REMEMBERING CINERAMA (Part 57: Wichita)

posted by Michael Zoldessy on January 25, 2013 at 10:00 am

The following is a semi-regular series of retrospectives on CINERAMA, the legendary motion picture process that initiated the widescreen revolution. The series, contrary to what you will find elsewhere, focuses on providing a city-by-city historical record of when and where Cinerama and its multi-panel clones were exhibited. These easy-to-reference articles serve to provide nostalgia to those who experienced the Cinerama presentations when they were new and give recognition to the movie palaces in which the memorable screenings took place.

And now… Part 57: Cinerama Presentations in Wichita, Kansas!

Compiled by Joel Weide & Michael Coate

THIS IS CINERAMA
Theater: Uptown
Premiere Date: October 25, 1961
Engagement Duration: 13 weeks
Projection Format: 3-strip / 26 frames per second / 7-track stereo
Promotional Hype: “At last!” “The spectacle show that puts you IN the picture!” “Never in a neighborhood theatre – never on TV!” “Only at the Uptown, the Kansas Home of CINERAMA”

SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD
Uptown
January 24, 1962
16 weeks
3-strip / 26fps / 7-track stereo
“SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD as seen through the greatest wonder: CINERAMA”

CINERAMA HOLIDAY
Uptown
May 16, 1962
15 weeks
3-strip / 26fps / 7-track stereo
“No Holiday…But NO Holiday Can Match CINERAMA HOLIDAY”

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM
Uptown
August 28, 1962
19 weeks
3-strip / 24fps / 7-track stereo
“The First Dramatic Film In Fabulous CINERAMA!”

WINDJAMMER
Uptown
January 8, 1963
13 weeks
3-strip / 26fps / 7-track stereo
“The New CINERAMA Presentation!”

SEARCH FOR PARADISE
Uptown
April 10, 1963
7 weeks
3-strip / 26fps / 7-track stereo
“The New CINERAMA!”

HOW THE WEST WAS WON
Uptown
May 29, 1963
20 weeks
3-strip / 24fps / 7-track stereo
“Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and CINERAMA present HOW THE WEST WAS WON”

SOUTH SEAS ADVENTURE
Uptown
October 16, 1963
10 weeks
3-strip / 26fps / 7-track stereo
“Escape With The New CINERAMA To The Sun-Splashed, Moon-Drenched, Mystery Washed South Seas!!!”

THE BEST OF CINERAMA
Uptown
December 25, 1963
7 weeks
3-strip / 26fps / 7-track stereo
“CINERAMA’s Greatest Thrills All Together In One Great Entertainment!”

IT’S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD
Uptown
February 19, 1964
30 weeks
70mm / 24fps / 6-track stereo
“The Biggest Entertainment Ever To Rock The CINERAMA Screen With Laughter!”

CIRCUS WORLD
Uptown
October 14, 1964
13 weeks
70mm / 24fps / 6-track stereo
“CINERAMA Puts You in the Middle of the Most Action-Filled Story You’ve Ever Seen!”

THIS IS CINERAMA (Return Engagement)
Uptown
January 27, 1965
4 weeks
3-strip / 26fps / 7-track stereo
“At Your Demand We Have Returned The First – And The Greatest Of Them All…THIS IS CINERAMA”

WINDJAMMER (Return Engagement)
Uptown
February 24, 1965
4 weeks
3-strip / 26fps / 7-track stereo
“Back by popular demand!”

SOUTH SEAS ADVENTURE (Return Engagement)
Uptown
March 24, 1965
5 weeks
3-strip / 26fps / 7-track stereo
“Back by popular demand!”

SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD (Return Engagement)
Uptown
April 28, 1965
4 weeks
3-strip / 26fps / 7-track stereo
“Back by popular demand!”

MEDITERRANEAN HOLIDAY
Uptown
May 28, 1965
5 weeks
70mm / 24fps / 6-track stereo
“Suddenly you’re surrounded by the screen…Suddently you’re in exotic lands…fascinated by strange customs…and stranger people! You do all this and more…because of CINERAMA”

THE HALLELUJAH TRAIL
Uptown
July 2, 1965
18 weeks
70mm / 24fps / 6-track stereo
“CINERAMA Sends You Roaring With Laughter And Adventure Down THE HALLELUJAH TRAIL”

THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD
Uptown
November 3, 1965
16 weeks
70mm / 24fps / 6-track stereo
“A Rich, Rewarding Entertainment Experience for the Entire Family”

BATTLE OF THE BULGE
Uptown
February 23, 1966
13 weeks
70mm / 24fps / 6-track stereo
“The Super Action Show In Super Cinerama”

KHARTOUM
Uptown
July 13, 1966
10 weeks
70mm / 24fps / 6-track stereo
“The Great CINERAMA Adventure!”

RUSSIAN ADVENTURE
Uptown
January 25, 1967
5 weeks
70mm / 24fps / 6-track stereo
“This Is The Ultimate In CINERAMA. This Is The Last Word In Truly Incredible Adventure”

GRAND PRIX
Uptown
March 1, 1967
17 weeks
70mm / 24fps / 6-track stereo
“CINERAMA sweeps YOU into a drama of speed and spectacle!”

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
Uptown
June 19, 1968
15 weeks
70mm / 24fps / 6-track stereo
“An astounding entertainment experience. It takes you on a dazzling trip of discovery into the great age of exploration that is opening up for mankind among the planets and beyond.”

ICE STATION ZEBRA
Uptown
March 19, 1969
10 weeks
70mm / 24fps / 6-track stereo
“Ice Station Zebra…remember the name, your life may depend on it!”

KRAKATOA, EAST OF JAVA
Uptown
November 19, 1969
3 weeks
70mm / 24fps / 6-track stereo
“CINERAMA hurls you into the incredible day that shook the earth to its core!”

CINERAMA FILMS NOT SHOWN IN THE WICHITA MARKET:
HOLIDAY IN SPAIN
CUSTER OF THE WEST (general release only)
THIS IS CINERAMA 70mm Re-Issue

TRIVIA / NOTES:
Wichita was the 40th market in the United States to equip for Cinerama presentations.

REFERENCES:
Various issues of Boxoffice, The Hutchinson News, The Wichita Eagle, and Variety.

OTHER ENTRIES IN THIS SERIES:
Part 1: New York
Part 2: Chicago
Part 3: San Francisco
Part 4: Houston
Part 5: Washington, DC
Part 6: Los Angeles
Part 7: Atlanta
Part 8: San Diego
Part 9: Dallas
Part 10: Oklahoma City
Part 11: Syracuse
Part 12: Toronto
Part 13: Columbus
Part 14: Montreal
Part 15: Northern New Jersey
Part 16: Charlotte
Part 17: Vancouver
Part 18: Salt Lake City
Part 19: Boston
Part 20: Philadelphia
Part 21: Fresno
Part 22: Detroit
Part 23: Minneapolis
Part 24: Albuquerque
Part 25: El Paso
Part 26: Des Moines
Part 27: Miami
Part 28: Orange County
Part 29: Pittsburgh
Part 30: Baltimore
Part 31: Syosset / Long Island
Part 32: Kansas City
Part 33: Milwaukee
Part 34: Nanuet / Lower Hudson Valley
Part 35: Denver
Part 36: Worcester
Part 37: Toledo
Part 38: St. Louis
Part 39: Tampa
Part 40: Calgary
Part 41: Hartford
Part 42: Albany
Part 43: New Haven
Part 44: Sacramento
Part 45: Las Vegas
Part 46: Seattle
Part 47: Phoenix
Part 48: Orlando
Part 49: Cleveland
Part 50: Portland
Part 51: Rochester
Part 52: New Orleans
Part 53: San Jose
Part 54: Omaha
Part 55: Buffalo
Part 56: Honolulu

Theaters in this post

• Crown Uptown Theatre