Dreamland Theatre
Ogden, Utah
Charles and George Driskell were managers of the Dreamland Theatre on Washington Avenue for most of 1908. They made improvements to the playhouse in March, including the addition of landscape panels on the walls made by local artists. In August, the Dreamland added a second projector, eliminating the need for intermissions at reel changes. A claim by George Driskell that he had “worked with untiring energy” to secure exclusive engagements at the Dreamland provoked a strong response from R. W. Strong with 20th Century Optiscope, who claimed the entire credit for resolving booking conflicts lay with the national Film Service Association. Two months later, the Dreamland reopened under the management of Fred Tout and Fred Anderson.
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Small Theater Fire
Moving Picture Machines and Some of Films are Destroyed At Electric
Ogden Standard Examiner, 8 February 1908, page 5
Salt Lake, Feb. 8. - The Electric theater at 264 South Street, between Second and Third South, was damaged by a fire which destroyed the moving picture machine and some of the films. The fire occurred while the motion picture show was in progress. There were 200 people in the theater at the time, all of whom got safely out of the doors as soon as it was announced that the place was on fire.
The machine was being operated by Byron Park. he succeeded in covering up the rest of the films so that they were saved. He escaped injury. The operator is a brother of Lester Park, who was seriously burned last summer in a fire in an electric theater on Main street while operating a moving picture machine there.
All of the wires leading into the theater were cut by the fire department electricians as soon as the firemen reached the place in order that there might be no danger to the firemen while they were extinguishing the flames near the machine.