MacArthur Theater
4859 MacArthur Boulevard NW,
Washington,
DC
20007
4859 MacArthur Boulevard NW,
Washington,
DC
20007
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Virtually all 70mm (blow ups or 65mm origination) movies from 1977 onwards (shot, not reissues of classic titles) had “baby boom” tracks. Even Stereo Surround movies had baby-boom. In fact, the Stereo Surround format was created in a manner that ensured that a Stereo-Surround print could be single inventoried to ANY theatre.
There were rare exceptions to the baby-boom format for titles like “Annie” which used all 5-stage channels. But those were VERY rare…in fact, my mind is drawing a blank of any other titles.
Note: there are some inconsistencies between the two lists I linked to in the previous comment. The former includes some titles that in the other list are tagged as unconfirmed (i.e. some sources claim 70mm print availability but no corroborating evidence could be found). The latter list identifies such unconfirmed titles. The latter list, also, since it focuses on the blow-up titles, omits the few titles shot in large-format during the 1976-present period. But…if all you’re interested in is learning which titles were baby boom and which were split surround, then the details highlighted in this comment might not matter to you (but I felt compelled to point them out).
Giles…
See: Presented in 70mm and six track magnetic Dolby Stereo and a more-detailed year-by-year breakdown beginning with the year 1976. As you’ll see, most of the titles listed were of the “baby boom” variety; any “split surround” mixes are listed as “SS”.
so ‘Star Trek II’ 70mm/6-track mix was a baby boom mix then – right? or was it five across/mono surround?
Is there a master list online of what films were baby boom 6-track mixes?
Jodar…I had responded previously but apparently, it did not take! Not only was the MacArthur always a mono-surround theatre (K-B, Circle, Cineplex), Star Trek II was a mono-surround movie! The number of Stereo Surround features were very small in the early/mid ‘80s…after about 86, it started to pick up a bit. If you want to see what was recorded with Stereo surround…this list is pretty complete http://www.in70mm.com/library/process/dolby/
Depending on the surround layout one can get fake directionality due to the lack of even coverage. For instance, the MacArthur had something like 12 surrounds for the entire theatre (it may have been less…I don’t recall anymore the exact layout for either K-B or Circle…just that they both hung just a few speakers down each side and across the rear…compare that to the K-B Cinema or the AFI/Silver). One can try to fake surround steering by mixing some of Stage Left or Right with the surrounds but you are never going to get an actual effect in the back corner. Another thing that could influence your perception of surround directionality is where you were sitting in relationship to the speakers as well as how the speakers were wired. In order to present the amplifier with a suitable load, the surround speakers were often wired in a series/parallel fashion. If the numbers didn’t work out even, one bank of surround would play louder than the rest and could also seem to steer the sound to one point in the theatre more than the other. A modern system, like the AFI/Silver…all surrounds play at the exact same volume, by design.
Note, by “Mono Surrounds” that means that ALL of the surround speakers play when something is on that track so you are going to get that “all around you” feeling. Originally, the surrounds were called the “effects” track.
pmccoy,
K-B never had a Cinerama theatre. Furthermore, 2001:A Space Odyssey was never in 3-strip Cinerama. Its only ties to Cinerama was in name and even then it also carried the “Panavision 70” tag. The theatre you are likely thinking of was the Uptown (an RKO theatre at the time)…which was a Cinerama theatre (still has the deep-curve), was the world premiere theatre for 2001 but it played in 70mm.
My mom used to work as a secretary for the KB chain back in the 50s and 60s. Often took my sister and I as kids to see major premiers for free at the MacArthur (with full-size color programs as mentioned) including Lawrence of Arabia, The Sand Pebbles, The Longest Day, and Sound of Music. Usually watched (when unused) from the balcony screening room enclosed with full-width viewing window so we wouldn’t disturb others if we made some noise. Also remember a KB cinerama theater where we saw the initial 3-projector widescreen version of 2001:A Space Odyssey, but can’t recall the name of that theater. Anyone know? Glad CVS at least retained the original marquis and name.
Giles, I Saw ‘Dark Crystal’ here, too, as it was 70mm and it was when the place was triplexed. While the puppeteering (spelling) and creatures were cool for its time, my only memory was the score and surrounds at the end of the movie.
I still remember running around the now ‘new’ balconies made as a result of the remodel. I think I caught 2001 here during a rare 70mm screening sitting in #2, the main auditorium, and just enjoying the place for what it was. Also, I believe ‘White Nights’ or is it ‘Knights’ with Gregory Hines and Mikhail Barishnakov was playing here in 70mm. The only reason I wanted to see the movie and remember enjoying was the dancing part that had a great set up, but went nowhere as Hines' character couldn’t hit it and Lionel Ritchie’s ‘Say You, Say Me’ in the theater’s stereo system, at the end of the movie.
I was too young to fully appreciate 70mm at the time, but I remember seeing ‘The Dark Crystal’ here.
Interesting info, Steve, as always. You state the Mac never had stereo surrounds only mono surrounds, so how would you explain me hearing the following:
In Star Trek II, as I posted on the AFI Silver page, there was this screw dropping hitting the floor sound heard right and rear in the BACK of the theater. I distinctly heard this many times and on the subsequent viewings, looking forward to audience reaction (heads turning towards the sound. Then Kirk shouting ‘KHAAAAN’ starting in front, progressing to the middle of the theater and echoing in the rear trailing off..as the camera seems to pull back to show his voice carrying off into space..or something to that effect.
What I’m trying to say is if this ‘mono’ how is the sound separation such that its around you and there’s that s-p-a-t-i-a-l quality to it that brings the movie to life? When I hear ‘mono,’ I think pre-1950s movies, B&W, flat sound, no right to left, left to right, nothing. Okay, Fantasia may be the exception.
In Brainstorm (1983), when Natalie Wood’s character is sobbing for her husband to ‘come back’ from the trip going to ‘heaven,’ you hear her voice all around the theater..i forget where but various lines are heard in rapid succession and repeated, ‘Michael’ was heard in one part, ‘Anthony (character’s middle name) 'Brace’ somewhere else. Then her next lines, ‘don’t leave me’ and ‘GET UP’ would be sound mixed heard all over the theater as the visuals take you on this light trip. It is all happening super fast ..Michael..Michael..Anthony..Anthony.. BraceBraceBrace..don’t leave (get up!) me!
So all this is ‘mono’?
What was cool was the regular shots were 35mm but almost filled up the Mac’s screen, then the 65mm visual fx and/or pov shots would go wide. As you state, the screen wasn’t large enough (wide) for 70mm, that makes sense.
I think the director’s intent would have made more dramatic impact had the right screen been had to show the difference. But during its DC release, this was the largest theater. Not sure about VA..I remember it was booked at GCC’s Springfield’s 70mm #1 and a few others but screenwise, the other’s would be about the same, if not smaller.
This is a transplanted conversation from the AFI/Silver page but since it was about the MacArthur and its history…I’ve decided to post it here since it is more about the MacA.
Star Trek II 70mm prints will ALL be very magenta by now. 1982 was a pivotal year for Kodak film stocks…later in 1982, the low-fade prints became available…unfortunately Star Trek II was not made on that. I still have some of the 70mm test material from its original release (at the MacArthur) and boy is it pink. Also, Paramount gave us (K-B Theatres) a couple of reels of Star Trek II for when we were opening new 70mm theatres (e.g. Montgomery Mall) to test it out prior to the first run…those reels are VERY Magenta.
Sound wise, all 70mm recorded prior to Jedi will be with the older standards (narrower track widths on the recording heads and lower reference levels). Furthermore, the oxides used were of lesser quality than 1983 and onwards. Trek II would fall into the “prior” category. Note, the MacArthur never had stereo surrounds. The World Premier of TMP ran in 35mm optical stereo via an EPRAD Starscope (not even Dolby) at the MacArthur. That was eventually replaced in 1982 by a CP200 for the 70mm opening (and area premier) of Star Trek II. However the surrounds remained mono. In end of 1982/1983 when the theatre transitioned to Circle theatres, the surrounds remained mono too (again with a CP200). I believe Circle’s debut 70mm film was THE DARK CRYSTAL at the MacArthur.
I would agree that Star Trek II was not 70mm’s best example. What I remember most was what appeared to be a lack of uniformity in the development of the image…it was almost as if it was streaked in processing. Another bit of trivia for MacArthur fans…the screen was not wide enough for Scope/70mm and we cropped the sides. In order for the opening of Star Trek II to NOT show “aramount Present”…we left the curtains shut and douser closed for the opening notes of the new “theme” until the Paramount card passed, then opened the curtains on the star field. I thought it was actually kind of a cool effect…almost like a very mini overture.
CVS sure didn’t do much at all in remodeling the place lol
I live in the area and took this in June 2014.
I saw Wolf there in 1989.
This was a gorgeous theater before it was divided into smaller venues. I recall seeing The Sound of Music here during a re-release of the film. Seems the curtains were a heavy gold color, and I can still recall the music playing at intermission just before the second half of the movie started. There was a balcony of course, and I remember adults could have cocktails there before the film started, and during intermission. They sold programs to the film as well. It’s still a wonderful memory, and I am happy to have a place to share my recollections!
I managed it for KB twice, when Start Trek opened, the world premiere night which was on a Thursday, then they made me manager for the weekend when the place was packed, I was 21 maybe? December 1979. I came back and managed it again October 1981 thru March 1982 before I pissed off the two managers above me at KB and they moved me to the dead Silver Theatre where I lasted 2 days before I quit. All the people who worked there were very nice, Ms. Bowman especially. The place had ghosts too, some great tales of weird things always happened there. I was the manager when we showed REDS there on an exclusive along with the KB Cinema. A beautiful theatre.
SWCphotography….cool photos..thanks for posting them.
April 17, 2012
The MacArthur’s special role within the K-B chain when I was a kid in the late ’50s and early ’60s was to show British imports. My parents and I drove more than 10 miles round trip from Virginia to see low and high comedies that most often featured at least one of these players: Robert Morley, Alec Guinness, Margaret Rutherford, Alastair Sim and Peter Sellers.
Somehow, Sellers’ many male and female roles in “The Mouse That Roared” made it officially My Favorite Movie of all time — until I saw it as an adult, many years later. I guess I must have admired the early and deft satire of nuclear proliferation.
Even as a kid I knew the “Carry On” comedies were kinda cheesy, but they were British, so they existed on a higher plane than Abbott & Costello.
I don’t know if Agatha Christie enjoyed Ms. Rutherford’s interpretation of her amateur detective Miss Marple, but I came to believe that no one else had the spirit or the jowls for the role.
Guests of the MacArthur were directed to the second-floor lobby where tea and cookies were served until showtime, when the chimes of Big Ben struck and I’d brush the cookie crumbs off my clothes and we’d descend to the auditorium.
I don’t think my parents would have taken such a long drive to see French imports. Years later when friends could drive I was finally able to get to the Circle Theater downtown where I’d see the work of the great French directors Truffaut, Godard and Woody Allen.
A restored 70mm print of “El Cid” was shown in 1993 at the Avalon Theatre in Washington, D.C. If that’s when you went to college…..then perhaps that’s the theater you saw it at?
I was fortunate enough to get to a film here just before it closed while I was in college. Saw El Cid. It’s demise at the hands of CVS (not that it’s their fault) is a real shame.
There were alot nights i didn’t want to there especially with a hangover,but it never entered my mind to cancel a show because of “projector Problems”.Now if the folks came in and saw 800 empty seats and wanted a pass I certainly wouldn’t have talked them out of it. But,really all this is moot becuase there aren’t that many single screen theatres anymore.If this happened while it was a single screen and not a triple.If it was a triple I don’t see what it would matter because surely someone would be in the other theatres,So I guess it happen before the MAC was tripled.I was luckly to have worked when Union Projectionists ran the movies.I know i met several men always put on a “good show” like Buddy.
No…I didn’t start working the Mac A until the end of 1980 and was there full-time for a good bit of 1982 (I was the chief projectionist there in 1982 from the beginning of the summer until the end and was then transferred to the K-B Cinema).
Phil is absolutely correct in his memory of the people so I would believe the rest. The projectionist at the Mac A was “Buddy” (real name Herman Bierly sp?) The “chap” named Tim was Tim Taylor who was the manager in 1980 when I started there…he moved from the Mac A to the Fine Arts before 1982 and died in a Moped accident (he was riding the Moped on a rainy night between the Fine Arts and his house).
As to theatres having “problems” if there were few people there to see the movie…I have witnessed such events so again, I can certainly believe it. Note, it was NOT K-B’s policy to EVERY cancel a show. If someone came out to see the movie…even if it was just one, we showed the movie. Now sometimes a manager would entice 1 or 2 people to leave by refunding their money, giving passes…etc.
As for the “clowns”…Buddy has long ago passed on but was regarded as one of the best projectionists in the Washington DC area, ever. I never knew or knew of a Herman Owens. The only manager for the Mac A prior to my tenure there that I knew was Hal Malone.
SG
Can’t believe any one in the theatre business that really loved it would pull a stunt like PHIL MAGGIO wrote.You can bet neither one of those clowns is on CT.
I attended many MacArthur showings (mostly 70mm) after 1982. The opening weekend of event films like your Star Trek II, Return of the Jedi were sell outs with lines going around the block or extending way way down MacArthur Blvd, itself, towards the Reservoir Rd. 70mm bookings of Dark Crystal (1982, upon its triplexing), Brainstorm (1983), Amadeus (1984), White Night (1985) were spartan but the presentations were memorable.
Even as late as Witness (1985) and Total Recall (1990) there were pretty full crowds. I suppose the film bookers at Circle and later Cineplex were inclined to book the event films at the Uptown and Wisconsin Ave venues then here. Hook (1991) played at the downtown Fine Arts, with even more difficult street parking. They could have booked it here to probably greater crowds.
With regard to the night the projectionist and manager closing the theater due to not wanting to be there…Steve, was this during your tenure? :)
Steve, with regard to Star Trek II in 70mm, someone on another site is correcting me stating that the soundtrack to the film was MONO and not stereo. When I described the 6-track sound fx i.e. hearing a screw drop to the floor from the right rear of the theater, this individual states it was sound panning.
I could’ve sworn the ads were 70mm 6 track Dolby STEREO in the paper, with the 70mm 6-track logo in the Post, back in the day.
I worked at the MacArthur, only a few blocks from my house, during some of the second half of the 1970’s. The managers when i started were Mr. Chang and Chip Greenwood, a local writer. Bud was the projectionist most of the time, a wry old fellow. Sally Bowman, already in her sixties and a long time KB employee was the ticket cashier on Mondays. Herman Owens, who i think was born around 1900, was the doorman. He always had in his possession a beefy tome about American mid century politics. Two of my sisters and my brother also worked there for short periods.
As 1980 approached i liked the new managers less and worked elsewhere. A chap named Tim would send the employees home early, on a whim, even if the work schedule had been agreed before hand.
For the first few years popcorn was dispensed from a vending machine. It was surprisingly good popcorn, but people didn’t like buying popcorn from a machine so it was in stead sold via a less efficient stand, where the popcorn staled faster.
My favorite aspect of the theater was the sound. it was actually quite good, so good in fact that a whisper on stage could be understood from the back of the theater.
Attendance at the MacArthur was almost always disappointing. Common was it to show a film to fewer than a dozen people, in a theater seating 910. One night we were showing some obscure British film about fox hunting. The manager and projectionist really didn’t want to be there. They told me, that night a cashier, to tell people that the projector was broken. Wouldn’t you know it the the one couple who did come had driven in all the way from Roanoke to see this film. To this day i feel badly for lying to them.
Zink was the architect. There were competing plans to construct by different companies.