REMEMBERING CINERAMA (Part 59: Erie)

posted by Michael Zoldessy on February 8, 2013 at 8:05 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 59: Cinerama Presentations in Erie, Pennsylvania!

Compiled by Mark Lensenmayer & Michael Coate

THIS IS CINERAMA
Theater: Strand
Premiere Date : June 5, 1962
Engagement Duration: 11 weeks
Projection Format : 3-strip / 26fps / 7-track stereo
Promotional Hype: “Now You Can See The Wonder Of THIS IS CINERAMA – The World’s Most Exciting Entertainment Is Now at the Strand Theater!”

SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD
Strand
August 22, 1962
10 weeks
3-strip / 26fps / 7-track stereo
“SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD as seen through the greatest wonder…CINERAMA”

CINERAMA HOLIDAY
Strand
October 31, 1962
3 weeks
3-strip / 26fps / 7-track stereo
“It’s Every Holiday You Ever Dreamed Of…Come True!”

SEARCH FOR PARADISE
Strand
November 21, 1962
4 weeks
3-strip / 26fps / 7-track stereo
“CINERAMA turns your most fabulous dreams into the mightiest of all adventure entertainments!”

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM
Strand
December 21, 1962
9 weeks
3-strip / 24fps / 7-track stereo
“Now CINERAMA Tells A Story!”

WINDJAMMER
Strand
February 20, 1963
7 weeks
3-strip / 26fps / 7-track stereo
“The New CINERAMA Presentation!”

HOW THE WEST WAS WON
Strand
June 13, 1963
15 weeks
3-strip / 24fps / 7-track stereo
“Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and CINERAMA present HOW THE WEST WAS WON”

THE BEST OF CINERAMA
Strand
September 27, 1963
3 weeks
3-strip / 26fps / 7-track stereo
“CINERAMA’s Greatest Thrills All Together In One Great Entertainment!”

SOUTH SEAS ADVENTURE
Strand
October 18, 1963
4 weeks
3-strip / 26fps / 7-track stereo
“Escape With The New CINERAMA To The Sun-Splashed, Moon-Drenched, Mystery Washed South Seas!”

CINERAMA FILMS NOT SHOWN IN THE ERIE MARKET:
HOLIDAY IN SPAIN
IT’S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD (general release only)
CIRCUS WORLD (general release only)
MEDITERRANEAN HOLIDAY
THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD (general release only)
THE HALLELUJAH TRAIL (general release only)
BATTLE OF THE BULGE (general release only)
KHARTOUM (general release only)
RUSSIAN ADVENTURE
GRAND PRIX (general release only)
CUSTER OF THE WEST (general release only)
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (roadshow at Plaza)

ICE STATION ZEBRA (general release only)
KRAKATOA, EAST OF JAVA (general release only)
THIS IS CINERAMA 70mm re-issue

TRIVIA / NOTES:
Erie was the 4th market in Pennsylvania, the 49th market in the United States, the 52nd market in North America, and the 80th market in the world to equip for Cinerama presentations.

The Cinerama projection equipment was removed from the Strand following the closing of the SOUTH SEAS ADVENTURE engagement. Erie was one of six U.S. cities that ran 3-panel Cinerama but did not play Cinerama-promoted engagements of any of the single-panel Cinerama films.

REFERENCES:
Various issues of Boxoffice, Erie Daily Times, and Variety.

OTHER ENTRIES IN THIS SERIES:
Part 58: Indianapolis
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

Theaters in this post

• Erie Playhouse
• West Erie Plaza Cinemas