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Remembering Cinerama (Part 28: Orange County)
posted by
Coate
on
April 27, 2009 at 8:00 am
REMEMBERING CINERAMA
Part 28: Orange County
The following is Part Twenty-eight 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: AtlantaUPDATED!
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 CityUPDATED!
Part 19: Boston
Part 20: PhiladelphiaUPDATED!
Part 21: Fresno
Part 22: Detroit
Part 23: Minneapolis
Part 24: Albuquerque
Part 25: El Paso
Part 26: Des Moines
Part 27: Miami
And now… Part 28: Cinerama Presentations in Orange County, California!
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
Theater: Cinedome 21
Premiere: October 14, 1969
Duration: 27 weeks
Format: Cinerama (70mm)
Hype: “Only two men have walked on the moon. For the rest of us, 2001 is as close as we’re likely to get.”
THIS IS CINERAMA (Re-Issue)
Theater: Cinedome 20
Premiere: July 18, 1973
Duration: 3 weeks
Format: Cinerama (70mm)
Hype: “The First Orange County Showing!” “20 years ago, THIS IS CINERAMA opened, and it revolutionized the world of motion picture entertainment, setting long run records everywhere. Now, with a new single projection system designed for this presentation, all the fantastic sights, sound, and sensations are back!”
NOT SHOWN IN CINERAMA IN THE ORANGE COUNTY MARKET:
THIS IS CINERAMA original 3-strip version
CINERAMA HOLIDAY
SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD
SEARCH FOR PARADISE
WINDJAMMER
SOUTH SEAS ADVENTURE
HOLIDAY IN SPAIN
THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM (35mm general release)
HOW THE WEST WAS WON (35mm general release)
THE BEST OF CINERAMA
IT’S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD (35mm general release)
CIRCUS WORLD (35mm general release)
MEDITERRANEAN HOLIDAY
THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD (70mm engagement at United Artists)
THE HALLELUJAH TRAIL (35mm general release)
BATTLE OF THE BULGE (35mm general release)
RUSSIAN ADVENTURE
KHARTOUM (35mm general release)
GRAND PRIX (35mm general release)
CUSTER OF THE WEST (35mm general release)
ICE STATION ZEBRA (70mm engagement at Brookhurst)
KRAKATOA, EAST OF JAVA (35mm general release)
TRIVIA:
The Cinedome was the last Cinerama theater built in the United States.
Compiled by Michael Coate
References: Los Angeles Times, The Register, 70mm in Los Angeles, 70mm in Orange County
Comments (7)
The ‘73 re-issue engagement of “This Is Cinerama” was not successful, running for only three weeks. By its final week it had been double-billed with “The Poseidon Adventure.”
Mike,
Were they running a 70mm print of POSEIDON?
I wonder why “2001” was not re-issued at the Cinedome again, specially during the summer of 1977. I believe it was shown in 70 MM at the Big Newport once (?) during the 70’s.
JSA
Was the Southcenter in Tukwilla, WA Cinerama capable? I thought it was either the last Cinerama theater ever built or the last single-screen theater ever built…
We’ll find out when Seattle gets its turn in this series…
JSA,
That 70mm re-issue booking of “2001: A Space Odyssey” at the Big Newport was during the summer of 1974. There was also a 35mm run there in the spring of 1980.
Thanks Michael. 1974: That’s kind of surprising. As you know, “2001” was re-issued during 1977-78 in NYC and LA, in part to capitalize on the success of “Star Wars”.
JSA