Boxoffice-July.1995

tions to show the many films that Hollywood
was producing at the time. Upon entering
the Anny he was sent to Newfoundland,
Canada. Within a matter ofhours after
his arrival on base, he approached the special
services officer in charge of the
installation's theatre and secured a position
operating the theatre's 35mm Cenmry projection
equipment.
Base theatres, he says, were very basic
with no frills. "Very elementary. Wooden
benches. The projection booth was lined
with asbestos—you had to go up a ladder
and tlirough a trap door to enter the booth.
He adds that tlie films were carried from
one theatre to another,
starting on Newfoundland's
west coast. Once the
film had been shown in all
four of the Amiy's tlieatres,
it would be shipped back to
Boston. The Army usually
knew in advance what
films were going to be exhibited
and would post onesheets
outside their
theatres.
B
eing a projectionist
during war time was
more adventurous
than one might presume.
George not only manned
the bootii at the base theatre
but also took entertainment
and training films to
the troops who were stationed
in remote locations.
He remembers taking a
16mm projector, a small
speaker, and the film "Star
Spangled Rhytlim" to one
remote island by boat. "I
can remember climbing
up a ladder at the wharf at
the island, a gosh-awfiil
place. The island wasn't
very long, maybe a half
mile at the most from end
to end, but they had outposts
there." George recalls that he and the
boat operator had to climb up the ice-coated
ladder with the equipment and walk
through knee-deep snow to get to the other
side of the island to put on the show.
After two and a half years in Newfoundland
he returned to the United States and
went back to work as an operator at the
Academy of Music.
hi 19,52 he began working ftiU-time for a
local industrial concern after area theati'es
scaled back their operations to include only
one operator in the booth. However, he
continued to work part-time at the Maryland,
Colonial, and Academy of Music,
which at the time were all part of the Warner
Bros, chain. His nontheatre job lasted seven
years prior to his being laid oHin 1959. He
later went to woik for a truc;k manuthcturer
from which he retired in 1979, all the while
continuing to work as a substilute prqjec-
rionist in the booflis of local motion picture
houses as the need arose. Wagner also
served for a time as the business agent for
the local operators union, the International
Association of Theatrical Stage Employees
(I.A.T.S.E.).
Wagner likes to recall the important but
often unrecognized role that moviehouse
projectionists played in putting on a good
show. "No one knew you were around until
something happened. They'd hoot and holler
and stomp tlieir feet. You'd go up before
anyone came into the theatre. You were the
last one to leave."
He is quick to point out that there have
The Maryland Theatre today
At age 81, Wagner volunteers his time and efforts to help with
whatever needs to be done to keep the nonprofit Maryland
Theatre running, whether it's taking tickets for a live performance
or helping with maintenance around the building.
been many changes in motion picture projection
since he got started. While theati'es
formerly had two projectionists working
together to operate two machines, modem
projection systems permit one operator to
run several machines. And although he
rarely goes to modem movie theatres today,
he admits that when he does, it is due to a
motivation other than to just see the film.
He goes to critique the performance of the
projectionist. "I'm lookingto findsotnediing
wrong," he says somewhat sheepislily. "I'm
not going to see the movie, I want to see
someone goof up."
It is hard to imagine George Wagner making
a mistake. His work is meticulous, and
he still brings the s;ime dedication to his an
as he must have when it was his profession.
He admits to a fc^w "goof ups" of his own
during his long career, though. One of die
most embarrassing was a time when he
accidentally changed over to a reel containing
a cartoon in the middle of a western
feature. "You can imagine that it's bad
enough to put the wrong reel on. That's a
distinct possibiliti,'. But to put a cartoon on
in the middle of a western— I don't even
want to think about it."
years in the exhibition busi-
Sixty-two
ness gives one an opportuniti,' to be a
part of the industrj''s histor\' and vxitness
its change. Wagner recalls the early
part of his career when shows ran almost
continuously from about 1:00 p.m. to 11:00
p.m. on most days and features would normally
change twice per
^^^ week. A weU-trained and
ornately unifonned usher
^^^1
^)^H corps was common in
'^^M many theatres. And al-
^B though he respects the
changes in exliibition that
have been brought about
by time, he longs to return
to those days when grand
movie palaces were a place
\\here everyone gathered
to see newsreels, short subjects,
and of course die feature
films.
The Academy of Music
is long gone, and the Colonial
now fimctions as a
church. The Maryland
Theatre has been restored
and serves the citizens of
Hagerstown as a performing
arts center Though
films are shown only occasionally,
when they are,
you can bet that it's George
Wagner in the Mar\'land's
bootii. Even after all these
years, film projection,
along with his wfe Ginny,
is still his greatest love. At
age 81 ,
Wagner volunteers
his time and efforts to help
with whatever needs to be
done to keep die nonprofit
Mar\'land Theati'e running, whedier it's
taking tickets for a live performance or helping
with maintenance around the building.
He was also instrumental in s('eing the
"Miglitv' Wurlitzer" organ make its recent
triumphant return to the Maryland. Althotigh
the Maryland's original organ was
donated to a local churcli many \'cars ago,
another was located and has been beautiftilly
restored and instalkxi Wagner hopes
to soon be nmning silent films to die oi"gan's
accompaniment.
H('
states that happiness for him is
opiTating th(^ Mar>'land's du;il c.irlion
arc Super Simplex pn)jectors. "It
makes you feel important wlien you look
out the booth door at th(^ Maryland, for
instance, and you siu^ diat tht" whole darn
balcony is illuminated. You know it
You've got a good show."
is filled.
M) llOXOI'I'ICE