Thanks!!! As soon as I figure out my scanner, I’ll send you some “goodies” from the recent Dome presentaion of “How the West was Won”. We gave our son the King Kong Special Edtion DVD for Christmas, but I have not yet seen the special features. Will check it out!
It’s also too bad that they did not do the scene comparison as in the “Oklahoma!” AMC presentation for the “Around the World…” DVD.
It is interesting that you mention “Around the World in 80 Days” and the stereo soundtrack. I vaguely remember someone in the mid or early 80’s complaining in El Nuevo Dia about the poor “quality” of sound in some of the theatres (which shall remain un-named!) back then. He then went on raving about the Metropolitan and specifically mentioned two movies: “Around the World…” and “The Longest Day” as having a superior stereo sound. I know how terrific the Metropolitan sound was, because I saw “Tora! Tora! Tora!” there, and as young
child, both the images and sound caused an incredible impression in me, second only to “2001” at the Metro.
PS: Are there any plans to restore Cinerama in NYC? The Dome here at LA screened a 3-strip “How the West was Won” in November. Although some “purists” complained a bit, I thought that it was a great experience, with some of the sharpest color images I have ever seen on screen.
Before I get corrected, let me do it first! Did not mean to imply that I saw “The Ten Commandments” or “The Bible” at the Music Hall. During grade school, they would take us once in a while to different theatres in the Santurce area, for special screenings during school hours. We usually went to the Cinerama, the Grand (which was near my school) or the Music Hall.
“Ben-Hur” premiered at the Metropolitan years before I was born!!! I was a Third Grader in the early 70’s. Could it have been a 35 mm print? (I’m not sure if they even made 35 mm prints of this movie… have to check that out) Or, could they have installed 70 mm equipment by then? I also remember that this film was shown at the Cinema 4 sometime in the mid to late 70’s. A few years ago, “Ben-Hur” was screened at the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood (my residence is in the Los Angeles area), and I had the chance to see it in a large screen again. This film is totally “un-watchable” on TV, no matter the format. Also, I used the term “70 mm Biblical spectacles” in a metaphoric sense, since all the movies they took us to see during Holy Week were the Biblical epics, such as “The Ten Commandments” (in VistaVision), “The Bible” (in D-150), and so on. As you know, these movies were at the time (and to this day) huge, and bigger than their own Director’s ego!
Regardless, thanks for the historical information! I always thought that the Metropolitan was the first theatre in PR equiped with CinemaScope! I have been searching, as a kind of hobby, information relative to the theatres in PR. Things like projection, sound system, screen size, what movie premiered were, etc. Outside of this web-site, I have found very, very little.
Way back during my elementary school years (Academia San Jorge), we often took trips to the Music Hall. I’m not exactly sure, but I suspect that the Sisters at the school had an intense devotion for the 70 mm Biblical spectacles. On one ocassion, just before the “Semana Santa” (Holy Week), we watched “Ben-Hur”, and I recall almost every third-grader being in a state of terror during the sea battle scene. And, of course, the chariot race just blew everyone away!
My dad and uncle took turns every month or so taking us neighborhood kids to the Music Hall to see the Disney flicks.
Before the UA Cinema 150, there was… the Metropolitan! Fond film memories include “Planet of the Apes”, “Tora!Tora!Tora!” (That film played for months), “The Sound of Music”, “Gone in 60 Seconds”, and “Blue Water, White Death”. I recall that during “Beneath the Planet of the Apes” an elaborate setup was erected in front of the lobby and box office. I can’t exactly remember which film, but I was standing in line one time and there was someone with a loud transistor radio playing Eric Burdon and War’s “Spill the Wine”. Every time I hear that song, I go “back” to the Metropolitan!
The Metro was probably the most elegant theatre in the area. I remember that during the engagements for “2001: A Space Odyssey”, at the height of the “Space Age”, they had a satellite prop in the lobby!
JSA
commented about
Cinema 150on
Apr 8, 2005 at 9:29 pm
I want to thank Jose Mendez for contributing to this site. I have very fond memories of many of these theatres. The UA Cinema 150 was close to my Grandmother’s house, so it was a frequent stop for us. I remember going there to see the “Star Wars” saga, “Close Encounters”, the Roger Moore Bond films like “Moonraker”, and many other “event” films. My fondest Cinema 150 film experience, however, was David Lean’s last film, “A Passage to India”. I would like also to point out that I believe that the first film shown there was “Cromwell”, but I’m not 100% sure. “The Andromeda Strain” was the first film advertised as “presented in the D-150 screen”. At any rate, I have been living in California for the lat 15 years, and have been to many movie houses here, but still the Cinema 150, with the UA Ultra 360 Sound and D-150 screen will always be tops.
Hello Andres,
Thanks!!! As soon as I figure out my scanner, I’ll send you some “goodies” from the recent Dome presentaion of “How the West was Won”. We gave our son the King Kong Special Edtion DVD for Christmas, but I have not yet seen the special features. Will check it out!
It’s also too bad that they did not do the scene comparison as in the “Oklahoma!” AMC presentation for the “Around the World…” DVD.
Regards,
JSA
Andres,
It is interesting that you mention “Around the World in 80 Days” and the stereo soundtrack. I vaguely remember someone in the mid or early 80’s complaining in El Nuevo Dia about the poor “quality” of sound in some of the theatres (which shall remain un-named!) back then. He then went on raving about the Metropolitan and specifically mentioned two movies: “Around the World…” and “The Longest Day” as having a superior stereo sound. I know how terrific the Metropolitan sound was, because I saw “Tora! Tora! Tora!” there, and as young
child, both the images and sound caused an incredible impression in me, second only to “2001” at the Metro.
PS: Are there any plans to restore Cinerama in NYC? The Dome here at LA screened a 3-strip “How the West was Won” in November. Although some “purists” complained a bit, I thought that it was a great experience, with some of the sharpest color images I have ever seen on screen.
Regards,
JSA
Hello again,
Before I get corrected, let me do it first! Did not mean to imply that I saw “The Ten Commandments” or “The Bible” at the Music Hall. During grade school, they would take us once in a while to different theatres in the Santurce area, for special screenings during school hours. We usually went to the Cinerama, the Grand (which was near my school) or the Music Hall.
Regards,
JSA
Hello Andres (and Happy New Year!):
“Ben-Hur” premiered at the Metropolitan years before I was born!!! I was a Third Grader in the early 70’s. Could it have been a 35 mm print? (I’m not sure if they even made 35 mm prints of this movie… have to check that out) Or, could they have installed 70 mm equipment by then? I also remember that this film was shown at the Cinema 4 sometime in the mid to late 70’s. A few years ago, “Ben-Hur” was screened at the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood (my residence is in the Los Angeles area), and I had the chance to see it in a large screen again. This film is totally “un-watchable” on TV, no matter the format. Also, I used the term “70 mm Biblical spectacles” in a metaphoric sense, since all the movies they took us to see during Holy Week were the Biblical epics, such as “The Ten Commandments” (in VistaVision), “The Bible” (in D-150), and so on. As you know, these movies were at the time (and to this day) huge, and bigger than their own Director’s ego!
Regardless, thanks for the historical information! I always thought that the Metropolitan was the first theatre in PR equiped with CinemaScope! I have been searching, as a kind of hobby, information relative to the theatres in PR. Things like projection, sound system, screen size, what movie premiered were, etc. Outside of this web-site, I have found very, very little.
Regards,
JSA
Way back during my elementary school years (Academia San Jorge), we often took trips to the Music Hall. I’m not exactly sure, but I suspect that the Sisters at the school had an intense devotion for the 70 mm Biblical spectacles. On one ocassion, just before the “Semana Santa” (Holy Week), we watched “Ben-Hur”, and I recall almost every third-grader being in a state of terror during the sea battle scene. And, of course, the chariot race just blew everyone away!
My dad and uncle took turns every month or so taking us neighborhood kids to the Music Hall to see the Disney flicks.
Our entire family went to see “Chitty Chitty” during the opening weekend at the Cinerama. Me and my brothers just had to see that movie!
Before the UA Cinema 150, there was… the Metropolitan! Fond film memories include “Planet of the Apes”, “Tora!Tora!Tora!” (That film played for months), “The Sound of Music”, “Gone in 60 Seconds”, and “Blue Water, White Death”. I recall that during “Beneath the Planet of the Apes” an elaborate setup was erected in front of the lobby and box office. I can’t exactly remember which film, but I was standing in line one time and there was someone with a loud transistor radio playing Eric Burdon and War’s “Spill the Wine”. Every time I hear that song, I go “back” to the Metropolitan!
The Metro was probably the most elegant theatre in the area. I remember that during the engagements for “2001: A Space Odyssey”, at the height of the “Space Age”, they had a satellite prop in the lobby!
I want to thank Jose Mendez for contributing to this site. I have very fond memories of many of these theatres. The UA Cinema 150 was close to my Grandmother’s house, so it was a frequent stop for us. I remember going there to see the “Star Wars” saga, “Close Encounters”, the Roger Moore Bond films like “Moonraker”, and many other “event” films. My fondest Cinema 150 film experience, however, was David Lean’s last film, “A Passage to India”. I would like also to point out that I believe that the first film shown there was “Cromwell”, but I’m not 100% sure. “The Andromeda Strain” was the first film advertised as “presented in the D-150 screen”. At any rate, I have been living in California for the lat 15 years, and have been to many movie houses here, but still the Cinema 150, with the UA Ultra 360 Sound and D-150 screen will always be tops.