Remembering Cinerama (Part V)
REMEMBERING CINERAMA
Part V: Washington, D.C.
The following is Part Five in a series of retrospectives on Cinerama, the legendary motion picture process that kicked off the widescreen revolution. The series will not describe in detail the particulars of what the system was or how it worked, as extensive coverage of such is accessible in numerous books and websites. Instead, the series focuses on providing an historical overview of a less-accessible aspect of the Cinerama story: a film-by-film breakdown of how, when and where Cinerama and its clones were exhibited in selected markets since every region was treated differently. As well, the articles serve to provide nostalgia to those who experienced Cinerama when it was new and to highlight the movie palaces in which these memorable events took place.
Part I: New York City
Part II: Chicago
Part III: San Francisco
Part IV: Houston
And now...Part V: Cinerama Presentations in Washington, D.C.!
THIS IS CINERAMA
Theater: Warner
Premiere: November 5, 1953
Engagement Duration: 99 weeks
Format: 3-Strip Cinerama
Promotional Hype: “Washington Premiere...Cinerama...bringing to you all the color, beauty and wonder of the world!”
CINERAMA HOLIDAY
Theater: Warner
Premiere: September 28, 1955
Duration: 65 weeks
Format: 3-Strip Cinerama
Hype: “A Whole World Of Entertainment Awaits You. And You Can See It Only At The Warner!”
SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD
Theater: Warner
Premiere: December 27, 1956
Duration: 55 weeks
Format: 3-Strip Cinerama
Hype: “The New...The 3rd Cinerama!”
SEARCH FOR PARADISE
Theater: Warner
Premiere: January 15, 1958
Duration: 39 weeks
Format: 3-Strip Cinerama
Hype: “The New Cinerama Presentation”
WINDJAMMER
Theater: Warner
Premiere: October 16, 1958
Duration: 9 weeks
Format: 3-Strip Cinerama
Hype: “Produced in Cinemiracle, Presented in Cinerama. Thrill to the greatest wind-swept storm-tossed adventure that ever turned boys into men!”
SOUTH SEAS ADVENTURE
Theater: Warner
Premiere: December 16, 1958
Duration: 39 weeks
Format: 3-Strip Cinerama
Hype: “You Live A Thousand Wondrous Excitements In The New Cinerama Adventure!”
THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM
Theater: Uptown
Premiere: November 7, 1962
Duration: 18 weeks
Format: 3-Strip Cinerama
Hype: “The First Dramatic Film In Fabulous Cinerama!”
HOW THE WEST WAS WON
Theater: Uptown
Premiere: March 14, 1963
Duration: 44 weeks
Format: 3-Strip Cinerama
Hype: “The Great Dramatic Motion Picture That Puts You In Every Scene!”
IT’S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD
Theater: Uptown
Premiere: February 19, 1964
Duration: 36 weeks
Format: 70mm
Hype: “The Biggest Entertainment Ever To Rock The Cinerama Screen With Laughter!”
CIRCUS WORLD
Theater: Uptown
Premiere: October 28, 1964
Duration: 3 weeks
Format: 70mm
Hype: “Cinerama Puts You In The Middle Of The Most Action-Filled Story You’ve Ever Seen!”
THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD
Theater: Uptown
Premiere: March 10, 1965
Duration: 19 weeks
Format: 70mm
Hype: None
THE HALLELUJAH TRAIL
Theater: Uptown
Premiere: July 20, 1965
Duration: 9 weeks
Format: 70mm
Hype: “Cinerama Sends You Roaring With Laughter And Adventure Down That Wide, Wonderful Fun-Trail”
MEDITERRANEAN HOLIDAY
Theatrer: Uptown
Premiere: September 22, 1965
Duration: 6 weeks
Format: 70mm
Hype: “Cinerama Puts You In The Most Thrilling Adventure You Ever Lived!”
BATTLE OF THE BULGE
Theater: Uptown
Premiere: March 9, 1966
Duration: 15 weeks
Format: 70mm
Hype: “The super action show in Super Cinerama. Unlike anything you have ever seen.”
KHARTOUM
Theater: Uptown
Premiere: June 23, 1966
Duration: 13 weeks
Format: 70mm
Hype: “Where The Nile Divides, The Great Cinerama Adventure Begins!”
GRAND PRIX
Theater: Uptown
Premiere: May 24, 1967
Duration: 21 weeks
Format: 70mm
Hype: “Cinerama Sweeps You Into A Drama Of Speed And Spectacle!”
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
Theater: Uptown
Premiere: April 2, 1968 (World Premiere)
Duration: 52 weeks
Format: 70mm
Hype: “An Epic Drama Of Adventure And Exploration!”
ICE STATION ZEBRA
Theater: Uptown
Premiere: April 2, 1969
Duration: 12 weeks
Format: 70mm
Hype: “Ice Station Zebra...remember the name, your life may depend on it!”
THIS IS CINERAMA (Re-Issue)
Theater: Uptown
Premiere: October 3, 1973
Duration: 6 weeks
Format: 70mm
Hype: “THIS IS CINERAMA Is Back To Entertain A Whole New Generation”
Compiled by Michael Coate
Sources: The Washington Post and Variety
HOLIDAY IN SPAIN (1960/61, 3-strip Cinerama)
THE BEST OF CINERAMA (1962, 3-strip Cinerama)
RUSSIAN ADVENTURE (1966, 70mm)
Some other details I left off the original post:
"Krakatoa, East Of Java" played its reserved-seat run at the L'ENFANT. I left the film off the list due to the L'ENFANT not being recognized as an official Cinerama venue and because the film was promoted as "Super 70mm" rather than "in Cinerama."
Washington, DC was the sixth market to have a theater equipped for Cinerama presentations. (New York, Detroit, Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia were the first five.)
The UPTOWN played a two-week re-issue run of "Windjammer" in autumn 1971. Its presentation format was not promoted.
"2001: A Space Odyssey" has had at least six return runs at the UPTOWN. Typically, these were shown in and promoted as 70mm. I left them off the list due to the lack of any "In Cinerama" blurbs in their advertising.