Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: This Is Cinerama at the Dome

my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

»	Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE » Community » Film-Yak » This Is Cinerama at the Dome

Author

Topic: This Is Cinerama at the Dome

Dick Vaughan
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1032
From: Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 07-23-2002 03:05 AM

Just heard that the three strip print of This Is Cinerama is being screened at The Cinerama Dome for a week from October 4th. Tickets should go on sale at the end of this week.

September 30th is the actual 50th anniversary of the premiere screening in New York . Not sure if they are holding any special event on that date.
Shameless plug warning! You can of course see This Is Cinerama on the first Saturday of every month in Bradford.

| IP: Logged

Mark Ogden
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 943
From: Little Falls, N.J.
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-23-2002 06:42 AM

The new 70mm DTS print of Lawrence of Arabia will play from 9/20 until 10/4 at the Dome, which will cross over that date.

| IP: Logged

Richard Fowler
Film God

Posts: 2392
From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA
Registered: Jun 2001

posted 07-23-2002 06:59 AM

Some of the Cinerama techs are still around, such as Andy Marglin the still very active owner of Kelmar Systems, the "widget" maker for many manufacturers in our industry. He was working for them at the age of most of the people on this site ( older than Josh, younger than me )....so there is hope that film done right. I first saw Cinerama when I was 12 years old and it blew me away.
Richard Fowler
TVP-Theatre & Video Products Inc. www.tvpmiami.com

| IP: Logged

Tony Ratcliff
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 216
From: Madison, IN, USA
Registered: Mar 2002

posted 07-23-2002 12:47 PM

Dick,
Is your theatre the one that John Harvey went over to help set up?

Last I heard John was involved in getting the Seattle Cinerama (Paul Allen's) theatre going again.

I had the priviledge of seeing "How the West Was Won" in John Harvey's set up in his house.

Tony Ratcliff

| IP: Logged

Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)

Posts: 28608
From: New York City & Newport, RI
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 07-23-2002 01:11 PM

In 1964 at the New York World's Fair I managed the Cinerama Dome with the show "To The Moon and Beyond" At that time I reported to Howard Minsky who was the Excutive Vice President of Cinerama. This was a single projector carbon arc installed so the dripping from the carbon would not hit the reflector. Well I think we bought about eight reflectors a week. Jayne Mansfielf married Mickey Haggarty on top of the Cinerama Dome. Some Great Memories.

Andy Marglin installed a Cinerama screen and projector in Harrisburg in September 1966 for Trans-Lux.

Lots of great memories.

The Cinerama Public Relations VP was Arthur Manson who presently lives in the Bronx and is a good friend.

| IP: Logged

John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 07-23-2002 02:02 PM

Andy Marglin has fascinating stories to tell of his days with Cinerama.

Bob: I supplied Marty Hart's American Widescreen Museum some information and photos of the Cinerama Inc. production "To the Moon and Beyond" that was shown at the 1964 World's Fair:
http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/widescreen/wingcr6.htm

(Is that you in the hat on the escalator? )

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: +1 585 477 5325 Cell: +1 585 781 4036 Fax: +1 585 722 7243
e-mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

| IP: Logged

Adam Martin
I'm not even gonna point out the irony.

Posts: 3686
From: Dallas, TX
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 07-23-2002 03:44 PM

That's not an escalator, that's a moving stairway! Is this the same Graphic Films that does large format production work today?

| IP: Logged

Bob Maar
(Maar stands for Maartini)

Posts: 28608
From: New York City & Newport, RI
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 07-23-2002 05:06 PM

John, What a treat - Thanks so much for a trip to the past. It is hard to believe that over 39 years have gone by so quick. I had forgotten about the involvement of KLM with the show. They paid for a majority of the construction of the Dome and were active in the presentation. I was fortunate in 1963 for in addition to managing the Cinerama Dome for Cinerama, I was also the manager of "The American Journey" exhibit which took up the top floor of the United States Pavilion. The show had traveling stadium seating cars that sat 58 people. There were 10 stadiums moving around the top pf the building. Screens popped out of the walls and down from the ceiling. Want to talk about a maintenence nightmare.

We would go to work at 8AM and leave at 3AM and I would not trade the experience or change a thing.

Once again John, thanks for the trip back in time.

P.S. The guy in the hat is standing on my back.

| IP: Logged

Dick Vaughan
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1032
From: Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 07-24-2002 03:56 AM

Adam
Yes it is the same Graphic Films. Lester Novros produced To The Moon and Beyond .

See the LFCA press release at http://lfca.org/Pressreleases/990500novrel.html for a resumee of his career.

Tony

Yes John Harvey came across here back in '93 and along with Willem Bouwmeester helped us set up the Cinerama in Bradford

| IP: Logged

Richard Fowler
Film God

Posts: 2392
From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA
Registered: Jun 2001

posted 07-24-2002 07:09 AM

Had the preasure of working with Graphic films on a production for a museum in Key Biscayne Florida which we supplied the projection system in the early 1970's. The screening room they had at the time for 70mm sat four people and was less than 12 feet deep. John Dykestra, the man who later did special effects for Star Wars did work for them, models and effects ( which also involved our show ). Our projection system was also a test site for the Lavezzi VKF sprocket since our system ran non-stop ( film loop cabinet ) 8 to 10 hours a day, six days a week.
Richard Fowler
TVP-theatre & Video Products Inc. www.tvpmiami.com

| IP: Logged

Bernard Tonks
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 619
From: Cranleigh, Surrey, England
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 07-24-2002 10:58 AM

I must make the effort to see “This Is Cinerama” again. What an awesome experience it was for me 50 years ago at the London Casino Cinerama (now the Prince Edward Theatre). The massive picture and sound system was just out of this world.

There was only academy ratio then. At the large cinema where I started as a trainee, the screen with 3 sets of curtains measured only 18 x 12 feet.

| IP: Logged

Darren Briggs
Master Film Handler

Posts: 371
From: York, UK
Registered: Dec 2001

posted 07-24-2002 04:04 PM

Bernard,
You must go to Dick's Picturville cinema and see 'This is Cinerama' It reallyis a treat to see that huge screen behind the great sexy red tabs's revealed at the start of the show.
Highly recomended!!
Wish i had Tabs!!!!!

Darren

| IP: Logged

Bernard Tonks
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 619
From: Cranleigh, Surrey, England
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 07-24-2002 05:58 PM

Yes I must do that Darren. I did visit Bradford many years ago to see one of the first Imax epics, which was also a wonderful experience to me.

| IP: Logged

Dick Vaughan
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1032
From: Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 07-25-2002 02:45 AM

Bernard

We would love to see you in Bradford any first Saturday. Just let me know when you are likely to visit and i will make sure someone is here to show you the (very cramped) projection rooms.

| IP: Logged

Bernard Tonks
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 619
From: Cranleigh, Surrey, England
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 07-25-2002 08:23 AM

Thank you Dick, that is extremely kind of you. I shall really look forward to visiting the Pictureville.

Will e-mail you in plenty of time.

| IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

Printer-friendly view of this topic

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.