Not such a good installation of Screen X. The main center screen is way too small. Would have looked much better If they had put in on a wider auditorium with a good CinemaScope wide screen. The side wall screens are too slanted up. These theatres put in new big fancy seats but they loose seats from the past installation and for a popular film they sell out fast.
Too bad these theatres don’t mention anything about If it is shown in 70mm with 6 track stereophonic sound in the ad. Many cinemas advertised It was the roadshow version but just played the film in 35mm with mono sound. Thanks Grind for the ad.
Thanks DB I was lucky to see this film in 70mm with 6 track magnetic stereophonic sound at the UA Hollywood Egyptian Theatre as a kid with my grandmother. Then the next day we went down to the ‘Hollywood Warner Cinerama Theatre’ to see another reserved seat Cinerama movie ‘South Seas Adventure’. A great time in Hollywood I will never forget. The Egyptian Theatre is still open but with a semi small flat screen with curtains they seldom even use. The ‘Warner Hollywood Cinerama Theatre’ just sits closed up with It’s huge Cinerama curved screen and curtains taken down. Many older Cinerama theatres played Ben Hur in 70mm on the Cinerama screens as they had run out of Cinerama films to play in 1959.
I don’t think it was shown in the Cinemiracle process or Cinerama at the Fox Inglewood Probably a scope print with all three sections in 4 track mag sound? Maybe It played here after It left the Chinese Hollywood Theatre with 3 projectors?
Must have had a small screen with the looks of the former backstage add on section (2025) These behind the theatre extra space add on buildings usually had the mono speaker and a backstage exit door. Not much room for 3 speakers R L C for stereo.
This was the 70mm blow up from the original 3 strip ‘Cinerama’ 35mm film. It looked so bad when the three lines crossed over. Most of these theatres playing the new blow up 70mm stereo 6 track sound version just projected the new image on a flat screen. So It was not a true curved ‘Cinerama’ screen. Many people that saw the first Cinerama movie left and were shocked to see this new movie, they tried to get a refund at the box office. A ‘Pacific Theatres’ Forman Bros ripoff! I wonder how many of these 70mm theatres that showed this ‘Cinerama’ is back 70mm print had a true deep curved 70mm or Cinerama screen? Did any of you here on CT ever see this 70mm Cinerama print was It shown flat or curved were you watched It?
Looks like not such a good screen for watching a wide scope movie. Great for 1.85. Screen put in so low to the ground they must have had a good slant angle on the pavement lot for the cars. Thanks 50’s for the photo.
Screen X is a neat system. Not as good and Cinerama was. The problem It must be put in a new build cinema to look the best. If ‘Screen X’ goes into a old auditorium that has side exits or stereo surround speakers on the mid side walls the projected image will hit them. The surround speakers need to be moved way high up on the ceiling and pointed down. You cant just paint the side walls white and project a clear image. Another problem If you don’t have a wide screen flat or curved on the front stage part when you show a movie that is not in scope the front image will not connect to the two side effect images. Main front white screen will show a 1.85 image if the screen is not wide. The two side images come on only part of a movie and the side wall image is not as clear or bright as the main DCP screen image. You will see in this image that a exit is showing on the right side of the side screen. Thanks Cinemark for the photo.
This was my first 3D movie I watched at the Golden State/United California Theatres ‘Fruitvale Theatre’ on East 14th St in Oakland CA in 1953. I now have the Blu Ray restored version and looks great on my 3D TV. Nice image when he snake comes off the screen. Thanks film for the ad image. The Fruitvale sat closed after many years and now It is gone.
The neon marquee is still up but no Cinerama logo. The Warner Hollywood Cinerama Theatre just sits empty year after year. Pacific Theatres needs to lease this Hollywood Blvd ex Cinerama Theatre out like they have done with the Cinerama Dome Hollywood.
The Metro Theatre did not run many 70mm roadshow films like the UA Coronet or Alexandria Theatres did. I can’t remember any? More of a big neighborhood type movie theatre. Now a gym but they did save the neon marquee.
For many years when you were about to land at night at the SF airport you could see the movies playing here. Owned by the Syufy family. They still have many of their old drive-in theatres going under the ‘Westwind Theatres’ name. Concord CA, San Jose CA, Sparks NV and many other cities. The Syufy family had many other outdoor theatre and they turned the lots into malls. Big income for them now. The sold most of their indoor Century screens to Cinemark. The only indoor cinema they run is the just remodeled Westwind Santa Cruz 9 in downtown Santa Cruz CA formally leased to Regal Theatres. Regal just locked the doors and left town.
I worked for ‘Jack McDougall’ the manager of the ‘Fox Oakland Theatre’ Now that he has passed so many years ago I will tell you he was very sneaky. Put us kids working at the ‘Fox Oakland’ on the National General Corp Fox West Coast Theatres weekly pay invoice when we worked also at the theatre as he had many of us weed and do garden/water work around his Piedmont home.‘Jack’ also had us collect the used popcorn & drink box’s so he could re use them. He got refreshment commission sales from (FWC). Can you imagine something like that going on today health wise! He ran the ‘Fox’ cheap, turned off all the neon lights early plus cut back on any extra lights in the lobby. This was in the mid 1960’s. The head people at (FWC) could not figure how he ran such a huge movie palace so cheap. When ‘Jack’ left for a dinner break we turned all the lights back on!
Competition for the Cinerama company ‘Cinemiracle’ only played in a few movie theatres in the USA like the Roxy NYC & Hollywood Chinese Theatre plus a place in Chicago. A little better system then Cinerama. The Cinerama owners bought the rights and just showed It in all the Cinerama Theatres. No more Cinemiracle films were ever made again. Stanley Warner Cinerama needed new product so this worked out for them before ‘How The West Was One’ & ‘Brothers Grim’ opened. Then Cinerama switched over to just one Super 70mm Cinerama projector with ‘Mad World’ in the mid 60’s. The big Cinerama curved screens were made a little smaller for ‘Mad World’ on the bottom sides in many Cinerama houses when they put in 70mm Super Cinerama. Many union projectionists lost their jobs in each old Cinerama 3 projector house.
The neon marquee was re painted and re tubed when the ‘Borders Book Store’ took over the closed Varsity Theatre many years ago. Now they are long gone and the lobby coffee place is about to leave the ‘Varsity’. The book store wanted to take down the neon sign marquee but many local people fought to save It from the wreckers ball. The senior housing place next door complained about the loud music or movie sound when It was playing films. Maybe they can re open and just play old silent movies? Doubt people would attend. Just needs some good soundproofing inside and open playing classic movies and film festivals plus live stage events. The Stanford students nearby would attend.
This downstairs ‘Grand Lake’ Theatre #1 new built from many years ago projection room booth reminds me of the three projector ‘Cinerama’ booths they had to build in the back of all the ‘Cinerama’ houses in 1953/54. The road show theatres had the middle one like this one and had to put two more 35mm projectors on a angle in the back corners of each theatre. I remember they must have had good soundproofing as you never heard the projectors running just like at the ‘Fox Grand Lake Theatre’ The downstairs projection rooms had a good direct view of the screen not much keystone effect curved or flat like from way hi up above the balcony were most theatres had their projection equipment. ‘Todd-AO’ had a special lens for some 70mm ‘Todd-AO’ theatres used when they projected down from way high up to correct for the curved screen distance keystone look. I wish the ‘Grand Lake’ had put in the D-150 curved screen system in the late 1960’s. ‘Fox West Coast Theatres’ had looked into It for the ‘Grand Lake’ but never did. Some of the side stage sections would have to be removed. I don’t think they liked buying It from ‘UA Theatres’ then renting the D-150 lens each time they ran a 70mm film and projected with the big D-150 screen size. Now we are stuck with a wide semi large flat screen at the GL.
Louis Sher was a showman. He hired my friend ‘Les Natali’ as a manager and they opened the ‘Presidio Theatre’ in San Francisco CA playing ‘Deep Throat’ and made a ton of money. The neighbors did not like It. That movie theatre is still open with MR Lee owning It. MR Sher produced and ran many adult theatres across the USA. ‘Les’ is still around the San Francisco area owning many bars and night clubs. He did manage ‘Charles Pierce’ for a time and did a big show at ‘Bimbos’ night club in SF in the 1970’s with Charles. You don’t find movie theatre operators around like ‘Louis Sher’ these days. Another good friend of mine was the late ‘Shan Sayles’ He also like ‘Louie’ produced adult films and owned many adult cinemas that ran 16mm loop films then VHS tapes. I have many of Shan’s neon theatre lights from his many theatres. One of my first photo jobs was in the early 1970s’s when Shan’s ‘Paris Theatre’ burnt down in LA and I had to go down and do photos of the damage for him. Very scary as a young kid to climb up the broken exit yellow caution tape stair case outside and shoot down on the burnt collapsed roof to the inside of this huge adult/art type theatre. I still have the LA Times front page photo and article the next day It read ‘Is Paris Burning’
If they ever re open as a theatre again It will need a ton of sound proofing inside as the rich old retire gang next door will always complain about the sound noise again like before. Their expensive hearing aids are turned too far up I think. Not too many loud street music people on University Ave in toney downtown Palo Alto to bother them like in Berkeley CA. Give them some free movie tickets next time to shut them up!
In this inside photo of the former ‘Fox West Coast Varsity Theatre’ you can see up in on the tall ceiling where one of the round air ac vents are located and at one time deco light fixtures once hung with multi color effect bulbs. All fixtures were stolen or tossed out during the many remodel jobs this cinema had over the years. Both on the side walls and up in the loge/balcony area every deco glass light is gone. Some private person In the area I bet has these classic deco ‘Varsity’ lamp lights in their private home. I have never seen them in any local antique store. I doubt the remodel worker construction
companies got rid of them in the dumpster. Same down the street most all of the original deco glass lights are now missing from he popular ‘Stanford Theatre’ The ones they have now have a cheap paper look to them.
Kind of dark and gloomy. Needs some color lights on the side walls. Thanks Kino for the image
Not such a good installation of Screen X. The main center screen is way too small. Would have looked much better If they had put in on a wider auditorium with a good CinemaScope wide screen. The side wall screens are too slanted up. These theatres put in new big fancy seats but they loose seats from the past installation and for a popular film they sell out fast.
Thanks 50 great curved screen. I wonder If they have curtains that work?
Too bad these theatres don’t mention anything about If it is shown in 70mm with 6 track stereophonic sound in the ad. Many cinemas advertised It was the roadshow version but just played the film in 35mm with mono sound. Thanks Grind for the ad.
Thanks DB I was lucky to see this film in 70mm with 6 track magnetic stereophonic sound at the UA Hollywood Egyptian Theatre as a kid with my grandmother. Then the next day we went down to the ‘Hollywood Warner Cinerama Theatre’ to see another reserved seat Cinerama movie ‘South Seas Adventure’. A great time in Hollywood I will never forget. The Egyptian Theatre is still open but with a semi small flat screen with curtains they seldom even use. The ‘Warner Hollywood Cinerama Theatre’ just sits closed up with It’s huge Cinerama curved screen and curtains taken down. Many older Cinerama theatres played Ben Hur in 70mm on the Cinerama screens as they had run out of Cinerama films to play in 1959.
I don’t think it was shown in the Cinemiracle process or Cinerama at the Fox Inglewood Probably a scope print with all three sections in 4 track mag sound? Maybe It played here after It left the Chinese Hollywood Theatre with 3 projectors?
Great popcorn at the Orinda Theatre!
Must have had a small screen with the looks of the former backstage add on section (2025) These behind the theatre extra space add on buildings usually had the mono speaker and a backstage exit door. Not much room for 3 speakers R L C for stereo.
This was the 70mm blow up from the original 3 strip ‘Cinerama’ 35mm film. It looked so bad when the three lines crossed over. Most of these theatres playing the new blow up 70mm stereo 6 track sound version just projected the new image on a flat screen. So It was not a true curved ‘Cinerama’ screen. Many people that saw the first Cinerama movie left and were shocked to see this new movie, they tried to get a refund at the box office. A ‘Pacific Theatres’ Forman Bros ripoff! I wonder how many of these 70mm theatres that showed this ‘Cinerama’ is back 70mm print had a true deep curved 70mm or Cinerama screen? Did any of you here on CT ever see this 70mm Cinerama print was It shown flat or curved were you watched It?
So nice they mentioned 4 track magnetic stereophonic sound in the ad. Thanks db for the ad.
Looks like not such a good screen for watching a wide scope movie. Great for 1.85. Screen put in so low to the ground they must have had a good slant angle on the pavement lot for the cars. Thanks 50’s for the photo.
Screen X is a neat system. Not as good and Cinerama was. The problem It must be put in a new build cinema to look the best. If ‘Screen X’ goes into a old auditorium that has side exits or stereo surround speakers on the mid side walls the projected image will hit them. The surround speakers need to be moved way high up on the ceiling and pointed down. You cant just paint the side walls white and project a clear image. Another problem If you don’t have a wide screen flat or curved on the front stage part when you show a movie that is not in scope the front image will not connect to the two side effect images. Main front white screen will show a 1.85 image if the screen is not wide. The two side images come on only part of a movie and the side wall image is not as clear or bright as the main DCP screen image. You will see in this image that a exit is showing on the right side of the side screen. Thanks Cinemark for the photo.
This was my first 3D movie I watched at the Golden State/United California Theatres ‘Fruitvale Theatre’ on East 14th St in Oakland CA in 1953. I now have the Blu Ray restored version and looks great on my 3D TV. Nice image when he snake comes off the screen. Thanks film for the ad image. The Fruitvale sat closed after many years and now It is gone.
The neon marquee is still up but no Cinerama logo. The Warner Hollywood Cinerama Theatre just sits empty year after year. Pacific Theatres needs to lease this Hollywood Blvd ex Cinerama Theatre out like they have done with the Cinerama Dome Hollywood.
The Metro Theatre did not run many 70mm roadshow films like the UA Coronet or Alexandria Theatres did. I can’t remember any? More of a big neighborhood type movie theatre. Now a gym but they did save the neon marquee.
For many years when you were about to land at night at the SF airport you could see the movies playing here. Owned by the Syufy family. They still have many of their old drive-in theatres going under the ‘Westwind Theatres’ name. Concord CA, San Jose CA, Sparks NV and many other cities. The Syufy family had many other outdoor theatre and they turned the lots into malls. Big income for them now. The sold most of their indoor Century screens to Cinemark. The only indoor cinema they run is the just remodeled Westwind Santa Cruz 9 in downtown Santa Cruz CA formally leased to Regal Theatres. Regal just locked the doors and left town.
Sorry this is the lobby of the Fox Varsity Theatre not the Stanford down the street. -Terry
I worked for ‘Jack McDougall’ the manager of the ‘Fox Oakland Theatre’ Now that he has passed so many years ago I will tell you he was very sneaky. Put us kids working at the ‘Fox Oakland’ on the National General Corp Fox West Coast Theatres weekly pay invoice when we worked also at the theatre as he had many of us weed and do garden/water work around his Piedmont home.‘Jack’ also had us collect the used popcorn & drink box’s so he could re use them. He got refreshment commission sales from (FWC). Can you imagine something like that going on today health wise! He ran the ‘Fox’ cheap, turned off all the neon lights early plus cut back on any extra lights in the lobby. This was in the mid 1960’s. The head people at (FWC) could not figure how he ran such a huge movie palace so cheap. When ‘Jack’ left for a dinner break we turned all the lights back on!
Check out the glass display case in the side lobby at the ‘Grand Lake Theatre’. Many old treasures from It’s ‘Fox West Coast’ days.
Competition for the Cinerama company ‘Cinemiracle’ only played in a few movie theatres in the USA like the Roxy NYC & Hollywood Chinese Theatre plus a place in Chicago. A little better system then Cinerama. The Cinerama owners bought the rights and just showed It in all the Cinerama Theatres. No more Cinemiracle films were ever made again. Stanley Warner Cinerama needed new product so this worked out for them before ‘How The West Was One’ & ‘Brothers Grim’ opened. Then Cinerama switched over to just one Super 70mm Cinerama projector with ‘Mad World’ in the mid 60’s. The big Cinerama curved screens were made a little smaller for ‘Mad World’ on the bottom sides in many Cinerama houses when they put in 70mm Super Cinerama. Many union projectionists lost their jobs in each old Cinerama 3 projector house.
The neon marquee was re painted and re tubed when the ‘Borders Book Store’ took over the closed Varsity Theatre many years ago. Now they are long gone and the lobby coffee place is about to leave the ‘Varsity’. The book store wanted to take down the neon sign marquee but many local people fought to save It from the wreckers ball. The senior housing place next door complained about the loud music or movie sound when It was playing films. Maybe they can re open and just play old silent movies? Doubt people would attend. Just needs some good soundproofing inside and open playing classic movies and film festivals plus live stage events. The Stanford students nearby would attend.
This downstairs ‘Grand Lake’ Theatre #1 new built from many years ago projection room booth reminds me of the three projector ‘Cinerama’ booths they had to build in the back of all the ‘Cinerama’ houses in 1953/54. The road show theatres had the middle one like this one and had to put two more 35mm projectors on a angle in the back corners of each theatre. I remember they must have had good soundproofing as you never heard the projectors running just like at the ‘Fox Grand Lake Theatre’ The downstairs projection rooms had a good direct view of the screen not much keystone effect curved or flat like from way hi up above the balcony were most theatres had their projection equipment. ‘Todd-AO’ had a special lens for some 70mm ‘Todd-AO’ theatres used when they projected down from way high up to correct for the curved screen distance keystone look. I wish the ‘Grand Lake’ had put in the D-150 curved screen system in the late 1960’s. ‘Fox West Coast Theatres’ had looked into It for the ‘Grand Lake’ but never did. Some of the side stage sections would have to be removed. I don’t think they liked buying It from ‘UA Theatres’ then renting the D-150 lens each time they ran a 70mm film and projected with the big D-150 screen size. Now we are stuck with a wide semi large flat screen at the GL.
Louis Sher was a showman. He hired my friend ‘Les Natali’ as a manager and they opened the ‘Presidio Theatre’ in San Francisco CA playing ‘Deep Throat’ and made a ton of money. The neighbors did not like It. That movie theatre is still open with MR Lee owning It. MR Sher produced and ran many adult theatres across the USA. ‘Les’ is still around the San Francisco area owning many bars and night clubs. He did manage ‘Charles Pierce’ for a time and did a big show at ‘Bimbos’ night club in SF in the 1970’s with Charles. You don’t find movie theatre operators around like ‘Louis Sher’ these days. Another good friend of mine was the late ‘Shan Sayles’ He also like ‘Louie’ produced adult films and owned many adult cinemas that ran 16mm loop films then VHS tapes. I have many of Shan’s neon theatre lights from his many theatres. One of my first photo jobs was in the early 1970s’s when Shan’s ‘Paris Theatre’ burnt down in LA and I had to go down and do photos of the damage for him. Very scary as a young kid to climb up the broken exit yellow caution tape stair case outside and shoot down on the burnt collapsed roof to the inside of this huge adult/art type theatre. I still have the LA Times front page photo and article the next day It read ‘Is Paris Burning’
If they ever re open as a theatre again It will need a ton of sound proofing inside as the rich old retire gang next door will always complain about the sound noise again like before. Their expensive hearing aids are turned too far up I think. Not too many loud street music people on University Ave in toney downtown Palo Alto to bother them like in Berkeley CA. Give them some free movie tickets next time to shut them up!
In this inside photo of the former ‘Fox West Coast Varsity Theatre’ you can see up in on the tall ceiling where one of the round air ac vents are located and at one time deco light fixtures once hung with multi color effect bulbs. All fixtures were stolen or tossed out during the many remodel jobs this cinema had over the years. Both on the side walls and up in the loge/balcony area every deco glass light is gone. Some private person In the area I bet has these classic deco ‘Varsity’ lamp lights in their private home. I have never seen them in any local antique store. I doubt the remodel worker construction companies got rid of them in the dumpster. Same down the street most all of the original deco glass lights are now missing from he popular ‘Stanford Theatre’ The ones they have now have a cheap paper look to them.