I guess Cinerama had to continue on some how...

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

From Cinerama To The Cone Of Silence...

[Frank Angel]

Executives may think their privacy is secure; I would do them well to watch the scene just before INTERMISSION card in 2001! ?

[Terry Monohan]

Many old movie people compare the semi new SCREEN X system to CINERAMA.. I still liked the Cinerama curved screen with curtains better the Screen X.

These new Screen X installs are put in smaller pre existing auditoriums and they are not that effective. Only certain parts of the film have the side wall projectors lit. No curve to the side image and many of the SX images look digital extended plus distorted.

If Screen X is put into a new theatre they can do the white side walls better and mount the surround speakers tilting down from the ceiling.

I was so glad I got to see three projector Cinerama in many theatres over the years. Some of the larger theatres in big cities had larger Cinerama curved screen .The 7 channel mag sound was great to hear in the early days of stereophonic sound in a cinema.

Now in Hollywood CA there are 2 old Cinerama theatres still closed up. Time to re open them, show the old Cinerama films for the tourists and project classic 70mm roadshows on the giant curved screen.

IMAX & Screen X just don't bring back the excitement that Cinerama had for me.

[Harold Hallikainen]

Three projector Cinerama always seemed overly complicated to me. I think VistaVisipn was a very solution to the wide aspect ratio problem.

[Randy Stankey]

Three projector Cinerama always seemed overly complicated to me.

Well, Cinerama played in the days when people actually worked for a living and performing hard tasks was considered part of your job.

One time, shortly before I left Cinemark, I took a new kid down to the loading dock to pick up some film cans that had just been delivered. I picked up two of the ones that looked heaviest and pointed to the other two and said, "Grab those, will ya'?" He picked up one of the cans and complained because it was too heavy. I said, "Well, this is your job! This is what you're getting paid to do!"

I might have offered him a two-wheeled dolly but, given his attitude, I just picked up all four cans and carried them "bellboy style" up the stairs, by myself. That was his first and last day working in the booth. God forbid they would have been 70mm!!!

I'd give my right arm if I could go back in time and work in a Cinerama booth! I'd figure out a way to carry those heavy reels around with only one arm, too!

[Frank Cox]

When Pepsi still did premix the delivery guys always carried in two of the five gallon tanks at a time, one in each hand.

I could only manage to carry one at a time using both hands.

One day the driver showed up with a helper. Absolutely the biggest man I've ever seen, anywhere.

He carried three tanks in each hand, so he had six on each trip.

That was the fastest Pepsi delivery I've ever had.

I don't know what happened to that guy, though. He only came here that one time and I've never seen him again.

[Randy Stankey]

Years ago, there was a beer delivery guy who would sling two 1/2 kegs, one over each shoulder, and walk up a half-flight of steps then put them down, one at a time, in the beer cooler in my father's bar.

This was back in the days when beer came in metal barrels with two-prong taps instead of the Sankey D-tap kegs that have handles on them like are universal, nowadays. Even today, I'd have trouble dead lifting one of those things, let alone slinging it over my shoulder!

He made his delivery, brought the invoice to the bartender for signature and, then, my dad would pour him a pony glass of beer. He'd slug it down and be on his way.

I remember the guy's nickname was Rocky and, to say that he was built like Stallone would have been an understatement!
Nobody would even DARE to give Rocky any shit!

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

Many old movie people compare the semi new SCREEN X system to CINERAMA.. I still liked the Cinerama curved screen with curtains better the Screen X.

These new Screen X installs are put in smaller pre existing auditoriums and they are not that effective. Only certain parts of the film have the side wall projectors lit. No curve to the side image and many of the SX images look digital extended plus distorted.

If Screen X is put into a new theatre they can do the white side walls better and mount the surround speakers tilting down from the ceiling.

I was so glad I got to see three projector Cinerama in many theatres over the years. Some of the larger theatres in big cities had larger Cinerama curved screen .The 7 channel mag sound was great to hear in the early days of stereophonic sound in a cinema.

Now in Hollywood CA there are 2 old Cinerama theatres still closed up. Time to re open them, show the old Cinerama films for the tourists and project classic 70mm roadshows on the giant curved screen.

IMAX & Screen X just don't bring back the excitement that Cinerama had for me.

I feel lucky to have gotten to see it in Dayton when John Harvey set his system.up at the New Neon Theater. Was definately worth the drive... Growing up in Suburban Chicago, we had two D-150 locations, and one single strip Cinerama Theater, The Cinestage.. Chicago originally had two three strip theaters which by the time I went to them had installed flat sheets in their place.

[Terry Monohan]

Mark you were lucky to see D-150 on a curved screen. They were mainly in UA houses but a few other chains put them in. I wonder what happened to the masking control box's that they had in a D-150 projection booth. Probably just trashed I never see them on E Bay. They also had D-150 jackets for the projectionist to put on in the booth. Who would ever see them unless you had to make a candy counter break.

The Palace Cinerama Theatre in Chicago got Cinerama late as the projectionist union caused a problem and It opened in Detroit at the Music Hall Theatre after NYC. Both of these former Cinerama Theatres are still around today without the giant curved screen mainly used for big Broadway shows on tour.

I flew from CA to the New Neon Cinema to see the small Cinerama set up and It brought back many memories.

The Mike Todd Cinestage in Chicago had a nice Todd-AO curved screen.

Jim C the 70mm projectionist here on this forum worked at a UA D-150 house on the East Coast at one time

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

Terry, I will post some pictures of the places you mentioned this afternoon. Also, I'm not sure if the McVickers or the Palace got 3-strip first. I'd have to research that in the Chicago Tribune Archives. The Cinestage did have a shallow curved Todd-AO screen at first, but switched to a deep curve Cinerama type strip screen once 70mm Cinerama came to be. I was in the Cinestage just a few months before it's demolition, the ceiling of the Michael Todd had collapsed, so it was too dangerous to enter. The Michael Todd Theater directly next door always had a flat sheet. The Todd-AO played there once 70mm Cinerama took over the Cinestage.

[Terry Monohan]

Mark***The Palace Theatre in Chicago was the first theatre to play Cinerama in the Chicago area. At one time the Chicago Opera House was rented out in 1958 by National Theatres for their new system CineMiracle showing of 'Windjammer'. with 3 projectors from one booth using mirrors. Cinerama Corp bought the better CineMiracle process and released Windjammer just in Cinerama. Did you ever see Windjammer at the Chicago Opera House?

Very few theatres had the CineMiracle system put in but the huge Roxy Theatre in NYC had It along with the Hollywood Chinese Theatre.plus a few more. National Theatres owners of Fox West Coast Theatres was going to release another film in CineMiracle but they did not get the support of the studios or theatre owners to convert to the new curved screen system.

Thanks to Pacific Cinerama Theatres and Dave Strohmaier all the original 3 projector Cinerama movies have restored to Blu Ray and given a curve look like in the Cinerama Theatres with the system SMILEBOX. Flicker Alley sells them. Check them out and see how great they look and sound taken from the 7 track mag stereophonic masters. They also have remastered some other Cinerama 70mm films.

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

Terry, thanks for clearing that up. I worked with a guy in Salt Lake City who's dad was head of engineering for Cinemiracle. He was with his dad at the Civic Opera House during that setup. In the late 70's I worked for a TV station that was on the 42nd floor. We could have lunch or dinner out on the parapit of that building. I never saw a Cinemircle show, but he said it was a lot better picture quality than Cinerama was.

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

Here are a few pictures of The Cinestage in Chicago. Both early and end pictures are here...

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

Oakbrook, IL D-150 Theater. I saw lots of movies here. Photos courtesy of Steve Kraus

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

Mostly photos of Michael Todd Theater. The two were attached via the lobbies, the main theater walls were about 6 feet apart. The facades are still used, but both theaters came down to make room for modern live theaters. Note that Dizzy Gillespie is performing at The Cinestage...