All this discussion of STAR WARS brings back a lot of memories.
I worked for Plitt Theaters during the time that the original STAR WARS trilogy of movies were made. It’s interesting that different memories exist on the precise presentation method used and FWIW I’ll throw in my own two cents.
Our prime houses in Chicago, Los Angeles, Salt Lake and Phoenix were a part of the initial break around Memorial Day of 1977, but my recollection is that stereo presentations were heard only in our Los Angeles and Chicago houses. The other theaters had to wait until Dolby could manufacture additional cinema processors.
Orders went through the roof when STAR WARS came on the scene, especially for the CP 100 model which could do the full blown six channel magnetic and is what we ordered for several of our houses, but it took quite a while for Dolby to get these units made and installed. I don’t have any dates, but our prime houses other than L.A. and Chicago that had booked STAR WARS would have probably started showing it with a stereo track a few months into the booking. At some point I know Phoenix started running a 70mm print as did our house in SLC and I think a second venue in L.A.. I remember in SLC the local paper wrote a big article about us when we finally got the CP 100 installed and received a 70mm stereo print. Wow…what an experience!
All this discussion of STAR WARS brings back a lot of memories.
I worked for Plitt Theaters during the time that the original STAR WARS trilogy of movies were made. It’s interesting that different memories exist on the precise presentation method used and FWIW I’ll throw in my own two cents.
Our prime houses in Chicago, Los Angeles, Salt Lake and Phoenix were a part of the initial break around Memorial Day of 1977, but my recollection is that stereo presentations were heard only in our Los Angeles and Chicago houses. The other theaters had to wait until Dolby could manufacture additional cinema processors.
Orders went through the roof when STAR WARS came on the scene, especially for the CP 100 model which could do the full blown six channel magnetic and is what we ordered for several of our houses, but it took quite a while for Dolby to get these units made and installed. I don’t have any dates, but our prime houses other than L.A. and Chicago that had booked STAR WARS would have probably started showing it with a stereo track a few months into the booking. At some point I know Phoenix started running a 70mm print as did our house in SLC and I think a second venue in L.A.. I remember in SLC the local paper wrote a big article about us when we finally got the CP 100 installed and received a 70mm stereo print. Wow…what an experience!