''The Projectionist'' is a 1970 American

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

written and directed by Harry Hurwitz that was the first feature film with

Rodney Dangerfield Jack Roy (born Jacob Cohen; November 22, 1921 – October 5, 2004), better known by the stage name Rodney Dangerfield, was an American stand-up comedian, actor, screenwriter, and producer. He was known for his self-deprecating one-liner humor, ...

as an actor. The film employed the use of

superimposition Superimposition is the placement of one thing over another, typically so that both are still evident. Superimpositions are often related to the mathematical procedure of superposition. Audio Superimposition (SI) during sound recording and repro ...

of older motion pictures, the first time such techniques were used. The film clips incorporated were scenes from ''

Gone with the Wind Gone with the Wind most often refers to: * Gone with the Wind (novel), ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell * Gone with the Wind (film), ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel Gone with the Wind ...

'', ''

Citizen Kane ''Citizen Kane'' is a 1941 American Drama (film and television), drama film directed by, produced by and starring Orson Welles and co-written by Welles and Herman J. Mankiewicz. It was Welles's List of directorial debuts, first feature film. ...

'', '' Fort Apache'', ''

The Birth of a Nation ''The Birth of a Nation'' is a 1915 American Silent film, silent Epic film, epic Drama (film and television), drama film directed by D. W. Griffith and starring Lillian Gish. The screenplay is adapted from Thomas Dixon Jr.'s 1905 novel and ...

'', ''

Casablanca Casablanca (, ) is the largest city in Morocco and the country's economic and business centre. Located on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Chaouia (Morocco), Chaouia plain in the central-western part of Morocco, the city has a populatio ...

'', ''

Gunga Din "Gunga Din" () is an 1890 poem by Rudyard Kipling set in British India. The poem was published alongside "Mandalay" and " Danny Deever" in the collection " Barrack-Room Ballads". The poem is much remembered for its final line "You're a better ...

'', ''

Sergeant York Alvin Cullum York (December 13, 1887 – September 2, 1964), also known by his rank as Sergeant York, was an American soldier who was one of the most decorated United States Army soldiers of World War I. He received the Medal of Honor fo ...

'', '' The Maltese Falcon'' and '' Barbarella''.

Plot

Chuck McCann, the projectionist, is seen operating projection booth equipment followed by ''The Projectionist'' opening credits. The Midtown Theater, located in

Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan, serving as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Building, the ...

, is managed by Renaldi who continually insults and berates his employees. Spending hours in the projection booth, Chuck imagines himself as the superhero Captain Flash.DVD Talk
/ref> When Harry, one of the ushers, enters the booth to complain about Renaldi, Chuck describes to him the beautiful woman he saw earlier, calling her "The Girl". Renaldi comes into the booth and rebukes Harry for disobeying his orders not to visit the projection area and criticizes Chuck for leaving a cigarette butt on the floor. His mood spoiled, Chuck starts to rewind a film reel and listens to a radio broadcast, hearing, "the way I see things, I'm not very optimistic at all, I just don't think there's much hope for the future", followed by an on-screen trailer, "COMING SOON, ''The Terrible World of Tomorrow'' — SEE man become the dehumanized slave of science — SEE Years of Racial Hatred Erupt in an Orgy of Blood-Lust / As One Half of The World Assaults the Other — SEE the Horror of Total Holocaust — SEE Man Destroyed by his Own Technology / and the World Explodes in a Blaze of Hellish Fury — SEE The End of Mankind in… / ''The Terrible World of Tomorrow''", as the radio broadcast continues, "no.. how can we disagree with Doctor Masters… gentlemen… gentlemen… gentlemen… what we're missing is the point about..." At the end of his working day, Chuck looks at movie star photographs on the booth's wall and cabinets and impersonates the voice and mannerisms of

Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart ( ; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American actor. His performances in classic Hollywood cinema made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film Institute selected Bogart ...

with quotes of film dialogue from ''

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre ''The Treasure of the Sierra Madre'' () is a 1927 adventure novel by German author B. Traven, whose identity remains unknown. In the book, two destitute American men in Mexico of the 1920s join an older American prospector in a search for gold ...

'', ''

The Caine Mutiny ''The Caine Mutiny'' is a 1951 Pulitzer Prize–winning novel by Herman Wouk. The novel grew out of Wouk's personal experiences aboard two destroyer-minesweepers in the Pacific Theater in World War II. Among its themes, it deals with the mo ...

'' and '' The Maltese Falcon'' (for which he also does

Sydney Greenstreet Sydney Hughes Greenstreet (December 27, 1879 – January 18, 1954) was a British and American actor. While he did not begin his career in films until the age of 61, he had a run of significant motion pictures in a Hollywood career lasting t ...

). He then imitates

Wallace Beery Wallace Fitzgerald Beery (April 1, 1885 – April 15, 1949) was an American film and stage actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Bill in '' Min and Bill'' (1930) opposite Marie Dressler, as General Director Preysing in '' Grand Hotel'' (1 ...

in ''

Min and Bill ''Min and Bill'' is a 1930 American pre-Code comedy-drama film, directed by George W. Hill and starring Marie Dressler and Wallace Beery. Adapted by Frances Marion and Marion Jackson from Lorna Moon's 1929 novel ''Dark Star'', the film tel ...

'',

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...

in '' The Green Berets'',

James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military aviator. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morali ...

in ''

The Spirit of St. Louis The ''Spirit of St. Louis'' (formally the Ryan NYP, registration: N-X-211) is the custom-built, single-engine, single-seat, high-wing monoplane that Charles Lindbergh flew on May 20–21, 1927, on the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight ...

'' and

Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American actor often referred to as the "King of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". He appeared in more than 60 Film, motion pictures across a variety of Film genre, genres dur ...

in ''

'' (for which he also does

Butterfly McQueen Butterfly McQueen (born Thelma McQueen; January 8, 1911December 22, 1995) was an American actress. Originally a dancer, McQueen first appeared in films as Prissy in ''Gone with the Wind'' (1939). She also appeared in the films '' Cabin in the Sky ...

). Finally, McCann (who hosted, from 1960 to 1962, the New York City daily children's TV show ''Laurel and Hardy and Chuck'') glances at a photo of

Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American double act, comedy duo during the early Classical Hollywood cinema, Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957) ...

and recreates their voices ("Say goodnight Stanley", "Goodnight Stanley") then, switching to Bogart, ends with, "So long, Fred C. Dobbs". Bored with the lack of excitement and romance in his life, Chuck continues to fantasize about his adventures as Captain Flash and imagines Renaldi as a villain known as The Bat who has six henchmen and wants to possess the X-ray device invented by the aged European scientist who is in reality the old man who speaks with an accent and runs the theater's candy concession stand. The Bat kidnaps the scientist's beautiful daughter, takes Captain Flash prisoner and raves about ruling the world. The daughter, however, turns out to be skilled in karate and, with Captain Flash, defeats The Bat and dances with Captain Flash into a Busby Berkeley musical.

Cast

*Michael Gentry…..Usher / The Bat's henchman *Lucky Kargo…..Usher / The Bat's henchman *Sam Stewart…..Usher / The Bat's henchman * David Holliday…..Fat Man / The Bat's henchman * Alex Stevens…..Usher / The Bat's henchman * Robert Lee…..Usher / The Bat's henchman *Daniel Maffia *Stephen Phillips…..Minister *Morocco…..Belly dancer *Clara Rosenthal…..Crazy lady *Jacquelyn Glenn…..Nude on bearskin *Robert Staats as the Pitchman *Robert King as the Premiere M.C. :;Uncredited * Harry Hurwitz…..Harry, the usher who visits Chuck in the projectionist's booth * João Fernandes…..Man on street

Release

Production took place in September and October 1969 and its first public screening was a year later, at the Rochester Film Festival on October 17, 1970. The film opened in New York on January 17, 1971.

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Projectionist, The 1970s fantasy comedy films American fantasy comedy films American independent films American collage films Films directed by Harry Hurwitz Films set in a movie theatre Films set in New York City 1970 directorial debut films 1970 comedy films 1970s English-language films 1970s American films English-language fantasy comedy films 1970 independent films English-language independent films