MSC77 Sorry I just noticed your questions - here it is June of 2023. We played Dune from Universal first run in 70 MM. Only the Manor East 1 was large enough to justify 70MM economically. You are correct MSC77 we played 2010 from MGM second run. We played Temple of Dune (Paramount) in 70 MM second run as well.
We played MGM’s Pink Floyd The Wall first run in 35mm Dolby Stereo Optical and then brought it back at midnight for at least an 8 week run in 70MM.
Coate – the Dolby Unit was installed months before the opening of Star Wars………….Although NorthPark I and II was playing Star Wars – before us – they did not install Dolby Stereo right off the bat. Actually the GCC Brass showed up at our theatre to listen to Star Wars before purchasing Dolby units for several theatres – I acutally went to see Star Wars in 70MM at NorthPark AFTER they installed a CP 100. Just because the big boys opened Star Wars before us did not mean they were playing it initially in Dolby Optical Stereo…..
I don’t know who DallasMovieTheatres is but having been the sole projectionist and co-manager of the Manor East III from June of 1977 to August of 1985 – I would like to correct some inaccuracies of the above about the Manor East. First Manor East I had 399 seats to be exact – Manor East II had 176 seats and Manor East III the red theatre held 150 people. We were the 8th theatre in the world to have a Dolby CP50 not the 6th! We opened Star Wars in Dolby Optical Stereo in June of 1977. Our second Dolby Stereo film was Paramount Pictures Saturday Night Fever – and un-beknown to most – when you saw Saturday Night Fever at the Manor East you were watching the studios copy of that film. We had bid the film in Dolby and Paramount could not find us a print and so they flew us their studio copy which was made directly from the camera negative – it was the most beautiful 35mm print I ever ran!
We opened Columbia Pictures The Deep in June of 1977 too in 4 track magnetic stereo in the Manor East II. We installed Dolby Stereo in Manor East II for the Christmas release from UA the remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. For a short time while testing out some audio equipment we installed a dolby stereo unit in Manor East III too and played For Your Eyes Only in all three auditoriums in Dolby Stereo as it moved from theatre to theatre during it’s booking.
Finally we installed a Dolby CP200 a brand new Century 70/35 mm projector – all new sound system and enlarged our screen in the Manor East I to play Star Trek III The Search For Spock. Other 70mm films we played while I was there – Dune, 2010, Pink Floyd’s The Wall at midnight and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom……….We tried to book Silverado from Columbia in 70mm but they laughed at us and said we did not deserve a 70mm print even though our grosses were better than some of the 70mm bookings of the same film in Dallas. Thanks Columbia for not being a good studio to us!
The Manor East was a top grossing independent theatre run by the Schulman family and in particular Bill Schulman who was like a second father to me – Bill believed that the booth was the heart of a movie theatre and frankly between him and his son Morris Schulman they made sure our booth as well as the other theatres in the Schulman chain had Rolls Royce equipment – they threw away the mold when G-D made Bill Schulman – he was a wonderful man and I miss him dearly.
Captain Rob – lets get real on the cost of a 70mm print – I knew some of your ‘peoples’ at UA and we ALL KNOW UA Prestonwood was THE UA house – I ran a custom made 70mm print of Star Trek III and knew YOUR Fred Fisher- he had been my boss in HS when I was a projectionist at ABC Interstate in College Station, Texas – a 70mm print runs round $30K NOT $100K. Puuuleezzz!
To say that North Park I and II never had a flawed showing is utter BS! I was there on opening day of Superman The Motion Picture in 70mm and they were having major sound problems – I complained and they KNEW it – and were having someone flown in that night to fix the issue with there Dolby CP 100! Back before there was a Dolby CP200!
As a theatre owner at one point of the old Waco, Texas GCC LakeAir Theatre – the old man who hung one of our new screens had been a projectionist at the Medallion – The Medallion could play un-married opticals and according to this man ALL of the Spielberg films were sneaked at the Medallion – which is contrary to what is stated above. Having been in the booth at GCC North Park several times – I can attest to the fact that North Park was not equipped to play un-married opticals when I was in the booth to look around………. I will always remember the exclusive 70mm run of Alien at the Medallion – The Medallion was a 20th Century Fox house – most of the time. Alien never looked so good or sounded so great as it did at the Medallion. Dallas lost two great theatres when the Medallion was split and when GCC NorthPark was closed. Granted AMC North Park is nice – but GCC North Park I seated 1000 and had the largest screen in the nation outside of Radio City Music Hall – they just don’t make them like that ANYMORE! RIP Medallion! We miss you – but you are NOT forgotten by this former theatrical film exhibitor………..
MSC77 Sorry I just noticed your questions - here it is June of 2023. We played Dune from Universal first run in 70 MM. Only the Manor East 1 was large enough to justify 70MM economically. You are correct MSC77 we played 2010 from MGM second run. We played Temple of Dune (Paramount) in 70 MM second run as well.
We played MGM’s Pink Floyd The Wall first run in 35mm Dolby Stereo Optical and then brought it back at midnight for at least an 8 week run in 70MM.
Correction the Circle Drive-In was operated by Schulman Theatres BUT was located in College Station……….
Coate – you can’t base the unit number on the film’s release schedule……….jus sayn
Coate – the Dolby Unit was installed months before the opening of Star Wars………….Although NorthPark I and II was playing Star Wars – before us – they did not install Dolby Stereo right off the bat. Actually the GCC Brass showed up at our theatre to listen to Star Wars before purchasing Dolby units for several theatres – I acutally went to see Star Wars in 70MM at NorthPark AFTER they installed a CP 100. Just because the big boys opened Star Wars before us did not mean they were playing it initially in Dolby Optical Stereo…..
I don’t know who DallasMovieTheatres is but having been the sole projectionist and co-manager of the Manor East III from June of 1977 to August of 1985 – I would like to correct some inaccuracies of the above about the Manor East. First Manor East I had 399 seats to be exact – Manor East II had 176 seats and Manor East III the red theatre held 150 people. We were the 8th theatre in the world to have a Dolby CP50 not the 6th! We opened Star Wars in Dolby Optical Stereo in June of 1977. Our second Dolby Stereo film was Paramount Pictures Saturday Night Fever – and un-beknown to most – when you saw Saturday Night Fever at the Manor East you were watching the studios copy of that film. We had bid the film in Dolby and Paramount could not find us a print and so they flew us their studio copy which was made directly from the camera negative – it was the most beautiful 35mm print I ever ran!
We opened Columbia Pictures The Deep in June of 1977 too in 4 track magnetic stereo in the Manor East II. We installed Dolby Stereo in Manor East II for the Christmas release from UA the remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. For a short time while testing out some audio equipment we installed a dolby stereo unit in Manor East III too and played For Your Eyes Only in all three auditoriums in Dolby Stereo as it moved from theatre to theatre during it’s booking.
Finally we installed a Dolby CP200 a brand new Century 70/35 mm projector – all new sound system and enlarged our screen in the Manor East I to play Star Trek III The Search For Spock. Other 70mm films we played while I was there – Dune, 2010, Pink Floyd’s The Wall at midnight and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom……….We tried to book Silverado from Columbia in 70mm but they laughed at us and said we did not deserve a 70mm print even though our grosses were better than some of the 70mm bookings of the same film in Dallas. Thanks Columbia for not being a good studio to us!
The Manor East was a top grossing independent theatre run by the Schulman family and in particular Bill Schulman who was like a second father to me – Bill believed that the booth was the heart of a movie theatre and frankly between him and his son Morris Schulman they made sure our booth as well as the other theatres in the Schulman chain had Rolls Royce equipment – they threw away the mold when G-D made Bill Schulman – he was a wonderful man and I miss him dearly.
Mark Brack
Dallas, Texas
BTW the first film I saw at NorthPark I&II was Warner Bros. Finian’s Rainbow in 70mm 6 Track – sure sounded lush! Way back in 1968!
Captain Rob – lets get real on the cost of a 70mm print – I knew some of your ‘peoples’ at UA and we ALL KNOW UA Prestonwood was THE UA house – I ran a custom made 70mm print of Star Trek III and knew YOUR Fred Fisher- he had been my boss in HS when I was a projectionist at ABC Interstate in College Station, Texas – a 70mm print runs round $30K NOT $100K. Puuuleezzz!
To say that North Park I and II never had a flawed showing is utter BS! I was there on opening day of Superman The Motion Picture in 70mm and they were having major sound problems – I complained and they KNEW it – and were having someone flown in that night to fix the issue with there Dolby CP 100! Back before there was a Dolby CP200!
As a theatre owner at one point of the old Waco, Texas GCC LakeAir Theatre – the old man who hung one of our new screens had been a projectionist at the Medallion – The Medallion could play un-married opticals and according to this man ALL of the Spielberg films were sneaked at the Medallion – which is contrary to what is stated above. Having been in the booth at GCC North Park several times – I can attest to the fact that North Park was not equipped to play un-married opticals when I was in the booth to look around………. I will always remember the exclusive 70mm run of Alien at the Medallion – The Medallion was a 20th Century Fox house – most of the time. Alien never looked so good or sounded so great as it did at the Medallion. Dallas lost two great theatres when the Medallion was split and when GCC NorthPark was closed. Granted AMC North Park is nice – but GCC North Park I seated 1000 and had the largest screen in the nation outside of Radio City Music Hall – they just don’t make them like that ANYMORE! RIP Medallion! We miss you – but you are NOT forgotten by this former theatrical film exhibitor………..