REMEMBERING CINERAMA (Part 58: Indianapolis)

posted by Michael Zoldessy on February 1, 2013 at 8:00 am

The following is an ongoing, semi-regular series of retrospectives on CINERAMA, the legendary motion picture process that kicked off the widescreen revolution. The series focuses on providing a market-by-market 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 to honor the movie palaces in which the memorable screenings took place.

And now… Part 58: Cinerama Presentations in Indianapolis, Indiana!

Compiled by Vince Young & Michael Coate

THIS IS CINERAMA
Theater: Indiana
Premiere Date: September 27, 1960
Engagement Duration: 26 weeks
Projection Format: 3-strip / 26 frames per second / 7-track stereo
Promotional Hype: “Only through the Magic of CINERAMA…are YOU in the Picture!”

CINERAMA HOLIDAY
Indiana
April 1, 1961
11 weeks
3-strip / 26fps / 7-track stereo
“The New, The 2nd Cinerama Adventure”

SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD
Indiana
June 14, 1961
25 weeks
3-strip / 26fps / 7-track stereo
“SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD as seen through the greatest wonder…CINERAMA!”

SOUTH SEAS ADVENTURE
Indiana
December 22, 1961
17 weeks
3-strip / 26fps / 7-track stereo
“1st Time on Any Screen In Indiana!! New! And Never To Be Forgotten! CINERAMA Transports You To Lush Tropic Islands…Adventure-Splashed With A Thousand Excitements!”

SEARCH FOR PARADISE
Indiana
April 20, 1962
7 weeks
3-strip / 26fps / 7-track stereo
“New! All New! The New CINERAMA Presentation. Cannot And Will Not Be Shown In Any Local Or Neighborhood Theatre.”

WINDJAMMER
Indiana
June 7, 1962
10 weeks
3-strip / 26fps / 7-track stereo
“The New CINERAMA Presentation!”

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM
Indiana
August 15, 1962
21 weeks
3-strip / 24fps / 7-track stereo
“For The First Time CINERAMA Tells A Story!”

THE BEST OF CINERAMA
Indiana
January 10, 1963
10 weeks
3-strip / 26fps / 7-track stereo
“It’s CINERAMA’s Greatest Moments In One Far-Flung, Fantastic, Unforgettable Adventure!”

HOW THE WEST WAS WON
Indiana
June 12, 1963
51 weeks
3-strip / 24fps / 7-track stereo
“The Great Dramatic Motion Picture That Puts YOU In Every Scene!”

IT’S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD
Indiana
June 10, 1964
27 weeks
70mm / 24fps / 6-track stereo
“The Biggest Entertainment Ever To Rock The CINERAMA Screen With Laughter!”

CIRCUS WORLD
Indiana
December 17, 1964
12 weeks
70mm / 24fps / 6-track stereo
“CINERAMA Surrounds You With The Greatest Thrill-Packed Story Ever Filmed!”

IT’S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD (Return Engagement)
Indiana
March 12, 1965
5 weeks
70mm / 24fps / 6-track stereo
“Back Again By Popular Demand!”

THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD
Indiana
April 14, 1965
27 weeks
70mm / 24fps / 6-track stereo
“Presented in CINERAMA”

THE HALLELUJAH TRAIL
Indiana
October 20, 1965
9 weeks
70mm / 24fps / 6-track stereo
“CINERAMA Sends You Roaring With Laughter And Adventure”

BATTLE OF THE BULGE
Indiana
December 22, 1965
15 weeks
70mm / 24fps / 6-track stereo
“The super action show in super Cinerama. Unlike anything you have ever seen.”

KHARTOUM
Indiana
June 29, 1966
7 weeks
70mm / 24fps / 6-track stereo
“Where The Nile Divides, The Great CINERAMA Adventure Begins!”

GRAND PRIX
Indiana
May 18, 1967
25 weeks
70mm / 24fps / 6-track stereo
“CINERAMA puts YOU behind the wheel at 180 m.p.h. with these great drivers!”

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
Indiana
June 27, 1968
20 weeks
70mm / 24fps / 6-track stereo
“An astounding entertainment experience, a dazzling trip to the planets and beyond the stars!”

ICE STATION ZEBRA
Indiana
November 13, 1968
19 weeks
70mm / 24fps / 6-track stereo
“Ice Station Zebra…remember the name, your life may depend on it!”

KRAKATOA, EAST OF JAVA
Indiana
July 17, 1969
7 weeks
70mm / 24fps / 6-track stereo
“The NEW Super CINERAMA hurls YOU into the incredible day that shook the earth to its core!”

THIS IS CINERAMA (Re-Issue)
Eastwood
October 26, 1973
5 weeks
70mm / 24fps / 6-track stereo
“THIS IS CINERAMA Is Back To Entertain A Whole New Generation”

CINERAMA FILMS NOT SHOWN IN THE INDIANAPOLIS MARKET:
HOLIDAY IN SPAIN
MEDITERRANEAN HOLIDAY
RUSSIAN ADVENTURE
CUSTER OF THE WEST (general release only)

TRIVIA / NOTES:
Indianapolis was the first (and only) market in Indiana, the 27th market in the United States, the 30th market in North America, and the 52nd market in the world to equip for Cinerama presentations.

REFERENCES:
Various issues of Boxoffice, The Indianapolis Star, and Variety.

OTHER ENTRIES IN THIS SERIES:
Part 57: Wichita
Part 56: Honolulu
Part 55: Buffalo
Part 54: Omaha
Part 53: San Jose
Part 52: New Orleans
Part 51: Rochester
Part 50: Portland
Part 49: Cleveland
Part 48: Orlando
Part 47: Phoenix
Part 46: Seattle
Part 45: Las Vegas
Part 44: Sacramento
Part 43: New Haven
Part 42: Albany
Part 41: Hartford
Part 40: Calgary
Part 39: Tampa
Part 38: St. Louis
Part 37: Toledo
Part 36: Worcester
Part 35: Denver
Part 34: Nanuet / Lower Hudson Valley
Part 33: Milwaukee
Part 32: Kansas City
Part 31: Syosset / Long Island
Part 30: Baltimore
Part 29: Pittsburgh
Part 28: Orange County
Part 27: Miami
Part 26: Des Moines
Part 25: El Paso
Part 24: Albuquerque
Part 23: Minneapolis
Part 22: Detroit
Part 21: Fresno
Part 20: Philadelphia
Part 19: Boston
Part 18: Salt Lake City
Part 17: Vancouver
Part 16: Charlotte
Part 15: Northern New Jersey
Part 14: Montreal
Part 13: Columbus
Part 12: Toronto
Part 11: Syracuse
Part 10: Oklahoma City
Part 9: Dallas
Part 8: San Diego
Part 7: Atlanta
Part 6: Los Angeles
Part 5: Washington, DC
Part 4: Houston
Part 3: San Francisco
Part 2: Chicago
Part 1: New York