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Posted January 15, 2007 |
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THIS IS CINERAMA IN LOS ANGELES |
Compiled By
Michael Coate
THIS IS CINERAMA
Theatre: Warner
Hollywood
Premiere: April 29, 1953
Engagement Duration: 133 weeks
Format: 3-Strip Cinerama
Promotional Hype: "The
Biggest Thing That Ever Stunned A Theatre Audience!"
CINERAMA
HOLIDAY
Theatre: Warner
Hollywood
Premiere: November 14, 1955
Engagement Duration: 81 weeks
Format: 3-Strip Cinerama
Promotional Hype: "It's
Every Holiday You Ever Dreamed Of...Come True!"
SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD
Theatre: Warner
Hollywood
Premiere: June 5, 1957
Engagement Duration: 69 weeks
Format: 3-Strip Cinerama
Promotional Hype: "Your Tickets Are The Magic Keys That Unlock A World Of Adventure Such As You Have Never Experienced!"
WINDJAMMER
Theatre: Grauman's Chinese
Premiere: April 8, 1958 (World Premiere)
Engagement Duration: 37 weeks
Format: 3-Strip Cinemiracle
Promotional Hype: "Cinemiracle...Must Be Seen...To Be Believed!"
WINDJAMMER (Move-over from Chinese)
Theatre: Fox
Premiere: December 25, 1958
Engagement Duration: 15
weeks
Format: 3-Strip Cinemiracle
Promotional Hype: "The Giant Wall-to-Wall Screen Comes Alive!!!"
SOUTH SEAS ADVENTURE
Theatre: Warner
Hollywood
Premiere: October 1, 1958
Engagement Duration: 71 weeks
Format: 3-Strip Cinerama
Promotional Hype: "You
Live A Thousand Wondrous Excitements In The New Cinerama Adventure!"
SEARCH FOR
PARADISE
Theatre: Warner
Hollywood
Premiere: February 11, 1960
Engagement Duration: 38 weeks
Format: 3-Strip Cinerama
Promotional Hype: "Far
Beyond The Limits Of Human Imagination!"
THIS IS CINERAMA
(Return Engagement)
Theatre: Warner Hollywood
Premiere: November 2, 1960
Engagement Duration: 22 weeks
Format: 3-Strip Cinerama
Promotional Hype: "The
Astounding Attraction That Revolutionized The Entertainment World"
CINERAMA
HOLIDAY (Return
Engagement)
Theatre: Warner Hollywood
Premiere: April 4, 1961
Engagement Duration: 7 weeks
Format: 3-Strip Cinerama
Promotional Hype: "It's Every Holiday You Ever Dreamed Of...Come True!"
SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD
(Return Engagement)
Theatre: Warner Hollywood
Premiere: May 23, 1961
Engagement Duration: 16 weeks
Format: 3-Strip Cinerama
Promotional Hype: "Your Tickets Are The Magic Keys That Unlock A World Of Adventure Such As You Have Never Experienced!"
THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM
Theatre: Warner
Hollywood
Premiere: August 7, 1962
Engagement Duration: 28 weeks
Format: 3-Strip Cinerama
Promotional Hype: "The First Dramatic Film In Fabulous Cinerama!"
HOW THE WEST WAS
WON
Theatre: Warner
Hollywood
Premiere: February 20, 1963 (U.S. Premiere)
Engagement Duration: 93 weeks
Format: 3-Strip Cinerama
Promotional Hype: "The
Great Dramatic Motion Picture That Puts You In Every Scene!"
IT'S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD
Theatre: Cinerama Dome
Premiere: November 7, 1963 (World Premiere)
Engagement Duration: 67 weeks
Format: 70mm
Promotional Hype: "The
Biggest Entertainment Ever To Rock The Cinerama Screen With Laughter!"
THIS IS CINERAMA
(Return Engagement)
Theatre: Century Drive-In
Premiere: April 17,
1964
Engagement Duration: 3 weeks
Format: 3-Strip Cinerama
Promotional Hype: "The
First Presentation Of Cinerama In A Drive-In Theatre...See Cinerama On The
Newest, Largest, Most Spectacular Screen Anywhere In The World!"
SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD
(Return Engagement)
Theatre: Century Drive-In
Premiere: May 6, 1964
Engagement Duration: 5 weeks
Format: 3-Strip Cinerama
Promotional Hype: None
SOUTH SEAS ADVENTURE
(Return
Engagement)
Theatre: Century Drive-In
Premiere: June 10, 1964
Engagement Duration: 3 weeks
Format: 3-Strip Cinerama
Promotional Hype: None
CIRCUS WORLD
Theatre: Warner
Hollywood
Premiere: December 18, 1964
Engagement Duration: 16 weeks
Format: 70mm
Promotional Hype:
"Cinerama Surrounds You With The Greatest Thrill-Packed Story Ever Filmed!"
THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD
Theatre: Cinerama Dome
Premiere: February 17, 1965
Engagement Duration: 43 weeks
Format: 70mm
Promotional Hype: None
MEDITERRANEAN
HOLIDAY
Theatre: Warner
Hollywood
Premiere: April 9, 1965
Engagement Duration: 11 weeks
Format: 70mm
Promotional Hype:
"Cinerama Has Thrilled You With 'This Is Cinerama,' 'Seven Wonders Of The
World,' 'Cinerama Holiday,' 'Seven Seas Adventure' And Now Thrill To The New
Cinerama: 'Mediterranean Holiday'"
THE HALLELUJAH TRAIL
Theatre: Warner
Hollywood
Premiere: June 23, 1965 (World Premiere)
Engagement Duration: 26
weeks
Format: 70mm
Promotional Hype: "Now
Cinerama Sends Burt Lancaster, Lee Remick, Jim Hutton, Pamela Tiffin And YOU
Roaring With Laughter And Adventure Down The Hallelujah Trail."
BATTLE OF THE BULGE
Theatre: Cinerama Dome
Premiere: December 16, 1965 (World Premiere)
Engagement Duration: 27 weeks
Format: 70mm
Promotional Hype: "The
Super Action Show In Super Cinerama"
CINERAMA'S RUSSIAN ADVENTURE
Theatre: Warner
Hollywood
Premiere: May 3, 1966
Engagement Duration: 13 weeks
Format: 70mm
Promotional Hype:
"Here...There...Everywhere...As Far As The Eye Can See! The Most Incredible
Adventure Of All!"
KHARTOUM
Theatre: Cinerama Dome
Premiere: June 23, 1966
Engagement Duration: 24 weeks
Format: 70mm
Promotional Hype:
"Where The Nile Divides...Their Mighty Conflict Begins!"
GRAND PRIX
Theatre: Cinerama Dome
Premiere: December 22, 1966
Engagement Duration: 44
weeks
Format: 70mm
Promotional Hype: "Cinerama Sweeps You Into A Drama Of Speed And Spectacle"
Theatre: Warner
Hollywood
Premiere: April 4, 1968
Engagement Duration: 80 weeks
Format: 70mm
Promotional Hype: "An
Epic Drama Of Adventure And Exploration!"
ICE STATION ZEBRA
Theatre: Cinerama Dome
Premiere: October 23, 1968 (World Premiere)
Engagement Duration: 29 weeks
Format: 70mm
Promotional Hype: "Ice Station Zebra...remember the name—your life may depend on it!"
KRAKATOA EAST OF JAVA
Theatre: Cinerama Dome
Premiere: May 14, 1969 (U.S. Premiere)
Engagement Duration: 23 weeks
Format: 70mm
Promotional Hype: "The New Cinerama Hurls You Into The Incredible Day That Shook The Earth To Its Core!"
RE-ISSUES & SPECIAL ENGAGEMENTS
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
Theatre: Egyptian
Premiere: September 30, 1970
Engagement Duration: 7 weeks
Format: 70mm
Promotional Hype: "On Our Giant 70ft. Dimension 150 Screen! Your Last Chance To See '2001' — Presented in 70mm Dimension 150 with 8 Track Stereo (32 surround speakers)"
THIS IS CINERAMA
Theatre: Cinerama Dome
Premiere: February 15, 1973
Engagement Duration: 14 weeks
Format: 70mm
Promotional Hype: "'This Is Cinerama' Is Back To Entertain A Whole New Generation"
THIS IS CINERAMA (Move-over from Cinerama Dome)
Theatre: Fox Wilshire
Premiere: May 23, 1973
Engagement Duration: 3 weeks
Format: 70mm
Promotional Hype: "'This Is Cinerama' is now at its new home"
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
Theatre: Cinerama Dome
Premiere: July 24, 1974
Engagement Duration: 5 weeks
Format: 70mm
Promotional Hype:
"Exactly As Presented In Cinerama And Stereo Sound"
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
Theatre: Egyptian
Premiere: October 2,
1974
Engagement Duration: 3 weeks
Format: 70mm
Promotional Hype: "The Ultimate Trip! In 70mm Dimension 150 And Stereophonic Sound!"
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
Theatre: Cinerama Dome
Premiere: July 17, 1977
Engagement 5 weeks
Format: 70mm
Promotional Hype: "Before 'Star Wars' There Was...And There Always Will Be
'2001: A Space Odyssey'...Now In Cinerama, 70mm & 6-Track Stereophonic
Sound"
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
Theatre: Cinerama Dome
Premiere: November 4, 1988
Engagement Duration: 2 days*
Format: 70mm
Promotional Hype: "Cinerama Dome Celebrates 25 Years Of Motion Picture History"
*Shown three times during the Dome's 25th anniversary retrospective (Nov. 3-17, 1988)
THIS IS CINERAMA
Theatre: Cinerama Dome
Premiere: November 6, 1988
Engagement Duration: 2 days*
Format: 70mm
Promotional Hype: "Cinerama Dome Celebrates 25 Years Of Motion Picture History"
*Shown three times during the Dome's 25th anniversary retrospective (Nov. 3-17, 1988)
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
Theatre: Cinerama Dome
Premiere: May 15, 1992
Engagement Duration: 2 days*
Format: 70mm
Promotional Hype:
"Experience The Wonder Of These Great Film Classics On The Giant Cinerama
Dome Curved Screen"
*Shown May 15 & 16 during the Dome's 7-Day 70mm Film Festival, which also
included "West Side Story" and "Oklahoma!"
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
Theatre: Cinerama Dome
Premiere: March 19, 1993
Engagement Duration: 1 week
Format: 70mm
Promotional Hype: "25th
Anniversary—7
Day Engagement"
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
Theatre: Cinerama Dome
Premiere: November 10, 1995
Engagement Duration: 1 week
Format: 70mm
Promotional Hype: "New
70mm Print! Limited One Week Engagement"
THIS IS CINERAMA
Theatre: Cinerama Dome
Premiere: October 4, 2002
Engagement Duration: 2 weeks
Format: 3-Strip Cinerama
Promotional Hype: "Thrill to the 3-projector presentation that made this the #1 movie of 1952!"
HOW THE WEST WAS WON
Theatre: Cinerama Dome
Premiere: September 12, 2003
Engagement Duration: 2 weeks
Format: 3-Strip Cinerama
Promotional Hype: "Exclusive Los Angeles Engagement Presented In Its
Original 3-Strip Cinerama Process"
IT'S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD
Theatre: Cinerama Dome
Premiere: October 16, 2003
Engagement Duration: 4 days
Format: 70mm
Promotional Hype: "In the fall of 1963, two icons were born: the Cinerama Dome and Stanley Kramer's 'It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.' This October 17-19, our historic Cinerama Dome will showcase a 40th anniversary Special Edition print presented in 70mm and, for the first time, in digital sound with the legendary intermission and 'police calls' voiced by Spencer Tracy and William Demarest."
THIS IS CINERAMA
Theatre: Cinerama Dome
Premiere: October 21, 2004
Engagement Duration: 2 days
Format: 3-Strip Cinerama
Promotional Hype: None
HOW THE WEST WAS WON
Theatre: Cinerama Dome
Premiere: October 28, 2005
Engagement Duration: 1 week
Format: 3-Strip Cinerama
Promotional Hype: "Exclusive Engagement In Its Original 3-Strip Cinerama Process"
NOTES/TRIVIA
Many of the films that are the subject of this article had their world premiere in Los Angeles, and such cases are noted among the premiere data above. The films that world-premiered elsewhere are as follows: "This Is Cinerama" (New York, 09/30/52); "Cinerama Holiday" (New York, 02/08/55); "Seven Wonders Of The World" (New York, 04/10/56); "South Seas Adventure" (New York, 07/15/58); "Search For Paradise" (New York, 09/24/57); "The Wonderful World Of The Brothers Grimm" (Denver, 07/14/62); "How The West Was Won" (London, 11/01/62); "Circus World" (Dallas, 06/24/64); "The Greatest Story Ever Told" (New York, 02/15/65); "Mediterranean Holiday" (Munich, 12/19/62); "Cinerama’s Russian Adventure" (Chicago, 03/29/66); "Khartoum" (London, 06/09/66); "Grand Prix" (New York, 12/21/66); "2001: A Space Odyssey" (Washington, DC; 04/02/68); "Krakatoa East of Java" (Tokyo, 01/11/69).
The Los Angeles booking sequence of the travelogues differed from the sequence in which they were produced and originally shown in their New York City world premiere engagements.
The Warner Hollywood Theatre booked non-Cinerama, non-reserved-seat 35mm attractions from September 1961 through August 1962.
There were two Cinerama films that were never commercially screened in Los Angeles: the 3-strip travelogue compilation film "The Best Of Cinerama" (1962) and the 70mm-Cinerama film "The Golden Head" (1965, AKA "Millie Goes To Budapest").
"Custer Of The West" (1967), which played as a 70mm-Cinerama roadshow in selected U.S. cities, played in Los Angeles only as a 35mm general release. "Scent Of Mystery," which was converted to 3-strip format and re-titled "Holiday In Spain" for selected bookings, played in Los Angeles under its original title and in its original 70mm format. In addition, a few films were promoted as Cinerama for selected international engagements but played Los Angeles in regular 70mm or 35mm versions. These films included "The Black Tulip," "Lafayette," "The Last Valley," "Song Of Norway," and "The Story Of The Flaming Years."
The Fox Theatre in Hollywood where "Windjammer" played its move-over run is easily confused with another Hollywood theatre which operated under the same Fox name during a different timeframe. The Fox Theatre where "Windjammer" played was located at 6126 Hollywood Blvd. It originally operated as the Music Box before becoming the Fox. After operating as the Fox, it was known as the Pix, the Henry Fonda, and, today, The Music Box @ Fonda. The other theatre that used the Fox name beginning in the late-1960s was located at 6508 Hollywood Blvd. and had previously operated as the Iris Theatre.
The U.S. premiere of "How The West Was Won" had originally been planned to be held in New York, but a newspaper strike led its distributor, MGM, to delay the New York opening and instead premiered the film in Los Angeles. (Newspaper advertising at the time was considered integral to the promotion of a roadshow film and the selling of reserved-seat tickets in advance.)
"It’s A Mad Mad Mad Mad World" was the debut attraction of the Cinerma Dome when it premiered in November 1963.
The Century Drive-In, located in Inglewood, was the first of only a few drive-in theatres to be equipped to show 3-strip Cinerama.
"The Hallelujah Trail" opened in Los Angeles on June 23, 1965 without a formal premiere event. However, 12 days prior, United Artists hosted a press preview event which some press reports described as the film’s world premiere. When the film opened in New York on June 30, a week after opening in L.A., another gala event was held which was promoted as the World Premiere. (Doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but that's how it happened!)
Two months after its
premiere, "Khartoum" was re-titled "The Battle For Khartoum."
During the 1968-69 engagement of "2001: A Space Odyssey," ownership of the
Warner Hollywood Theatre changed hands from Stanley-Warner to Pacific
Theatres, at which time the name of the venue was changed to the Hollywood
Pacific. In 1978, the theatre was divided into three screens. It still
exists today, but is closed.
"Windjammer" played the Cinerama Dome in a 1971 re-issue in a significantly compromised non-multi-panel 35mm presentation.
The Cinerama Dome
currently is one of three commercial theatres
in the world equipped to
show movies in the 3-strip Cinerama format. (The other two venues are the
Cinerama in Seattle and the National Media Museum in Bradford, England.)
In addition to the commercial theatres mentioned in this article,
non-commercial venues in Los Angeles equipped for 3-strip Cinerama
projection included the Forum (not to be confused with the concert & sports
venue located in Inglewood) during the 1960s & ’70s and Crest National Labs
during the 2000s.
The recent interest in Cinerama owes a debt of gratitude to John Harvey, a professional, career projectionist who, during the 1990s, helped revive the process at Pictureville in Bradford, England and later in his Dayton, Ohio home (!) as well as at Dayton's New Neon Movies.
___________________________________________________
References for this project were the LOS ANGELES TIMES and THE NEW YORK
TIMES newspapers archived on microfilm, the trade publication VARIETY, and
the websites cinerama.topcities.com and in70mm.com.
Special thanks to Martin Hart, Thomas Hauerslev, John Hora, Rick Mitchell,
Vince Young, and the readers of the rec.arts.movies.tech newsgroup.
IMAGES: Copyright Martin Hart @ American Widescreen Museum; Los Angeles Public Library