What happened to all of the comments on this page??? There used to be several posts, some theater history info and an argument or two. Did a computer glitch wipe them all out? Or were they deleted by a moderator?
“Batman Returns” was indeed the first (official) release that used the Dolby Digital sound format (AKA: “SR-D,” “AC-3,” “Dolby Stereo Digital”).
The film opened in June 1992 in about 2,600 North American theaters, and my research has found that Dolby Labs and Warner Bros. were successful in getting the system installed in eleven of those theaters. (Unlike DTS, which started off with over 800 installations, Dolby Digital started out slowly, taking several years to get its installation base into the hundreds and thousands.)
For those who may be curious, those first eleven venues to install Dolby’s digital sound system and which featured a digital presentation of “Batman Returns” were:
Bellevue, WA – Act III Crossroads
Dallas, TX – GCC Northpark I & II
Lakewood, CA – Pacific Lakewood Center
Los Angeles, CA – Mann Chinese
Los Angeles, CA – Mann Village
New York, NY – Loews Village
New York, NY – UA Criterion
New York, NY – UA Gemini Twin
Newport Beach, CA – Edwards Newport
Orange, CA – Century Cinedome
San Francisco, CA – UA Coronet
raysson… The In70mm.com link you provided is incorrect and your list of cities that ran “Batman” in 70mm is short. It’s missing San Francisco, San Diego, San Jose, Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and many others.
And, as far as I know, “Batman Returns” (1992) was not released in 70mm.
No. El Paso was another. And, I haven’t researched it thoroughly to know for sure, but I think Erie, PA and Scranton, PA both fall into this category, as well.
There were also a handful of out-of-the-way markets that ran 3-strip CineMiracle (“Windjammer”) and nothing else, but I haven’t yet figured out if or how I’ll incorporate these into the series.
Coate
commented about
Clairidgeon
Jul 9, 2009 at 11:45 am
A complete list of the Clairidge’s Cinerama presentations can be found on this page.
I saw “Batman” at Mann’s Village in Los Angeles during its June 22 sneak preview, and seeing it there, with the pumped-up and appreciative sold-out crowd and first-rate 70mm presentation, was a fun and memorable moviegoing experience.
I have fond memories of the summer of 1989. In addition to “Batman,” memorable event flicks from that summer included “Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade,” “Lethal Weapon 2” and “The Abyss.” And then there were the not-so-memorable “Star Trek” and “Ghostbusters” sequels.
Films from 1989 worthy of 20th anniversary attention, in my opinion, include “Field Of Dreams,” “Do The Right Thing,” “When Harry Met Sally…” and Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.” I also enjoyed “Major League,” “Parenthood” and “Born On The Fourth Of July.”
I thought about including the following bit of info as trivia in the original posting but didn’t figuring it was not that significant or interesting, but due to Ron Newman’s question posted above I guess I’ll mention it now as it’s somewhat related to his question.
Nanuet (or “Rockland County” or “Lower Hudson Valley” or whatever name best describes the area) was the next-to-last market in the United States to equip for 3-strip Cinerama presentations, and, judging by the few Cinerama films booked and their relatively brief runs, was one of the least successful markets to play Cinerama.
The failure of Cinerama to stick around in Nanuet or to sustain months-long bookings is probably due to how late in the game the installation was made and, more importantly, the area’s proximity to New York City and Montclair, New Jersey. By the time Cinerama turned up in Rockland County, many of its residents probably had already traveled into NYC or Montclair to see the Cinerama presentations.
Ultravision was one of the theaters that played “Brainstorm” (1983) during its exclusive 70mm release.
Here’s a link to a related article I whipped up last year. The Charleston and Ultravision Theater reference appears about ¾ the way through the article.
That’s not entirely correct. There were simultaneous bookings of “Star Wars” in the Hampton Roads area, all commencing on June 29, 1977. They were in Newport News (at Newmarket Mall 4), Norfolk (Circle 6), Portsmouth (Plaza 3) and Virginia Beach (Hilltop Twin).
How many theaters were there in Roanoke Rapids during the 1970s? I ask because I wonder if perhaps this theater, described above as a twin, opened as a single screener? My notes from a recent research project indicate that, circa 1977, there was a “Cinema” operating in Roanoke Rapids, and looking at the photo of the theater (on the theater’s website, viewable from the link provided above under Related Websites) one can see the marquee reads “Cinema” and the design of the building looks like a second screen was added.
Coate
commented about
Cinema 21on
May 26, 2009 at 1:50 am
Boneheads! You guys could have figured out the timeframe of the photo by simply scrolling up and looking over the Cinema 21’s complete booking history that Gabriel Neeb researched and generously shared with Cinema Treasures readers.
What happened to all of the comments on this page??? There used to be several posts, some theater history info and an argument or two. Did a computer glitch wipe them all out? Or were they deleted by a moderator?
Ron is correct. “Star Wars” played its first-run engagement at the Strand. It was an 18-week run from 6/15/77 – 10/20/77.
“Batman Returns” was indeed the first (official) release that used the Dolby Digital sound format (AKA: “SR-D,” “AC-3,” “Dolby Stereo Digital”).
The film opened in June 1992 in about 2,600 North American theaters, and my research has found that Dolby Labs and Warner Bros. were successful in getting the system installed in eleven of those theaters. (Unlike DTS, which started off with over 800 installations, Dolby Digital started out slowly, taking several years to get its installation base into the hundreds and thousands.)
For those who may be curious, those first eleven venues to install Dolby’s digital sound system and which featured a digital presentation of “Batman Returns” were:
Bellevue, WA – Act III Crossroads
Dallas, TX – GCC Northpark I & II
Lakewood, CA – Pacific Lakewood Center
Los Angeles, CA – Mann Chinese
Los Angeles, CA – Mann Village
New York, NY – Loews Village
New York, NY – UA Criterion
New York, NY – UA Gemini Twin
Newport Beach, CA – Edwards Newport
Orange, CA – Century Cinedome
San Francisco, CA – UA Coronet
THE SOUND OF MUSIC’s record 113-week engagement at the Capri was from April 7, 1965 – June 6, 1967.
raysson… The In70mm.com link you provided is incorrect and your list of cities that ran “Batman” in 70mm is short. It’s missing San Francisco, San Diego, San Jose, Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and many others.
And, as far as I know, “Batman Returns” (1992) was not released in 70mm.
No. El Paso was another. And, I haven’t researched it thoroughly to know for sure, but I think Erie, PA and Scranton, PA both fall into this category, as well.
There were also a handful of out-of-the-way markets that ran 3-strip CineMiracle (“Windjammer”) and nothing else, but I haven’t yet figured out if or how I’ll incorporate these into the series.
A complete list of the Clairidge’s Cinerama presentations can be found on this page.
I saw “Batman” at Mann’s Village in Los Angeles during its June 22 sneak preview, and seeing it there, with the pumped-up and appreciative sold-out crowd and first-rate 70mm presentation, was a fun and memorable moviegoing experience.
I have fond memories of the summer of 1989. In addition to “Batman,” memorable event flicks from that summer included “Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade,” “Lethal Weapon 2” and “The Abyss.” And then there were the not-so-memorable “Star Trek” and “Ghostbusters” sequels.
Films from 1989 worthy of 20th anniversary attention, in my opinion, include “Field Of Dreams,” “Do The Right Thing,” “When Harry Met Sally…” and Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.” I also enjoyed “Major League,” “Parenthood” and “Born On The Fourth Of July.”
I thought about including the following bit of info as trivia in the original posting but didn’t figuring it was not that significant or interesting, but due to Ron Newman’s question posted above I guess I’ll mention it now as it’s somewhat related to his question.
Nanuet (or “Rockland County” or “Lower Hudson Valley” or whatever name best describes the area) was the next-to-last market in the United States to equip for 3-strip Cinerama presentations, and, judging by the few Cinerama films booked and their relatively brief runs, was one of the least successful markets to play Cinerama.
The failure of Cinerama to stick around in Nanuet or to sustain months-long bookings is probably due to how late in the game the installation was made and, more importantly, the area’s proximity to New York City and Montclair, New Jersey. By the time Cinerama turned up in Rockland County, many of its residents probably had already traveled into NYC or Montclair to see the Cinerama presentations.
Ultravision was one of the theaters that played “Brainstorm” (1983) during its exclusive 70mm release.
Here’s a link to a related article I whipped up last year. The Charleston and Ultravision Theater reference appears about ¾ the way through the article.
That’s not entirely correct. There were simultaneous bookings of “Star Wars” in the Hampton Roads area, all commencing on June 29, 1977. They were in Newport News (at Newmarket Mall 4), Norfolk (Circle 6), Portsmouth (Plaza 3) and Virginia Beach (Hilltop Twin).
…in a few weeks.
Monty-Denver…my email address is listed under Contact Info in my profile. Just click on my name at the bottom of this post to access the profile page.
How many theaters were there in Roanoke Rapids during the 1970s? I ask because I wonder if perhaps this theater, described above as a twin, opened as a single screener? My notes from a recent research project indicate that, circa 1977, there was a “Cinema” operating in Roanoke Rapids, and looking at the photo of the theater (on the theater’s website, viewable from the link provided above under Related Websites) one can see the marquee reads “Cinema” and the design of the building looks like a second screen was added.
Boneheads! You guys could have figured out the timeframe of the photo by simply scrolling up and looking over the Cinema 21’s complete booking history that Gabriel Neeb researched and generously shared with Cinema Treasures readers.
When was this ever a Cinerama theater?
Part 1: New York City
Part 2: Chicago
Part 3: San Francisco
Part 4: Houston
Part 5: Washington, DC
Part 6: Los Angeles
Part 7: Atlanta
Part 8: San Diego
Part 9: Dallas
Part 10: Oklahoma City
Part 11: Syracuse
Part 12: Toronto
Part 13: Columbus
Part 14: Montreal
Part 15: Northern New Jersey
Part 16: Charlotte
Part 17: Vancouver
Part 18: Salt Lake City
Part 19: Boston
Part 20: Philadelphia
Part 21: Fresno
Part 22: Detroit
Part 23: Minneapolis
Part 24: Albuquerque
Part 25: El Paso
Part 26: Des Moines
Part 27: Miami
Part 28: Orange County
Part 29: Pittsburgh
Part 30: Baltimore
Part 31: Long Island
Part 1: New York City
Part 2: Chicago
Part 3: San Francisco
Part 4: Houston
Part 5: Washington, DC
Part 6: Los Angeles
Part 7: Atlanta
Part 8: San Diego
Part 9: Dallas
Part 10: Oklahoma City
Part 11: Syracuse
Part 12: Toronto
Part 13: Columbus
Part 14: Montreal
Part 15: Northern New Jersey
Part 16: Charlotte
Part 17: Vancouver
Part 18: Salt Lake City
Part 19: Boston
Part 20: Philadelphia
Part 21: Fresno
Part 22: Detroit
Part 23: Minneapolis
Part 24: Albuquerque
Part 25: El Paso
Part 26: Des Moines
Part 27: Miami
Part 28: Orange County
Part 29: Pittsburgh
Part 30: Baltimore
Part 31: Long Island
Part 1: New York City
Part 2: Chicago
Part 3: San Francisco
Part 4: Houston
Part 5: Washington, DC
Part 6: Los Angeles
Part 7: Atlanta
Part 8: San Diego
Part 9: Dallas
Part 10: Oklahoma City
Part 11: Syracuse
Part 12: Toronto
Part 13: Columbus
Part 14: Montreal
Part 15: Northern New Jersey
Part 16: Charlotte
Part 17: Vancouver
Part 18: Salt Lake City
Part 19: Boston
Part 20: Philadelphia
Part 21: Fresno
Part 22: Detroit
Part 23: Minneapolis
Part 24: Albuquerque
Part 25: El Paso
Part 26: Des Moines
Part 27: Miami
Part 28: Orange County
Part 29: Pittsburgh
Part 30: Baltimore
Part 31: Long Island
Part 1: New York City
Part 2: Chicago
Part 3: San Francisco
Part 4: Houston
Part 5: Washington, DC
Part 6: Los Angeles
Part 7: Atlanta
Part 8: San Diego
Part 9: Dallas
Part 10: Oklahoma City
Part 11: Syracuse
Part 12: Toronto
Part 13: Columbus
Part 14: Montreal
Part 15: Northern New Jersey
Part 16: Charlotte
Part 17: Vancouver
Part 18: Salt Lake City
Part 19: Boston
Part 20: Philadelphia
Part 21: Fresno
Part 22: Detroit
Part 23: Minneapolis
Part 24: Albuquerque
Part 25: El Paso
Part 26: Des Moines
Part 27: Miami
Part 28: Orange County
Part 29: Pittsburgh
Part 30: Baltimore
Part 31: Long Island
Part 1: New York City
Part 2: Chicago
Part 3: San Francisco
Part 4: Houston
Part 5: Washington, DC
Part 6: Los Angeles
Part 7: Atlanta
Part 8: San Diego
Part 9: Dallas
Part 10: Oklahoma City
Part 11: Syracuse
Part 12: Toronto
Part 13: Columbus
Part 14: Montreal
Part 15: Northern New Jersey
Part 16: Charlotte
Part 17: Vancouver
Part 18: Salt Lake City
Part 19: Boston
Part 20: Philadelphia
Part 21: Fresno
Part 22: Detroit
Part 23: Minneapolis
Part 24: Albuquerque
Part 25: El Paso
Part 26: Des Moines
Part 27: Miami
Part 28: Orange County
Part 29: Pittsburgh
Part 30: Baltimore
Part 31: Long Island
Part 1: New York City
Part 2: Chicago
Part 3: San Francisco
Part 4: Houston
Part 5: Washington, DC
Part 6: Los Angeles
Part 7: Atlanta
Part 8: San Diego
Part 9: Dallas
Part 10: Oklahoma City
Part 11: Syracuse
Part 12: Toronto
Part 13: Columbus
Part 14: Montreal
Part 15: Northern New Jersey
Part 16: Charlotte
Part 17: Vancouver
Part 18: Salt Lake City
Part 19: Boston
Part 20: Philadelphia
Part 21: Fresno
Part 22: Detroit
Part 23: Minneapolis
Part 24: Albuquerque
Part 25: El Paso
Part 26: Des Moines
Part 27: Miami
Part 28: Orange County
Part 29: Pittsburgh
Part 30: Baltimore
Part 31: Long Island
Part 1: New York City
Part 2: Chicago
Part 3: San Francisco
Part 4: Houston
Part 5: Washington, DC
Part 6: Los Angeles
Part 7: Atlanta
Part 8: San Diego
Part 9: Dallas
Part 10: Oklahoma City
Part 11: Syracuse
Part 12: Toronto
Part 13: Columbus
Part 14: Montreal
Part 15: Northern New Jersey
Part 16: Charlotte
Part 17: Vancouver
Part 18: Salt Lake City
Part 19: Boston
Part 20: Philadelphia
Part 21: Fresno
Part 22: Detroit
Part 23: Minneapolis
Part 24: Albuquerque
Part 25: El Paso
Part 26: Des Moines
Part 27: Miami
Part 28: Orange County
Part 29: Pittsburgh
Part 30: Baltimore
Part 31: Long Island
Part 1: New York City
Part 2: Chicago
Part 3: San Francisco
Part 4: Houston
Part 5: Washington, DC
Part 6: Los Angeles
Part 7: Atlanta
Part 8: San Diego
Part 9: Dallas
Part 10: Oklahoma City
Part 11: Syracuse
Part 12: Toronto
Part 13: Columbus
Part 14: Montreal
Part 15: Northern New Jersey
Part 16: Charlotte
Part 17: Vancouver
Part 18: Salt Lake City
Part 19: Boston
Part 20: Philadelphia
Part 21: Fresno
Part 22: Detroit
Part 23: Minneapolis
Part 24: Albuquerque
Part 25: El Paso
Part 26: Des Moines
Part 27: Miami
Part 28: Orange County
Part 29: Pittsburgh
Part 30: Baltimore
Part 31: Long Island
Part 1: New York City
Part 2: Chicago
Part 3: San Francisco
Part 4: Houston
Part 5: Washington, DC
Part 6: Los Angeles
Part 7: Atlanta
Part 8: San Diego
Part 9: Dallas
Part 10: Oklahoma City
Part 11: Syracuse
Part 12: Toronto
Part 13: Columbus
Part 14: Montreal
Part 15: Northern New Jersey
Part 16: Charlotte
Part 17: Vancouver
Part 18: Salt Lake City
Part 19: Boston
Part 20: Philadelphia
Part 21: Fresno
Part 22: Detroit
Part 23: Minneapolis
Part 24: Albuquerque
Part 25: El Paso
Part 26: Des Moines
Part 27: Miami
Part 28: Orange County
Part 29: Pittsburgh
Part 30: Baltimore
Part 31: Long Island