Remembering Cinerama (Part VIII)

posted by Coate on October 24, 2008 at 8:00 am

REMEMBERING CINERAMA
Part VIII: San Diego

The following is Part Eight 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 multi-panel clones) were exhibited in selected markets since every region was treated differently. As well, the easy-to-reference 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
Part II: Chicago
Part III: San Francisco
Part IV: Houston
Part V: Washington, D.C.
Part VI: Los Angeles
Part VII: Atlanta

And now Part VIII: Cinerama Presentations in San Diego!

THRILLARAMA
Theater: California
Premiere: February 1, 1957 (West Coast Premiere)
Engagement Duration: 1 week
Format: Thrillarama
Promotional Hype: “You’re In The Biggest Screen You’ve Ever Seen!”

WINDJAMMER
Theater: Fox
Premiere: April 24, 1959
Duration: 7 weeks
Format: Cinemiracle
Hype: “You’ve Never Seen Anything Like It Before! The Giant Wall-To-Wall Cinemiracle Screen Comes Alive!”

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM
Theater: Cinerama
Premiere: November 20, 1962
Duration: 19 weeks
Format: 3-Strip Cinerama
Hype: “The First Fabulous Dramatic Film In Cinerama”

HOW THE WEST WAS WON
Theater: Cinerama
Premiere: April 5, 1963
Duration: 53 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: Cinerama
Premiere: April 22, 1964
Duration: 50 weeks
Format: 70mm
Hype: “The Biggest Entertainment Ever To Rock The Cinerama Screen With Laughter!”

CIRCUS WORLD
Theater: Center
Premiere: February 17, 1965
Duration: 8 weeks
Format: 70mm
Hype: “Cinerama Surrounds You With The Greatest Thrill-Packed Story Ever Filmed!”

THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD
Theater: Center
Premiere: April 13, 1965
Duration: 15 weeks
Format: 70mm
Hype: “Only Once In A Lifetime An Entertainment So Rich ¦An Experience So Rewarding”

THIS IS CINERAMA
Theater: Cinerama
Premiere: April 14, 1965
Duration: 6 weeks
Format: 3-Strip Cinerama
Hype: “You! Are In The Picture! Be Ready For Cinerama Thrills Of A Lifetime!”

SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD
Theater: Cinerama
Premiere: May 26, 1965
Duration: 10 weeks
Format: 3-Strip Cinerama
Hype: “New! Different! You Take An Adventure To The Four Corners Of The Globe!”

THE HALLELUJAH TRAIL
Theater: Center
Premiere: July 27, 1965
Duration: 13 weeks
Format: 70mm
Hype: “Now Cinerama Sends You Roaring With Laughter And Adventure Down That Wide, Wonderful Fun-Trail!”

THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD (Return Engagement)
Theater: Cinerama
Premiere: August 4, 1965
Duration: 9 weeks
Format: 70mm
Hype: None

SOUTH SEAS ADVENTURE
Theater: Cinerama
Premiere: October 6, 1965
Duration: 10 weeks
Format: 3-Strip Cinerama
Hype: “Escape With Cinerama To The Sun Splashed, Moon Drenched, Mystery Washed South Seas!!!”

MEDITERRANEAN HOLIDAY
Theater: Center
Premiere: October 27, 1965
Duration: 8 weeks
Format: 70mm
Hype: “Sail Away And Live All The Excitement Your Mind Ever Imagined In Cinerama”

CINERAMA HOLIDAY
Theater: Cinerama
Premiere: December 17, 1965
Duration: 7 weeks
Format: 3-Strip Cinerama
Hype: “You’ve never lived until you’ve sat in a specially equipped Cinerama theatre!”

BATTLE OF THE BULGE
Theater: Center
Premiere: December 22, 1965
Duration: 20 weeks
Format: 70mm
Hype: “Unlike Anything You Have Ever Seen! Bigger Than HOW THE WEST WAS WON! Super Cinerama’s Greatest Picture!”

RUSSIAN ADVENTURE
Theater: Center
Premiere: May 11, 1966
Duration: 6 weeks
Format: 70mm
Hype: “The Giant Eyes Of Cinerama Probe The Secret Intimate Life Behind The Iron Curtain!”

KHARTOUM
Theater: Center
Premiere: June 23, 1966
Duration: 8 weeks
Format: 70mm
Hype: “Where the Nile divides, their mighty conflict begins!”

GRAND PRIX
Theater: Center
Premiere: February 21, 1967
Duration: 35 weeks
Format: 70mm
Hype: “Cinerama Sweeps You Into A Drama Of Speed And Spectacle!”

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
Theater: Center
Premiere: May 28, 1968
Duration: 44 weeks
Format: 70mm
Hype: “An Epic Drama Of Adventure And Exploration!”

ICE STATION ZEBRA
Theater: Center
Premiere: April 2, 1969
Duration: 12 weeks
Format: 70mm
Hype: “Ice Station Zebra…remember the name, your life may depend on it!”

KRAKATOA, EAST OF JAVA
Theater: Center
Premiere: June 25, 1969
Duration: 16 weeks
Format: 70mm
Hype: “The New Cinerama Hurls You Into The Incredible Day That Shook The Earth To Its Core!”

THIS IS CINERAMA (Re-Issue)
Theater: Cinerama
Premiere: August 17, 1973
Duration: 4 weeks
Format: 70mm
Hype: “The Last Time There Was A Show Like This One It Was This One! THIS IS CINERAMA Is Back To Entertain A Whole New Generation”

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (Re-Issue)
Theater: Cinerama
Premiere: August 21, 1974
Duration: 6 weeks
Format: 70mm
Hype: “Exactly as originally presented in Cinerama and Stereophonic Sound!”

NEVER SHOWN IN CINERAMA
SEARCH FOR PARADISE
HOLIDAY IN SPAIN
THE BEST OF CINERAMA
CUSTER OF THE WEST (general release only)

NOTES

San Diego was the last United States market to play THIS IS CINERAMA in a reserved-seat, 3-strip Cinerama presentation during its original release.

Unlike the majority of the Cinerama theaters in most markets, the two Cinerama venues in San Diego were purpose built.

The Cinerama was designed by Richard George Wheeler and Associates, which designed, among others, the SDG&E building in downtown San Diego. Ownership was Gordon and Lockwood (1962-66) and Pacific Theatres (1966-88). The venue closed in 1988 and was demolished.

The Center was designed by Arthur Froehlich and Associates, the same firm that designed the Hanna-Barbera studio in the early 1960s. Ownership was Pacific Theatres. The venue was gutted and turned into a triple in 1971. It closed in 1994 and is now a shoe store.

The Cinema 21 was said to have been Cinerama capable. The theater never played any of the Cinerama films, and photographic evidence suggests the theater was not equipped with three projection booths.

[i]Compiled by Michael Coate & Gabriel Neeb

Sources: The San Diego Union, The San Diego Tribune and Variety.

For more on Cinerama and San Diego cinema info, visit:[/i] http://blog.myspace.com/sandiegocinerama

Theaters in this post

• California Theatre
• Center 3 Cinemas
• Cinema 21
• Cinerama Theater
• Jacobs Music Center