Hollywood Cinerama Dome
6360 Sunset Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90028
6360 Sunset Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90028
143 people
favorited this theater
Showing 76 - 100 of 1,434 comments
so when is this cinema gonna be demolished into rubble to make way for new homes for the homeless as cinema is non-essential.
Closed per LA Times.
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2021-04-12/pacific-and-arclight-theaters-will-not-reopen-following-the-pandemic-company-says
In a stunning blow to moviegoers in Southern California, the owner of Pacific Theatres and ArcLight Cinemas said Monday the popular cinema locations will not reopen as Hollywood struggles to recover from the pandemic.
Someone will grab it.
Zootopialover98 - in my opinion, AMC or Regal are the last two chains I would want to come and step in, give me Cinemark or Showplace ICON, their theater complexes are more state of the art when it comes to top of the line Barco projectors, 7.1 audio and Dolby Atmos systems.
That is so sad I sure hope AMC, Regal, or Cinemark will at least take over those theaters I hope.
PLEASE UPDATE, CLOSED UNFORTUNATELY, STORY FROM THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER The two brands operated more than 300 screens in California, including the coveted Cinerama Dome in Hollywood. In a blow for California moviegoers — and those in Los Angeles in particular — the ArcLight Cinemas and Pacific Theatres are closing all of their locations for good after seeing their business decimated by the pandemic.
ArcLight’s stable includes the prized Cinerama Dome in Hollywood. The Dome, built in 1963, is the crown jewel of the small theater complex constructed in more recent years.
ArcLight Hollywood is a bastion for both first-run movies and independent titles and, at one time, was one of the first L.A. cinemas to offer high-end food. It has also been a favorite site place to stage premieres of indie titles, and is beloved by many cinephiles.
ArcLight’s locations in Hollywood and elsewhere, including Sherman Oaks, are operated by Pacific Theatres. The Pacific side of the aisle includes such popular locations as the Grove in West Hollywood.
“This was not the outcome anyone wanted, but despite a huge effort that exhausted all potential options, the company does not have a viable way forward,” said a statement issued by Pacific Theatres, which is owned by the Decurion Corporation.
No ArcLight or Pacific location has reopened since the pandemic began. On Monday afternoon, word quickly spread across Hollywood that they will remain dark for good.
It wasn’t immediately clear who the pool of potential buyers might include for the more high-profile locations, should they be up for sale, such as the ArcLight Hollywood complex.
Last year, Netflix closed a deal to operate the Egyptian, another landmark Hollywood theater that’s not far from the Cinerama Dome. Among the mega chains, Cinemark only has two L.A. locations (one in Baldwin Hills and the other in Playa Vista).
“To all the Pacific and ArcLight employees who have devoted their professional lives to making our theaters the very best places in the world to see movies: we are grateful for your service and your dedication to our customers,” the statement continued. “It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve you.”
The National Association of Theatre Owners has warned all along that smaller and regional independent chains, such as Pacific and ArcLight, might never recover from the COVID-19 crisis.
“To our guests and members of the film industry who have made going to the movies such a magical experience over the years: our deepest thanks,” read the statement issued by Pacific Theaters. “It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve you.”
The Cinerama Dome is closed for good? This is horrible. I was never in it and I’ll most probably never go to California again but I wanted it to always be there.
That is sad news. Here is the Hollywood Reporter article.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/arclight-cinemas-and-pacific-theatres-to-close?fbclid=IwAR3iIwHlJva9wA7j1K_hWdTFF5fI1SVy0-2Os5e6NNb6omk2liKZn4LQh3Q
huge, unfortunate news for Arclight/Pacific theatres from Deadline:
EXCLUSIVE: Refresh for more details The last thing we needed to hear as the box office and exhibition were rebounding from the pandemic was a piece of bad news, but word spread like wild fire in distribution and exhibition circles that the Arclight Cinemas and Pacific Theatres won’t be reopening. The chain has issued a statement below.
Last week, I was hearing that the chain was shooting for a Memorial Day weekend reopening with A Quiet Place Part II and Cruella, now those hopes look dashed, and at an unfortunate time because it’s expected that Los Angeles County could get the opportunity to operate at 100% capacity in movie theaters well before California Governor Newsom’s June 15 wide-open order. Here’s the chain’s statement:
‘After shutting our doors more than a year ago, today we must share the difficult and sad news that Pacific will not be reopening its ArcLight Cinemas and Pacific Theatres locations.
This was not the outcome anyone wanted, but despite a huge effort that exhausted all potential options, the company does not have a viable way forward.
To all the Pacific and ArcLight employees who have devoted their professional lives to making our theaters the very best places in the world to see movies: we are grateful for your service and your dedication to our customers.
To our guests and members of the film industry who have made going to the movies such a magical experience over the years: our deepest thanks. It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve you.'
https://deadline.com/2021/04/arclight-cinemas-and-pacific-theatres-wont-be-reopening-1234732936/
To bigjoe
This is the reason why versions of these movies are lost. People doing restoration work are not familiar with practices and standards of years past.
Back in the 1970’s I saw an original roadshow print of My Fair Lady in New York City in one of those old barns of a theater with a huge screen. The projectionist was very friendly he let me hang out in the projection room and I spent quite a bit of time talking to him. There were a lot of film cans as he had multiple prints and different versions. He said “The exchange sent me all the 70mm prints they had and just to pick out the best ones to run.” The print he chose of MY Fair Lady was probably the backup print that had never been run. He had a version of South Pacific with Spanish sub titles burned in. I commented on how big the theater screen was and he replied “You should have seen it before they reduced the size. It used to be bigger.” The theater had Century JJ projectors with 13.6 carbon arc and he was running the arc at 200 amps. (yes I know the rated current was 160 ) The picture was clear and bright I could count the threads per inch in Rex Harrison’s tweed coat. I was impressed.
The theater was at the time called The Strand and was the New York City Cinerama theater. It was the Broadway Theater where they ran the roadshow of It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World.
For 50 years I have worked on the equipment in these theaters. You pick up a thing or two in fifty years.
I am waiting for you to prove what I am writing to be wrong.
Why bother to post here just to have some studio type to tell me I am wrong when I have seen release prints off the original negative.
Well waiting for and answer where is that 30FPS Todd-AO negative THAT IS IN PERFECT CONDITION?
Prints were, and are, made from the original negative they are called show prints. There was also an answer print that is made off the negative.
Fox has a print of Sound of Music made off the original negative on Kodak Vision 3 stock and it looks incredible.
The original camera negative for Days of Heaven was used to make liquid gate blow up prints 35mm to 70mm
That camera internegative is probably camera negative not internegative.
Citizen Kane was filmed on nitrate stock very flammable and is prone to spontaneous combustion unless kept cold or frozen. So if any of the films in the vault went up it consumed all that was in that small room. There are still vaults filled with nitrate.
Thanks, Roger. All very interesting. It’s ironic how the negative for Citizen Kane burned that way, considering what happens to Rosebud at the end.
The studios are well know for destroying or losing original source material such as camera negative and original sound. Now and then someone saves footage from being destroyed but many times after a long run the general release version is the only thing left. The roadshow prints are either damaged, lost or destroyed. Fotokem has made new prints from the original negative of many 70mm films. Some of those films are complete. In some cases the negatives were in fair condition in other cases not. If a lot of copies were made off the original negative then that negative might be in rough shape or just unusable. Often times the camera negative survives but the sound doesn’t.
The camera negative for the 30FPS version of Around the World in Eighty Days is no longer available but the 24FPS negative survived. So the roadshow version of that movie is not available. The 30FPS negative of Around the World in Eighty Days was just worn out and damaged after making release prints off the original negative. In many cases the negative gets worn out from making multiple release prints. Usually there is an internegative or interpositive leaving a copy that can be used to make a print. For most movies shot on film there were prints made directly from the original negative and these are much better quality than a print made off an internegative.
Most Roadshow prints were made directly from the original camera negative and in the case of a popular movie that required multiple prints that negative was badly worn by the end of the roadshow run. If a reel of a print was damaged during the run a replacement had to be struck. New roadshow prints had to be struck to replace worn out prints. Again original negatives took a beating.
Until they closed it the film exchange in Boston had a full roadshow print of Around the World but it was badly faded. My guess is it was cut up with a bandsaw and sent to the recycler.
Collectors have some film that is thought to be lost.
It was common practice to recycle old film negative that was no longer needed and prints that were old. So as a result only a small percentage of original source material survives. Fox destroyed millions of feet of nitrate not wanting to store it. Universal lost original negative in several fires over the years. Many times in the past a film vault loaded with nitrate would catch fire and burn and this was common at many studios. The original negative for Citizen Kane burned but there were high quality copies in good condition.
Hello-
to Roger A.- it was a common practice to trim a film from its original roadshow cut for when its played neighborhood theaters. how much was trimmed depended on how long the film was to begin with. which leads me to my question- why do you think some studios/distributors were more adept at keeping the trims from roadshow prints than other studios? for instance the 1st time I saw Cleopatra was at my neighborhood theater in NYC. I assumed the print I saw was the film but it was the 3hr. 15min. print. fortunately Dorothy Spencer kept the trims from the original 4hr. cut which premiered in NYC June of 1963. but that’s not the case with a number of roadshow films whose blu-ray discs are the general release print not the original roadshow cut.
to bigjoe59; screen size, and flat or curved is mostly personal preference as is picture luminance. There are standards of course but that doesn’t mean one pays close attention to the standard. As for picture size it is how far away you are from the screen. An 80" screen isn’t too overwhelming if your twelve to twenty feet away. Back when I had a film screening room in my basement the screen was a lot bigger than 80" and brighter that 18FL. I’m not sure what would cause eye fatigue or vision problems. Dolby Vision is really bright a lot more light than has ever been used before. But as long as you can get at least 1.5 times as far from the screen as it is wide you should be fine.
Again it is personal taste I can sit in the front row at the Dome for HTWWW now that is a little overwhelming.
The brightness on a video monitor or a TV can be adjusted If you get a video projector and a good sound system you can adjust the picture size as well as the brightness. 7.1 and 5.1 sound systems are common. I have a 7.1 sound system sitting in storage that I am wondering what to do with. I have a computer with a 7.1 sound card. That same computer has multiple video outputs so I can have a combination of monitors and projectors.
to bigjoe59; screen size, and flat or curved is mostly personal preference as is picture luminance. There are standards of course but that doesn’t mean one pays close attention to the standard. As for picture size it is how far away you are from the screen. An 80" screen isn’t too overwhelming if your twelve to twenty feet away. Back when I had a film screening room in my basement the screen was a lot bigger than 80" and brighter that 18FL. I’m not sure what would cause eye fatigue or vision problems. Dolby Vision is really bright a lot more light than has ever been used before. But as long as you can get at least 1.5 times as far from the screen as it is wide you should be fine.
Again it is personal taste I can sit in the front row at the Dome for HTWWW now that is a little overwhelming.
The brightness on a video monitor or a TV can be adjusted If you get a video projector and a good sound system you can adjust the picture size as well as the brightness. 7.1 and 5.1 sound systems are common. I have a 7.1 sound system sitting in storage that I am wondering what to do with. I have a computer with a 7.1 sound card. That same computer has multiple video outputs so I can have a combination of monitors and projectors.
For years it was my dream to develop my own cinema man cave with a large curved screen that would accommodate every aspect ratio by adjusting the side mattes–all films to be presented at the same height. Stereo sound, but of course. Back in the day this was not an affordable luxury. At 79 I am a bit late in attempting to find a place that might meet my “needs” (wants), and then there’s all that energy needed but in shorter supply these days.
Hello-
to Roger A. thanks for your assessment of the situation. aside from how big an HD or 4K t.v. most people would be able to afford if a t.v were to big wouldn’t it hurt your eyes or be overwhelming? for instance in the rec room in my house the largest t.v. I could buy and put in the spot I’ve always put my t.v.s is 50". an 80" t.v. would be way too much.
There will be theaters private and public. The Director’s Guild and The Academy just spent a lot of money upgrading and in new construction. The Legion on Highland in Hollywood is running film and digital and this is a new install. The Egyptian is getting a redo. So these sites and others are going to be around for a while just for the true movie buffs.
Meanwhile all the real money, the general public, have purchased big screen televisions or set up their own home theater and are happy with that. There is no shortage of product for a home theater. I’m sure the Pirates love day and date release.
Hello-
even if the pandemic had never happened I still can’t see a true movie buff being comfortable with watching say WW84 or No Time to Die on their computer rather than at the Chinese or this theater.
Historic monument? You are referring to landmark status the Chinese has that inside and out yes they can do only part of the building. So not sure what the status is of the Dome but I doubt its in danger.
That doesn’t mean they have to run things like 2001 in 70mm or How the West Was Won in 3 strip Cinerama. I can see the Dome being used for special screenings and private rentals.
As for all the box cinemas built in the last two decades they are all in danger. AMC is all but bankrupt others are looking at buying some of their sites. A large percentage of the cinema going audience has been lost. Executives at the studios have been wanting to do day and date release for years not caring that it will damage the theaters. Now they are running to day and date like rats to peanut butter.
My understanding is The Cinerama Dome was legally declared a LA historic monument decades ago, so it will be preserved.
HOWEVER, the surrounding Arclight Theater’s 14 screens and complex were built (in 2002) with several inches minimum of clearance separated away from the Dome structure itself. So that theoretically that all could be demolished without impacting the Dome, leaving it 100% untouched. It was a nice compromise.
If movies really don’t recover in a couple years, I suppose gutting some or all of the interior of the newer Arclight complex and turning it into office space, or more shopping space or convention space or whatever could happen. That location is certainly valuable. And the pandemic won’t last forever.
Thanks for your response not sure how many people check this site any more as it seems the sun is setting on the movies and the theaters that show them.
I don’t think the Dome is in danger of being torn down anytime soon but the site is used less and less as time goes on. Before the pandemic and the lock-downs the Dome was closed more than it was open for business.
But cinema fans should check out the people at the Legion in Hollywood. The Legion Theater is state of the art. They turned the parking lot into a drive-in theater; the first drive-in in Hollywood.