The passage from my post above regarding the installation of Dolby Stereo should be revised as:
Eastland did not install Dolby Stereo in 1977 for “Star Wars.” The original first-run of that film in West Covina was at Wescove. Dolby was installed in the fall of ‘77 in anticipation of “Close Encounters Of The Third Kind.”
You know, I love this website and enjoy reading everyone’s contributions to the theater entries. But along with the satisfaction comes on occasion a great deal of frustration when people make postings featuring information culled from memory without identifying memory as the source. This page is a good example of what can go terribly wrong when one relies too much on one’s memory. This page is riddled with errors that I feel compelled to attempt to correct…if the page is to have any significant value to serious enthusiasts. I know if someone caught me making an error, I would appreciate and expect a correction to be offered. That’s the beauty of ongoing Internet threads; eventually, hopefully, someone might come along and offer a correction or initiate a stimulating debate.
I don’t believe ANY of the movies mentioned in the intro played at Eastland in 70mm six-track Dolby as claimed. It appears the writer is confusing the six-track magnetic flavor of Dolby Stereo with the optical four-channel type found on 35mm prints, which is what the Eastland, with a few exceptions, ran on a regular basis in the ‘80s.
Eastland did not install Dolby Stereo in 1977 for “Star Wars.” The original first-run of that film in West Covina was at Wescove.
The “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” engagement took place a year earlier than stated.
And on the topic of lost theaters… Here are a couple of pages of photos (both vintage and contemporary) of the two theaters in question. These are from the newly-reconfigured “70mm In Los Angeles” web article posted on the FromScriptToDVD.com website. (If you enjoy these pages, seek out the article’s main page and you’ll discover there’s a whole lot more posted than just a couple of pages!)
I’ve enjoyed reading everyone’s postings regarding the Ziegfeld’s festival. It’s about time New York City had one of these! We on the west coast have been rather spoiled the past few years with an amazing array of screenings of films, especially those of the Cinerama and 70mm variety that until recently I figured I’d never get to see in my lifetime in their original form. I always thought it was a bit weird that New York, given its size and importance, did not seem have nearly as many film festivals as in L.A.
What do you guys think of this: If anyone who has attended the Ziegfeld fest wishes to do a write-up — could be something similar to the postings here, or perhaps even a full article — Bill Kallay and I will consider posting it on our website, FromScriptToDVD.com. Perhaps this could help spread the word and encourage the Ziegfeld and other venues to consider more classic film festivals in the future. If interested, give me or Bill a shout.
It has been mentioned here that this “Definitive Director’s Edition” of “Close Encounters” is a third version of the film. I consider it a fourth version, with the third version being the network television edition since it, like this new cut, was essentially a combination of the ‘77 & '80 theatrical cuts. (There was also the Criterion laserdisc edition which, I believe, allowed some user programming to include/exclude certain scenes.)
Joker1,
You’re right, you never said the midnight show in question was on opening day…but that is what you meant! And I resent being called a “know it all.” In this scenario, as with most of my Cinema Treasures posts, I’m just a “messenger.”
So tell me, if there was a midnight screening of “Star Wars” at the Eastwood, how would the good citizens of the Indianapolis area have known about it considering such a screening was not promoted in the local newspaper?
The Columbia Pictures 75th Anniversary festival was held during February 1999.
As to the comment re “the Dome was never designed to house a true Cinerama screen” — I don’t believe this comment is correct. The Dome WAS designed to be a 3-strip Cinerama house. It wasn’t until very close to its completion that a decision was made to install the non-slatted screen and only 70mm projection. United Artists, the studio that produced the Dome’s debut attraction, “It’s A Mad Mad Mad Mad World,” wrestled throughout its production as to how best to release it, and this is well-documented in the industry trades. UA’s original plan was to release the film in 3-strip.
And to say the Dome doesn’t have a tall enough screen — come on! The screen is huge.
Hopefully the theater will not be closed and this is nothing more than a tactic to negotiate a better lease. The National, amazingly, has survived threats of being plexed and having stadium-seating installed.
For Westwood, most folks I know seem to like the Village the best. Me, I always preferred the National.
Some of the movies I remember seeing at the National:
Christmas Vacation
Clueless
Empire Of The Sun (70mm)
The Hunt For Red October (70mm)
Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade (70mm)
Interview With The Vampire
Lost In Space
Pretty In Pink
Some Kind Of Wonderful
Top Gun (70mm)
Star Trek: First Contact
The Untouchables (70mm)
Young Sherlock Holmes (70mm)
I think the last thing I saw there was a press screening of “Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace.” I remember Jay Leno and a few of his “Tonight Show” colleagues sitting in the row behind me. They seemed to enjoy the movie…but that didn’t stop him from bashing it on his show the next night!
Hopefully the theater will not be closed and this is nothing more than a tactic to negotiate a better lease. The National, amazingly, has survived threats of being plexed and having stadium-seating installed.
For Westwood, most folks I know seem to like the Village the best. Me, I always preferred the National.
Some of the movies I remember seeing at the National:
Christmas Vacation
Clueless
Empire Of The Sun (70mm)
The Hunt For Red October (70mm)
Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade (70mm)
Interview With The Vampire
Lost In Space
Pretty In Pink
Some Kind Of Wonderful
Top Gun (70mm)
Star Trek: First Contact
The Untouchables (70mm)
Young Sherlcok Holmes (70mm)
I think the last thing I saw there was a press screening of “Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace.” I remember Jay Leno and a few of his “Tonight Show” colleagues sitting in the row behind me. They seemed to enjoy the movie…but that didn’t stop him from bashing it on his show the next night!
Peter,
70mm-DTS was used on “Vertigo.” In fact, it had been developed earlier than that and was tested on the Harris/Katz rstoration of “My Fair Lady” a couple years prior to the “Vertigo” restoration.
I just reviewed some of my notes on the subject and came across a reference to a benefit screening of “The Sound of Music” held at the Music Hall in Boston about a week prior to the Gary engagement. Is this what was referred to on in70mm.com? Either way, that was just a single screening; the actual reserved-seat engagement was at the Gary.
“Now, here’s another riddle – according to the .in70mm website [The Sound of Music] orginally opened at another theatre with TODD-AO (The Saxon?). The Gary theatre run may have been a move-over.”
posted by MIchael21046 on Nov 18, 2004 at 10:49am
Where, may I ask, on the in70mm.com site is there a reference to “The Sound of Music” playing the Saxon in its Boston roadshow engagement?
Anyway, I can confirm that the Gary Theatre indeed hosted the original Boston roadshow run of “The Sound of Music,” where it ran for a very successful 83 weeks. The film then played at the Paris. (The Fitchburg, Massachusetts roadshow run, by the way, was at a Saxon Theatre.)
For more on the subject, I encourage you to check out: View link
“Someone above mentioned ‘The Towering Inferno’ played here but I think they’re mistaken.” — CConnolly
CConnolly,
I agree, and this is why I had asked RobertR, who made the claim in the theater summary, about it a few posts before yours. I didn’t grow up in the area, though my familiarity with this movie’s release is due to researching the original newspaper ads, of which I’ve kept copies. And if you, or anyone else, is curious, “The Towering Inferno” played in the following Long Island theaters upon its “wide break” in February 1975:
BROOKLYN
Mann Albemarle
Century Avalon
Mann Seaview
QUEENS
UA Crossbay
Century Glen Oaks
UA Midway
NASSAU COUNTY
Century Fantasy, Rockville Centre
UA Playhouse, Great Neck
Century Roosevelt, Garden City
UA Syosset, Syosset
SUFFOLK COUNTY
UA Cinema, Bay Shore
UA Patchogue, Patchogue
Century Shore, Huntington
UA Smithtown, Nesconset
UA Southampton, Southampton
Except for the Mann National in Manhattan, no presentation format notations are present in the ads, suggesting 35mm-mono presentations.
The theater in question, Green Acres, isn’t even listed as playing the film! So if “The Towering Inferno” ever screened at Green Acres, then it would have been at a later date as a move-over, sub-run, re-issue, etc. (This isn’t the first time that RobertR has made a questionable claim. See his “Star Wars” comment on the Pequa page, for example.)
Re early Dolby Stereo presentations in the Atlanta area, another round of research and attempt to summarize yields the following:
Nov 24, 1977: “Star Wars” opens a sub-run at Canton Corners Twin in Marrieta. “Dolby System” logo + “Stereophonic Sound” text is present in the ad, with “Starts Today! Full Surround Stereo” in another part of the ad.
Dec 14, 1977: “Close Encounters Of The Third Kind” opens in four area theaters, three of which were promoting Dolby Stereo presentations. (1) Phipps Penthouse, Atlanta (Dolby). (2) Stonemont, Stone Mountain (Dolby). (3) Arrowhead, Jonesboro (Dolby). (4) Akers Mill Square, Smyrna (mono).
Dec 16, 1977: “Saturday Night Fever” opens. The engagement at Mableton Twin in Mableton is advertised as a Dolby Stereo presentation. (“The Only Atlanta Engagement of ‘Saturday Night Fever’ Where You Can Hear The Bee-Gee’s In Our New 4 Channel Stereo Sound”)
Dec. 23, 1977: “Star Wars” begins sub-run at Buford Higway Twin in Doraville. Promoted as “Exclusive Engagement! For The 1st Time In Atlanta — Dolby Sound! You May Have Seen ‘Star Wars’, But For The 1st Time, Hear It!”
July 21, 1978: “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” opens. Stonemont’s engagement advertised in Dolby Stereo.
Re early Dolby Stereo presentations in the Atlanta area, another round of research and atempt to summarize yields the following:
Nov 24, 1977: “Star Wars” opens a sub-run at Canton Corners Twin in Marrieta. “Dolby System” logo + “Stereophonic Sound” text is present in the ad, with “Starts Today! Full Surround Stereo” in another part of the ad.
Dec 14, 1977: “Close Encounters Of The Third Kind” opens in four area theaters, three of which were promoting Dolby Stereo presentations. (1) Phipps Penthouse, Atlanta (Dolby). (2) Stonemont, Stone Mountain (Dolby). (3) Arrowhead, Jonesboro (Dolby). (4) Akers Mill Square, Smyrna (mono).
Dec 16, 1977: “Saturday Night Fever” opens. The engagement at Mableton Twin in Mableton is advertised as a Dolby Stereo presentation. (“The Only Atlanta Engagement of ‘Saturday Night Fever’ Where You Can Hear The Bee-Gee’s In Our New 4 Channel Stereo Sound”)
Dec. 23, 1977: “Star Wars” begins sub-run at Buford Higway Twin in Doraville. Promoted as “Exclusive Engagement! For The 1st Time In Atlanta — Dolby Sound! You May Have Seen ‘Star Wars’, But For The 1st Time, Hear It!”
Also, the company name change —– from Sanborn to SoCal —– took place during 1984, at least as far as newspaper advertising is concerned.
The passage from my post above regarding the installation of Dolby Stereo should be revised as:
Eastland did not install Dolby Stereo in 1977 for “Star Wars.” The original first-run of that film in West Covina was at Wescove. Dolby was installed in the fall of ‘77 in anticipation of “Close Encounters Of The Third Kind.”
You know, I love this website and enjoy reading everyone’s contributions to the theater entries. But along with the satisfaction comes on occasion a great deal of frustration when people make postings featuring information culled from memory without identifying memory as the source. This page is a good example of what can go terribly wrong when one relies too much on one’s memory. This page is riddled with errors that I feel compelled to attempt to correct…if the page is to have any significant value to serious enthusiasts. I know if someone caught me making an error, I would appreciate and expect a correction to be offered. That’s the beauty of ongoing Internet threads; eventually, hopefully, someone might come along and offer a correction or initiate a stimulating debate.
I don’t believe ANY of the movies mentioned in the intro played at Eastland in 70mm six-track Dolby as claimed. It appears the writer is confusing the six-track magnetic flavor of Dolby Stereo with the optical four-channel type found on 35mm prints, which is what the Eastland, with a few exceptions, ran on a regular basis in the ‘80s.
Eastland did not install Dolby Stereo in 1977 for “Star Wars.” The original first-run of that film in West Covina was at Wescove.
The “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” engagement took place a year earlier than stated.
And on the topic of lost theaters… Here are a couple of pages of photos (both vintage and contemporary) of the two theaters in question. These are from the newly-reconfigured “70mm In Los Angeles” web article posted on the FromScriptToDVD.com website. (If you enjoy these pages, seek out the article’s main page and you’ll discover there’s a whole lot more posted than just a couple of pages!)
View link
View link
I’ve enjoyed reading everyone’s postings regarding the Ziegfeld’s festival. It’s about time New York City had one of these! We on the west coast have been rather spoiled the past few years with an amazing array of screenings of films, especially those of the Cinerama and 70mm variety that until recently I figured I’d never get to see in my lifetime in their original form. I always thought it was a bit weird that New York, given its size and importance, did not seem have nearly as many film festivals as in L.A.
What do you guys think of this: If anyone who has attended the Ziegfeld fest wishes to do a write-up — could be something similar to the postings here, or perhaps even a full article — Bill Kallay and I will consider posting it on our website, FromScriptToDVD.com. Perhaps this could help spread the word and encourage the Ziegfeld and other venues to consider more classic film festivals in the future. If interested, give me or Bill a shout.
It has been mentioned here that this “Definitive Director’s Edition” of “Close Encounters” is a third version of the film. I consider it a fourth version, with the third version being the network television edition since it, like this new cut, was essentially a combination of the ‘77 & '80 theatrical cuts. (There was also the Criterion laserdisc edition which, I believe, allowed some user programming to include/exclude certain scenes.)
Which version is your favorite?
RE the world premiere of “Close Encounters” at the Ziegfeld:
The film opened to the public on Nov. 16, 1977; the world premiere event was held the previous night.
View link
Joker1,
You’re right, you never said the midnight show in question was on opening day…but that is what you meant! And I resent being called a “know it all.” In this scenario, as with most of my Cinema Treasures posts, I’m just a “messenger.”
So tell me, if there was a midnight screening of “Star Wars” at the Eastwood, how would the good citizens of the Indianapolis area have known about it considering such a screening was not promoted in the local newspaper?
“I saw Star Wars there at 12:01 in May of 1977.”
I think that is doubtful considering the Eastwood’s opening day showtimes were 12:45, 3:00, 5:15, 7:30 & 9:45.
Are those horizontal screen measurements for a CURVE or a CHORD?
The Columbia Pictures 75th Anniversary festival was held during February 1999.
As to the comment re “the Dome was never designed to house a true Cinerama screen” — I don’t believe this comment is correct. The Dome WAS designed to be a 3-strip Cinerama house. It wasn’t until very close to its completion that a decision was made to install the non-slatted screen and only 70mm projection. United Artists, the studio that produced the Dome’s debut attraction, “It’s A Mad Mad Mad Mad World,” wrestled throughout its production as to how best to release it, and this is well-documented in the industry trades. UA’s original plan was to release the film in 3-strip.
And to say the Dome doesn’t have a tall enough screen — come on! The screen is huge.
GREASE was a moveover from either the Loew’s Astor Plaza or the Loew’s State where it originally opened. But of course it was better at the Ziegfeld.
posted by Bill Huelbig on Jan 28, 2006 at 11:51am
“Grease” was better at the Ziegfeld because it was a 70mm presentation! The initial run (at the State) was 35mm and began about two months earlier.
Al,
Nice list of Ziegfeld engagements! But what’s up with the approximate dates?
Bill: Tsk Tsk. Come on, man! From Script To DVD… :–)
That ‘82 Ziegfeld run of “Raiders” began July 16, the start of the film’s '82 re-issue. Its Astor Plaza run ended quite a bit earlier.
View link
View link
Hopefully the theater will not be closed and this is nothing more than a tactic to negotiate a better lease. The National, amazingly, has survived threats of being plexed and having stadium-seating installed.
For Westwood, most folks I know seem to like the Village the best. Me, I always preferred the National.
Some of the movies I remember seeing at the National:
Christmas Vacation
Clueless
Empire Of The Sun (70mm)
The Hunt For Red October (70mm)
Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade (70mm)
Interview With The Vampire
Lost In Space
Pretty In Pink
Some Kind Of Wonderful
Top Gun (70mm)
Star Trek: First Contact
The Untouchables (70mm)
Young Sherlock Holmes (70mm)
I think the last thing I saw there was a press screening of “Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace.” I remember Jay Leno and a few of his “Tonight Show” colleagues sitting in the row behind me. They seemed to enjoy the movie…but that didn’t stop him from bashing it on his show the next night!
Hopefully the theater will not be closed and this is nothing more than a tactic to negotiate a better lease. The National, amazingly, has survived threats of being plexed and having stadium-seating installed.
For Westwood, most folks I know seem to like the Village the best. Me, I always preferred the National.
Some of the movies I remember seeing at the National:
Christmas Vacation
Clueless
Empire Of The Sun (70mm)
The Hunt For Red October (70mm)
Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade (70mm)
Interview With The Vampire
Lost In Space
Pretty In Pink
Some Kind Of Wonderful
Top Gun (70mm)
Star Trek: First Contact
The Untouchables (70mm)
Young Sherlcok Holmes (70mm)
I think the last thing I saw there was a press screening of “Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace.” I remember Jay Leno and a few of his “Tonight Show” colleagues sitting in the row behind me. They seemed to enjoy the movie…but that didn’t stop him from bashing it on his show the next night!
And it looks like I need to restore an “e” to “restoration”! :–)
Peter,
70mm-DTS was used on “Vertigo.” In fact, it had been developed earlier than that and was tested on the Harris/Katz rstoration of “My Fair Lady” a couple years prior to the “Vertigo” restoration.
When I w
I just reviewed some of my notes on the subject and came across a reference to a benefit screening of “The Sound of Music” held at the Music Hall in Boston about a week prior to the Gary engagement. Is this what was referred to on in70mm.com? Either way, that was just a single screening; the actual reserved-seat engagement was at the Gary.
“Now, here’s another riddle – according to the .in70mm website [The Sound of Music] orginally opened at another theatre with TODD-AO (The Saxon?). The Gary theatre run may have been a move-over.”
posted by MIchael21046 on Nov 18, 2004 at 10:49am
Where, may I ask, on the in70mm.com site is there a reference to “The Sound of Music” playing the Saxon in its Boston roadshow engagement?
Anyway, I can confirm that the Gary Theatre indeed hosted the original Boston roadshow run of “The Sound of Music,” where it ran for a very successful 83 weeks. The film then played at the Paris. (The Fitchburg, Massachusetts roadshow run, by the way, was at a Saxon Theatre.)
For more on the subject, I encourage you to check out:
View link
Last I heard, yes and yes.
It looks like the Camelot will be showing “Chicken Little” in DLP Digital Projection, the theater’s first digital show since “Star Wars: Episode III.”
Other Digital Locations for “Chicken Little” (including those showing it in 3-D):
View link
No, it seems to cause people to come to the realization that you are not a reliable source of information.
“Someone above mentioned ‘The Towering Inferno’ played here but I think they’re mistaken.” — CConnolly
CConnolly,
I agree, and this is why I had asked RobertR, who made the claim in the theater summary, about it a few posts before yours. I didn’t grow up in the area, though my familiarity with this movie’s release is due to researching the original newspaper ads, of which I’ve kept copies. And if you, or anyone else, is curious, “The Towering Inferno” played in the following Long Island theaters upon its “wide break” in February 1975:
BROOKLYN
Mann Albemarle
Century Avalon
Mann Seaview
QUEENS
UA Crossbay
Century Glen Oaks
UA Midway
NASSAU COUNTY
Century Fantasy, Rockville Centre
UA Playhouse, Great Neck
Century Roosevelt, Garden City
UA Syosset, Syosset
SUFFOLK COUNTY
UA Cinema, Bay Shore
UA Patchogue, Patchogue
Century Shore, Huntington
UA Smithtown, Nesconset
UA Southampton, Southampton
Except for the Mann National in Manhattan, no presentation format notations are present in the ads, suggesting 35mm-mono presentations.
The theater in question, Green Acres, isn’t even listed as playing the film! So if “The Towering Inferno” ever screened at Green Acres, then it would have been at a later date as a move-over, sub-run, re-issue, etc. (This isn’t the first time that RobertR has made a questionable claim. See his “Star Wars” comment on the Pequa page, for example.)
Re early Dolby Stereo presentations in the Atlanta area, another round of research and attempt to summarize yields the following:
Nov 24, 1977: “Star Wars” opens a sub-run at Canton Corners Twin in Marrieta. “Dolby System” logo + “Stereophonic Sound” text is present in the ad, with “Starts Today! Full Surround Stereo” in another part of the ad.
Dec 14, 1977: “Close Encounters Of The Third Kind” opens in four area theaters, three of which were promoting Dolby Stereo presentations. (1) Phipps Penthouse, Atlanta (Dolby). (2) Stonemont, Stone Mountain (Dolby). (3) Arrowhead, Jonesboro (Dolby). (4) Akers Mill Square, Smyrna (mono).
Dec 16, 1977: “Saturday Night Fever” opens. The engagement at Mableton Twin in Mableton is advertised as a Dolby Stereo presentation. (“The Only Atlanta Engagement of ‘Saturday Night Fever’ Where You Can Hear The Bee-Gee’s In Our New 4 Channel Stereo Sound”)
Dec. 23, 1977: “Star Wars” begins sub-run at Buford Higway Twin in Doraville. Promoted as “Exclusive Engagement! For The 1st Time In Atlanta — Dolby Sound! You May Have Seen ‘Star Wars’, But For The 1st Time, Hear It!”
July 21, 1978: “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” opens. Stonemont’s engagement advertised in Dolby Stereo.
Re early Dolby Stereo presentations in the Atlanta area, another round of research and atempt to summarize yields the following:
Nov 24, 1977: “Star Wars” opens a sub-run at Canton Corners Twin in Marrieta. “Dolby System” logo + “Stereophonic Sound” text is present in the ad, with “Starts Today! Full Surround Stereo” in another part of the ad.
Dec 14, 1977: “Close Encounters Of The Third Kind” opens in four area theaters, three of which were promoting Dolby Stereo presentations. (1) Phipps Penthouse, Atlanta (Dolby). (2) Stonemont, Stone Mountain (Dolby). (3) Arrowhead, Jonesboro (Dolby). (4) Akers Mill Square, Smyrna (mono).
Dec 16, 1977: “Saturday Night Fever” opens. The engagement at Mableton Twin in Mableton is advertised as a Dolby Stereo presentation. (“The Only Atlanta Engagement of ‘Saturday Night Fever’ Where You Can Hear The Bee-Gee’s In Our New 4 Channel Stereo Sound”)
Dec. 23, 1977: “Star Wars” begins sub-run at Buford Higway Twin in Doraville. Promoted as “Exclusive Engagement! For The 1st Time In Atlanta — Dolby Sound! You May Have Seen ‘Star Wars’, But For The 1st Time, Hear It!”
[i’ll re-post this on the Stonemont page.]