I worked the Syosset during that time and I believe Ed is correct.
“The Sound Of Music” was playing for what seemed like forever.
All we need now is for our resident 70mm expert Michael Coate to weigh in and make it official.
Yes Michael, you jogged my memory a bit. Since the first run Royal theatre closed sometime in 1982, it would have left Royal theatres with only the Marina twins in Waikiki and the downtown King twins, (The Queen was being leased to a porno circuit)As a result It makes sense then that Consolidated would have played some of the product that once ran exclusivly with the Royal circuit.
This booking pattern probably changed just about the time I left in December 1982. I recall speaking on the phone from New York to some of the people who had worked for Royal theatres telling me they had started working for Consolidated. If Scott B reads this he may have some info, otherwise I will get it all straightened out next time I speak to one of the boys in Hawaii. I am going to be making a few
calls soon and will let you know what I find out.
It now seems possible to me that Raiders did play the Cinerama or Waikiki 1-2-3. I doubt Raiders would have played the Marina Twins since they had only 300 seats on each side. Funny thing is, when Herman Rosen, who was CEO of Royal theatres, built the Marina in 1972, it became his baby and in spite of it’s size he would play all the big pictures there (Chinatown, Grease, Saturday Night Fever,
and King Kong amoung others, and leave the bigger Royal theatre to play the less important pictutes. Somehow I can’t imagine Consolidated continuing that policy.
Michael, Since “Raiders” was a Paramount movie it would have played the Royal theatrte circuit. Consolidated theatres owned the Cinerama so it could not have played there. I cannot recall which Royal theatre played the movie, however I can narrow it down for you. It had to have been either the Royal or the Marina Twins, of that I am sure. I recall we closed the Royal theatre right about that time so it may have already closed, which meant the movie played the Marina. I am close friends with the guy who was the projectionist at the Marina during that time, when I next speak with him I will ask him if “Raiders” played there or the Royal.
Meanwhile if you know wheather or not the the film played in 70mm it will mean it had to have played the Royal, since the Marina did not have 70mm. I will confirm soon, meanwhile Perhaps Scott B, was around then and knows the answer.
I suppose if the new hollywood wants to use the term Roadshow to describe what they are doing with Dreamgirls, we can’t do much to stop them. Those of us who know what a real roadshow is, also know the difference betwen the real thing and what is happening now. It may quack like a duck but it ain’t a duck.
In addition, I say what ever the industry can do to bring back a little of the ole hollywood is a welcome thing, just don’t call it a roadshow.
As for the $25.00, there a lot of folks willing and eager to pay that admission, which to some is a small price to pay to be one of the ones to see it first in the atmosphere of an opening night.
What better place, other than Radio City Music Hall, to do that than the Ziegfeld
David you make a good point.I only hope IMAX lasts, it is very expensive to install and the prints are expensive to make, upwards of $20,000 and double that for 3-D.
I wanted to add a comment on my last post.
I just wanted to say that Dreamgirls is a magnificent picture
with spectacular performances and music, just not what I would consider best of the year. It will no doubt follow Chicago’s lead and win a bunch of Oscars, perhaps even best picture, but then I did not think Chicago was the best picture in the year it one either.
This is NOT a roadshow. It’s just a movie being played twice a day.
accompanied by a booklet. I saw it and thought it was very good but hardly worth $25.00 I’ve even heard some say “best of the year”, sorry, not even close. Roadshow….Please, don’t get me started.
Yes Jason, it’s hard to believe that both those wonderful theatres are gone. But the same thing has happened all over Long Island, I still have fond memories of Freeport with the Grove and Freeport theatres. All the big houses are gone and the folks today have mostly only the tiny boxes to sit in to watch a movie. You mention Westbury, do you remember the Raceway Cinema? I worked there for the opening reserved seat hard ticket engagement of
“Thorouhlly Modern Millie"
Oh well, at least we have Cinema Treasures and our memories.
So they removed the Norelco projectors when the platter was installed. Originally when the theatre opened we had two late model Norelco projectors which had duel drive motors making them capable of running TODD-A0. The Syosset,which had the older model Norelco’s,was also TODD-AO capable. When the Syossett was triplexed the two Norelco 35/70 projectors were left intact in the upstairs #3 booth and Century 35mm projectors and Orcon platters were installed in the two downstairs theatres.
I am sorry veyoug, I have no memory of how large the screen was.
I recall opening the masking both top and side to the full D-150 size to show the staff how big the scren was.
Thanks RCDTJ, with the D-150 booth as small as it was I assume they removed one of the projectors? I did not care for the newer model Norelco projectors we had then.
Garth if you are talking about the black panels leading to the original lobby doors, they are security doors that have been there for a long time. I never see any work going on anymore, perhaps someday I will check around with the store front tenants to see what they may know. By the way, you are right, based on how the interior looked last time I was inside,it will never again be a theatre.
I also worked both theatres in the 60s and 70s, but only one at a time. I was also working at the time the Syosset was triplexed.
RCDTJ,when one man ran both theatres, did they installed a platter in the D-150 booth?. When I last worked the D-150 in early 1970,
(Dirty Dancing), for 35mm we used 6k reels, and for 70mm we mounted two 70mm reels on one reel which held about 5k.
By the way, is Bobby Gottschaulk still BA? He was a great guy.
RCDTJ,
Thanks for that info. I hope they continue with the 70mm and never switch to digital, as a projectionist for almost 30 years, before switching over to management, I always wanted to work the hall, but spent most of my early career working on Saten Island and Long Island theatres, as well as theares in Hawaii.
As I mentioned to REdres it has to be a thrill to look out that port and make a changeover with those thousands of people down there. I still remember during the 50s seeing those huge lines wrapped around the building and wondering how much fun working there had to be.
William some of my confusion about studios may have come from the fact that in Hawaii we had our own film exchanges. Studios would send prints to the exchange at Consolidated and Royal theatres on consignmrnt for as long as the prints played on the islands. We would examine, maintain and ship the prints from theatre to theatre on all the islands before returning them. In those days Royal theatres had exclusive run of all the Paramount, Disney, UA and Avco Embassy releases and Consolidated theatres played all the rest. Occassionally there was a move over from Consolidated to Royal as with the remake of “A Star Is Born” which played at Consolidated's
Waikiki #3 and then moved over to Royal’s Marina Twin #1. we installed 35mm four track mag sound at the Marina for the engagement.
Hello William, I thought the frantic call I received from Art Gordon mentioned Columbia, I should have said studio. Did you get our print?
I undederstand it was taken to a theatre in LA.
RCDTJ,Thanks for that info,I am fascinated by what you said about using all five projectors, and aht type of screen is used in the 3-D projection. Would you please elaborate on that? Tell us more please about your duties at RCMH
I hear what you are saying about the new LED scren and scenery, I know it’s progress but somethings are sometimes left better off alone. Which is why I hope they never stop using the 70mm film and start using digital projection.
Hi Michael, I left Hawaii in 1982 and was not there during the time you referred to. In 1978 I began working in the projection department for Consolidated theatres, and in 1979 I became head of the newly formed Sight and Sound division. My team consisted of two talented technicians, Sol Kam and Wesley Inouye, our goal was to bring a superior movie going experience to the people of Hawaii.
Sol, Wesley and I first teamed up to install the projection equipment for the Hilo triplex theatre in Hilo Hawaii. During the time we were not on the site working, Wesley and I would spend the evenings in our hotel planning ways to improve projection and sound in all the theatres in the circuit. Wesley was/is a brilliant sound technician and was responsible for all of the sound installations in Hawaii during my time there. I recall once complaining to Wesley of the sound quality coming from the anaquated sound system at Wakiki #3, Wesley went to work and made significant improvements, it was then that I knew what he was really capable of. When I left, several projects were on the drawing board including renovation of Waikiki #3 and upgrade of the sound system at the twins #1 and #2. I had already installed new Schneider lenses to the twins as well as new 55' curved screens and sidewall surround speakers. However I still was not satisfied with the stage speakers which were Altec A-4s. Wesley and I had heard about Klipsch speakers and we made arrangements to have one shipped to Hawaii for us to test out. We installed the speaker next to the existing Altec and installed a knife switch so we could switch back and fourth to make comparisons. I can still hear Sol Kam who was behind the screening switching back and fourth yelling “Klipsch†and then “Altec†so Wesley and I could compare the two. At that point Wesley and I knew immediately that we had to begin installing these speakers in our theatres. Shortly after I left Hawaii the renovation of #3 began, John Allen of High Performance Systems was brought in to work with Wesley on the installation of an HPS-4000 sound system, and 70mm was also installed.
Eventually I believe the same system was installed at the Twins as well. Basically the three theatres Waikiki 1-2-3 had arguably the best sound system to be heard anywhere. That should explain why you were so impressed with what you saw and heard. I will leave any other developments to my friend Scot B, who posts here from time to time, to elaborate on. Scott was part of the projection team after I left, and is a one-of-a-kind projectionist and knew his way around maintaining a projection booth, I can only imagine that Scott and Wesley must have made one heck-of-a team.
Why yes Peter, as a matter of fact I do; It’s in the attic along with my reel-end alarms and carbon savers. I gotta have something to remind me of the good ole days. I have a Griswald cold splicer and a B&H hot splicer as well.
Oh my Jeff, I laughed my butt off at those cue mark ideas, but you forgot razor blades which were great for scratching off the emulsion and was the tool of choice for a lot of guys; you sure brought back some nightmare memories from the past. I swear over the years I have seen everything you described. Some operators were butchers when it came to mutilating prints with all those cues. The only time I used a cue-scriber was to cue the trailers; I also added a two frame cue to the bottom right of the frame for my curtain cue. and THAT’S IT!
I pity the fool who relieved in my booth and altered the cues.
Congratulations Bill, you are our winner!
If you saw cue marks you were watching film. Absolutly
With so little reel-to-reel projection these days, I wonder how much longer the labs are going to be putting cues on the prints. Movie exibition pros like Peter Apruzzee may have to start added their own cues some day.
Thanks guys for your comments.
Trouble is, with the company I worked for, we regularly updated sound and picture format info to our bookers, they in turn would keep the studios up to date. The booking sheets/gross sheets for each screen in each location indicated seat counts, projection format (35mm/70mm/digital), as well as sound format, and still the ads were incorrect. I understand the point about moving prints from screen to screen during an engagement but the ads are often wrong from day one of an engagement.
Please, I don’t want to start a whole 10 page thread over this, and I promise this is the last time I am going to write about it, but
the communication between theatres/bookers/studios/newpapers is broken and has been for a long time, it goes back to when we ran 70mm on a regular basis and the ads did not indicate so.
I’m done, stick a fork in me.
Eric, I feel your pain, the news ads indicating sound format has been a sore spot for me for years. Before I retired I tried several times to find out who was responsible for correcrly marking sound formats for each theatre in an ad, but without much luck. Over the years I have seen check marks, stars, and all kinds of markings meant to coincide with a legend at the bottom of the ad which explains what they mean. In more cases than I care to count they were wrong. I have seen theatres marked for Dolby Digital in theatre that does not have that format. It’s as if someone in the newspaper ads department just guesses what symbol to put in. It seems very little care is taken to ensure accuracy in these matters.
Scott, it sure is good hearing from you, your recollection of the Star Wars run sounds about right. I had left the Cinerama just before Star Wars opened to run the new Pearlridge 4. I did not return to the Cinerama until I joined management in 1978 to become head of the Sight and Sound department with Wes and Sol.
It was then that I convinced CEO Art Gordon to bring more 70mm to Hawaii. Gordon was uninterested in 70mm, he did not think the people cared about it nor did he appreciate the advantages. But all that changed when I asked him to book “Fame†into the Cinerama in 70mm. I then asked Art to attend a dry run, it was then he changed his mind about 70mm, in fact he called me into his office and said, “you win, how many theatres can run 70mm �
Sometime in the early 80s Art began booking 70mm regularly at the Cinerama and Wakiki twins. We tried to get the 70mm at the Varsity up and running (Gordon wanted to move “Fame†over from the Cinerama), but the amplifiers were in very poor condition, and we never replaced them. By this time only the Cinerama, Waikiki twins and Royal were 70mm capable. The Kuhio had been twinned and the Norelco 70mm projectors were removed, (you may remember running “That’s Entertainment†there in 35mm four track mag). The Queen had 70mm but was being leased out by Royal Development and had turned into a porno house. I think the worst 70mm story at the Cinerama was “The Jazz Singerâ€; I was on vacation in New York when I received a call from Art Gordon, he told me Columbia was very upset with the 70mm projection at the Cinerama and was pulling the print to replace it with a 35mm version. The problem was, we suddenly had this influx of 70mm and very few projectionists who knew how to run it. Old lady Whittle, who was scheduling the projectionists, was putting everyone and anyone in to run theses shows to sometimes-disastrous results. By the time I got back to Hawaii the 70mm “Jazz Singer†print had been pulled and replaced with a 35mm print. I also recall getting an emergency call from one of the relief operators at the Cinerama telling me he could not get the sound to work. He went on to tell me he tried everything including changing the exciter lamp. I knew we were in trouble when he replaced the exciter lamp while running 70mm. I rushed over there only to find he had not threaded the magnetic penthouse and obviously did not know what he was doing. Soon after, I began holding 70mm training classes at the Royal theatre and things improved. I gotta tell you, in spite of all the problems, the bad outweighed the good, and I never regretted talking Art Gordon and Herman Rosen into bringing more 70mm to Hawaii.
I worked the Syosset during that time and I believe Ed is correct.
“The Sound Of Music” was playing for what seemed like forever.
All we need now is for our resident 70mm expert Michael Coate to weigh in and make it official.
Yes Michael, you jogged my memory a bit. Since the first run Royal theatre closed sometime in 1982, it would have left Royal theatres with only the Marina twins in Waikiki and the downtown King twins, (The Queen was being leased to a porno circuit)As a result It makes sense then that Consolidated would have played some of the product that once ran exclusivly with the Royal circuit.
This booking pattern probably changed just about the time I left in December 1982. I recall speaking on the phone from New York to some of the people who had worked for Royal theatres telling me they had started working for Consolidated. If Scott B reads this he may have some info, otherwise I will get it all straightened out next time I speak to one of the boys in Hawaii. I am going to be making a few
calls soon and will let you know what I find out.
It now seems possible to me that Raiders did play the Cinerama or Waikiki 1-2-3. I doubt Raiders would have played the Marina Twins since they had only 300 seats on each side. Funny thing is, when Herman Rosen, who was CEO of Royal theatres, built the Marina in 1972, it became his baby and in spite of it’s size he would play all the big pictures there (Chinatown, Grease, Saturday Night Fever,
and King Kong amoung others, and leave the bigger Royal theatre to play the less important pictutes. Somehow I can’t imagine Consolidated continuing that policy.
Michael, Since “Raiders” was a Paramount movie it would have played the Royal theatrte circuit. Consolidated theatres owned the Cinerama so it could not have played there. I cannot recall which Royal theatre played the movie, however I can narrow it down for you. It had to have been either the Royal or the Marina Twins, of that I am sure. I recall we closed the Royal theatre right about that time so it may have already closed, which meant the movie played the Marina. I am close friends with the guy who was the projectionist at the Marina during that time, when I next speak with him I will ask him if “Raiders” played there or the Royal.
Meanwhile if you know wheather or not the the film played in 70mm it will mean it had to have played the Royal, since the Marina did not have 70mm. I will confirm soon, meanwhile Perhaps Scott B, was around then and knows the answer.
I suppose if the new hollywood wants to use the term Roadshow to describe what they are doing with Dreamgirls, we can’t do much to stop them. Those of us who know what a real roadshow is, also know the difference betwen the real thing and what is happening now. It may quack like a duck but it ain’t a duck.
In addition, I say what ever the industry can do to bring back a little of the ole hollywood is a welcome thing, just don’t call it a roadshow.
As for the $25.00, there a lot of folks willing and eager to pay that admission, which to some is a small price to pay to be one of the ones to see it first in the atmosphere of an opening night.
What better place, other than Radio City Music Hall, to do that than the Ziegfeld
When I commented to an industry insider, “Are they kidding with this roadshow crap?” He smiled and said, “Let’s just see what happens”
David you make a good point.I only hope IMAX lasts, it is very expensive to install and the prints are expensive to make, upwards of $20,000 and double that for 3-D.
I wanted to add a comment on my last post.
I just wanted to say that Dreamgirls is a magnificent picture
with spectacular performances and music, just not what I would consider best of the year. It will no doubt follow Chicago’s lead and win a bunch of Oscars, perhaps even best picture, but then I did not think Chicago was the best picture in the year it one either.
This is NOT a roadshow. It’s just a movie being played twice a day.
accompanied by a booklet. I saw it and thought it was very good but hardly worth $25.00 I’ve even heard some say “best of the year”, sorry, not even close. Roadshow….Please, don’t get me started.
Yes Jason, it’s hard to believe that both those wonderful theatres are gone. But the same thing has happened all over Long Island, I still have fond memories of Freeport with the Grove and Freeport theatres. All the big houses are gone and the folks today have mostly only the tiny boxes to sit in to watch a movie. You mention Westbury, do you remember the Raceway Cinema? I worked there for the opening reserved seat hard ticket engagement of
“Thorouhlly Modern Millie"
Oh well, at least we have Cinema Treasures and our memories.
So they removed the Norelco projectors when the platter was installed. Originally when the theatre opened we had two late model Norelco projectors which had duel drive motors making them capable of running TODD-A0. The Syosset,which had the older model Norelco’s,was also TODD-AO capable. When the Syossett was triplexed the two Norelco 35/70 projectors were left intact in the upstairs #3 booth and Century 35mm projectors and Orcon platters were installed in the two downstairs theatres.
I am sorry veyoug, I have no memory of how large the screen was.
I recall opening the masking both top and side to the full D-150 size to show the staff how big the scren was.
Thanks RCDTJ, with the D-150 booth as small as it was I assume they removed one of the projectors? I did not care for the newer model Norelco projectors we had then.
Thanks RCDTJ I am happy to hear that. What an interesting
signs of changing times story
Garth if you are talking about the black panels leading to the original lobby doors, they are security doors that have been there for a long time. I never see any work going on anymore, perhaps someday I will check around with the store front tenants to see what they may know. By the way, you are right, based on how the interior looked last time I was inside,it will never again be a theatre.
I also worked both theatres in the 60s and 70s, but only one at a time. I was also working at the time the Syosset was triplexed.
RCDTJ,when one man ran both theatres, did they installed a platter in the D-150 booth?. When I last worked the D-150 in early 1970,
(Dirty Dancing), for 35mm we used 6k reels, and for 70mm we mounted two 70mm reels on one reel which held about 5k.
By the way, is Bobby Gottschaulk still BA? He was a great guy.
Since they went platter and eliminated the reel-to-reel operation, is it now a manager/operator house, or do they still use local 640 projectionists?
Sad picture, I wish some of those old theatres could been saved.
The Queen had a huge wall to wall curved screen and was was equiped to run 70mm.
RCDTJ,
Thanks for that info. I hope they continue with the 70mm and never switch to digital, as a projectionist for almost 30 years, before switching over to management, I always wanted to work the hall, but spent most of my early career working on Saten Island and Long Island theatres, as well as theares in Hawaii.
As I mentioned to REdres it has to be a thrill to look out that port and make a changeover with those thousands of people down there. I still remember during the 50s seeing those huge lines wrapped around the building and wondering how much fun working there had to be.
William some of my confusion about studios may have come from the fact that in Hawaii we had our own film exchanges. Studios would send prints to the exchange at Consolidated and Royal theatres on consignmrnt for as long as the prints played on the islands. We would examine, maintain and ship the prints from theatre to theatre on all the islands before returning them. In those days Royal theatres had exclusive run of all the Paramount, Disney, UA and Avco Embassy releases and Consolidated theatres played all the rest. Occassionally there was a move over from Consolidated to Royal as with the remake of “A Star Is Born” which played at Consolidated's
Waikiki #3 and then moved over to Royal’s Marina Twin #1. we installed 35mm four track mag sound at the Marina for the engagement.
Hello William, I thought the frantic call I received from Art Gordon mentioned Columbia, I should have said studio. Did you get our print?
I undederstand it was taken to a theatre in LA.
RCDTJ,Thanks for that info,I am fascinated by what you said about using all five projectors, and aht type of screen is used in the 3-D projection. Would you please elaborate on that? Tell us more please about your duties at RCMH
I hear what you are saying about the new LED scren and scenery, I know it’s progress but somethings are sometimes left better off alone. Which is why I hope they never stop using the 70mm film and start using digital projection.
Hi Michael, I left Hawaii in 1982 and was not there during the time you referred to. In 1978 I began working in the projection department for Consolidated theatres, and in 1979 I became head of the newly formed Sight and Sound division. My team consisted of two talented technicians, Sol Kam and Wesley Inouye, our goal was to bring a superior movie going experience to the people of Hawaii.
Sol, Wesley and I first teamed up to install the projection equipment for the Hilo triplex theatre in Hilo Hawaii. During the time we were not on the site working, Wesley and I would spend the evenings in our hotel planning ways to improve projection and sound in all the theatres in the circuit. Wesley was/is a brilliant sound technician and was responsible for all of the sound installations in Hawaii during my time there. I recall once complaining to Wesley of the sound quality coming from the anaquated sound system at Wakiki #3, Wesley went to work and made significant improvements, it was then that I knew what he was really capable of. When I left, several projects were on the drawing board including renovation of Waikiki #3 and upgrade of the sound system at the twins #1 and #2. I had already installed new Schneider lenses to the twins as well as new 55' curved screens and sidewall surround speakers. However I still was not satisfied with the stage speakers which were Altec A-4s. Wesley and I had heard about Klipsch speakers and we made arrangements to have one shipped to Hawaii for us to test out. We installed the speaker next to the existing Altec and installed a knife switch so we could switch back and fourth to make comparisons. I can still hear Sol Kam who was behind the screening switching back and fourth yelling “Klipsch†and then “Altec†so Wesley and I could compare the two. At that point Wesley and I knew immediately that we had to begin installing these speakers in our theatres. Shortly after I left Hawaii the renovation of #3 began, John Allen of High Performance Systems was brought in to work with Wesley on the installation of an HPS-4000 sound system, and 70mm was also installed.
Eventually I believe the same system was installed at the Twins as well. Basically the three theatres Waikiki 1-2-3 had arguably the best sound system to be heard anywhere. That should explain why you were so impressed with what you saw and heard. I will leave any other developments to my friend Scot B, who posts here from time to time, to elaborate on. Scott was part of the projection team after I left, and is a one-of-a-kind projectionist and knew his way around maintaining a projection booth, I can only imagine that Scott and Wesley must have made one heck-of-a team.
Why yes Peter, as a matter of fact I do; It’s in the attic along with my reel-end alarms and carbon savers. I gotta have something to remind me of the good ole days. I have a Griswald cold splicer and a B&H hot splicer as well.
Oh my Jeff, I laughed my butt off at those cue mark ideas, but you forgot razor blades which were great for scratching off the emulsion and was the tool of choice for a lot of guys; you sure brought back some nightmare memories from the past. I swear over the years I have seen everything you described. Some operators were butchers when it came to mutilating prints with all those cues. The only time I used a cue-scriber was to cue the trailers; I also added a two frame cue to the bottom right of the frame for my curtain cue. and THAT’S IT!
I pity the fool who relieved in my booth and altered the cues.
Congratulations Bill, you are our winner!
If you saw cue marks you were watching film. Absolutly
With so little reel-to-reel projection these days, I wonder how much longer the labs are going to be putting cues on the prints. Movie exibition pros like Peter Apruzzee may have to start added their own cues some day.
Thanks guys for your comments.
Trouble is, with the company I worked for, we regularly updated sound and picture format info to our bookers, they in turn would keep the studios up to date. The booking sheets/gross sheets for each screen in each location indicated seat counts, projection format (35mm/70mm/digital), as well as sound format, and still the ads were incorrect. I understand the point about moving prints from screen to screen during an engagement but the ads are often wrong from day one of an engagement.
Please, I don’t want to start a whole 10 page thread over this, and I promise this is the last time I am going to write about it, but
the communication between theatres/bookers/studios/newpapers is broken and has been for a long time, it goes back to when we ran 70mm on a regular basis and the ads did not indicate so.
I’m done, stick a fork in me.
Eric, I feel your pain, the news ads indicating sound format has been a sore spot for me for years. Before I retired I tried several times to find out who was responsible for correcrly marking sound formats for each theatre in an ad, but without much luck. Over the years I have seen check marks, stars, and all kinds of markings meant to coincide with a legend at the bottom of the ad which explains what they mean. In more cases than I care to count they were wrong. I have seen theatres marked for Dolby Digital in theatre that does not have that format. It’s as if someone in the newspaper ads department just guesses what symbol to put in. It seems very little care is taken to ensure accuracy in these matters.
Archhives, thanks for that very informative post
Scott, it sure is good hearing from you, your recollection of the Star Wars run sounds about right. I had left the Cinerama just before Star Wars opened to run the new Pearlridge 4. I did not return to the Cinerama until I joined management in 1978 to become head of the Sight and Sound department with Wes and Sol.
It was then that I convinced CEO Art Gordon to bring more 70mm to Hawaii. Gordon was uninterested in 70mm, he did not think the people cared about it nor did he appreciate the advantages. But all that changed when I asked him to book “Fame†into the Cinerama in 70mm. I then asked Art to attend a dry run, it was then he changed his mind about 70mm, in fact he called me into his office and said, “you win, how many theatres can run 70mm �
Sometime in the early 80s Art began booking 70mm regularly at the Cinerama and Wakiki twins. We tried to get the 70mm at the Varsity up and running (Gordon wanted to move “Fame†over from the Cinerama), but the amplifiers were in very poor condition, and we never replaced them. By this time only the Cinerama, Waikiki twins and Royal were 70mm capable. The Kuhio had been twinned and the Norelco 70mm projectors were removed, (you may remember running “That’s Entertainment†there in 35mm four track mag). The Queen had 70mm but was being leased out by Royal Development and had turned into a porno house. I think the worst 70mm story at the Cinerama was “The Jazz Singerâ€; I was on vacation in New York when I received a call from Art Gordon, he told me Columbia was very upset with the 70mm projection at the Cinerama and was pulling the print to replace it with a 35mm version. The problem was, we suddenly had this influx of 70mm and very few projectionists who knew how to run it. Old lady Whittle, who was scheduling the projectionists, was putting everyone and anyone in to run theses shows to sometimes-disastrous results. By the time I got back to Hawaii the 70mm “Jazz Singer†print had been pulled and replaced with a 35mm print. I also recall getting an emergency call from one of the relief operators at the Cinerama telling me he could not get the sound to work. He went on to tell me he tried everything including changing the exciter lamp. I knew we were in trouble when he replaced the exciter lamp while running 70mm. I rushed over there only to find he had not threaded the magnetic penthouse and obviously did not know what he was doing. Soon after, I began holding 70mm training classes at the Royal theatre and things improved. I gotta tell you, in spite of all the problems, the bad outweighed the good, and I never regretted talking Art Gordon and Herman Rosen into bringing more 70mm to Hawaii.