Radio City Music Hall
1260 6th Avenue,
New York,
NY
10020
1260 6th Avenue,
New York,
NY
10020
116 people
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Re: Radio City and Dolby Stereo. Radio City was actually an experimental site for Dolby cinema sound as far back as 1974 when I started there as Head Projectionist. Repesentatives from the Dolby N.Y. office were looking for a large theatre to try out Dolby encoded 35mm soundtracks and Radio City is a “large” theatre! At that time there was only Dolby mono encoding featuring 2 units, one which decoded Dolby Type “A” optical tracks and one which provided 3rd Octave equalization to “tune” the room. The first Dolby encoded stereo film we played was “The Little Prince” which was the 1974 Christma feature. There were no stereo optical tracks at that time, but we had a 3 track magnetic print with Dolby A encoding.
We added three more units to play back 6 track 70mm magnetic tracks, primarily for the 3rd octave equalizaation capabilities.
We added a Dolby CP-100 processor for a picture that preceeded “Star Wars” since Fox wanted to try out stereo optical prints before they released “Star Wars”. The picture was a dud, but the equipment stayed.We never paid for it, but felt we were justified in keeping it since we did provide a crew for testing when Dolby needed it.
We finally ended up buying a complete Dolby installation (with Disney’s help) for the premiere of “The Lion King” which involved a complete re-do of the motion-picture sound system and the inclusion of on the wall surround speakers. “Lion King” only required three stage channels snce it was 1.85 aspect ratio, but we later added two more stage channels so we could play “classic” 70mm prints which had 5 channels behind the screen and a mono surround channel. We also needed the extra channels because our 35mm 1.85 picture is smaller than our 70mm 1.85 picture and the screen masking was not acoustically transparent. We also added more surround speakers at that time.
Since then the Hall has added a Dolby SA-10 unit which splits the surround array into left, center and right groups for use in the stage show mix.
The recent obit of Ray Dolby in the New York Times features a picture of him in the Music Hall booth looking at a soundrack on a piece of 35mm film That picture was taken during the premiere engagement of “The Lion King” one of the few times when we used platters at the Hall, with the 70mm picture locked to a 35mm print for Dolby Digital sound.
It will be in a few days Vito. As I did not have the pleasure of working it last year in Newark, NJ, I do know from the stagehands who did, that it takes about a week to get everything back to “normal.” Aside from getting the set out of there, they also have to reinstall seats and return the building to the condition in which they found it, meaning any damage done to walls, etc must also be repaired. By the time the Christmas show starts AGT will be long forgotten, thank goodness.
i believe that Dolby sound, along with High Definition video broadcast) was installed during the last renovation.
Now that AGT is over may I assume the massive set they used is gone and the stage is once again “Great”
When did the Hall get Dolby Stereo installed?
New Show has website …not much info on it yet
http://www.heartandlights.com/
I guess everybody wanted to see Liz and Dick. It’s a common misconception that “Cleopatra” was a flop, but it was actually the biggest-grossing movie of its year. It just cost so much that it didn’t show a profit until its network TV sale, several years later.
The Hall’s own website does have a dedicated page for the new show – which the site page seems to refer to as the “Spring Show.” Right now, there’s little more than a form for one to leave their email address and cell phone, to be notified at some future date, once details regarding the show are made public. I presume we’ll find out ticket prices at that time.
I agree with NewYorker64, that the prices will likely be less than those for the Christmas Spectacular, but I’m not sure the difference will be quite as significant as 30-40%.
LOL. That site is a ticket brokerage, so they’re a bit inflated… just a bit(!). I suspect actual prices direct through RCMH will be 30%-40% off the Christmas show $$$.
Same here..
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I just checked ticket prices — Zone A (up front) are only $651. each.
Put me down for two!
Thanks for the update rcdt55b please keep us informed. It’s comforting to think that with film pretty much toast that the Hall would find use for it. Not surprised projector#5 wont be put back since you still have 4
The United States is not the world.
There is no online video market in China, India, Russia or any of the biggest movie-going markets in the world. Americans need to stop thinking this is 1949 and television is a problem. It’s just no longer about us.
For me there was nothing grander than seeing a movie at Radio City with a stage show. In an earlier post I said it seemed movies were on their last legs IN THEATRES. Even Spielberg and Lucas admitted as much: “Mr. Lucas predicted that blockbusters would eventually become big-ticket events, like ballgames and Broadway plays, and that the rest of the movie business would migrate to online video — a trend that’s already begun to happen. Mr. Spielberg offered a more radical vision. At a time of ubiquitous screens — video, movie and computer — he predicted an end to on-screen entertainment. Instead, he said he thought we’d have a kind of enveloping, wraparound entertainment.” NYtimes
Projector 5 will not be going back into place. We still have 4 other good ones so I think we’re okay. They do show the booth on the tours but they stay outside the doorway of the booth. It’s funny hearing some of the tour guide talk about the booth and projection. Most of them are very accurate, but some of them have no idea what they’re talking about.
As far as future projection goes, there are no upcoming movies. We did however do some extensive film testing for the upcoming “spring” show. There is a very good chance that we will be using film for it. Digital projectors will also be used.
I was watching “Born Yesterday” last night and Judy Holiday said while visiting the National Gallery that it was fancier than the Radio City Music Hall… I had to smile and think of you guys!
Your lips to Gods ears Bill
Mark/rcdt55b do they still have the tours and show the booth as part of that?
rcdt55b: I guess you can’t be more specific yet, but I hope you meant the Music Hall will soon be showing an actual movie again, and not just something projected for the Christmas show. Looking forward to the answer!
Hi Vito. My wife will be going back to the hall to work on the Christmas show again this year. Sure wish someday I could get to see this booth, but I know it will probably never happen. My movie days were over as of May. Digital you know, put me out of work. It sounds as if those projectors at the hall might be getting a workout soon. Lets hope…..
Mark movies will never die just the film we used to project them.
rcdtrrb you made my day with that comment please please keep us informed on what is going on. Did you ever put that 5th projector back removed for the digital effect projector?
Hey Vito. Don’t worry about the old projectors. We don’t cover them anymore. In fact, we started fixing up the 2 that haven’t been used for a long time. Looks like we may be using them soon……..
Movies on their last legs? Haven’t we heard that before? With record grosses world wide, a misstep with American audiences this summer is hardly a tragedy. We are simply no longer the major market for the industry. And you couldn’t near the theatres on 42nd street this past weekend with mobs crowding into mediocre titles.
Very good point Stanley well said. Of course those of us who go way back miss the movies at the Hall but it’s just not possible anymore. When I think of those projectors all covered in plastic it can be sad to accept. But the Music Hall lives and that is the important thing
Americas Got Talent has been a wonderful commercial for RCMH and what I think is so great is that Samuel Rothaphel’s original idea for this theatre has comes full circle. He designed the theatre as a “music hall” with acts of singers, choral groups, acrobats, dancers, comedians — and today that idea was fulfilled on the “Great Stage” with this TV show. Radio City Music Hall was never intended to be a movie theatre. And as you know Roxy’s “music hall” idea died without movies which were, at the time, the most popular entertainment of that day. So movies were put in with a stage show and it became the most successful theatre in history. Now, movies in theatres seem to be on their last legs and here is Radio City Music Hall doing what Roxy wanted it to be.
What’s so significant about a 71st anniversary? Big celebrations are usually reserved for 25th, 50th, 75th and 100th.