Control box and mechanism for screen tab controller for cinema projector and sound

The Plaza was a Leeds city centre cinema, playing many independent and ‘B’ films, as well as Continental ‘art’ films from 1958, until it was closed on 14 February 1985. The building was originally The Grand Assembly Rooms and was part of the complex which contained the Grand Theatre and Opera House, built in 1877 and 1888. It is now (2021) the Howard Assembly Room, part of the Leeds Grand Theatre and run by Opera North.

At that period, cinema projection was accomplished by using two projectors. As one was running, the projectionist laced up the other with the next reel of film and, as the first reel came to its end, watched for the first set of cue dots to appear at the top right of the screen and started the second projector. When they saw the second set of cue dots, they would switch over to the second projector using the changeover control box. This would cut off light and sound from the first projector and open the dowser of the second projector and switch to the sound track from it.

The Plaza was a Leeds city centre cinema, playing many independent and ‘B’ films, as well as Continental ‘art’ films from 1958, until it was closed on 14 February 1985. The building was originally The Grand Assembly Rooms and was part of the complex which contained the Grand Theatre and Opera House, built in 1877 and 1888. It is now (2021) the Howard Assembly Room, part of the Leeds Grand Theatre and run by Opera North.

Films came in a various range of aspect ratios (screen width to screen height) and the projectionist had to alster the masking at the side and top of the screen to fit the different ratios. It was quite usual for some films (eg newsreels or cartoons) to be in Academy ratio (1.37:1) and others to be in CinemaScope (2.35:1) in the same programmes, and the screen tabs (masks) and curtains would have to be moved to pre-set positions during the show - this was effected by using a remote box in the projection box.