Comments from layton90210

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layton90210
layton90210 commented about Roxy Theatre on Jul 27, 2008 at 12:19 pm

I read recently in a Christian Science Monitor article that “stereoscopic” Natural Vision pictures were due to be shown at the opening of the Roxy in March 1927. Last year on this site nj-girl quoted from the opening night program and described the Natural Vision projectors installed in the projection booth of the Roxy.

Does anyone know if any Natural Vision pictures were actually shown on the opening night and if so what? I only know of one Natural Vision short made up until this point which was of Niagara Falls and I only know of screenings in Chicago.

layton90210
layton90210 commented about State-Lake Theatre on Feb 29, 2008 at 6:51 pm

I believe this article makes a big mistake by assuming that this first Natural Vision process (not the 50s one) is 3D. I don’t think it ever was. It was always a wide screen process using 63mm (or 63.5mm to be more correct) wide film. The ‘Wide Screen Movies’ book I made reference to earlier is renowned for its mistakes and inaccuracies too.

Just found some new info on the in70mm.com website, which I imagine is more correct.

“RKO´s ”Danger Lights“ [was] presented in Natural Vision at the State Lake Theatre in Chicago on November 15, 1930. The 63,5mm picture film ran at 20 f.p.s. while the sound was carried on a separate 35mm film at 24 f.p.s. The screen was 46x27 ft.

The only other showing of “Danger Lights” in wide format was a few weeks later at the Mayfair, NYC from December 12, 1930 using the same projection equipment."

layton90210
layton90210 commented about State-Lake Theatre on Feb 29, 2008 at 5:48 pm

In the book ‘Wide Screen Movies’ by Robert E. Carr & R.M. Hayes they mention that State-Lake was the only cinema in the country ever set up with projection equipment to screen the 63mm wide gauge film process Natural Vision.

They state that the short ‘Campus Sweethearts’ played from 12th February 1929 at the cinema in 63mm. Also that the RKO feature film ‘Danger Lights’ screened in large format from 14th December 1930. This is the only source I know of that mentions about these 63mm performances. Other sources state that these films were shot on 63mm but were only exhibited on regular 35mm, not in widescreen. Does anyone know further about this or any otherwise?

Natural Vision projected a 63mm wide picture film with no soundtrack and was synchronized with a separate strip of 35mm film with optical sound using the RCA Photophone system.