamp would heat up and the film would burn.  They even had some
theaters burn down due to these problems.  So when you go into the movie theater today think
about how lucky you are.  With digital film now and Xenon projector lamps it is amazing how the
screen lights up...not to mention the sound you get now.

So who is behind some of these innovative ways films are projected on the big screen you may
ask...well, I am going to tell you.  This year I talked with people on the trade floor at ShoWest.  
I talked with the people who brought Xenon lamps into the world of film projection, one of the
makers of the new digital projectors, and even a ticket company.  Newer and more advanced
technology is coming down the road and lets hope most movie theaters get on the bandwagon.  
Because moviegoers want the best for their buck!

Follow the filmstrip below to the various sections for a brief history of the beginnings of moving
pictures and inventions that have led to changes in the world of movies.
Vegas' Arts & Entertainment Corner
Lights -- Camera -- Action!