Apart from the fact that this was probably one of the best cinemas built in the UK to see a film it was a projectionists dream cinema to work in. Originally equipped with 3 Vic 8 projectors after the Christie Xenon’s where installed two Cinemecannica towers where modified to take a spool holding up to 3 reels of 70mm which enabled 70mm films to be run with reduced number of change overs.
The cinema had a great house lighting system with the auditorium split into 3 sections Circle, Front Stalls and Stage the colours could be programmed different for each section or cycle through the 3 colours of Red, Green and Yellow this was particularly effective on play ins to big movies like Hello Dolly one of the Arch’s better runs.
D150 was never run at this cinema because of the delay in opening if I remember correctly it opened at the Coliseum in St Martins Lane.
Due to the curve in the screen the centre of the screen was approx 14ft deeper than the sides. One downside to this was that from the rear circle a bus travelling along the road appeared to be going over a hill or in the case of Lawrence Of Arabia a curved horizon. The curved screen was replaced with a much shallower curved screen for the opening of the restored Lawrence in 1989 on David Leans request. I was at the first D150 (not advertised) screening of Star Wars and it was amazing to see, when the old awful yellow cert hit the tabs there was a stunned silence apart from one member of the audience exclaiming look at the size of that f****r! However due to the rights to D150 Fox requested the film to run in standard 70mm after a couple of days. I think probably on of the best pieces of Showmanship I ever saw was the opening to A Bridge Too Far when after the prelude in Academy the masking opened outwards just clearing each credit as it hit that section of the screen.
A great shame a better conversion could not have been achieved especially as I understand some screens get the flick through a mirror or two. RIP the Showmanship at the Arch. (No reflection on the current team)
Apart from the fact that this was probably one of the best cinemas built in the UK to see a film it was a projectionists dream cinema to work in. Originally equipped with 3 Vic 8 projectors after the Christie Xenon’s where installed two Cinemecannica towers where modified to take a spool holding up to 3 reels of 70mm which enabled 70mm films to be run with reduced number of change overs.
The cinema had a great house lighting system with the auditorium split into 3 sections Circle, Front Stalls and Stage the colours could be programmed different for each section or cycle through the 3 colours of Red, Green and Yellow this was particularly effective on play ins to big movies like Hello Dolly one of the Arch’s better runs.
D150 was never run at this cinema because of the delay in opening if I remember correctly it opened at the Coliseum in St Martins Lane.
Due to the curve in the screen the centre of the screen was approx 14ft deeper than the sides. One downside to this was that from the rear circle a bus travelling along the road appeared to be going over a hill or in the case of Lawrence Of Arabia a curved horizon. The curved screen was replaced with a much shallower curved screen for the opening of the restored Lawrence in 1989 on David Leans request. I was at the first D150 (not advertised) screening of Star Wars and it was amazing to see, when the old awful yellow cert hit the tabs there was a stunned silence apart from one member of the audience exclaiming look at the size of that f****r! However due to the rights to D150 Fox requested the film to run in standard 70mm after a couple of days. I think probably on of the best pieces of Showmanship I ever saw was the opening to A Bridge Too Far when after the prelude in Academy the masking opened outwards just clearing each credit as it hit that section of the screen.
A great shame a better conversion could not have been achieved especially as I understand some screens get the flick through a mirror or two. RIP the Showmanship at the Arch.
The Bible in the Beginning opened Oct 7th 1967 Coliseum Cinerama
Patton Lust For Glory opened May 8th 1970 Casino Cinerama
For 70mm at Marble Arch and London check John Sharps list:
http://www.in70mm.com/library/70mm_in/london.htm
BTW no reflection on the current team.
Apart from the fact that this was probably one of the best cinemas built in the UK to see a film it was a projectionists dream cinema to work in. Originally equipped with 3 Vic 8 projectors after the Christie Xenon’s where installed two Cinemecannica towers where modified to take a spool holding up to 3 reels of 70mm which enabled 70mm films to be run with reduced number of change overs.
The cinema had a great house lighting system with the auditorium split into 3 sections Circle, Front Stalls and Stage the colours could be programmed different for each section or cycle through the 3 colours of Red, Green and Yellow this was particularly effective on play ins to big movies like Hello Dolly one of the Arch’s better runs.
D150 was never run at this cinema because of the delay in opening if I remember correctly it opened at the Coliseum in St Martins Lane.
Due to the curve in the screen the centre of the screen was approx 14ft deeper than the sides. One downside to this was that from the rear circle a bus travelling along the road appeared to be going over a hill or in the case of Lawrence Of Arabia a curved horizon. The curved screen was replaced with a much shallower curved screen for the opening of the restored Lawrence in 1989 on David Leans request. I was at the first D150 (not advertised) screening of Star Wars and it was amazing to see, when the old awful yellow cert hit the tabs there was a stunned silence apart from one member of the audience exclaiming look at the size of that f****r! However due to the rights to D150 Fox requested the film to run in standard 70mm after a couple of days. I think probably on of the best pieces of Showmanship I ever saw was the opening to A Bridge Too Far when after the prelude in Academy the masking opened outwards just clearing each credit as it hit that section of the screen.
A great shame a better conversion could not have been achieved especially as I understand some screens get the flick through a mirror or two. RIP the Showmanship at the Arch. (No reflection on the current team)
Apart from the fact that this was probably one of the best cinemas built in the UK to see a film it was a projectionists dream cinema to work in. Originally equipped with 3 Vic 8 projectors after the Christie Xenon’s where installed two Cinemecannica towers where modified to take a spool holding up to 3 reels of 70mm which enabled 70mm films to be run with reduced number of change overs.
The cinema had a great house lighting system with the auditorium split into 3 sections Circle, Front Stalls and Stage the colours could be programmed different for each section or cycle through the 3 colours of Red, Green and Yellow this was particularly effective on play ins to big movies like Hello Dolly one of the Arch’s better runs.
D150 was never run at this cinema because of the delay in opening if I remember correctly it opened at the Coliseum in St Martins Lane.
Due to the curve in the screen the centre of the screen was approx 14ft deeper than the sides. One downside to this was that from the rear circle a bus travelling along the road appeared to be going over a hill or in the case of Lawrence Of Arabia a curved horizon. The curved screen was replaced with a much shallower curved screen for the opening of the restored Lawrence in 1989 on David Leans request. I was at the first D150 (not advertised) screening of Star Wars and it was amazing to see, when the old awful yellow cert hit the tabs there was a stunned silence apart from one member of the audience exclaiming look at the size of that f****r! However due to the rights to D150 Fox requested the film to run in standard 70mm after a couple of days. I think probably on of the best pieces of Showmanship I ever saw was the opening to A Bridge Too Far when after the prelude in Academy the masking opened outwards just clearing each credit as it hit that section of the screen.
A great shame a better conversion could not have been achieved especially as I understand some screens get the flick through a mirror or two. RIP the Showmanship at the Arch.