MacArthur Theater

Jodar…“stereo”, in cinema, has been used for any sound format having more than 1-channel. Furthermore, Dolby quickly adopted the name “Dolby Stereo” and applied it to all of their multi-channel cinema formats. So 70mm 6-track Dolby Stereo is really a 6-channel sound format. The “stereo” has nothing to do with the number of surround channels. For whatever reason, there was never a special logo or promotion for the 70mm stereo surround format (assigned format 43 by Dolby in their CP200 processor). In Dolby’s release lists of the day…the only means of knowing which titles had a stereo-surround track would be to see the “SS” after the title’s name. The 70mm stereo-surround format is what evolved into what consumers know as 5.1. Tracks 2 and 4 in the 70mm format, which originally were used for Left-Center and Right-Center stage channels were first repurposed as “baby boom channels by only recording LF information on them and applying a suitable expander and Low-pass filter as well as a line-amplifier to raise their level. In this manner the format was compatible with non-baby-boom theatres. Those theatres would lack the expander as well as the approximate 10dB of in-band boost so their LC/RC speakers would just play those bass tracks as if they were normal tracks. When the Stereo Surround format came out, tracks 2 and 4 used the LF portion of the audio spectrum still for baby-boom (250Hz and below) but the HF portion (500Hz and above) were recorded stereo surround information. Track 6, the mono surround track would supply the LF portion of the surrounds (500Hz and below) to all of the surrounds in mono. Since directionality is proportional to the higher frequencies, it convincingly created "Stereo Surrounds.” though only the upper frequencies are stereo. Theatres without the CAT158 module in an SA5 (CP100) or the Accessory Rack (CP200) would not have the decoding circuits and just play the mono-surround track as normal. If the theatre had LC/RC speakers but no modern “Baby-Boom” sound processor that would filter the HF information above 250Hz, then one would need to disconnect the HF drivers on those two speakers (virtually all crossovers in that era were at 500Hz to keep the crossover point out of the dialog region.

The number of stereo-surround movies back in the early to mid 80s were VERY few…Apocalypse Now, Superman, Pink Floyd’s THE WALL are some of the few titles around that time. Star Trek II definitely was NOT recorded with stereo-surrounds. Even if the MacArthur had the decoder (which it did NOT under either K-B or Circle or Cineplex/Loews), there stereo surround information was not there to be decoded.

What you likely heard was possibly a cleaver mix of say Right channel and Surrounds to try and steer the sound a bit or possibly a poorly distributed surround array (the MacA didn’t have what one would consider an optimal surround layout. It had a handful of “bookshelf” type speakers going down the side/rear of the theatre (typical for that era). As such, it is possible that the nearest speaker would have a dominating influence on the surround perception. Furthermore, how the speakers were wired to achieve a suitable impedance to the amplifier could have sections of the surround array non-uniform (the series/parallel wiring could have more current going through the rear grouping of speakers if that group had a lower resulting impedance due to fewer speakers on that group). I really can’t say what you personally heard. I can only give you the facts on how the system works and how the movie was recorded.

Virtually all 70mm (blow ups or 65mm origination) movies from 1977 onwards (shot, not reissues of classic titles) had “baby boom” tracks. Even Stereo Surround movies had baby-boom. In fact, the Stereo Surround format was created in a manner that ensured that a Stereo-Surround print could be single inventoried to ANY theatre.

There were rare exceptions to the baby-boom format for titles like “Annie” which used all 5-stage channels. But those were VERY rare…in fact, my mind is drawing a blank of any other titles.

Giles…

See: Presented in 70mm and six track magnetic Dolby Stereo and a more-detailed year-by-year breakdown beginning with the year 1976. As you’ll see, most of the titles listed were of the “baby boom” variety; any “split surround” mixes are listed as “SS”.

Jodar…I had responded previously but apparently, it did not take! Not only was the MacArthur always a mono-surround theatre (K-B, Circle, Cineplex), Star Trek II was a mono-surround movie! The number of Stereo Surround features were very small in the early/mid ‘80s…after about 86, it started to pick up a bit. If you want to see what was recorded with Stereo surround…this list is pretty complete http://www.in70mm.com/library/process/dolby/

Depending on the surround layout one can get fake directionality due to the lack of even coverage. For instance, the MacArthur had something like 12 surrounds for the entire theatre (it may have been less…I don’t recall anymore the exact layout for either K-B or Circle…just that they both hung just a few speakers down each side and across the rear…compare that to the K-B Cinema or the AFI/Silver). One can try to fake surround steering by mixing some of Stage Left or Right with the surrounds but you are never going to get an actual effect in the back corner. Another thing that could influence your perception of surround directionality is where you were sitting in relationship to the speakers as well as how the speakers were wired. In order to present the amplifier with a suitable load, the surround speakers were often wired in a series/parallel fashion. If the numbers didn’t work out even, one bank of surround would play louder than the rest and could also seem to steer the sound to one point in the theatre more than the other. A modern system, like the AFI/Silver…all surrounds play at the exact same volume, by design.

Note, by “Mono Surrounds” that means that ALL of the surround speakers play when something is on that track so you are going to get that “all around you” feeling. Originally, the surrounds were called the “effects” track.

pmccoy,

K-B never had a Cinerama theatre. Furthermore, 2001:A Space Odyssey was never in 3-strip Cinerama. Its only ties to Cinerama was in name and even then it also carried the “Panavision 70” tag. The theatre you are likely thinking of was the Uptown (an RKO theatre at the time)…which was a Cinerama theatre (still has the deep-curve), was the world premiere theatre for 2001 but it played in 70mm.

Giles, I Saw ‘Dark Crystal’ here, too, as it was 70mm and it was when the place was triplexed. While the puppeteering (spelling) and creatures were cool for its time, my only memory was the score and surrounds at the end of the movie.

I still remember running around the now ‘new’ balconies made as a result of the remodel. I think I caught 2001 here during a rare 70mm screening sitting in #2, the main auditorium, and just enjoying the place for what it was. Also, I believe ‘White Nights’ or is it ‘Knights’ with Gregory Hines and Mikhail Barishnakov was playing here in 70mm. The only reason I wanted to see the movie and remember enjoying was the dancing part that had a great set up, but went nowhere as Hines' character couldn’t hit it and Lionel Ritchie’s ‘Say You, Say Me’ in the theater’s stereo system, at the end of the movie.

Interesting info, Steve, as always. You state the Mac never had stereo surrounds only mono surrounds, so how would you explain me hearing the following:

In Star Trek II, as I posted on the AFI Silver page, there was this screw dropping hitting the floor sound heard right and rear in the BACK of the theater. I distinctly heard this many times and on the subsequent viewings, looking forward to audience reaction (heads turning towards the sound. Then Kirk shouting ‘KHAAAAN’ starting in front, progressing to the middle of the theater and echoing in the rear trailing off..as the camera seems to pull back to show his voice carrying off into space..or something to that effect.

What I’m trying to say is if this ‘mono’ how is the sound separation such that its around you and there’s that s-p-a-t-i-a-l quality to it that brings the movie to life? When I hear ‘mono,’ I think pre-1950s movies, B&W, flat sound, no right to left, left to right, nothing. Okay, Fantasia may be the exception.

In Brainstorm (1983), when Natalie Wood’s character is sobbing for her husband to ‘come back’ from the trip going to ‘heaven,’ you hear her voice all around the theater..i forget where but various lines are heard in rapid succession and repeated, ‘Michael’ was heard in one part, ‘Anthony (character’s middle name) 'Brace’ somewhere else. Then her next lines, ‘don’t leave me’ and ‘GET UP’ would be sound mixed heard all over the theater as the visuals take you on this light trip. It is all happening super fast ..Michael..Michael..Anthony..Anthony.. BraceBraceBrace..don’t leave (get up!) me!

So all this is ‘mono’?

What was cool was the regular shots were 35mm but almost filled up the Mac’s screen, then the 65mm visual fx and/or pov shots would go wide. As you state, the screen wasn’t large enough (wide) for 70mm, that makes sense.

I think the director’s intent would have made more dramatic impact had the right screen been had to show the difference. But during its DC release, this was the largest theater. Not sure about VA..I remember it was booked at GCC’s Springfield’s 70mm #1 and a few others but screenwise, the other’s would be about the same, if not smaller.

CVS sure didn’t do much at all in remodeling the place lol

This was a gorgeous theater before it was divided into smaller venues. I recall seeing The Sound of Music here during a re-release of the film. Seems the curtains were a heavy gold color, and I can still recall the music playing at intermission just before the second half of the movie started. There was a balcony of course, and I remember adults could have cocktails there before the film started, and during intermission. They sold programs to the film as well. It’s still a wonderful memory, and I am happy to have a place to share my recollections!

SWCphotography….cool photos..thanks for posting them.

The MacArthur’s special role within the K-B chain when I was a kid in the late ’50s and early ’60s was to show British imports. My parents and I drove more than 10 miles round trip from Virginia to see low and high comedies that most often featured at least one of these players: Robert Morley, Alec Guinness, Margaret Rutherford, Alastair Sim and Peter Sellers.

Somehow, Sellers’ many male and female roles in “The Mouse That Roared” made it officially My Favorite Movie of all time — until I saw it as an adult, many years later. I guess I must have admired the early and deft satire of nuclear proliferation.

Even as a kid I knew the “Carry On” comedies were kinda cheesy, but they were British, so they existed on a higher plane than Abbott & Costello.

I don’t know if Agatha Christie enjoyed Ms. Rutherford’s interpretation of her amateur detective Miss Marple, but I came to believe that no one else had the spirit or the jowls for the role.

Guests of the MacArthur were directed to the second-floor lobby where tea and cookies were served until showtime, when the chimes of Big Ben struck and I’d brush the cookie crumbs off my clothes and we’d descend to the auditorium.

I don’t think my parents would have taken such a long drive to see French imports. Years later when friends could drive I was finally able to get to the Circle Theater downtown where I’d see the work of the great French directors Truffaut, Godard and Woody Allen.

I was fortunate enough to get to a film here just before it closed while I was in college. Saw El Cid. It’s demise at the hands of CVS (not that it’s their fault) is a real shame.

No…I didn’t start working the Mac A until the end of 1980 and was there full-time for a good bit of 1982 (I was the chief projectionist there in 1982 from the beginning of the summer until the end and was then transferred to the K-B Cinema).

Phil is absolutely correct in his memory of the people so I would believe the rest. The projectionist at the Mac A was “Buddy” (real name Herman Bierly sp?) The “chap” named Tim was Tim Taylor who was the manager in 1980 when I started there…he moved from the Mac A to the Fine Arts before 1982 and died in a Moped accident (he was riding the Moped on a rainy night between the Fine Arts and his house).

As to theatres having “problems” if there were few people there to see the movie…I have witnessed such events so again, I can certainly believe it. Note, it was NOT K-B’s policy to EVERY cancel a show. If someone came out to see the movie…even if it was just one, we showed the movie. Now sometimes a manager would entice 1 or 2 people to leave by refunding their money, giving passes…etc.

As for the “clowns”…Buddy has long ago passed on but was regarded as one of the best projectionists in the Washington DC area, ever. I never knew or knew of a Herman Owens. The only manager for the Mac A prior to my tenure there that I knew was Hal Malone.

SG