''The Projectionist'' is a 1970 American

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

written and directed by

Harry Hurwitz Harry Hurwitz (January 27, 1938 – September 21, 1995) was an American film director, screenwriter, actor and producer. Biography Hurwitz attended The High School of Music & Art and New York University, where he received a B.S. in 1960 and an ...

that was the first feature film with

Rodney Dangerfield Rodney Dangerfield (born Jacob Rodney Cohen; November 22, 1921 – October 5, 2004) was an American stand-up comedian, actor, screenwriter, and producer. He was known for his self-deprecating one-liner humor, his catchphrase "I don't get no resp ...

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. Graphics In graphics, superimposition is the placement of an image or video on top of an already-existing image or video, usually to add to t ...

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 Win ...

'', ''

Citizen Kane ''Citizen Kane'' is a 1941 American drama film produced by, directed by, and starring Orson Welles. He also co-wrote the screenplay with Herman J. Mankiewicz. The picture was Welles' first feature film. ''Citizen Kane'' is frequently cited ...

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

The Birth of a Nation ''The Birth of a Nation'', originally called ''The Clansman'', is a 1915 American silent epic drama film directed by D. W. Griffith and starring Lillian Gish. The screenplay is adapted from Thomas Dixon Jr.'s 1905 novel and play ''The Cla ...

'', ''

Casablanca Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econom ...

'', ''

Gunga Din "Gunga Din" () is an 1890 poem by Rudyard Kipling set in British India. The poem is much remembered for its final line: "You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din". Background The poem is a rhyming narrative from the point of view of a Briti ...

'', ''

Sergeant York Alvin Cullum York (December 13, 1887 – September 2, 1964), also known as Sergeant York, was one of the most decorated United States Army soldiers of World War I. He received the Medal of Honor for leading an attack on a German machine ...

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

Release

Production took place in September and October 1969 and its first public screening was a year later, at the

Rochester Rochester may refer to: Places Australia * Rochester, Victoria Canada * Rochester, Alberta United Kingdom *Rochester, Kent ** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area ** History of Rochester, Kent ** HM Prison ...

Film Festival on October 17, 1970. The film opened in New York on January 17, 1971.

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 and serves as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Buildin ...

, 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 film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film In ...

with quotes of film dialogue from ''

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre ''The Treasure of the Sierra Madre'' (originally titled ''Der Schatz der 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 a ...

'', ''

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 moral a ...

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

Sydney Greenstreet Sydney Hughes Greenstreet (December 27, 1879 – January 18, 1954) was a British-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 throu ...

). 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'' (193 ...

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 tells ...

'',

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...

in ''

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'',

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

in ''

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'' and

Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American film actor, often referred to as "The King of Hollywood". He had roles in more than 60 motion pictures in multiple genres during a career that lasted 37 years, three decades ...

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 was unable to attend the film's premiere be ...

). 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 act during the early Classical Hollywood cinema, Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–19 ...

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 David Holliday (August 4, 1937March 26, 1999) was an American Broadway actor and television voice actor. He is best known as the voice of Virgil Tracy, pilot of ''Thunderbird 2'', in the first series (26 episodes) of '' Thunderbirds'' (1965&nda ...

…..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, the usher who visits Chuck in the projectionist's booth * João Fernandes…..Man on street

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Projectionist, The 1971 films 1970s fantasy comedy films American fantasy comedy films American independent films Collage film Films directed by Harry Hurwitz Films set in a movie theatre Films set in New York City 1971 directorial debut films 1971 comedy films 1970s English-language films 1970s American films