Newspaper Announcement - Grand Theatre Opening

DOUGLAS DAILY INTERNATIONAL                  SATURDAY JANUARY 25, 1919

New Grand Theater Opens Its Doors Tonight

Magnificence of Interior Surprises Everyone

When one attempts to describe the new Grand theatre, which will throw its doors open to the public this evening, it calls to mind the old story about the writer who worked his adjectives so hard that a friend remarked that if they ever caught him out alone some dark night they would murder him.

After one inspects the new theatre and then attempts to describe it, his first impulse is to hunt up all the nice adjectives in the dictionary, raise them to the n’th power and then apply them to the new Grand theatre. As a matter of fact, the name of the theatre itself is a pretty good description for one word. It really IS a GRAND theatre: using the adjective in its highest sense. However, words even at their best often seem inadequate, and this is such a case.

The only way to get an idea of the grandeur of the new theatre is to see it for oneself, and Douglas people will have that very opportunity this evening. The doors will be thrown open at 6:30 and the public is invited to visit the new palace of amusements. The picture program, the feature of which is Dustin Farnum in his latest release, will start at 7 o’clock. Tomorrow the attraction will be Gaby Deslys in “Infatuation” a hand-colored Pa-

. . . the feature that will be shown in Douglas before its premiere in Los Angeles next week. There will be a daily change of program.

As soon as a person enters the theatre he gets a dual impression of magnitude and magnificence. The size and elegance of the building almost overcomes the spectator. It is as if he were suddenly transplanted from Douglas to a great city and gently dropped into one of the great metropolitan fairyland amusement places. As a matter of fact, the new theatre would be a credit to any city, and it is easily the finest one between San Antonio and Los Angeles. It makes the El Paso theatres look like shacks.

It is no disparagement of Douglas to admit frankly that the new “quarter-million-dollar theatre,” as the management terms it, is ahead of the city. It is a wonderful tribute to the faith, which the owners have in the future of Douglas. Lots of people declaim eloquently of the great future of Douglas, and everybody knows they are speaking the truth, but never before has an individual or company shorn its faith in the future of the city in such a concrete way as has the Lyric Amusement company. I “faith without works is dead,” the converse is equally true, and judging from this standpoint the owners of the new Grand have the greatest faith of all the many Douglas boosters.

Through published descriptions the public is already more or less familiar with the general scheme of the interior of the new theatre. But there are some features that stand out so strongly they are worthy of special mention.

One of these is the location of the loge seats, the best in the theatre when it is used for motion pictures. There are 900 seats on the main floor, and 700 in the balcony. The loge seats, 120 in number, are located at the front of the balcony. This is in line with the new Rivoli, the four-million dollar motion picture theatre just opened in New York, and the two and one million dollar theatres just opened in San Francisco and Los Angeles, respectively. The loge seats are on a line with the projection room. The spectators thus view the picture from the same angle at which it is projected onto the screen, and it has been demonstrated that this is scientifically correct.

Loge seats upholstered

The loge seats are upholstered in leather, as are also all the seats on the lower floor, and all the rows of seats are separated by Royal blue plush and silk curtains. All the seats in the balcony are numbered and the balcony is illuminated by the alcove system, rows of lights being hidden in the ceiling.

A feature which promises to be popular with patrons right from the start is the ushering. Girls in uniform will act as ushers, the same as in all the big metropolitan theatres. If the uniforms arrive in time the ushers will appear in them tonight.

The building is heated by steam and thermostat, a tiny instrument placed on the wall, regulates the heat and the temperature can be made uniform throughout the entire building merely by turning a small lever the same as a motorist turns on more juice.

The ventilating system is the last word in that kind of construction. Fresh air is forced into the building and sucked out through the top thus insuring pure air at all times. There is a separate ventilator for each of the rooms on the mezzanine floor such as the tea room, ladies parlor, manager’s office reception rooms, etc.

Wonderful lighting system

At the top of the building, over the main floor, are six massive sets of lights, each containing three sets of bulbs, red, white and blue. The building can be lighted in any of these three colors, and from the operating room it is possible to merge the light gradually from one color into another. The entire lighting system is indirect, no lights being visible. The result is a beautiful, subdued light that is restful instead of glaring.

The lights can be operated either from the stage or the operating room. The big marble switchboard on the stage contains two separate services, power and light, each independent of the other. Even if the power should go off in the city, the picture could be shown the same as if nothing had happened. E. F. Stout, of the Douglas Traction & Light company, was in charge of all the electrical work.

Fireproof Operating Room

The operating room is composed of solid concrete. There are two DeLuxe projection machines, each holding 3000 feet of film. They are the latest invention in this line and are the same machines used in the new $2,000,000 California theatre in San Francisco. The transverter consists of an upright generator designed for projection only and when installed cost $700 alone. The operating room is absolutely fireproof, as indeed the entire building. In case a film catches on fire small iron doors drop over the apertures in the operating room and there is a special flue to carry off the fumes. It is possible for 12,000 feet of film to burn and the audience not even know it. There are ten exits from the building, including the fire escapes in the balcony.

The picture curtain is a Manu.a silver fibre screen, 14x19 feet. It is woven instead of painted and is the latest in curtain construction.

The main beam that supports the balcony and roof is of solid reinforced concrete and will support a dead weight of 600,000 pounds.

A noticeable feature of the main floor is the width of the aisles, four persons being able to walk alongside at one time. The floor is of concrete and slopes gently to the stage, it will be cleansed daily by turning on water at the top of the floor, the water running automatically into a plug at the bottom.

French Gray is the color scheme throughout the entire building, with the parlors of light blue plush. The huge art panels on both walls are finished in gray blue and old ivory. They are works of art.

The orchestra pit will accommodate 50 musicians, and the state is large enough to accommodate the large road shows. The curtain, 42x28 feet, has just been hung. It depicts an ancient Roman scene and is a work of art. Music will be furnished by one of the huge Wurlitzer unit organs, with Miss Jessie Griggs, an experienced organist, at the keys. Tonight there will be a special military orchestra for the opening.

Everything Is Modern

The foyer of the theatre contains five clusters of lights, shaded by huge century plants done in colored glass. This is in keeping with the western country. Wide stairways lead from either end of the foyer to the balcony and rest rooms above. The stairs are covered with rich carpets of blue, gray and old rose, as are the ladies’ rooms and the loge section. The restroom and tea room contain Reed furniture. There are telephones and writing tables and all conveniences, including lavatories. There is a kitchenette and pantry off from the tea room, and on this floor are many special rooms for different departments of the business. Even the janitor has a little re . . . ments.

The theatre is ind . . Douglas may take pr. . . owners of the place . . to be for a good man . . with the most prid . .