The Orange County Post on Friday, March 24, 1939:

STORM KING THEATRE INCREASES SIZE OF SCREEN FOR DETAIL AND VISION

A beautiful new screen has been installed at the Storm King Theatre in Cornwall on Hudson, which is an increase in size of about 40 per cent of the previous screen.

The new lenses on the projecting machine will enable patrons to see more and clearer details on the picture.

The actual size of this new screen is 21 feet by 15 feet, 8 inches, and was used for the first time in this theatre on Thursday of this week.

"Cornwall Theater Reopens Under New Management" from The Orange County Post, Friday, March 17, 1939:

CORNWALL THEATER REOPENS UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT

Cornwall on Hudson. — Fred W. Falkner, who is associated with his brother, has taken a 20-year lease on the Storm King Theater, which was until recently being conducted by Mr. and Mrs. C. J. Thorpe of Chester. The Falkner brothers also operated the Becker Theatre in 1937.

The theater reopened on March 17 under the new management.

To more thoroughly work out an attractive municipal space with a fine balance in recreation, business, and cultural values, plans are in motion to make the Cornwall Theatre a pivotal element of community life.

Mr. Falkner, before associating with his brother, was part of the Sound Pictures Touring staff of the Fox Film Corp. They will make their home in this village.

The newly formed Board of Governors will include representatives of civic organizations, as well as the PTA. Efforts are being made to offer community entertainment at the Cornwall Theatre. Mr. Falkner is prominent in amateur theatricals, and this new plan is the result of much interest in the performing arts.

The Falkners are overhauling the entire organization and are remodeling the interior of the building to make free use of the spacious and beautifully appointed stage. There will be more meetings, Mr. Thorpe having felt that not as many local people will take advantage of this offer.

Work has been completed on renovations of the interior of the building, which was built and contributed to the community by C. H. Whitaker of Mountain View Farm. He also financed the earlier equipment of the theatre.

The purpose of this new plan is to preserve the original atmosphere of the theater while remaking the interior in a style that offers more comfort to patrons.

There will be prominent stage showings, which will consist of several productions mounted in rotation. This includes music scores and addresses.

The Board of Governors of the newly reorganized Storm King Theater includes civic and PTA members.

"FAMOUS UNITED ARTISTS FILMS TO BE SHOWN ON NEW STORM KING SCREEN" from The Orange County Post, Friday, March 31, 1939:

The Storm King Theater announced that they have booked in the great United Artists movies of the season and will shortly show on their new screen such outstanding pictures as: “Stagecoach,” “Made for Each Other,” “Four Feathers,” “Love Affair,” “Cocoanut Grove,” and “Wings of the Navy,” “The Heart of the North,” “On Dress Parade,” “Devil’s Party,” “Juarez,” “Goodbye Mr. Chips,” “The Mikado,” “We Are Not Alone,” “Union Pacific,” “The Oklahoma Kid,” “King of the Underworld,” “Confessions of a Nazi Spy,” “Sweepstake Winner,” “The Great Man Votes,” “Torchy Blane in Chinatown,” “The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt,” “Secret Service of the Air,” “Sergeant Madden,” “Yes, My Darling Daughter,” “The Little Princess,” “Arizona Wildcat,” and “Pacific Liner.”

In making this announcement of booking the productions of United Artists the Storm King Theater is following out their determination to give their patrons the best pictures the industry produces.

Universal Newsreel Cameraman Fred Fordham (bottom picture) films NYMA cavalry in a spectacular jump through a flaming ring. Taken on parade grounds in Cornwall on Thursday, photo shows truck inside of which is sound recording equipment operated by technician George Graham. Top picture: youngest cadets, 7 to 12 years old, being “shot” for films. Storm King Theatre manager Robert C. Kay stands, right foreground. Microphone is placed in front of Bard Hall, Company F youngsters.

“NYMA Cadets Drill for Films” from The Newburgh News, May 27, 1938:

Universal Newsreel at Cornwall Shoots Crack Cavalry Unit Jumping Through Ring of Fire

CORNWALL-ON-HUDSON —
For the second time within a week Cornwall has been in the national limelight — last Friday with a national broadcast, and on Thursday the filming of cadet activities at New York Military by Universal Newsreel.

Through the efforts of Robert C. Kay, owner-manager of Storm King Theatre, the newsreel company sent their veteran cameraman Fred Fordham and sound technician, George Graham, to shoot NYMA’s crack cavalry, dress parade and the youthful Company F (Bard Hall) cadets, ranging in age from seven to 12.

Arriving shortly before noon, the newsreel men arranged for a series of rehearsals before starting the precious celluloid rolling through the camera. Pictures from many different angles were taken, including a “worm’s eye view” of the marching cadets and cavalrymen jumping through a ring of fire.

After a number of takes and retakes, lasting all afternoon, the film was shipped to New York for developing and editing, to appear on the screen for about two or three minutes’ duration.

When the film is released, possibly within the next two weeks, Storm King Theatre will show the local “shots” as well as hundreds of other theatres throughout the country.

Cameraman Fordham has had an exciting career with Universal, nearly losing his life while filming the Morro Castle disaster from a small fishing boat. He has photographed a number of important events, including the inauguration of President Roosevelt.

Before joining the newsreel company, Fordham spent 10 months with the Navy taking “shots” in the South Pacific, and has been engaged in filming public work projects for the government.

Mr. Graham, whose duty is to synchronize the sound with the pictures, has had a colorful career. One of the high spots in his work was the sound recording and filming of a portion of the famous Hauptmann trial by means of a concealed microphone and camera. He also was assigned to take pictures of the ill-fated Morro Castle.