Remembering Cinerama (Part 19: Boston)

REMEMBERING CINERAMA
Part 19: Boston

The following is Part Nineteen in a 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, film-by-film, historical record of when and where Cinerama and its multi-panel clones were exhibited. The easy-to-reference articles also serve to provide nostalgia to those who experienced the Cinerama presentations when they were new and to highlight the movie palaces in which the memorable events took place.

Part 1: New York
Part 2: Chicago
Part 3: San Francisco
Part 4: Houston
Part 5: Washington, DC
Part 6: Los Angeles
Part 7: Atlanta
Part 8: San Diego
Part 9: Dallas
Part 10: Oklahoma City
Part 11: Syracuse
Part 12: Toronto
Part 13: Columbus
Part 14: Montreal
Part 15: Northern New Jersey
Part 16: Charlotte
Part 17: Vancouver
Part 18: Salt Lake City

And now...Part 19: Cinerama Presentations in Boston!

*** A Work in Progress ***

THIS IS CINERAMA
Theater: Boston
Premiere: December 30, 1953
Engagement Duration: 87 weeks
Format: Cinerama (3-strip)
Promotional Hype: “New England Premiere! Something Wonderful in motion picture entertainment! For the first time, a motion picture reaches out to bring you into the story...to put you in the picture with the intensely personal experience of all its excitement and thrills. The Boston is the only theatre in the New England area that can or will be able to present this miracle of entertainment!”

CINERAMA HOLIDAY
Theater: Boston
Premiere: August 30, 1955
Duration: 52 weeks
Format: Cinerama (3-strip)
Hype: “A Whole World Of Entertainment Awaits You. And You Can See It Only At The Boston Theatre!”

SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD
Theater: Boston
Premiere: August 27, 1956
Duration: 64 weeks
Format: Cinerama (3-strip)
Hype: “The New...The 3rd CINERAMA!”

SEARCH FOR PARADISE
Theater: Boston
Premiere: November 19, 1957
Duration: 40 weeks
Format: Cinerama (3-strip)

WINDJAMMER
Theater: Boston
Premiere: August 27, 1958
Duration: 33 weeks
Format: Cinerama (3-strip)
Hype: “Produced in CINEMIRACLE, Presented in CINERAMA”

SOUTH SEAS ADVENTURE
Theater: Boston
Premiere: April 15, 1959
Duration: 53 weeks
Format: Cinerama (3-strip)

THIS IS CINERAMA (Return Engagement)
Theater: Boston
Premiere: April 26, 1960
Duration: 29 weeks
Format: Cinerama (3-strip)

CINERAMA HOLIDAY (Return Engagement)
Theater: Boston
Premiere: November 15, 1960
Duration: 14 weeks
Format: Cinerama (3-strip)

SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD (Return Engagement)
Theater: Boston
Premiere: February 22, 1961
Duration: 12 weeks
Format: Cinerama (3-strip)

WINDJAMMER (Return Engagement)
Theater: Boston
Premiere: May 15, 1961
Duration: 23 weeks
Format: Cinerama (3-strip)

SEARCH FOR PARADISE (Return Engagement)
Theater: Boston
Premiere: October 23, 1961
Duration: 12 weeks
Format: Cinerama (3-strip)

SOUTH SEAS ADVENTURE (Return Engagement)
Theater: Boston
Premiere: January 17, 1962
Duration: 16 weeks
Format: Cinerama (3-strip)

HOLIDAY IN SPAIN
Theater: Boston
Premiere: May 7, 1962
Duration: 13 weeks
Format: Cinerama (3-strip)
Hype: “Now CINERAMA Takes You On A Manhunt... A Suspense Hunt... A Thrill Hunt... Across An Exotic World Of Excitement!”

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM
Theater: Boston
Premiere: August 7, 1962
Duration: 26 weeks
Format: Cinerama (3-strip)
Hype: “The first dramatic story-telling motion picture in fabulous CINERAMA!”

THE BEST OF CINERAMA
Theater: Boston
Premiere: February 6, 1963
Duration: 7 weeks
Format: Cinerama (3-strip)
Hype: “It’s CINERAMA’s Greatest Moments In One Far-Flung, Fantastic, Unforgettable Adventure!”

HOW THE WEST WAS WON
Theater: Boston
Premiere: March 27, 1963
Duration: 33 weeks
Format: Cinerama (3-strip)
Hype: “The Great Dramatic Motion Picture That Puts You In Every Scene!”

IT’S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD
Theater: Boston
Premiere: November 19, 1963
Duration: 31 weeks
Format: Cinerama (70mm)
Hype: “The Biggest Entertainment Ever To Rock The CINERAMA Screen With Laughter!”

CIRCUS WORLD
Theater: Boston
Premiere: June 25, 1964
Duration: 18 weeks
Format: Cinerama (70mm)
Hype: “CINERAMA Surrounds You With The Greatest Thrill-Packed Story Ever Filmed!”

MEDITERRANEAN HOLIDAY
Theater: Boston
Premiere: October 27, 1964
Duration: 20 weeks
Format: Cinerama (70mm)

THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD
Theater: Boston
Premiere: March 1965
Duration: 28 weeks
Format: Cinerama (70mm)
Hype: None

THE HALLELUJAH TRAIL
Theater: Boston
Premiere: September 28, 1965
Duration: 13 weeks
Format: Cinerama (70mm)
Hype: “CINERAMA Sends You Roaring With Laughter And Adventure Down That Wide, Wonderful, Fun-Trail!”

BATTLE OF THE BULGE
Theater: Boston
Premiere: December 1965
Duration: 21 weeks
Format: Cinerama (70mm)
Hype: “At Last! The Super Action Show In Super Cinerama”

MEDITERRANEAN HOLIDAY (Return Engagement)
Theater: Boston
Premiere: May 20, 1966
Duration: 5 weeks
Format: Cinerama (70mm)

KHARTOUM
Theater: Boston
Premiere: June 22, 1966
Duration: 14 weeks
Format: Cinerama (70mm)
Hype: “Where The Nile Divides, The Great CINERAMA Adventure Begins!”

RUSSIAN ADVENTURE
Theater: Boston
Premiere: September 28, 1966
Duration: 7 weeks
Format: Cinerama (70mm)

GRAND PRIX
Theater: Boston
Premiere: December 22, 1966
Duration: 36 weeks
Format: Cinerama (70mm)
Hype: “CINERAMA sweeps YOU into a drama of speed and spectacle!”

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
Theater: Boston
Premiere: April 10, 1968
Duration: 36 weeks
Format: Cinerama (70mm)
Hype: “An Epic Drama Of Adventure And Exploration!”

ICE STATION ZEBRA
Theater: Boston
Premiere: December 18, 1968
Duration: 19 weeks
Format: Cinerama (70mm)
Hype: “Ice Station Zebra...remember the name, your life may depend on it!”

THIS IS CINERAMA (Re-Issue)
Theater: Beacon Hill
Premiere: April 1973
Duration: 5 weeks
Format: Cinerama (70mm)
Hype: “THIS IS CINERAMA Is Back To Entertain A Whole New Generation”

NEVER SHOWN IN CINERAMA:
CUSTER OF THE WEST
KRAKATOA, EAST OF JAVA (70mm non-reserved-seat engagement at Gary)

TRIVIA:
The Boston Theatre was Cinerama installation #10.

Compiled by Michael Coate

Source: The Boston Globe and Variety