It’s about time this theater got an entry in the database! I pointed out it needed a page over three years ago in my “Empire” retrospective. Anyway, it’s nice to see it get a page, but I’d like to make a request to those who create pages: Please stop generalizing/approximating the grand-opening and screen-expansion timeline. Why not conduct actual research from a primary source and obtain accurate and comprehensive information the first time around?
It seems obvious to me that the reason it took so long for ICE STATION ZEBRA to play in San Jose was because of the extended run of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. Up until the ISZ run, all Cinerama films in San Jose played exclusively at the Century 21. The long run of 2001 is clearly what prompted the Town & Country to “become” a Cinerama house to play KRAKATOA, and in turn prompted Syufy to show ISZ in another one of their roadshow domes instead of waiting until the 2001 run to end. The fact that ISZ had already played in San Francisco is irrelevant.
It seems absurd to suggest that San Jose gave up on Cinerama during the time you cited when they were at that time showing what turned out to be the country’s longest run of 2001. The fact that San Jose played 2001 for so long and still found a way to play KRAKATOA and ISZ suggests they had not given up on Cinerama.
I think you may have misinterpreted the list of Cinerama films that did not play in San Jose. The first 12 on the list were released before San Jose came online as a Cinerama market, and the first 10 titles on that list obviously weren’t played because of format incompatibility. The Century 21 did not play exclusively Cinerama product, and an extended run of MY FAIR LADY is what prevented THE HALLELUJAH TRAIL from being booked. A lengthy run of DOCTOR ZHIVAGO prevented first-run bookings of RUSSIAN ADVENTURE and KHARTOUM. And CUSTER OF THE WEST not being shown carries little weight since its Cinerama/roadshow release was jettisoned by its distributor before it had a chance to get many playdates. California had six Cinerama markets and only one of them played CUSTER.
By the time of the THIS IS CINERAMA re-issue, there’s no reason to believe the D-150 licensing agreement would still be in effect in regard to projecting a 70mm image onto the entire screen at a D-150 house since nobody was producing any films in D-150. There’s no way any of us can prove it at this late date, but I can’t imagine THIS IS CINERAMA or any other 70mm film not being shown on anything but the entire screen.
This has been incorrectly explained in comments on this page as well as other entries in this series, but Cinerama presentations of films shot in Super Panavision and Ultra Panavision were shown in the same aspect ratio and with identical screen dimensions. The difference between the two was accounted for with the rectification added into the prints. I know it’s confusing and difficult to explain, but for 70mm presentations on a deeply-curved screen, to calculate aspect ratio one must measure along the cord not the curve.
“I notice that the Century 21 has its own Cinema Treasures page, but the Century 22 and Century 23 do not.”
The Century 22 obviously has a page since your comment was posted on that theater’s page! I think you meant pages are needed for Century 23 and Century 24.
Coate
commented about
Movies 7on
Jun 9, 2012 at 4:19 pm
Ever since the website was redesigned, I’ve noticed numerous instances where someone deleted a comment of theirs in an attempt to hide the fact that they posted erroneous information. Anyone reading the comments sequentially after a deletion might be confused, so, in my opinion, all comments should stay. Of course, I also think whenever an intro is edited there should be a time & date stamp so that readers know a revision was based on someone’s comment, especially since the commenter won’t get credit and the original intro writer who failed to mention something or got a detail wrong ends up with the credit. An unfair and poorly thought out policy, if you ask me.
Anyway, Jensen, how did you come up with an address of 1601 Penfield Road when the ad states the theater was located at 360 Penfield Road?
Jensen… Why did you delete your comment that preceded mine??? My comment (especially the parenthetical information) was motivated by your comment. Now my comment makes no sense.
dick… There were a LOT more than “a half dozen or so” CineMiracle installations. There were at least two dozen, and many of them are cited in my “Remembering Cinerama (and its clones)” series. By the way, I’m not sure if you read it, but I answered your Boston Cinerama installation number question in the Boston entry of the Remembering Cinerama series.
It’s about time this theater got an entry in the database! I pointed out it needed a page over three years ago in my “Empire” retrospective. Anyway, it’s nice to see it get a page, but I’d like to make a request to those who create pages: Please stop generalizing/approximating the grand-opening and screen-expansion timeline. Why not conduct actual research from a primary source and obtain accurate and comprehensive information the first time around?
What company operated the Parkway during the early 1980s?
What company operated this theater during the early 1980s?
In which year was this theater converted into a triplex?
What company operated this theater during the early 1980s?
When did the change in ownership from GCC to Wehrenberg take place?
Regarding CSWalczak’s analysis and speculation…
It seems obvious to me that the reason it took so long for ICE STATION ZEBRA to play in San Jose was because of the extended run of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. Up until the ISZ run, all Cinerama films in San Jose played exclusively at the Century 21. The long run of 2001 is clearly what prompted the Town & Country to “become” a Cinerama house to play KRAKATOA, and in turn prompted Syufy to show ISZ in another one of their roadshow domes instead of waiting until the 2001 run to end. The fact that ISZ had already played in San Francisco is irrelevant.
It seems absurd to suggest that San Jose gave up on Cinerama during the time you cited when they were at that time showing what turned out to be the country’s longest run of 2001. The fact that San Jose played 2001 for so long and still found a way to play KRAKATOA and ISZ suggests they had not given up on Cinerama.
I think you may have misinterpreted the list of Cinerama films that did not play in San Jose. The first 12 on the list were released before San Jose came online as a Cinerama market, and the first 10 titles on that list obviously weren’t played because of format incompatibility. The Century 21 did not play exclusively Cinerama product, and an extended run of MY FAIR LADY is what prevented THE HALLELUJAH TRAIL from being booked. A lengthy run of DOCTOR ZHIVAGO prevented first-run bookings of RUSSIAN ADVENTURE and KHARTOUM. And CUSTER OF THE WEST not being shown carries little weight since its Cinerama/roadshow release was jettisoned by its distributor before it had a chance to get many playdates. California had six Cinerama markets and only one of them played CUSTER.
By the time of the THIS IS CINERAMA re-issue, there’s no reason to believe the D-150 licensing agreement would still be in effect in regard to projecting a 70mm image onto the entire screen at a D-150 house since nobody was producing any films in D-150. There’s no way any of us can prove it at this late date, but I can’t imagine THIS IS CINERAMA or any other 70mm film not being shown on anything but the entire screen.
This has been incorrectly explained in comments on this page as well as other entries in this series, but Cinerama presentations of films shot in Super Panavision and Ultra Panavision were shown in the same aspect ratio and with identical screen dimensions. The difference between the two was accounted for with the rectification added into the prints. I know it’s confusing and difficult to explain, but for 70mm presentations on a deeply-curved screen, to calculate aspect ratio one must measure along the cord not the curve.
It opened in Fresno on June 22, 1977.
The Century 22 obviously has a page since your comment was posted on that theater’s page! I think you meant pages are needed for Century 23 and Century 24.
This theater opened on December 20, 1980.
Jensen… The theater wasn’t in the plaza, which may explain why it had a different address.
Ever since the website was redesigned, I’ve noticed numerous instances where someone deleted a comment of theirs in an attempt to hide the fact that they posted erroneous information. Anyone reading the comments sequentially after a deletion might be confused, so, in my opinion, all comments should stay. Of course, I also think whenever an intro is edited there should be a time & date stamp so that readers know a revision was based on someone’s comment, especially since the commenter won’t get credit and the original intro writer who failed to mention something or got a detail wrong ends up with the credit. An unfair and poorly thought out policy, if you ask me.
Anyway, Jensen, how did you come up with an address of 1601 Penfield Road when the ad states the theater was located at 360 Penfield Road?
Jensen… Why did you delete your comment that preceded mine??? My comment (especially the parenthetical information) was motivated by your comment. Now my comment makes no sense.
The company is Jo-Mor (not Jo-Mar), the address is 360 Penfield Road (not 1601 Penfield), and the city is Penfield (not Rochester).
dick… There were a LOT more than “a half dozen or so” CineMiracle installations. There were at least two dozen, and many of them are cited in my “Remembering Cinerama (and its clones)” series. By the way, I’m not sure if you read it, but I answered your Boston Cinerama installation number question in the Boston entry of the Remembering Cinerama series.
Sigh…
dhatch01… STAR WARS opened in Huntsville on June 17th. It ran 25 weeks. The University was a four-plex at the time.
This theater opened long before 1985.
The third screen could not have opened on December 13th since OUT OF AFRICA hadn’t yet been released.
This theater was twinned several years before the early 1980s.
ctwrenn… The first-run booking of STAR WARS (1977) in Fayetteville was at the Cross Creek Mall Cinema I-II-III.
This drive-in was located in Lenwood, not Barstow.
Rivest’s movie-theatre.org…ugh!
When did this become a twin?
Showcase Cinemas is a brand. The company that opened this theater was National Amusements.
Also, as I write this the Related Website link is incorrect.