Hollywood Cinerama Dome

RobertEndres, I should have gone back to Hart’s website myself. The problem with screen height that you mention eludes me. It seems to me that the overall aspect ratio was known and that a screen would be installed to accommodate it, the overall dimensions of the screen being dictated by the space available and lens focal lengths being used that would fit the image to the screen. Perhaps I’m revealing my ignorance of physics here.

edlambert: checking on the Cinerama specs listed in Martin Hart’s Widescreen Museum which lists them from the SMPTE standards the negative image for three strip Cinerama was .996 x 1.116. The print aperture was .985 x 1.088 x 3. This produced an aspect ratio of 2.59 although there was a note that because some theatres might not be able to handle the increased frame height the ratio could be 2.65. Somewhere I have a pamphlet from the SMPTE published in the ‘60’s that had all the specs for all the widescreen processes. I hope to find it as it was the definitive reference source.

Hello-

thanks to Peter A. for his reply. if I understand your reply correctly Warner Bros. Hone Video which has home video rights to all of MGM’s roadshow epics wouldn’t want to spend the necessary $$$ to restore Grimm. but didn’t they do an extensive restoration/remastering of HTWWW before they released the Blu-ray disc Oct. 2008?

“I hope someone with indepth technical know how can answer a question. if the Dome was able to find a print of Grimm good enough to show a few years back why isn’t it good enough to use for mastering for a Blu-ray disc?”

BigJoe – Using a theatrical print would probably not yield a very pretty image. The contrast from the dye-transfer print would obscure shadow detail and it wouldn’t be as sharp as going back to the original elements. Other video labels might do it if there were no other option – though the expense of making three transfers and then attempting to color correct and clean up the join lines might make it prohibitively expensive for something that can’t sell more than a couple of thousand copies. Warner’s studio policy regarding restorations means they wouldn’t do it that way.

Mr. Haas, I did a bit of math, which should be checked, given my history with math! I assume that for each aperture of the Cinerama camera the the aspect ratio became 0.913:1 because the height was increased by 1/3 when 2 additional sprocket holes were included. I used the Academy ratio of 1.37:1. A film projected with a height of 10' would have a width of 13.7' in this ratio. Increasing the height to 15', which the 6-sprocket hole aperture would give us, and the 13.7' width remaining constant, we have a new aspect ratio of 0.913:1. With the 15' ht. remaining constant and the 13.7' multiplied by 3, we get a 15' ht. to 41.1' width, which is an aspect ratio of 2.74:1. Close enough. I’m off if the Academy ratio of 1.37:1 was not used for the aperture. The source you site refers to a possible 2.89:1 aspect ratio. That can only be if some other aspect ratio was used for the camera apertures.

both sides at the far ends? see Restoration https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_the_West_Was_Won_(film)#Restoration

The Dome is only showing ONE film in Cinerama style, How the West was Won though in digital. Some footage is shown that was actually filmed (not showing gigolos). Again, the 70mm versions regarding the other films are different than 3 strip Cinerama. What I don’t understand is the reference to no good prints of Mad World because today Seattle Cinerama was showing 70mm of such though possible from a private collector?

All I know is that the Brothers Grimm print belonged to a private collector from, I think, Australia. Maybe this person wouldn’t allow it to be used for anything except those few Dome screenings. I’m sure someone else knows more than that about it.

Mr. Sittig, I just wanted to use this space to thank you personally for the 3-strip showing of Brothers Grimm. I came in from New Jersey to see it and while sitting in the theater, I felt like the most privileged of all movie fans, seeing one of the rarest of all big studio films in the best possible way. Unfortunately I can’t attend Grand Prix, but I look forward to the next time I get to experience Cinerama at the Dome. Thanks again, and I hope the 55th anniversary shows are a big success.

Roger. Warner Bros does not have playable 70mm print of BATTLE OF THE BULGE. Warner’s did make a new print of MGM’s GRAND PRIX but it does not have a soundtrack and takes a hard drive for the film print and will not allow that print to be plattered. Park Circus, distributor for UA classics does not have a playable print of MAD WORLD. The 2 new prints they MGM struck for the 40th anniversary and we played several times are gone. You are correct that The a Dome has 3 strip prints of THIS IS CINERAMA and WEST but those are the only two titles available. BROTHERS GRIMM which we played in 2012 was a collectors print which we had to get signed permission from Warner’s to play and we had to make a new 35mm full coat soundtrack. Other than badly faded and spliced collector prints, there are no other 3 strip prints. As someone who also favors celluloid, I appreciate your enthusiasm.

The Ultra-Panavision 70, which is not exactly the same as Cinerama, and its aspect ratio is 2.76. The digital How the Was Won has more image than originally projected. I applaud Mr. Sittig’s professionalism & dedication to correct presentations! Of course, many of us would prefer film to digital, but unfortunately, I don’t think there’s decent 70mm prints of Grand Prix or Battle of the Bulge, so restored digital is what will be shown- and enjoyed!

I was the Director of Projection and Sound at Arclight Cinemas from its opening to my retirement in 2016. I still consult on projection at The Dome. 2001 was shown it the correct aspect ratio 2:20x 1 in the Dome and one the Arclight screens. The Dome has 3 way masking so we can adjust the height and width of the picture. Some theatres, as described earlier, because of the dimensions of their screens a film or digital copy can be cropped in the field to fit their screen or worst yet, when their bigger picture is flat, filling the screen on a scope picture and cutting off the sides by 20% or more. This does not happen at Arclight. The other format problem that kills me is a theatre playing a classic with an aspect ratio of 1:37 x 1. The print is pillar boxed and the theatre blows up the picture so it fits their flat screen, thus cutting off foreheads and feet. Beginning Sunday Sept 30, Arclight will be playing 4 classic Cinerama titles to celebrate the 55th anniversary of the Cinerama Dome. All films will be projected digitally. Sept 30, BATTLE OF THE BULGE, 1965, presented in Ultra-Panavision 70, (2:76 x 1) Others in the series are GRAND PRIX, Super Panavision 70 (2:20 x1) HOW THE WEST WAS WON composite 3 three strip (2:76 x 1) and ending on November 7 with IT’S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD, WORLD Ultra-Panavision 70 2:76 x 1 celebrating the film and The Dome’s 55th anniversary. Tickets will be on sale shortly at arclightcinemas.com. We will be showing HOW THE WEST WAS WON in the future in 3 strip Cinerama but the timing was not right for this engagement as there was not enough time to completely go over the 4 machines as they have only been used twice in the last 6 years. I will make it a priority in 2019 get them in excellent running order again.