I hope who ever takes the Oaks over will take out the wall down the middle and make the downstairs one big cinema and put the twin up in the former balcony. The Oaks is in much better shape then Landmarks Albany and California Theatres in the area. Those need major remodling but Landmark won’t spend a dime on property they don’t own and just lease. The Rialto chain has done wonders to the Elmwood & Cerrito Cinemas they run lets hope they move into the Oaks Theatre. The North Oakland and Berkley areas need a nice cinema to attend.
Rick at least your snack prices are a fare price to pay. I’d much rather go to a big screen movie theatre and see a big image with good sound and don’t mind having a small drink at the candy counter with cold ice at a good price. For the guy that brings in Chinese food into the Cinema the smell must have been something else. If theatres offered good food at a reasonable price people will dine in your cinema. Like we have a few pizza cinemas in the SF Bay Area and the crowd loves the snacks and does not bring in their own pizza, because the price is fare,they buy them at the theatre and the cold drinks to go with it. I think the small movie owner does not overcharge but the big chains do with lousy service to match!
I believe It is against the law in many cities to be searched at the door but ok for guns/weapons, cameras/video only. Just tell them If they want to search you call the police and get a warrant or give your admission money back. The candy/drink prices are way over the top. Just eat something before you get to the theatre as most big chain multiplex’s don’t have enough help in the concession counter you will miss the movie open just waiting in line after you waited at the boxoffice set up for 10 windows and they only have one open on a big weekend with a girl that can’t do credit cards correct! Many people just stay home and eat all the food they want without being searched and have the big screen look with a volume control you can adjust the Dolby Digital® Surround how you like it. A friend of mine just put in a big curved screen in his house with masking and he has free popcorn!
I have not heard of any other SmileBox® Blue Ray movies yet. But I bought a Blue Ray player just see the curved look on my LCD with How The West Was Won as many other people did. I think they will do a few more of the 3 panel Cinerama prints first and see how they sell then with some of the Super Cinerama 70mm movies. Now the Home Theatre people have three different types of huge curved screens for the Theatre in the home crowd. I have seen one and It looks great. So no need for SmileBox® for these lucky movie people. The curved home screens have moving masking and are very $$$$$$$. When I win the Lotto I’ll get one. Can’t wait for the Windjammer release with the curve look.
Does anyone remember when the original Cine Capri played This Is Cinerama in 70mm on the D-150 screen they had? How did It look? Thanks so much Mike for the Cinerama news you have given us on all these roadshow Cinerama dates and cities. Now If we can get Pacific Theatres and some sponsors to restore a few more of the 3 panel films to play in England,Hollywood & Seattle. We hear they are cleaning up some of the prints for DVD release in SmileBox® for Blue Ray. At least Windjammer is being worked on at this time, but the things they have to work with are not that good. Lets hope the DVD print comes out good. When they tried to copy the new Cine Capri now in Arizona they missed the boat and did not curve the screen much. What were they afraid off.
Thanks for the LA times info on 3-D Avatar. I will try to see It in San Francisco at a true IMAX 3-D screen the former Sony/Loews now AMC Metreon. The large Castro Theatre in SF was to have Avatar in 3-D but changed things at the last minute to a boring ‘Nine’. They have It booked for 4/5 weeks. ‘Nine’ is dying a slow death on the big Cinemascope® digital screen the Castro Theatre. I think they are going to pull it soon. As ‘Avatar’ is still the number one film three weeks in a row 2-D or 3-D I think the Castro wishes they had booked the 3-D ‘Avatar’ film all are going to see. It’s sad in San Francisco we lost our distibutor for the LA Times paper in the SF Bay Area. I liked reading the movie section. Strange in LA you can get the SF Chronicle in some newspaper stores but in SF we have no LA newspaper. Now the ‘Castro’ has the new Disney 3-D print of ‘Alice In Wonderland’ booked soon, lets hope they don’t change there mind at the last minute. The 2-D preview for ‘Alice’ was shown at the ‘Castro’ at the start of ‘Nine’ and got more applause then the main feature did. People will love this new Disney film at a Imax 3-D or regular 3-D Theatre. Thanks again to the LA Times for telling us about the 3-D format wars. Soon Technicolor will join the bandwagon with 3-D film.
Great News for San Jose. We hope the new Tower has a few English language art films sometimes as the San Jose area is short many times in the booking of special art films. I’d like to check out the remodel job. If anyone goes please report If they have curtains in the large house and how the stereo surround sounds,and the neon marquee looks,Thanks
Was this Las Vegas Cinerama Dome turned into a church after Cinerama left? I think I remember reading about this. I guess the place has been torn down now, or is it still up as a church? Bring on a big pipe organ at the Dome and pray for Cinerama to make a come back in Las Vegas for the tourists that don’t want to gamble. Was It Cinerama Holiday that had a segment on LV? Some new theatres in Asia now have screens over 100'. Does anyone have photos of the Nevada DI test screen for Cinemiracle in Las Vegas?
Technicolor is working on a film 3-D system for theatres not wanting to spend the $$$ on new digital equipment. All the cinemas that have spent big bucks for Digital 3-D in the last year needed to wait. The Image Iam told is just as good 3-D wise as the digital. The public can’t tell the diference as long as they have the 3-D glasses. True Imax 3-D will always look way better. Now Regal in Oakland CA and Santa Cruz can install and save money with the new Technicolor system. Regal can charge more for the glasses and save on the projector cost. Both of these towns are way behind on digital instalations much less on any other movie advances. I like the film look in a movie theatre. The big studios just want to save print and shiping cost on 35mm film. If they want Video in a movie cinema let them pay for the new Digital Projectors, not the movie theatre owners. I don’t think 3-D will last in the movie world, when It hits TV in the USA next year It will have worn It’s welcome. Lets get the studios to bring back showmanship with huge 70mm film on a large curved screen with curtains. The little screens that many multiplex’s now have are tired. Has anyone seen the new XD screens that Cinemark has in a few cities? How big are they? Some have 3-D. Iam going to see Avatar 3-D soon on one of these giant screens.
It’s sad that Regal Theatres has Avatar booked in reg 2-D In their big multiplex theatres in Santa Cruz & Oakland CA. Another movie theatre does have a booking in 3-D the Grand Lake in Oakland not far from the Regal Jack London Sq in Oakland, they will get the business on this film in Oakland CA. Same in the Santa Cruz CA area, most film lovers will go to Monterey CA and see the film as It was meant to be shown like in 3-D at the Cinemark Monterey CA or go to San Jose CA Every time I go to the box office of the Regal 9 in downtown Santa Cruz CA. I ask the Reegal 9 dim boxoffice people about 3-D coming to Santa Cruz they give me the worst info. They say It’s a corporate thing ??? Regal won’t get my business in these two cities nor most of the people in this big college coast town of Santa Cruz.
Someone needs to start up Fox West Coast Theatres again and bring in stage shows at the Chinese with the movies like Disney is doing across the street. The place went down when they got rid of the neon dragons out front! The theatre is so dark and cold out front. Mann needs to add some color lights to the front. If they can’t get good first run films then book some 70mm classics and open up the big curved screen to it’s full width. Have some movie stars that are still around for the showing. Let’s get Doris Day to fly down and show Pillow Talk! or Kim Novak with a new 70mm print of Vertigo! The tourists will come in the doors not just stand out front and take photos. Lets get some SHOWMANSHIP back at the Fox Graumans Chinese Hollywood. The Place To Go!
Someone needs to start up Fox West Coast Theatres again and bring in stage shows at the Chinese with the movies like Disney is doing across the street. The place went down when they got rid of the neon dragons out front! The theatre is so dark and cold out front. Mann needs to add some color lights to the front. If they can’t get good first run films then book some 70mm classics and open up the big curved screen to it’s full width. Have some movie stars that are still around for the showing. Let’s get Doris Day to fly down and show Pillow Talk! or Kim Novak with a new 70mm print of Vertigo! The tourists will come in the doors not just stand out front and take photos. Lets get some SHOWMANSHIP back at the Fox Graumans Chinese Hollywood. The Place To Go!
Thanks again Mike for having my home town ‘San Francisco’ on the Cinerama list this week. The Cinerama screen at Orpheum was one of the largest for Cinerama. I remember seeing all the films you have listed as a kid. As a young person I wondered how the three projectors had three different lights and they didn’t get mixed up with the picture when they criss crossed in the middle of the theatre. The whole theatre was painted Cinerama pink. The curtains had a light grey look with pink/red lights on them. Every time I go into the Orpheum today I think of the huge presentation this was at the SF Orpheum. The 70mm Super Cinerama screen put in down the street at the RKO or Beacon Golden Gate was a major disappointment. They did a cheap job and just put in a small curved screen on the back of the large stage. Flat curtains were used. When you first went into the Golden Gate it looked like any other theatre with curtains on the stage till they opened them up then you saw a curved screen. The huge Cinerama curved screen at the Orpheum curved into the audience and extra drape around the whole front sides of the orchestra seats.
I hope the new people running the Fox Warfield will not only fix up the inside but the outside also. I was by the front a week ago and the old plastic marquee was still painted dusty brown with pigeon mess all around it. If they put in new dark blue rugs how about repainting the front a shade of blue and get rid of the old brown. We hope the new renters at the Fox Warfield have good security at night as that part of Market St is very rough at night still. It’s to bad my THS friend ‘Fred Beall’ has passed on last week. He had many photos/slides in his collection of The ‘Warfield’ and had many stories to tell of all the grand SF Market St movie palaces. Goodbye ‘Fred’ I will miss you and our many movie theatre photo shoots.
Hi**The downstairs theater at the California is the same size as it was before in the 50’s. They only twined the balcony into two small cinemas. They put in a smaller flat screen and moved it up a little. The curtains are still on the sides but they don’t work,the motor is broke. Landmark does have curtains that work across the street at another cinema they run. They have them only because the original owner had put them in. Every time I go to the Landmark Albany or the California I always tell them If you can’t fix your curtains then at least put some blue, green or red lights on the boring white screen. I watch people come in 20 minutes before the film starts and look at a white screen. Sometimes music will be playing or you may be lucky to see video adds run with the house lights up to wash all the add image off the screen. How nice If the California got the motor fixed and put in some blue lights on the curtain like the old days. Some projection managers at Landmark don’t even know the proper way to work the curtains they do have. Some theatres will open the drapes to a dark white screen then wait and start the film. I think the best way is to start the film then open the curtains so you have the film showing on the drapes as they part to the screen. Same at the end close them on the last 10 seconds while the credits are still on the screen. This can be done with the auto tabs moved up a little.
Mr Hertz was Mr Showmanship for Fox West Coast Thaeters. I met him when he came up for a true sneak preview at the Paramount Thaetre in Oakland Ca. The Fox West Coast managers like Robert Apple from the Paramount Theater and Jack McDougal from the Fox Oakland always had the highest regard for William Hertz. The managers and companies that run the multiplex junk today don’t have a clue about what Fox West Coast taught their managers thanks to Mr Hertz. Showmanship is now in the heavens with William Hertz Fox West Coast Theatres a National General Corporation.
Larry***I think the old Fox West Coast managers that ran this once grand small movie palace would be very upset at the current condition that the California Theater is in now in 2008. Like I have said in a past note Landmark is not going to spend a penny on theatres they just lease that they don’t own. How nice If someone came in like ‘Sundance’ and put in a large curved Cinemascope screen with curtains that was once in the downstairs part of the theater. At least with all the people that have complained in the last three weeks and lost business Landmark Theaters is now back to advertising in the Cronicle again starting this past Friday with the times of all their theaters in the SF Bay Area. Thanks to true theatre managers like the Fox West Coast/NGT team at least some of us got to see true showmanship at the once grand California Theatre.
Mike**Thanks for the ‘Cinerama’ info. Do you know in 1973 when the Ziegfeld Theatre played the 70mm print of ‘This Is Cinerama’ did they put in a curved screen for this 70mm run? Did anyone see It at the Ziegfeld? At least when it played at the Cinerama Dome that year It was shown on a curved screen without the three projectors. It then played in 70mm flat I believe at the Fox Wilshire Beverly Hills CA. Lets get some rich company to restore all the Cinerama prints blow up each pannel from 35mm to 70mm and run three giant 70mm projectors at once on the largest curved screen in the world!
Does anyone know if The Paris has 70mm projectors? Seems I remember a classic 70mm film playing some time ago. How nice they have curtains that work and they use them. How is the stereo sound system do they have surrounds? Are color lights used on the curtain?
United Artist was the worst chain ever! Now Regal has the UA mini plexes to have under there non showmanship wing. They both turn so many movie fans off. Go up high in a UA house and look at the years of dust on top of the surround speakers. Since Cinemark has taken over most Syufy ‘Century’ Theatres things have gotten worse at ‘Century’. At the semi new plex at Powell & Market Sts in downtown SF they have the bright work lights on when you watch the video adds before the film! The glare on your eyes is to much. I guess its good because the video pre show adds are all washed out. You can’t watch them because of the bright overhead vapor lights! It will be a miricle if UA/Regal keeps the D-150 screen. Don’t be surprised if they turn the lage curved screen Continental Theatre into 3 tini cinemas with small flat screens. It’s not just the sea ting they will change. It does not take two months to put in stadium seats. UA/Regal are in the real estate business not film presentation in this day and age. Go look at the empty lot in Seattle Wa where the UA D-150 curved screen Dome Theatre once stood. They may be building on the property now.
Will the new digital video DLP version be as crisp and clear as the 70mm roadshow film? The split surround speakers at The El Capitan Theatre Hollywood CA are never turned up to hear them If you have a seat in the middle or up in the big center balcony. I hope the Disney people do a new 70mm transfer to DVD and Dolby Digital®. The 70mm print played at the ‘Coronet Theatre’ in San Francisco when It was released many years ago. Now the Coronet is gone but the 70mm print is coming back on video.
I hope who ever takes the Oaks over will take out the wall down the middle and make the downstairs one big cinema and put the twin up in the former balcony. The Oaks is in much better shape then Landmarks Albany and California Theatres in the area. Those need major remodling but Landmark won’t spend a dime on property they don’t own and just lease. The Rialto chain has done wonders to the Elmwood & Cerrito Cinemas they run lets hope they move into the Oaks Theatre. The North Oakland and Berkley areas need a nice cinema to attend.
Rick at least your snack prices are a fare price to pay. I’d much rather go to a big screen movie theatre and see a big image with good sound and don’t mind having a small drink at the candy counter with cold ice at a good price. For the guy that brings in Chinese food into the Cinema the smell must have been something else. If theatres offered good food at a reasonable price people will dine in your cinema. Like we have a few pizza cinemas in the SF Bay Area and the crowd loves the snacks and does not bring in their own pizza, because the price is fare,they buy them at the theatre and the cold drinks to go with it. I think the small movie owner does not overcharge but the big chains do with lousy service to match!
I believe It is against the law in many cities to be searched at the door but ok for guns/weapons, cameras/video only. Just tell them If they want to search you call the police and get a warrant or give your admission money back. The candy/drink prices are way over the top. Just eat something before you get to the theatre as most big chain multiplex’s don’t have enough help in the concession counter you will miss the movie open just waiting in line after you waited at the boxoffice set up for 10 windows and they only have one open on a big weekend with a girl that can’t do credit cards correct! Many people just stay home and eat all the food they want without being searched and have the big screen look with a volume control you can adjust the Dolby Digital® Surround how you like it. A friend of mine just put in a big curved screen in his house with masking and he has free popcorn!
I have not heard of any other SmileBox® Blue Ray movies yet. But I bought a Blue Ray player just see the curved look on my LCD with How The West Was Won as many other people did. I think they will do a few more of the 3 panel Cinerama prints first and see how they sell then with some of the Super Cinerama 70mm movies. Now the Home Theatre people have three different types of huge curved screens for the Theatre in the home crowd. I have seen one and It looks great. So no need for SmileBox® for these lucky movie people. The curved home screens have moving masking and are very $$$$$$$. When I win the Lotto I’ll get one. Can’t wait for the Windjammer release with the curve look.
Does anyone remember when the original Cine Capri played This Is Cinerama in 70mm on the D-150 screen they had? How did It look? Thanks so much Mike for the Cinerama news you have given us on all these roadshow Cinerama dates and cities. Now If we can get Pacific Theatres and some sponsors to restore a few more of the 3 panel films to play in England,Hollywood & Seattle. We hear they are cleaning up some of the prints for DVD release in SmileBox® for Blue Ray. At least Windjammer is being worked on at this time, but the things they have to work with are not that good. Lets hope the DVD print comes out good. When they tried to copy the new Cine Capri now in Arizona they missed the boat and did not curve the screen much. What were they afraid off.
Thanks for the LA times info on 3-D Avatar. I will try to see It in San Francisco at a true IMAX 3-D screen the former Sony/Loews now AMC Metreon. The large Castro Theatre in SF was to have Avatar in 3-D but changed things at the last minute to a boring ‘Nine’. They have It booked for 4/5 weeks. ‘Nine’ is dying a slow death on the big Cinemascope® digital screen the Castro Theatre. I think they are going to pull it soon. As ‘Avatar’ is still the number one film three weeks in a row 2-D or 3-D I think the Castro wishes they had booked the 3-D ‘Avatar’ film all are going to see. It’s sad in San Francisco we lost our distibutor for the LA Times paper in the SF Bay Area. I liked reading the movie section. Strange in LA you can get the SF Chronicle in some newspaper stores but in SF we have no LA newspaper. Now the ‘Castro’ has the new Disney 3-D print of ‘Alice In Wonderland’ booked soon, lets hope they don’t change there mind at the last minute. The 2-D preview for ‘Alice’ was shown at the ‘Castro’ at the start of ‘Nine’ and got more applause then the main feature did. People will love this new Disney film at a Imax 3-D or regular 3-D Theatre. Thanks again to the LA Times for telling us about the 3-D format wars. Soon Technicolor will join the bandwagon with 3-D film.
Great News for San Jose. We hope the new Tower has a few English language art films sometimes as the San Jose area is short many times in the booking of special art films. I’d like to check out the remodel job. If anyone goes please report If they have curtains in the large house and how the stereo surround sounds,and the neon marquee looks,Thanks
Was this Las Vegas Cinerama Dome turned into a church after Cinerama left? I think I remember reading about this. I guess the place has been torn down now, or is it still up as a church? Bring on a big pipe organ at the Dome and pray for Cinerama to make a come back in Las Vegas for the tourists that don’t want to gamble. Was It Cinerama Holiday that had a segment on LV? Some new theatres in Asia now have screens over 100'. Does anyone have photos of the Nevada DI test screen for Cinemiracle in Las Vegas?
Technicolor is working on a film 3-D system for theatres not wanting to spend the $$$ on new digital equipment. All the cinemas that have spent big bucks for Digital 3-D in the last year needed to wait. The Image Iam told is just as good 3-D wise as the digital. The public can’t tell the diference as long as they have the 3-D glasses. True Imax 3-D will always look way better. Now Regal in Oakland CA and Santa Cruz can install and save money with the new Technicolor system. Regal can charge more for the glasses and save on the projector cost. Both of these towns are way behind on digital instalations much less on any other movie advances. I like the film look in a movie theatre. The big studios just want to save print and shiping cost on 35mm film. If they want Video in a movie cinema let them pay for the new Digital Projectors, not the movie theatre owners. I don’t think 3-D will last in the movie world, when It hits TV in the USA next year It will have worn It’s welcome. Lets get the studios to bring back showmanship with huge 70mm film on a large curved screen with curtains. The little screens that many multiplex’s now have are tired. Has anyone seen the new XD screens that Cinemark has in a few cities? How big are they? Some have 3-D. Iam going to see Avatar 3-D soon on one of these giant screens.
It’s sad that Regal Theatres has Avatar booked in reg 2-D In their big multiplex theatres in Santa Cruz & Oakland CA. Another movie theatre does have a booking in 3-D the Grand Lake in Oakland not far from the Regal Jack London Sq in Oakland, they will get the business on this film in Oakland CA. Same in the Santa Cruz CA area, most film lovers will go to Monterey CA and see the film as It was meant to be shown like in 3-D at the Cinemark Monterey CA or go to San Jose CA Every time I go to the box office of the Regal 9 in downtown Santa Cruz CA. I ask the Reegal 9 dim boxoffice people about 3-D coming to Santa Cruz they give me the worst info. They say It’s a corporate thing ??? Regal won’t get my business in these two cities nor most of the people in this big college coast town of Santa Cruz.
Does anyone know if this GIANT screen is curved or flat. I hope they have curtains.
I think the Tower put in the D-150 curved screen
Someone needs to start up Fox West Coast Theatres again and bring in stage shows at the Chinese with the movies like Disney is doing across the street. The place went down when they got rid of the neon dragons out front! The theatre is so dark and cold out front. Mann needs to add some color lights to the front. If they can’t get good first run films then book some 70mm classics and open up the big curved screen to it’s full width. Have some movie stars that are still around for the showing. Let’s get Doris Day to fly down and show Pillow Talk! or Kim Novak with a new 70mm print of Vertigo! The tourists will come in the doors not just stand out front and take photos. Lets get some SHOWMANSHIP back at the Fox Graumans Chinese Hollywood. The Place To Go!
Someone needs to start up Fox West Coast Theatres again and bring in stage shows at the Chinese with the movies like Disney is doing across the street. The place went down when they got rid of the neon dragons out front! The theatre is so dark and cold out front. Mann needs to add some color lights to the front. If they can’t get good first run films then book some 70mm classics and open up the big curved screen to it’s full width. Have some movie stars that are still around for the showing. Let’s get Doris Day to fly down and show Pillow Talk! or Kim Novak with a new 70mm print of Vertigo! The tourists will come in the doors not just stand out front and take photos. Lets get some SHOWMANSHIP back at the Fox Graumans Chinese Hollywood. The Place To Go!
Thanks again Mike for having my home town ‘San Francisco’ on the Cinerama list this week. The Cinerama screen at Orpheum was one of the largest for Cinerama. I remember seeing all the films you have listed as a kid. As a young person I wondered how the three projectors had three different lights and they didn’t get mixed up with the picture when they criss crossed in the middle of the theatre. The whole theatre was painted Cinerama pink. The curtains had a light grey look with pink/red lights on them. Every time I go into the Orpheum today I think of the huge presentation this was at the SF Orpheum. The 70mm Super Cinerama screen put in down the street at the RKO or Beacon Golden Gate was a major disappointment. They did a cheap job and just put in a small curved screen on the back of the large stage. Flat curtains were used. When you first went into the Golden Gate it looked like any other theatre with curtains on the stage till they opened them up then you saw a curved screen. The huge Cinerama curved screen at the Orpheum curved into the audience and extra drape around the whole front sides of the orchestra seats.
I hope the new people running the Fox Warfield will not only fix up the inside but the outside also. I was by the front a week ago and the old plastic marquee was still painted dusty brown with pigeon mess all around it. If they put in new dark blue rugs how about repainting the front a shade of blue and get rid of the old brown. We hope the new renters at the Fox Warfield have good security at night as that part of Market St is very rough at night still. It’s to bad my THS friend ‘Fred Beall’ has passed on last week. He had many photos/slides in his collection of The ‘Warfield’ and had many stories to tell of all the grand SF Market St movie palaces. Goodbye ‘Fred’ I will miss you and our many movie theatre photo shoots.
Thanks again Mike for the Cinerama info. Will you be doing LA/Hollywood or San Francisco CA in the future? I hope so!
Hi**The downstairs theater at the California is the same size as it was before in the 50’s. They only twined the balcony into two small cinemas. They put in a smaller flat screen and moved it up a little. The curtains are still on the sides but they don’t work,the motor is broke. Landmark does have curtains that work across the street at another cinema they run. They have them only because the original owner had put them in. Every time I go to the Landmark Albany or the California I always tell them If you can’t fix your curtains then at least put some blue, green or red lights on the boring white screen. I watch people come in 20 minutes before the film starts and look at a white screen. Sometimes music will be playing or you may be lucky to see video adds run with the house lights up to wash all the add image off the screen. How nice If the California got the motor fixed and put in some blue lights on the curtain like the old days. Some projection managers at Landmark don’t even know the proper way to work the curtains they do have. Some theatres will open the drapes to a dark white screen then wait and start the film. I think the best way is to start the film then open the curtains so you have the film showing on the drapes as they part to the screen. Same at the end close them on the last 10 seconds while the credits are still on the screen. This can be done with the auto tabs moved up a little.
Mr Hertz was Mr Showmanship for Fox West Coast Thaeters. I met him when he came up for a true sneak preview at the Paramount Thaetre in Oakland Ca. The Fox West Coast managers like Robert Apple from the Paramount Theater and Jack McDougal from the Fox Oakland always had the highest regard for William Hertz. The managers and companies that run the multiplex junk today don’t have a clue about what Fox West Coast taught their managers thanks to Mr Hertz. Showmanship is now in the heavens with William Hertz Fox West Coast Theatres a National General Corporation.
Larry***I think the old Fox West Coast managers that ran this once grand small movie palace would be very upset at the current condition that the California Theater is in now in 2008. Like I have said in a past note Landmark is not going to spend a penny on theatres they just lease that they don’t own. How nice If someone came in like ‘Sundance’ and put in a large curved Cinemascope screen with curtains that was once in the downstairs part of the theater. At least with all the people that have complained in the last three weeks and lost business Landmark Theaters is now back to advertising in the Cronicle again starting this past Friday with the times of all their theaters in the SF Bay Area. Thanks to true theatre managers like the Fox West Coast/NGT team at least some of us got to see true showmanship at the once grand California Theatre.
Mike**Thanks for the ‘Cinerama’ info. Do you know in 1973 when the Ziegfeld Theatre played the 70mm print of ‘This Is Cinerama’ did they put in a curved screen for this 70mm run? Did anyone see It at the Ziegfeld? At least when it played at the Cinerama Dome that year It was shown on a curved screen without the three projectors. It then played in 70mm flat I believe at the Fox Wilshire Beverly Hills CA. Lets get some rich company to restore all the Cinerama prints blow up each pannel from 35mm to 70mm and run three giant 70mm projectors at once on the largest curved screen in the world!
Does anyone know if The Paris has 70mm projectors? Seems I remember a classic 70mm film playing some time ago. How nice they have curtains that work and they use them. How is the stereo sound system do they have surrounds? Are color lights used on the curtain?
United Artist was the worst chain ever! Now Regal has the UA mini plexes to have under there non showmanship wing. They both turn so many movie fans off. Go up high in a UA house and look at the years of dust on top of the surround speakers. Since Cinemark has taken over most Syufy ‘Century’ Theatres things have gotten worse at ‘Century’. At the semi new plex at Powell & Market Sts in downtown SF they have the bright work lights on when you watch the video adds before the film! The glare on your eyes is to much. I guess its good because the video pre show adds are all washed out. You can’t watch them because of the bright overhead vapor lights! It will be a miricle if UA/Regal keeps the D-150 screen. Don’t be surprised if they turn the lage curved screen Continental Theatre into 3 tini cinemas with small flat screens. It’s not just the sea ting they will change. It does not take two months to put in stadium seats. UA/Regal are in the real estate business not film presentation in this day and age. Go look at the empty lot in Seattle Wa where the UA D-150 curved screen Dome Theatre once stood. They may be building on the property now.
I hope they don’t take out the large curved D-150 screen like they have in all the other theatres they got from UA.
Will the new digital video DLP version be as crisp and clear as the 70mm roadshow film? The split surround speakers at The El Capitan Theatre Hollywood CA are never turned up to hear them If you have a seat in the middle or up in the big center balcony. I hope the Disney people do a new 70mm transfer to DVD and Dolby Digital®. The 70mm print played at the ‘Coronet Theatre’ in San Francisco when It was released many years ago. Now the Coronet is gone but the 70mm print is coming back on video.