International projectionist (Jan 1963-June 1965)

Walter Reade/Sterling Opens Um Art Gallery, Split-level Entry Featured in New House New directions in theatre design are very much in evidence at the Continental, a new first run house in the Forest Hills Section of Long Island, opened recently by Walter Reade/ Sterling, Inc. Featuring a split-level entrance and its own roof top parking facility, the Continental seats 600 and specializes in quality foreign and domestic films. Built as part of a $5,000,000 expansion program which includes two other new deluxe theatres in New York City, and one in Camden, N.J., the Continental was opened March 20th. The dominant interior innovation is the split-level construction. Patrons, upon entering the theatre foyer, have the choice of walking down a short flight of stairs to the orchestra level, or up a short flight of stairs to the twin mezzanine sections. This is similar to entering a conventional splitlevel home, where stairs lead down to the family room, and up to the living quarters. The patron may also drive his car up a ramp along one outer wall of the theatre to the roof atop of the second story of the building, where there are accommodations for 300 cars. A special roof-top entrance brings him right into the theatre lobby. The unique theatre building was designed by House and Bresin, A.I.A. architects of Jackson Heights, L.I., with John J. McNamara, A.I.A., as consulting architect for the interior theatre construction. Like Walter Reade/Sterling's Coronet Theatre in Manhattan, the Continental also has an art gallery in it's lounge, where local artists and sculptors display and sell their work. The lounge is reached by a separate stairway off the foyer, and also contains facilities for serving coffee to patrons. There are rest room facilities both off the main lounge, and the mezzanine lounge. The manager's of 10 Sol Rosenberg, a projectionist at the new Continental Theatre in Forest Hills, Long Island, is shown loading the theatre's 35mm Century projectors, which are equipped to reproduce multi-channel audio. fice is located at the rear of the orchestra entry lounge. The mezzanine has been split by projection booth facilities. On either side of the booth are seating for 60 persons in six-row depth. All seats are Griggs push-back on the orchestra floor, and Griggs spring-back in the mezzanine. Blue is the main color throughout the theatre. The orchestra seats are all white, and those in the mezzanine have white frames with blue covering. Especially woven Kharagheusian blue carpeting is used through the theatre. All interior decorations were furnished by DoolittleAllen Company of Trenton, N.J. The marquee was erected by Artkraft Strauss, utilizing Adler plastic snap-lock letters. The screen is a 22 foot by 44 foot seamless Technicoat Pearlite, with mobile masking permitting adjustment to any 35mm ratio. Another feature of the theatre is an Austrian shade contour curtain, which like the wall treatment, utilizes Blue Bengaline material. Unlike most theatres where the curtain draws to the sides, the Austrian curtain rises in folds from the floor to the top of the masking. Sound and projection were furnished by Joe Hornstein Company, utilizing Century projectors and transistor multi-channel sound. The theatre can project all 35mm wide-screen processes. Located near the center of Forest Hills, the Continental was the Walter Reade/Sterling organization's first house in the rapidly-growing Queens Borough of New York City. iP International Projectionist May 1964