KinoPanorama

Lionel on June 25, 2020 at 4:00 am

English translation of an article from 2002, originally written in French on the SILVERSCREENS web site.

This film (16 min) on YOUTUBE was shot during two days (on 20 January 1991 and 27 June 1992) by a former projectionist who worked there from 1989 to 1992. To summarize the text on the picture, it emphasizes the fact that the Kino was the largest screen in France, had premieres where stars from all over the world attended, was the first French cinema with digital sound (the pioneering CDS process developed by Kodak and ORC). It was managed for decades by its owners Pierre and Josette Pinton who sold it to Gaumont in 1992. It closed in 2002 in complete indifference.

Here is an illustrated article on Thomas Hauerslev’s IN70MM.COM web site, and an update to this article on the same site.

In the photos section, the black and white picture shows the original Kinopanorama front speakers (the ones with large wings similar to the older Altec) and, between them, the newer STS (Système Ténor de Sonorisation) installation made of Ténor speakers designed by French engineer Pierre Vincent in the late eighties. Ténor speakers guaranteed a uniformly multidirectional sound more suitable to a volume such as the Kino auditorium, as opposed to speakers used in THX-certified installations where the specifications are for coverage angles of 90° horizontally by 40° vertically.

filmempire on November 22, 2004 at 1:33 pm

I was at least 3 times visiting the Kinopanorama in the 70s. The Empire and Gaumont Palace were closed and the Kinopanorama was showing “El Cid”, later “Star Trek 2” (a bad blowup 70 mm) and the last film I have seen was “Grand Bleu”. I was impressed by the screen and the sound. Too bad, that this theatre is closed now.