I haven’t put too much trust into Philadelphia magazine’s opinions of theatres since they at one time listed the lavish downtown Fox Theatre as Philadelphia’s Worst.
…and something else that often goes unnoticed in the fray is that Cinerama Releasing in no way tried to hide the fact in its publicity and advertising campaign that this was a 70mm presentation, not the original 3x35 format. Not that it went out of its way either to educate the public about the difference, but it sure didn’t try to right out “fool the audience.”
Keep in mind that CRC’s original plans for a 70mm reissue of TIC were to have the three negatives printed anamorphically, which would have matched the original 3-strip aspect ratio and would not have lost any of the side-panel images. OTOH, given that the Ziegfeld’s 63-foot “Cinerama” screen was the theatre’s absolute maximum width using the 128-degree curvature, this type of projection would have yielded an image only 23 feet high, plus/minus a few inches, using the “squeezed” 2.7:1 ratio. “Unsqueezed,” as was actually done here, the screen was 27 feet tall, and gave more of a “floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall” effect. And, of course, Canby’s assertion about the “same sound system” is totally wrong and baseless. Originally, Walter Reade (Sr.) wanted to run 3-panel Cinerama at his DeMille and announced such plans soon after he was elected to the Board of Cinerama, Inc. in 1960. He also wanted 70mm Cinerama at the Ziegfeld, but by the time this theatre opened, the available fare had dwindled down to a trickle.
Back to “Porgy and Bess,” a few years ago a pristine 35mm 4-track mag print was run at a university screening in Brooklyn for one or two performances only, then moved to the Berlin Film Festival. I haven’t heard of a 70mm print of this classic being shown in decades.
While I was stationed in Monterey in 1966/7, I saw “The Bible” at the United Artists on Market Street. At the time it seemed as if there too a deep curve screen had been replaced by a smaller one on a flat track.
Sydneybird, thanks, you have actually answered a question that many Cinerama historians have been debating for years….which USA Cinerama houses maintained their installation into the 1970’s. And the Pittsburgh Warner was a mystery. Would you happen to know if the screen/curtain setup was retained until the theatre’s final closing as a theatre? Thanks.
Haven’t been there since “The Rock” in 1996 when the first twenty minutes of the feature was projected two-perforations out-of-frame, and, presumably, I was the only sighted person in the auditorium as nobody made the slightest fuss. Finally, I got up and informed an usher of the problem. He looked at me as if I had just landed from another planet, mumbled something unintelligble and walked away. About ten minutes later, the problem was corrected.
Am glad to see that Master Jedi projectionist Steve Guttag has popped up here. As for longislandmovies' question above, the first time I went to the Senator, for the run of the 70mm restored “Vertigo”, the Saturday afternoon matinee was as close to sell-out as possible.
The Green Hill specialized only in British comedies during the 50’s (possibly even earlier). Lots of Terry Thomas, Peter Sellers, and, as mentioned above, the “Carry On” series. House was basically the only Philadelphia house to run British films until the downtown Trans-Lux latched onto “The Mouse That Roared” in 1959 which ran for weeks on end, after which time distributors were more prone to book UK entries into center city houses.
And it was a mess! An absolute insult to moviegoers. As a friend of mine said after its twinning, “I wouldn’t go to that theatre if it were the last building on earth with oxygen!”
No, “The Exorcist” opened at the StageDoor. This theatre was carved out of the Fox' stage. The Milgram, formerly the Stanton, formerly the (first) Stanley, was just a few doors west of the Fox fronting on Market Street. The S tageDoor fronted around the corner on 16th Street. You may indeed have seen EX at the StageDoor at some time subsequent to its opening, but, go check the newspapers yourself, THE EXORCIST opened in Philadelphia downtown at the Stage Door.
“I wonder what they are doing with the decor? City dump?"
Speaking of which…anybody remember the huge vertical "Spartacus” sign that hung there during that film’s run at the then-DeMille?. I recall seeing it later in a dump alongside the West Side Highway.
I haven’t put too much trust into Philadelphia magazine’s opinions of theatres since they at one time listed the lavish downtown Fox Theatre as Philadelphia’s Worst.
Any lobby/auditorium photos of the 1941 “streamlining” look available?
…and something else that often goes unnoticed in the fray is that Cinerama Releasing in no way tried to hide the fact in its publicity and advertising campaign that this was a 70mm presentation, not the original 3x35 format. Not that it went out of its way either to educate the public about the difference, but it sure didn’t try to right out “fool the audience.”
Keep in mind that CRC’s original plans for a 70mm reissue of TIC were to have the three negatives printed anamorphically, which would have matched the original 3-strip aspect ratio and would not have lost any of the side-panel images. OTOH, given that the Ziegfeld’s 63-foot “Cinerama” screen was the theatre’s absolute maximum width using the 128-degree curvature, this type of projection would have yielded an image only 23 feet high, plus/minus a few inches, using the “squeezed” 2.7:1 ratio. “Unsqueezed,” as was actually done here, the screen was 27 feet tall, and gave more of a “floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall” effect. And, of course, Canby’s assertion about the “same sound system” is totally wrong and baseless. Originally, Walter Reade (Sr.) wanted to run 3-panel Cinerama at his DeMille and announced such plans soon after he was elected to the Board of Cinerama, Inc. in 1960. He also wanted 70mm Cinerama at the Ziegfeld, but by the time this theatre opened, the available fare had dwindled down to a trickle.
I still have two Cinerama tee-shirts, a jacket, and real frames from HTWWW, all from the New Neon in Dayton.
Back to “Porgy and Bess,” a few years ago a pristine 35mm 4-track mag print was run at a university screening in Brooklyn for one or two performances only, then moved to the Berlin Film Festival. I haven’t heard of a 70mm print of this classic being shown in decades.
While I was stationed in Monterey in 1966/7, I saw “The Bible” at the United Artists on Market Street. At the time it seemed as if there too a deep curve screen had been replaced by a smaller one on a flat track.
Basically something like “dreamed sins” or “sins dreamed of”…something in that line.
Thanks for clearing that up.
Thanks, sydneybird.
Sydneybird, thanks, you have actually answered a question that many Cinerama historians have been debating for years….which USA Cinerama houses maintained their installation into the 1970’s. And the Pittsburgh Warner was a mystery. Would you happen to know if the screen/curtain setup was retained until the theatre’s final closing as a theatre? Thanks.
Haven’t been there since “The Rock” in 1996 when the first twenty minutes of the feature was projected two-perforations out-of-frame, and, presumably, I was the only sighted person in the auditorium as nobody made the slightest fuss. Finally, I got up and informed an usher of the problem. He looked at me as if I had just landed from another planet, mumbled something unintelligble and walked away. About ten minutes later, the problem was corrected.
Am glad to see that Master Jedi projectionist Steve Guttag has popped up here. As for longislandmovies' question above, the first time I went to the Senator, for the run of the 70mm restored “Vertigo”, the Saturday afternoon matinee was as close to sell-out as possible.
The Green Hill specialized only in British comedies during the 50’s (possibly even earlier). Lots of Terry Thomas, Peter Sellers, and, as mentioned above, the “Carry On” series. House was basically the only Philadelphia house to run British films until the downtown Trans-Lux latched onto “The Mouse That Roared” in 1959 which ran for weeks on end, after which time distributors were more prone to book UK entries into center city houses.
And it was a mess! An absolute insult to moviegoers. As a friend of mine said after its twinning, “I wouldn’t go to that theatre if it were the last building on earth with oxygen!”
Yep, the Shapiro family. Sold out to United Artists a while ago.
Thanks, Warren
Is this the theatre I see close by when I get off the “B” train and exit at the west end of the Prospect Park station?
Heck, I’d like a Cine-Miracle!
No, “The Exorcist” opened at the StageDoor. This theatre was carved out of the Fox' stage. The Milgram, formerly the Stanton, formerly the (first) Stanley, was just a few doors west of the Fox fronting on Market Street. The S tageDoor fronted around the corner on 16th Street. You may indeed have seen EX at the StageDoor at some time subsequent to its opening, but, go check the newspapers yourself, THE EXORCIST opened in Philadelphia downtown at the Stage Door.
“I wonder what they are doing with the decor? City dump?"
Speaking of which…anybody remember the huge vertical "Spartacus” sign that hung there during that film’s run at the then-DeMille?. I recall seeing it later in a dump alongside the West Side Highway.
Thanks, William, I didn’t realize the building had been sold fifteen years ago.
I understand that the Times Square Church is holding on to its lease there for dear life.
Yes, on the North side of Market Street was the Erlanger.
Thanks, Warren