Comments from Coate

Showing 1,226 - 1,250 of 1,282 comments

Coate
Coate commented about Monroe Theatre on May 31, 2005 at 10:15 am

It was noted earlier that “The Sound Of Music” ran at this theatre for over a year and a half. If anyone is interested in the exact duration, it was for 85 weeks (Apr. 15, 1965 – Nov. 30, 1966).

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Coate
Coate commented about Loma Theatre on May 31, 2005 at 10:08 am

Regarding the operator of the Loma, KenRoe beat me to it! I’d like to add, though, for clarification that Fox became NGC which became Mann. So at various times, the Loma (and other San Diego area theatres) was identified as being operated by all of those companies.

Mann (and Pacific) began phasing out their large, single-screen venues (such as the Loma, Valley Circle, Cinema 21, Cinerama, etc.) as the multiplexes started to become the norm (Hazard Center, Mann 9 at the Grove, Cinerama 6, etc.). Of course, as we all recognize, this sort of “evolution” happened everywhere, not just in San Diego.

Some of the highlights of the history of the Loma were its 70mm and/or reserved-seat engagements.

Can-Can (Premiere Date: June 1, 1960)
Lawrence Of Arabia (Mar. 27, 1963)
Becket (June 18, 1964)
The Sound Of Music (Mar. 31, 1965)
Star! (Dec. 18, 1968)
Tora! Tora! Tora! (Oct. 7, 1970)
Fiddler On The Roof (Dec. 14, 1971)
Man Of La Mancha (Dec. 14, 1972)
The Sound Of Music (Aug. 25, 1978 re-issue)
Sleeping Beauty (Nov. 2, 1979 re-issue)
The Island (June 13, 1980)
Divine Madness (Sep. 26, 1980)
E.T. (June 11, 1982)
Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom (May 23, 1984)
American Flyers (Nov. 22, 1985)
Young Sherlock Holmes (Dec. 4, 1985)
Top Gun (May 16, 1986)
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (Nov. 26, 1986)

and, perhaps most notably, a rare 70mm engagement of “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” double-billed with “2001: A Space Odyssey” (Dec. 4, 1981)

Sources:
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Coate
Coate commented about Radio City Music Hall on May 26, 2005 at 3:02 pm

“Did [‘The Happiest Millionaire’] really open Roadshow in other cities?” (RobertR)


Yes.

Coate
Coate commented about Rivoli Theatre on May 26, 2005 at 12:26 am

“A 70MM print of "Howard’s End” was shown at the Paris for nearly a year in the early 1990s.“ (ErikH)


A couple of minor corrections re the New York City run of “Howards End” — the film did play at the Paris, though the theater was known as the Fine Arts at the time. The duration of the Fine Arts run was 33 weeks. It immediately moved to the Village East, where it ran for another 31 weeks in 70mm.

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Coate
Coate commented about Today's Newsreel on May 25, 2005 at 7:32 pm

“What specific venues have the new Dolby Digital Cinema system?” (JodarMovieFan)


Daly City, CA: Century 20
Long Beach, CA: Regal Long Beach Stadium 26
Los Angeles, CA: Mann Village
Los Angeles, CA: Pacific Cinerama Dome
Meridian, ID: Hallett Majestic
New York, NY: Pavilion
New York, NY: Ziegfeld
Peoria, AZ: Harkins Arrowhead Fountains 18
San Francisco, CA: Loews Metreon
San Jose, CA: Century 22
Yakima Valley, WA: Hallett Grand Cinemas Yakima Valley

Bath, UK: Kingsmead Leisure Centre
London, UK: Odeon Leicester Square
Paris, France: Gaumont Marignon
Swindon, UK: Greenbridge

Source: www.dcinematoday.com

For a list of Digital Cinema presentations of “Revenge Of The Sith,” click the following link. (The list is a work-in-progress, indcates some of the current-generation 2K presentations, and will be updated later in the week.)

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Coate
Coate commented about Eastwood Theatre on May 25, 2005 at 7:06 pm

“I spent many an hour in line waiting to get in to see the original Star Wars (seven times I think). 70mm – WOW.” (Bill Ralph)

“I remember few theaters and movies in Indy like I do standing in line many, many time for several hours with buddies from North Central to see Star Wars (later Empire Strikes Back). Wow that 70mm screen was amazing!” (boxtermike)

“I remember seeing the three STAR WARS movies there in addition to THE WALL, ALIEN and DUNE.” (Mike Hunter)


While the original “Star Wars” played at the Eastwood Theater, I do not believe they ran a 70mm print. (“Empire” and “Jedi” were shown in 70mm.) By the way, the Indianapolis engagement of “Star Wars” was among the initial batch of limited market showings that began May 25, 1977 which…was 28 years ago TODAY!

A list of the original engagements and data on presentation types appears here:
View link

I also wish to point out this link to a piece on “Alien” because I recall one of the newspaper advertisements used was from the Indianapolis Eastwood engagement, which used a very cool “showmanship” style 70mm logo.
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Coate
Coate commented about Ziegfeld Theatre on May 25, 2005 at 6:49 pm

QUOTE: “How is the digital projection at this theater? I know there are several brands out there, some newer and better than others, and of different quality.

So who has the best digital projection, this screen or the ones at AMC or Loews? Or are there others I should consider for the best digital presentation?“ (saps)


The Ziegfeld is equipped with a current-generation digital projection system capable of showing movies at 2K resolution. So seeing “Revenge Of The Sith” at the Ziegfeld should offer picture quality as good as or better than any competing cinemas also showing a digital presentation.

Check out the following list if you’re curious where the Digital Cinema presentations are being held:

View link

Coate
Coate commented about Northpark West 1 & 2 on May 24, 2005 at 5:15 pm

This theatre was also known as:
Cinema I&II (its grand opening name)
Northpark I&II

(The Cinema Treasures staff may wish to add those AKAs into the main theater details.)

QUOTE: “[The Northpark] was one of only 20 theaters in the nation to run ‘Star Wars’ on its opening weekend in May of 1977.”

Well, almost correct! The number of original engagements initiated during May 1977 was forty-three. (If anyone is curious which venues were included in that initial launch of “Star Wars,” I encourage you to read my article “May 25, 1977: A Day Long Remembered,” which can be accessed from the link provided below. How many of the 43 original theaters still exist today?)
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Coate
Coate commented about Wang Theatre on May 20, 2005 at 10:57 am

Something noteworthy about this place when it was known as the Music Hall was that it was the venue selected for the 1977 world premiere of “A Bridge Too Far.” (The Boston area engagements were held elsewhere.) Also, in 1971, a special 70mm print was struck specifically for the Music Hall engagement of the X-rated 3-D film “The Stewardesses.”

Coate
Coate commented about Movieland on May 17, 2005 at 12:44 pm

“I am surprised this was operated as a cinema as late as 1988 because I can’t really remember going here, though I think I saw STAR WARS here in the summer of ‘83.” (hardtop)

“On July 29th of 1983, "Star Wars” and “The Empire Strikes Back” was re-released as a double feature at the RKO Warner Twin in 70MM.“ (William)

“What theater is the RKO Warner Twin?” (saps)

“The RKO Warner Twin, saps, was the former Strand Theatre” (br91975)

“Oh!…then it was actually the Warner Twin, without the RKO, that had me stumped. I remember the Cinerama and the Penthouse (and the Cine Orleans!) but I don’t remember when it went (back) to Warner. What years were those and who ran it then?” (saps)


[This info was gathered during the research phase of preparing “70mm In New York,” which appears on the FromScriptToDVD.com website. I’ll provide what I can in an attempt to clarify the questions asked. Obviously, anyone in the know, feel free to elaborate.]

From the 1950s through the ‘80s, the sequence of names appear to have been:
Warner / Warner Cinerama / Cinerama / RKO Cinerama / RKO Cinerama Twin** / RKO Warner Twin

*during this phase, Screen #2 was called Penthouse and/or Cinerama 2

**during this phase, sometimes noted in newspaper ads as Cinerama 1 and Cinerama 2, depending on which screen a film was playing

The operators were:
Stanley-Warner (? – 1968)
Pacific East (1968 – early 1970s)
RKO/Stanley-Warner (mid-70s)
RKO (late ‘70s – early '80s)
RKO Century (early-80s – close)

Coate
Coate commented about Menlo Park Twin Cinema on May 13, 2005 at 11:33 pm

QUOTE:
“On May 25, 1979, [the Menlo Park Cinema] was one of 91 theaters nationwide that ran the original limited release of Alien, which was shown in 70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo”


Check out this article if you’re curious what the other 90 original locations were that screened “Alien”:
View link

One of the reasons I wrote this article is to capture the spirit of these nostalgia-inducing memories present in so many of these Cinema Treasures discussions. Enjoy!

Key passage from article:
“Those moviegoers who saw ‘Alien’ in a theatre in 1979 may feel a touch of nostalgia looking over the engagement list, particularly if the cinema in which they recall attending a screening is represented. As well, moviegoers with a fondness for classic or hometown cinemas may be saddened by the realization that most of the cinemas included in the engagement list are no longer in business, victims of what some in the industry consider progress: the megaplex.”

Coate
Coate commented about Eric's Place Theatre on May 12, 2005 at 6:06 am

QUOTE:
“Eric’s Place played ‘Star Wars’ in 1977, but the movie later moved to the former Eric Mark I theatre after a few weeks because they wanted to exhibit ‘Star Wars’ in 70mm”

A few weeks? Actually, the moveover of “Star Wars” to the Mark I occured during the movie’s sixth month, on Nov. 4, 1977.

Coate
Coate commented about Rose Moyer Theatre on May 11, 2005 at 2:49 am

Isn’t this theater in Gresham?

Coate
Coate commented about Marina Theatre on May 8, 2005 at 11:18 pm

QUOTE:
“The Cinema 21 also had the six month moveover run of "Star Wars” from the Coronet after a legal dispute between United Artists and 20th Century-Fox. United Artist’s Coronet had one of the most successful “Star Wars” run in the country when UA decided to bump it for “Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind.”


The move-over run of “Star Wars” began Dec. 21, 1977, one week after the Coronet run ended. The Cinema 21 engagement included a 70mm blow-up version of the “Duck Dodgers In The 24th And A Half Century” cartoon short.

Coate
Coate commented about Centre Theater on May 8, 2005 at 11:13 pm

Dolby (CP100) was installed at the Centre in August 1977 for an upgrade engagement of “Star Wars.”

Coate
Coate commented about Cineplex Odeon Route 17 Triplex on May 5, 2005 at 7:30 am

QUOTE:
“Was this a roadshow house? Does anyone know what big films played here hard ticket?” (RobertR)


“Man Of La Mancha” (1972)

Coate
Coate commented about Totowa Cinema on May 5, 2005 at 6:43 am

QUOTE:
“In the early 80’s they installed Dolby Stereo capabilities in Cinema One for the opening Empire Strikes Back” (rhett)

“the Totowa Cinema had Dolby Stereo as early as the 1977 release of Star Wars, I also saw the remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers there and it was presented in ear-splittingly-loud stereo.” (PeterApruzzese)


According to Dolby Labs' records, a Dolby sound system was installed at this theater in December 1978. It was a CP100, which allowed for both 35mm optical stereo and six-track magnetic 70mm playback.

Coate
Coate commented about Loma Theatre on May 4, 2005 at 11:39 am

“The Sound Of Music” played at this theatre for 133 weeks!

Coate
Coate commented about Uptown Theatre on May 4, 2005 at 3:05 am

“ ‘2001: A Space Odyssey,’ which had its world premiere at the Uptown on April 1, 1968…and played there for 18 months or so.”

“I thought 2001 had its world premiere in the Loew’s Cinerama in NY.”

The world premiere of “2001” was on April 2, 1968. The Uptown engagement ran for 51 weeks.

The three premieres for the film’s first-week release were…
DC: April 2
NY: April 3
LA: April 4

For more about the original roadshow release of “2001” I recommend the following article/list. Be sure to click the link to the engagement list, which is page two of the article.
http://www.in70mm.com/news/2004/2001/release.htm

Coate
Coate commented about Carnegie Theatre on May 4, 2005 at 2:46 am

“The original "Star Wars” trilogy was shown at the Carnegie in early 1985 in 70mm prints and Dolby sound.“

The one-day event was held on March 28, 1985.

The event was held in the following cities:

Chicago: Carnegie
Dallas: Northpark
Denver: Continental
Los Angeles (Hollywood): Egyptian
Los Angeles (Westwood): Avco
New York: Warner Twin
San Francisco: Coronet
Seattle: Cinema 150
Toronto: Uptown

Coate
Coate commented about Mann Southtown Theatre on May 4, 2005 at 2:33 am

“Southtown did have 70 mm.”

I wasn’t questioning the theatre’s 70mm presentation capability; I was questioning the person’s claim of seeing “Soylent Green” in 70mm. (I’m not aware of any 70s having been struck for that title. For that matter, I’m not aware of it even being mixed in stereo.)

Coate
Coate commented about Mann Southtown Theatre on Apr 30, 2005 at 9:23 am

“Saw Solyent Green there in 70mm.”

Are you sure you’re not confusing widescreen “scope” with “70mm”?

“Also, Star Wars…”

“Star Wars” opened in Minneapolis at the St. Louis Park. It later expanded to the Southdale and Northtown, both similar-sounding in name to the subject of this thread, the Southtown. (Both “Empire” and “Jedi” opened at the Southtown.)

By the way, the Southtown Theater is actually located in Bloomington, not Minneapolis proper.

Coate
Coate commented about Northpoint Theatre on Apr 30, 2005 at 5:43 am

“70mm Presentations at the Coronet”

Correction: The above post represents the NORTHPOINT, not the CORONET.

Coate
Coate commented about Northpoint Theatre on Apr 30, 2005 at 5:41 am

70mm Presentations at the Coronet

Source: View link

Title (Premiere Date)
RSE = Reserved Seat Engagement

The Dirty Dozen (June 28, 1967)
That’s Entertainment! (June 26, 1974)
A Star Is Born (Dec. 25, 1976)
Capricorn One (June 2, 1978)
Dersu Uzala (Oct. 26, 1978)
Superman (Dec. 15, 1978)
Alien (May 25, 1979)
Apocalypse Now (Sep. 21, 1979)
1941 (Dec. 14, 1979)
The Empire Strikes Back (May 21, 1980)
Poltergeist (June 4, 1982)
Gandhi (Dec. 29, 1982)
Blue Thunder (May 13, 1983)
The Right Stuff (Oct. 21, 1983)
Ghostbusters (June 8, 1984)
Starman (Dec. 14, 1984)
Silverado (July 10, 1985)
Year Of The Dragon (Aug. 16, 1985)
White Nights (Dec. 6, 1985)
The Last Emperor (Dec. 9, 1987)
Last Action Hero (June 18, 1993)
In The Line Of Fire (July 9, 1993)
Geronimo: An American legend (Dec. 10, 1993)

Re-Issues/Move-Over/Second-Run/Return Engagements:
Gone With The Wind (1968, 1971, 1976)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1971)
Doctor Zhivago (1971)
Jesus Christ Superstar (1976)
Camelot (1978)
Sleeping Beauty (1981)
Tron (1982)
Lawrence Of Arabia (1989)

70mm Film Festival Sep 27 – Nov. 14, 1996
2001: A Space Odyssey
Apocalypse Now
The Doors
The Last Emperor
Lawrence Of Arabia
My Fair Lady
Tommy
The Wild Bunch

Coate
Coate commented about Coronet Theatre on Apr 30, 2005 at 5:23 am

70mm Presentations at the Coronet

Source: View link

Title (Premiere Date)
RSE = Reserved Seat Engagement

Oklahoma! (Feb. 16, 1956; RSE)
Sleeping Beauty (Feb. 11, 1959)
Porgy And Bess (July 22, 1959; RSE)
Ben-Hur (Dec. 23, 1959; RSE)
King Of Kings (Oct. 25, 1961; RSE)
Mutiny On The Bounty (Nov. 20, 1962; RSE)
55 Days At Peking (May 29, 1963; 70mm unconfirmed)
My Fair Lady (Oct. 29, 1964; RSE)
Hawaii (Oct. 19, 1966; RSE; 70mm unconfirmed)
Camelot (Nov. 1, 1967; RSE)
Funny Girl (Oct. 10, 1968; RSE; 70mm unconfirmed)
Star Wars* (May 25, 1977)
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (Dec. 14, 1977)
Outland (May 22, 1981)
Quest For Fire (Mar. 5, 1982)
Blade Runner (June 25, 1982)
Return Of The Jedi (May 25, 1983)
Greystoke (Mar. 30, 1984)
Gremlins (June 8, 1984)
Amadeus (Sep. 19, 1984)
2010 (Dec. 7, 1984)
The Goonies (June 7, 1985)
SpaceCamp (June 6, 1986)
Aliens (July 18, 1986)
Little Shop Of Horrors (Dec. 19, 1986)
Lethal Weapon (Mar. 6, 1987)
The Witches Of Eastwick (June 12, 1987)
Die Hard (July 15, 1988)
Cocoon: The Return (Nov. 23, 1988)
Batman (June 23, 1989)
Glory (Jan. 12, 1990)
Gremlins 2 (June 15, 1990)
Die Hard 2 (July 4, 1990)
Edward Scissorhands (Dec. 14, 1990; 70mm-CDS)
Hook (Dec. 11, 1991)
Lethal Weapon 3 (May 15, 1992)
Cliffhanger (May 28, 1993)
True Lies (July 15, 1994)

*Highest box-office gross in the U.S. May 25 – Dec 13, 1977

Re-Issues/Move-Over/Second-Run/Return Engagements:
Oklahoma! (1962, 1966)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1970)
The Sound Of Music (1978)
Star Wars Triple Feature (One-Day-Only; Mar. 28, 1985)
Return Of The Jedi (1985)