Especially because the power supply when I began was incorrect, so striking the arc on the second projector in preparation for the changeover would cause a voltage drop (?) in the lamp of the on-screen projector, such that the carbons would start moving slower and slower, the gap opening wider and wider, the light getting dimmer and dimmer, and could quite conceivably go out entirely before the end of the reel and the changeover cues appeared...
What? You never mastered "motor start," "ignite and trim carbons," and "changeover?" This was easier in some booths than others. 8^)
_Night of the Comet_ may be another possibility. It's been a very long time since I've seen it. But if I remember correctly, Catherine Mary Stuart survives being turned to dust by the comet because she stays with her boyfriend projectionist in his projection booth. I think he had just scored a print of _It Came from Outer Space_ and he wanted to inspect the print. -- Jeffry L. Johnson <jlj@xxxxxxx>