By saying it is the oldest Orpheum Theatre in the country I question that because I don’t understand. The Orpheum theatre in Boston was built in 1852 making it older. It became the Loews Orpheum very early and it stayed that way until the 70’s when it ceased being a movie theatre and became a music hall and became the Aquarius for a few years and then returned to being the Orpheum. It is still the Orpheum and is still a Music Hall theatre and does show a music film occassionally.
To Howard Bass: When I wrote this in 2011 they were still showing films with the classic film festival that summer. I had just taken my wife and daughter to see a very poor 35mm copy of Sound Of Music hosted by Frank Averuch(Bozo the Clown). Shortly After I wrote this they removed equipment and moved the film festival to the Coolidge Corner theatre for 1 season. We no longer have this movie festival at any area theatre. What a shame. The Coolidge can still show 70mm. They had a 3 week run of the Master awhile back. They install 70mm projection occassionally.
Roger. Sorry to bust your bubble. But when the Charles first opened up by The Reade group it had the 2nd largest screen in Boston(not counting the Cinerama) next to the Music Hall(nee Metropolitan/Wang. The Astor was next. The Charles was equipped with 70mm from day one. Cinema 2&3 were added later by Sack/USA or Lowes. When Lowes took over they downsized the screen. Star Wars played in 70mm late in its engagement. I saw many movies there. Saw Ryan’s Daughter there on the big screen in 70mm and it was impressive.That was in 1970. Did not see Star Wars there because I was stationed elsewhere.
I have purchased all 5 Smilebox releases and have enjoyed them on my 50" TV. They are in 5.1 Dolbly transferred from the 7 channel original masters. I know it is not real Cinerama by any means but if you have a large screen TV and Blue Ray(only way they are available on DVD)just turn down the light and enjoy. Here on the East Coast there are no Cinerama theatres left. On the West Coast you have 2. Seattle and La. I am going to see the owner of my local theatreand see if he cah get permission to run HTWWR, This is Cinerama and possibly Windjammer. Its only a 2 cinema local complex with new digital proj and new sound. Cinema 1 has about a 40' wide screen so they will look retty good.
Mark Cuban is cheap cheap cheap. I'n waiting for him to close down one of the 2 Landmark cinemas here in the Boston area even though they seem to do well. The one in Cambridge and the one in Waltham.
I,m back with more info. Raintree County from what I have read was filmed in Camera 65(same as Ben Hur) but was never shown in 70mm on its 1st release anywhere. MGM said they could not get any 70mm theatres in the country because they were all booked solid at that time. They then needed to get it out so they sent it out in a 35mm Cinemascope roadshow version. It was not seen in 70mm until the 80s-90-s in 70mm in a New York film festival.
I,m back with more info. Raintree County from what I have read was filmed in Camera 65(same as Ben Hur) but was never shown in 70mm on its 1st release anywhere. MGM said they could not get any 70mm theatres in the country because they were all booked solid at that time. They then needed to get it out so they sent it out in a 35mm Cinemascope roadshow version. It was not seen in 70mm until the 80s-90-s in 70mm in a New York film festival.
After reading some of the above comments I must put in my 2 cents. Porgy & Bess opened at the Astor in 70mm Todd AO in 1959(I saw it there) and it was followed by Spartacus in Super Technirama 70mm. Both were the same aspect ratio of 2.21:1(70mm). As far as Oklahoma it ran at the Saxon in 35mm cinemascope roadshow for most of its engagement until Todd AO was put in and then in Todd AO for the rest of its engagement. Oklahoma was shot both in Cinemascope and Todd AO at the same time. There are many differences in both versions. And to ever said they saw Ryan’s Daughter in 70mm at the Astor may have seen I re-issue because its original run was at the Charles.
While in the Navy and also stationed at the Naval Photo Center in 1960-1962 and 1964-1966 and then again for only 2 weeks in around 1983 I visited the Ontario many times. Saw the 70mm Roadshow of Sound Of Musicthere. I did not work there but I did work P.T. nights at the Sears offices in Silver Springs and I also was one of the projectionists at The NAS Anacostia base theatre.
To Howard Haas. When This is Cinerama in 70mm played here in Boston it played at the non Cinerama Beacon theatre. It was a medium size Flat Screen and lousy stereo. This is the theatre that the subway ran under, not the Boston Cinerama theatre as you mentioned. Saw a few other movies Little Big Man and Towering Inferno at the Beacon. Lousy projection and sound and what was really annoying was the subway noise every 10mins or less. The Boston Cinerama theatre was terrific. Saw 5 of the 3strips there. HTWWW was projected beautifully with great sound and I sat in the 1st row of the balcony. Saw WWOTBG in 3 strip at the San Diego Cinerama. Saw 2001 in 70mm, Cinerama in San Francisco and also at the Seattle Cinerama. What a great theatre. Saw Ice Station Zebra at the Providence Cinerama. A very nice old theatre remodeled and similar in design as the San Diego Cinerama. Both owned by Lockwood & Gordon theatres. Saw a couple of 3strips at the Warner in D.C. Also Greatest Story Ever Told in 70mm Cinerama at the Uptown in D.C. Projected lousy. Finally I saw a 70mm blowup of Doctor Zhivago at the Rotterdam, Holland Cinerama. Looked great. Had already seen it before at the Florida theatre in Pensacola in 35mm. It looked good but the 70mm print blew it out of the water.
If I remember right the Florida theatre was about 200' from the Rex and the Saenger being halfway down Palafox. All 3 theatres were on the left side of the st. walking from the Hotel heading to the Auditorium at the end.
I did not know there was a theatre operating in Plymouth and I am less than 20 miles away in Scituate. We have our own twin cinema here and also the Hanover, Kingston & Hingham cinemas. The only problem with these cinemas is that you very rarely see any Indy or Foreign films there except at the Loring Hall in Hingham. It would be nice if you would put an add or column in The Mariner or Ledger newspapers so we would know what was playing. Not everyone has a computer.
The 5th Ave did have 70mm and it was also a roadshow house. I saw Dr Dolittle(what a piece of junk)_and also the 70mm version of Gone With The Wind which was poorly transferred with side and top cut out.
If you want to see what can be done with some old beat up Grand theatres, come to Boston and look at 3 examples. 1- The Citi bank Wang(formerly the Metropolitan/Music Hall 2- the Mayflower and #3 the RKO Keiths Memorial/Savoy now the Opera House. Come on Philly fans keep on fighting and get the Boyd purchased and restored. It can be done with a lot of money and patience.
Growing up on Adam St next to the Cosgroves milk plant we only went to the Adams a few times because it was a long walk to the other end of the Neponset section. If my memory treats me right I believe the Adams was built and opened in the early 40’s. It was a four wall cement block theatre. Wide and medium deep. Big screen. Very clean and well kept. Not overly decorated but pleasant enough and not ornate like the Fields Corner or a dump like the Dot. Admission was 15cents for matinees and 25 cents nites. Had dish night like the Dot one night a week. My mother used to go. Dish nite at the Dot was Mondays so the Adams must have been on a different night. Was a 2nd run like the Fields Corner.
I believe that “Mutiny On The Bounty” played it’s reserved seat engagement at the 5th Ave theatre in 1962. The replica of the Bounty came into the sound. I was on the ferry back to Bremerton when it passed us. What a beauty
By saying it is the oldest Orpheum Theatre in the country I question that because I don’t understand. The Orpheum theatre in Boston was built in 1852 making it older. It became the Loews Orpheum very early and it stayed that way until the 70’s when it ceased being a movie theatre and became a music hall and became the Aquarius for a few years and then returned to being the Orpheum. It is still the Orpheum and is still a Music Hall theatre and does show a music film occassionally.
To correct myself I would like to say that I was at the Cinerama in 1964. This was my 2nd tour in San Diego.
To Howard Bass: When I wrote this in 2011 they were still showing films with the classic film festival that summer. I had just taken my wife and daughter to see a very poor 35mm copy of Sound Of Music hosted by Frank Averuch(Bozo the Clown). Shortly After I wrote this they removed equipment and moved the film festival to the Coolidge Corner theatre for 1 season. We no longer have this movie festival at any area theatre. What a shame. The Coolidge can still show 70mm. They had a 3 week run of the Master awhile back. They install 70mm projection occassionally.
Didn’t this theatre also show Deep Throat with Linda Lovelace?
This theatre should not close because the makers of Digital Projectors now lease them to theatres.
After all these years I finally got to see I Am Curious Yellow complete a few months ago on of all places Turner Classic Movies. What a waste of time.
Roger. Sorry to bust your bubble. But when the Charles first opened up by The Reade group it had the 2nd largest screen in Boston(not counting the Cinerama) next to the Music Hall(nee Metropolitan/Wang. The Astor was next. The Charles was equipped with 70mm from day one. Cinema 2&3 were added later by Sack/USA or Lowes. When Lowes took over they downsized the screen. Star Wars played in 70mm late in its engagement. I saw many movies there. Saw Ryan’s Daughter there on the big screen in 70mm and it was impressive.That was in 1970. Did not see Star Wars there because I was stationed elsewhere.
Have to revise my comment. I went to the Beacon Hill one other time to see Little Big Man. Very noisy then with the Subway running underneath.
I have purchased all 5 Smilebox releases and have enjoyed them on my 50" TV. They are in 5.1 Dolbly transferred from the 7 channel original masters. I know it is not real Cinerama by any means but if you have a large screen TV and Blue Ray(only way they are available on DVD)just turn down the light and enjoy. Here on the East Coast there are no Cinerama theatres left. On the West Coast you have 2. Seattle and La. I am going to see the owner of my local theatreand see if he cah get permission to run HTWWR, This is Cinerama and possibly Windjammer. Its only a 2 cinema local complex with new digital proj and new sound. Cinema 1 has about a 40' wide screen so they will look retty good.
Mark Cuban is cheap cheap cheap. I'n waiting for him to close down one of the 2 Landmark cinemas here in the Boston area even though they seem to do well. The one in Cambridge and the one in Waltham.
I,m back with more info. Raintree County from what I have read was filmed in Camera 65(same as Ben Hur) but was never shown in 70mm on its 1st release anywhere. MGM said they could not get any 70mm theatres in the country because they were all booked solid at that time. They then needed to get it out so they sent it out in a 35mm Cinemascope roadshow version. It was not seen in 70mm until the 80s-90-s in 70mm in a New York film festival.
I,m back with more info. Raintree County from what I have read was filmed in Camera 65(same as Ben Hur) but was never shown in 70mm on its 1st release anywhere. MGM said they could not get any 70mm theatres in the country because they were all booked solid at that time. They then needed to get it out so they sent it out in a 35mm Cinemascope roadshow version. It was not seen in 70mm until the 80s-90-s in 70mm in a New York film festival.
After reading some of the above comments I must put in my 2 cents. Porgy & Bess opened at the Astor in 70mm Todd AO in 1959(I saw it there) and it was followed by Spartacus in Super Technirama 70mm. Both were the same aspect ratio of 2.21:1(70mm). As far as Oklahoma it ran at the Saxon in 35mm cinemascope roadshow for most of its engagement until Todd AO was put in and then in Todd AO for the rest of its engagement. Oklahoma was shot both in Cinemascope and Todd AO at the same time. There are many differences in both versions. And to ever said they saw Ryan’s Daughter in 70mm at the Astor may have seen I re-issue because its original run was at the Charles.
While in the Navy and also stationed at the Naval Photo Center in 1960-1962 and 1964-1966 and then again for only 2 weeks in around 1983 I visited the Ontario many times. Saw the 70mm Roadshow of Sound Of Musicthere. I did not work there but I did work P.T. nights at the Sears offices in Silver Springs and I also was one of the projectionists at The NAS Anacostia base theatre.
Did Radio City ever have 70mm capabilities? I know they were the firstwith horizontal VistaVision.
To Howard Haas. When This is Cinerama in 70mm played here in Boston it played at the non Cinerama Beacon theatre. It was a medium size Flat Screen and lousy stereo. This is the theatre that the subway ran under, not the Boston Cinerama theatre as you mentioned. Saw a few other movies Little Big Man and Towering Inferno at the Beacon. Lousy projection and sound and what was really annoying was the subway noise every 10mins or less. The Boston Cinerama theatre was terrific. Saw 5 of the 3strips there. HTWWW was projected beautifully with great sound and I sat in the 1st row of the balcony. Saw WWOTBG in 3 strip at the San Diego Cinerama. Saw 2001 in 70mm, Cinerama in San Francisco and also at the Seattle Cinerama. What a great theatre. Saw Ice Station Zebra at the Providence Cinerama. A very nice old theatre remodeled and similar in design as the San Diego Cinerama. Both owned by Lockwood & Gordon theatres. Saw a couple of 3strips at the Warner in D.C. Also Greatest Story Ever Told in 70mm Cinerama at the Uptown in D.C. Projected lousy. Finally I saw a 70mm blowup of Doctor Zhivago at the Rotterdam, Holland Cinerama. Looked great. Had already seen it before at the Florida theatre in Pensacola in 35mm. It looked good but the 70mm print blew it out of the water.
If I remember right the Florida theatre was about 200' from the Rex and the Saenger being halfway down Palafox. All 3 theatres were on the left side of the st. walking from the Hotel heading to the Auditorium at the end.
I did not know there was a theatre operating in Plymouth and I am less than 20 miles away in Scituate. We have our own twin cinema here and also the Hanover, Kingston & Hingham cinemas. The only problem with these cinemas is that you very rarely see any Indy or Foreign films there except at the Loring Hall in Hingham. It would be nice if you would put an add or column in The Mariner or Ledger newspapers so we would know what was playing. Not everyone has a computer.
This theatre should now be listed as CLOSED. It has been shuttered for awhile now.
The 5th Ave did have 70mm and it was also a roadshow house. I saw Dr Dolittle(what a piece of junk)_and also the 70mm version of Gone With The Wind which was poorly transferred with side and top cut out.
If you want to see what can be done with some old beat up Grand theatres, come to Boston and look at 3 examples. 1- The Citi bank Wang(formerly the Metropolitan/Music Hall 2- the Mayflower and #3 the RKO Keiths Memorial/Savoy now the Opera House. Come on Philly fans keep on fighting and get the Boyd purchased and restored. It can be done with a lot of money and patience.
Growing up on Adam St next to the Cosgroves milk plant we only went to the Adams a few times because it was a long walk to the other end of the Neponset section. If my memory treats me right I believe the Adams was built and opened in the early 40’s. It was a four wall cement block theatre. Wide and medium deep. Big screen. Very clean and well kept. Not overly decorated but pleasant enough and not ornate like the Fields Corner or a dump like the Dot. Admission was 15cents for matinees and 25 cents nites. Had dish night like the Dot one night a week. My mother used to go. Dish nite at the Dot was Mondays so the Adams must have been on a different night. Was a 2nd run like the Fields Corner.
Sorry Ron but the Aquarium Imax was Boston,s 1st IMAX 3D theatre. The Omni theatre is as stated Omnimax which is different and it does not show (3D).
I believe that “Mutiny On The Bounty” played it’s reserved seat engagement at the 5th Ave theatre in 1962. The replica of the Bounty came into the sound. I was on the ferry back to Bremerton when it passed us. What a beauty
Ross: As an avid viewer of this sight. Thank you. I am tired of rude people with bad language and non sensical replys. Dick S.