Where did all these 70mm/35mm Hard Ticket Roadshows play in San Antonio during the late 1950’s, 1960’s and early 1970’s? I see the Broadway & Woodlawn played a few. To give you an example: SOUTH PACIFIC, EXODUS, WEST SIDE STORY, EL CID, THE LONGEST DAY, MAD WORLD, GREATEST STORY, BATTLE OF THE BULGE, THE BIBLE, HAWAII, SAND PEBBLES, GONE WITH THE WIND (67 reissue) OLIVER, PATTON, TORO,TORO, TORO, HOW THE WEST WAS WON, DOCTOR ZHIVAGO. Did they have a hard ticket run?
I’m not taking sides here, but why did almost every theater change from a curved screen to a flat screen if there wasn’t a problem. I relocated to LA in 1961. Every 70mm presentation including the Egyptian, Pantages, Fox Wilshire & Cathay Circle had changed to a flat screen. WHY! Why didn’t the Egyptian & Cathay Circle stay with the curved Todd AO screens if they had no focus problems? Again, I’m not taking sides This is what I was told by management & the projectionist.
Saw both Oklahoma & Around the World in the Todd AO 70mm curved screen process in Houston, TX in 1956. After which the theater went to a flat screen for all future 70mm presentations. I worked for the theater company that owned the theater. We were told a flat screen replaced the curved screen as the projectionist couldn’t keep the picture in focus on the curved screen. Either the center of the picture was out of focus or the sides. It was impossible to keep both areas in focus at the same time since the center of the screen was further away from the projector than the sides. They had many complaints from customers. From your previous comments, Houston was not alone with this problem. If you ever have a chance to see a single projection CINERAMA presentation on a deep curved screen, they had the same problem.
Same goes for THE ALAMO. MGM won’t spend the money to restore the film to it’s original running time of 202 minutes. GREATEST STORY, MAD WORD, HAWAII, JUDGEMENT AT NURENBURG are just a few of the roadshow films that are no longer in their original cut.
I recently read that on August 5, 1960, John Wayne’s company Batjac held the first preview of THE ALAMO at the Aladdin in Denver prior to it’s premiere in San Antonio, TX in late October. Can anyone verify this?
I recently read an article that stated on Sept. 4, 1959, MGM and William Wyler choose the Center Theatre in Denver to show the first sneak preview of BEN-HUR before it’s premiere in November in New York. Can anyone verify this story?
This was a long time ago. In the fall of 1964, I was stationed in Virginia while I was in the service. During that time, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF with Zero Mostel had a Pre NY Broadway run in Washington. I believe it either played the National or the Palace. Am I right or wrong?
The picture & map are wrong on this theater. The location you show is 3730 South Main Street, Houston, Texas instead of 3730 North Main Street. The North Main Theater is on the north side of Houston not the south.
Interstate opened LAWRENCE OF ARABIA in 1963 and THE CARDINAL in 64'on a reserved seat, hard ticket policy. Did Interstate remodel the theater a second time putting in 70mm etc. as they did with the Alabama,Houston in 1960? What other reserved seat, hard ticket pictures played the Esquire?
I stand corrected. I always thought the Rivoli played THE LONGEST DAY and in 70MM. What was the first picture to be blown up from 35mm to 70mm? Wasn’t DOCTOR ZHIVAGO a blow up?
THE LONGEST DAY opened at the Rivoli in New York in October 1962 on a Hard Ticket Reserved Seat Engagement. Although is was shot in BXW Cinemascope, if check the listings in the New York Times in October 1962, I think you will find that the Rivoli ran a 70MM print. Darryl Zanuck had a special 70MM print made for the engagements in New York and Los Angeles.
Back in October 1960, I worked for Interstate Theatres Inc in Houston, TX of which the Tower was part of. About 10 days before THE ALAMO opened on 10/26, the Tower received it’s 70mm print and it was screened one Thursday afternoon to make certain the print was in OK condition and to have a correct running time. The entire film was run including the Overture, Intermission, Entr'acte, and Exit Music. I was at that screening and although I did not clock the film, I was told it came in right at 202 minutes. Recently I have read the 70mm roadshow prints ran only 192 minutes. I wasn’t aware that the Tower received a second print at 192 minutes, but maybe it did. I wonder what happened to those 10 minutes?
The first 10 years of my life, 1939 to 49', I lived in the Almeda area of Houston, TX. and went to the above mentioned theater many times. Once and a while we would also frequent the Delman on Main Street. But there was a third theater in that same area that my brother & I would ride our bikes to. We liked going there because it specialized in films geared to kids. You know, the B westerns, Kids dog pictures, Tarzan and Bomba etc. It always played double features so we could spend the entire afternoon there. I remember it changed programs 3 or 4 times a week. I think it closed in the early 1950’s. It wasn’t the Holman. Can anyone remember?
Great Job on SPARTACUS. Hope you can do the same on THE ALAMO that was released the same month in 1960 and EXODUS in December 1960. Both were 70MM Roadshow, Hard Ticket Presentations.
Didn’t DeMille’s THE TEN COMMANDMENTS open at the Warner on Nov. 8, 1956 on an exclusive LA roadshow, reserved seat presentation? Friends of mine have told me of the outstanding vistavison picture the theatre had. They told me the theatre was equipped with vistavision projectors. I’ve been told it ran for almost a year.
In DAVID SELZNICK’S HOLLYWOOD, he states that GONE WITH THE WIND premiered first in Atlanta on 12/15/39 at the Loews Grand (3 continuous shows daily) , then four days later in New York at the Capitol (3 continuous shows daily) and the Astor (reserved seat; 2 performances daily) and finally in Los Angeles at the United Artist Downtown (3 continuous shows daily) and the Carthay Circle (reserved seat; 2 performances daily). The Los Angeles invited premiere was held the day before on 12/27/39 at the Carthay Circle.
Check this out with Universal with someone who is still alive and worked the JAWS release. I’ve heard, before the sneaks in Dallas and Lakewood, Universal planned to saturate the picture with over a 1000 prints in the US and Canada on June 20th as they felt the picture was a fast burn. They labeled it an exploitation (2) week release. No one at Universal had seen the picture as of yet and with the picture so far over budget, they were looking for as much boxoffice as they could get in a short period of time. Of course, everything changed after those sneaks. 500 theaters, even in 1975, was not a wide saturation release. It was more of a platform release.
Like the Tower in downtown Dallas, this neighborhood 28 day Interstate theater became a 70MM Roadshow House in the early 1960’s. I believe it opened LAWRENCE OF ARABIA on a hard ticket exclusive Dallas run.
LarryFM, I’m going back some 60 years but this is what I remember about the screen tower. The “duck” was bright yellow. I always thought the owners copied the design from and old MGM cartoon character from the 40'& 50’s. I believe the outside border of the tower was red and the word POST OAK was black. There were 2 to 4 flood lights at the bottom of signature that lite it up at night. When Cinemascope came in 54, they added 6 to 8 feet of new tower on each side of the existing tower.
In 1951 when the Post Oak was built, there was no other drive in on that side of town so it did a lot of business.
I use to frequent the Post Oak Drive In many times during the 1950’s when it was at it’s original location on Post Oak at Westheimer. When looked at, during the daytime, you could see Hayes, Kansas on the other side as there was nothing built beyond it except wondering praire. As a matter of fact, there was nothing on Post Oak except the Post Oak Drive In. In 1951 when it was built, Post Oak was considered out in the middle of nowhere.
I remember this theater during the late 1940’s. They ran all the B westerns from Republic, Columbia, PRC, Monogram etc every Saturday as I recall. They were always double features. What a blast.
GESkelton: I worked for your father at the Alabama during the late 1950’s while I attended Lamar HS and the University of Houston. Started out as an usher, than a doorman, cashier, candy attendant and finally as his assistant. I think you have a sister named Sharon and your first name is George. Sharon use to work the Saturday Kid Shows as a candy girl and you and your mother once in a while would come and see a movie. I don’t think yet you were 10 years old. Those 3 years have very special memories. I remember when your father got transferred to the Metropolitan. I was at the River Oaks by then. I hope your father, mother and sister are doing well.
Where did all these 70mm/35mm Hard Ticket Roadshows play in San Antonio during the late 1950’s, 1960’s and early 1970’s? I see the Broadway & Woodlawn played a few. To give you an example: SOUTH PACIFIC, EXODUS, WEST SIDE STORY, EL CID, THE LONGEST DAY, MAD WORLD, GREATEST STORY, BATTLE OF THE BULGE, THE BIBLE, HAWAII, SAND PEBBLES, GONE WITH THE WIND (67 reissue) OLIVER, PATTON, TORO,TORO, TORO, HOW THE WEST WAS WON, DOCTOR ZHIVAGO. Did they have a hard ticket run?
I wonder if we will ever see the 160 minute 70mm version of 2001 that played at the Uptown in Washington for a day before it was cut?
I’m not taking sides here, but why did almost every theater change from a curved screen to a flat screen if there wasn’t a problem. I relocated to LA in 1961. Every 70mm presentation including the Egyptian, Pantages, Fox Wilshire & Cathay Circle had changed to a flat screen. WHY! Why didn’t the Egyptian & Cathay Circle stay with the curved Todd AO screens if they had no focus problems? Again, I’m not taking sides This is what I was told by management & the projectionist.
Saw both Oklahoma & Around the World in the Todd AO 70mm curved screen process in Houston, TX in 1956. After which the theater went to a flat screen for all future 70mm presentations. I worked for the theater company that owned the theater. We were told a flat screen replaced the curved screen as the projectionist couldn’t keep the picture in focus on the curved screen. Either the center of the picture was out of focus or the sides. It was impossible to keep both areas in focus at the same time since the center of the screen was further away from the projector than the sides. They had many complaints from customers. From your previous comments, Houston was not alone with this problem. If you ever have a chance to see a single projection CINERAMA presentation on a deep curved screen, they had the same problem.
Saw “Judgment” at the Pantages in Hollywood in December 61’. It was a roadshow print with built in overture, intermission, enter act 2 and exit music.
Same goes for THE ALAMO. MGM won’t spend the money to restore the film to it’s original running time of 202 minutes. GREATEST STORY, MAD WORD, HAWAII, JUDGEMENT AT NURENBURG are just a few of the roadshow films that are no longer in their original cut.
I recently read that on August 5, 1960, John Wayne’s company Batjac held the first preview of THE ALAMO at the Aladdin in Denver prior to it’s premiere in San Antonio, TX in late October. Can anyone verify this?
I recently read an article that stated on Sept. 4, 1959, MGM and William Wyler choose the Center Theatre in Denver to show the first sneak preview of BEN-HUR before it’s premiere in November in New York. Can anyone verify this story?
This was a long time ago. In the fall of 1964, I was stationed in Virginia while I was in the service. During that time, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF with Zero Mostel had a Pre NY Broadway run in Washington. I believe it either played the National or the Palace. Am I right or wrong?
The picture & map are wrong on this theater. The location you show is 3730 South Main Street, Houston, Texas instead of 3730 North Main Street. The North Main Theater is on the north side of Houston not the south.
Interstate opened LAWRENCE OF ARABIA in 1963 and THE CARDINAL in 64'on a reserved seat, hard ticket policy. Did Interstate remodel the theater a second time putting in 70mm etc. as they did with the Alabama,Houston in 1960? What other reserved seat, hard ticket pictures played the Esquire?
I stand corrected. I always thought the Rivoli played THE LONGEST DAY and in 70MM. What was the first picture to be blown up from 35mm to 70mm? Wasn’t DOCTOR ZHIVAGO a blow up?
THE LONGEST DAY opened at the Rivoli in New York in October 1962 on a Hard Ticket Reserved Seat Engagement. Although is was shot in BXW Cinemascope, if check the listings in the New York Times in October 1962, I think you will find that the Rivoli ran a 70MM print. Darryl Zanuck had a special 70MM print made for the engagements in New York and Los Angeles.
According to the local newspaper, Regal dropped IMAX.
Back in October 1960, I worked for Interstate Theatres Inc in Houston, TX of which the Tower was part of. About 10 days before THE ALAMO opened on 10/26, the Tower received it’s 70mm print and it was screened one Thursday afternoon to make certain the print was in OK condition and to have a correct running time. The entire film was run including the Overture, Intermission, Entr'acte, and Exit Music. I was at that screening and although I did not clock the film, I was told it came in right at 202 minutes. Recently I have read the 70mm roadshow prints ran only 192 minutes. I wasn’t aware that the Tower received a second print at 192 minutes, but maybe it did. I wonder what happened to those 10 minutes?
The first 10 years of my life, 1939 to 49', I lived in the Almeda area of Houston, TX. and went to the above mentioned theater many times. Once and a while we would also frequent the Delman on Main Street. But there was a third theater in that same area that my brother & I would ride our bikes to. We liked going there because it specialized in films geared to kids. You know, the B westerns, Kids dog pictures, Tarzan and Bomba etc. It always played double features so we could spend the entire afternoon there. I remember it changed programs 3 or 4 times a week. I think it closed in the early 1950’s. It wasn’t the Holman. Can anyone remember?
Great Job on SPARTACUS. Hope you can do the same on THE ALAMO that was released the same month in 1960 and EXODUS in December 1960. Both were 70MM Roadshow, Hard Ticket Presentations.
Didn’t DeMille’s THE TEN COMMANDMENTS open at the Warner on Nov. 8, 1956 on an exclusive LA roadshow, reserved seat presentation? Friends of mine have told me of the outstanding vistavison picture the theatre had. They told me the theatre was equipped with vistavision projectors. I’ve been told it ran for almost a year.
In DAVID SELZNICK’S HOLLYWOOD, he states that GONE WITH THE WIND premiered first in Atlanta on 12/15/39 at the Loews Grand (3 continuous shows daily) , then four days later in New York at the Capitol (3 continuous shows daily) and the Astor (reserved seat; 2 performances daily) and finally in Los Angeles at the United Artist Downtown (3 continuous shows daily) and the Carthay Circle (reserved seat; 2 performances daily). The Los Angeles invited premiere was held the day before on 12/27/39 at the Carthay Circle.
Check this out with Universal with someone who is still alive and worked the JAWS release. I’ve heard, before the sneaks in Dallas and Lakewood, Universal planned to saturate the picture with over a 1000 prints in the US and Canada on June 20th as they felt the picture was a fast burn. They labeled it an exploitation (2) week release. No one at Universal had seen the picture as of yet and with the picture so far over budget, they were looking for as much boxoffice as they could get in a short period of time. Of course, everything changed after those sneaks. 500 theaters, even in 1975, was not a wide saturation release. It was more of a platform release.
Like the Tower in downtown Dallas, this neighborhood 28 day Interstate theater became a 70MM Roadshow House in the early 1960’s. I believe it opened LAWRENCE OF ARABIA on a hard ticket exclusive Dallas run.
LarryFM, I’m going back some 60 years but this is what I remember about the screen tower. The “duck” was bright yellow. I always thought the owners copied the design from and old MGM cartoon character from the 40'& 50’s. I believe the outside border of the tower was red and the word POST OAK was black. There were 2 to 4 flood lights at the bottom of signature that lite it up at night. When Cinemascope came in 54, they added 6 to 8 feet of new tower on each side of the existing tower.
In 1951 when the Post Oak was built, there was no other drive in on that side of town so it did a lot of business.
I use to frequent the Post Oak Drive In many times during the 1950’s when it was at it’s original location on Post Oak at Westheimer. When looked at, during the daytime, you could see Hayes, Kansas on the other side as there was nothing built beyond it except wondering praire. As a matter of fact, there was nothing on Post Oak except the Post Oak Drive In. In 1951 when it was built, Post Oak was considered out in the middle of nowhere.
I remember this theater during the late 1940’s. They ran all the B westerns from Republic, Columbia, PRC, Monogram etc every Saturday as I recall. They were always double features. What a blast.
GESkelton: I worked for your father at the Alabama during the late 1950’s while I attended Lamar HS and the University of Houston. Started out as an usher, than a doorman, cashier, candy attendant and finally as his assistant. I think you have a sister named Sharon and your first name is George. Sharon use to work the Saturday Kid Shows as a candy girl and you and your mother once in a while would come and see a movie. I don’t think yet you were 10 years old. Those 3 years have very special memories. I remember when your father got transferred to the Metropolitan. I was at the River Oaks by then. I hope your father, mother and sister are doing well.