The Decatur Theatre, north of Atlanta, is pictured in a photo probably taken in early 1942. I include it here because, of course, the movie being exhibited was "Hellzapoppin'" and, decades later during high school, I worked my second job as a projectionist in this very building. Sweet.
The Decatur had a pair of 35mm projectors much like the ones on display in "Hellzapoppin'," although the booth in the motion picture is a studio set. It is not operational.
I can tell because there are no chimney-like exhaust ducts carrying off the considerable heat and toxic carbon arc fumes from the machines.
I see other telltale signs, although the most glaring is there is no toilet in this room. Projectionists of the period were not permitted to leave the machines ever, so a dedicated commode and sink to call our own were nearby, standard issue.
Swag!
Hollywood productions, the legend goes, did not present toilets on the screen until "No Time for Sergeants" (1958) and "Psycho" (1960). Bathrooms did appear earlier in movies. They were furnished with all of the porcelain fixtures except potties. For the longest time, I thought excretion and secretion were invented during the Eisenhower administration.
Continued From: "Movies in the Movies: 'Hellzapoppin''" | "More 'Hellzapoppin''" | "More More 'Hellzapoppin''" | Even More More 'Hellzapoppin''
Related: "Movies in the Movies: 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'" | "Movies in the Movies: 'Girls! Girls! Girls!'"
Decatur Theatre photo courtesy Dennis Whitefield's The Decatur Theatre blog
