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"How The West Was Won" on the Dome's screen in a three-strip Cinerama presentation at the 2012 TCM Festival. The photo appeared with a post about that year's event on a now-vanished blog from Daws Brothers Studios.
70mm "Cinerama" at the Dome: The first film at the Dome when it opened in 1963 was also
the first film branded as Cinerama but not in their original 3 projector
process. "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" was photographed in Ultra Panavision, a 70mm
process which took the
2.21 aspect ratio of TODD-AO and added a squeeze during filming and a
1.25 expansion anamorphic lens during projection to end up with a 2.76
to 1 aspect ratio image.
See the excellent discussion of 70mm Cinerama on Martin Hart's site Widescreen Museum.
He notes that the Ultra Panavision films, when shown in Cinerama
houses, didn't use an anamorphic but rather lenses ground specifically
for the curvature of the screen. The resultant aspect ratio was evidently less than the full 2.76
to 1. Perhaps 2.55 measured around the curve while, from the back of
the house, looking more like 2 to 1.
For
projection on Cinerama screens some films utilized a "rectified" print that was produced with no
squeeze in the middle and more and more compression closer to the sides
of the image to yield a normal looking image on the deeply curved
screen.
Other 70mm "Cinerama" films
were shot in "Super Panavision," a non-anamorphic process like TODD-AO
only with lenses by Panavision. Like TODD-AO, the aspect ratio was 2.21
to 1. Many of these films didn't get special prints, even for Cinerama
Theatres.
Three Norelco 35/70mm AAII projectors and Ventarc lamps getting readied
for the Cinerama's opening. Thanks to long-time L.A. projectionist Paul Rayton for locating this item that originally appeared in Boxoffice. It can also be seen on the
Cinerama Dome page of Roland Lataille's website
InCinerama.com.
Inspecting the theatre's original Ampex 6/4/1 sound system. The photos
are from the Boxoffice issue of February 10, 1964. See the full article for more details, reproduced at the bottom of the page. It's about the role that "sound experts" should play in new theatre construction.
See the
history page for a list of 70mm presentations that were advertised as being "in Cinerama."
A lens for 70mm Cinerama projection. That aluminum collar it's in is for a Norelco AAII. Thanks to Kevin Charbeneau for sharing the photo from his collection. It was included in a post of 61 Cinerama Dome items on the Facebook page
Lost Angeles.
Later film equipment: The original Norelco projectors were replaced
with Century JJ 35/70 machines and a platter system around 1988. There's
now a single Kinoton FP75E 35/70mm
machine. For 70mm, both DTS sound timecode synched with the film
and 6 channel mag are options. There's Dolby Digital and Dolby analog
sound processing for 35mm. "The Master" in 2013 and "Interstellar" in
2014 got
70mm runs. "Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood" ran in 70mm in 2019.
Looking in along the Kinoton machine. The theatre was running at the time with a 4000 watt xenon lamp
for 35mm and a 7500 watt lamp for 70mm. Photo: Bill Counter - 2017
The Kinoton FP 75-E. Photo: Bill Counter - 2017
Digital booth equipment: Except for special presentations, it's been digital projection at the Dome for years. Around 2014 it was two Christie CP 4230
4K projectors and two GDC digital cinema servers. They were using the XPAND process with active glasses for 3D films.
They got an upgrade for the December 2015
"Star Wars" release with an installation of the dual head Christie 6P
laser projector and the Dolby 3D process. This both upped the light level
as well as providing more comfortable 3D glasses than the heavier
battery powered active glasses used earlier.
Hollywood Reporter
had a story about the new equipment. They quote Joe Miraglia, the
ArcLight director of design and construction, as saying the gear cost
several hundred thousand dollars. He noted screen brightness was about 8
footlamberts for 3D with a 65' wide scope format picture and 14
footlamberts for 2D. It's unknown how long this equipment stayed in the
theatre. One 2017 presentation viewed was not exceptional in
terms of brightness.
Looking alongside the Christie laser projector. Photo: Bill Counter - 2017
The screen and speakers: The current screen size is 86' x 32' encompassing 126 degrees of
arc. It's not the original Cinerama louver style but with the size and
curvature of the 1963 original. The first (c.1953) Cinerama screens
typically had 146 degrees of arc and (unlike the Dome's) did not have a
consistent curvature -- they had a sharper radius in the center and got
flatter out to the sides.
The original louvered screen at
the Dome was removed and replaced with a flat sheet sometime around
1973. It's a white screen, not silver. For the December 2015 "Star
Wars" run, their scope format picture was 65' wide.
The L.A. Times ran a 2002 article "Big Screen Furor-Rama..." when the screen was scheduled to be replaced (again) in 2002 after a remodel. The Times also has a few comments
about the article. Purists wanted a louvered screen again. Pacific
wanted (and ended up putting in) a big screen but as a single sheet --
claiming their massive new sound system would cause the strips to
vibrate excessively.
A
view of an original style louvered Cinerama screen -- designed to
prevent light on the sides of the screen from washing out the picture on
the other side. It's from Greg Kimble's great article "
This is Cinerama" on the widescreen site
In70mm.com.
One of the 1" wide strips that made up a Cinerama screen. Thanks to John Schmuhl for sharing his photo in a post on the Friends of 70mm Facebook page.
A typical early Cinerama sound installation using 5 Altec A-2 Voice of
the Theatre speaker systems with double 90 degree HF horns for the stage
channels. The photo is in Lee Sound Design's Altec photo gallery. It also appears in a 1953 SMPTE paper on speakers and amps for stereo theatre sound that can be viewed on the American Widescreen Museum site.
The
Cinerama Dome originally had Voice of the Theatre speakers. That's all
been replaced with newer JBL equipment with the screen speakers mounted
in a THX-style infinite baffle. There are 44 surround speakers, also by
JBL. Sound absorbent material was added in each of the ceiling's
hexagons during renovations.
A flat screen going in in 1996 for "Evita." The photo from John Sittig's collection appears in the Cinerama Photo Gallery on the site in 70mm, where there are also several additional photos of the installation.
3-Strip at the Dome: In addition to the conventional 35/70 equipment, there's the gear for 3-strip Cinerama
presentations using 3 Century/Cinerama projectors fed by platters and
the separate full coat 35mm mag dubber for the 7 channel stereophonic
sound.
Originally Selsyn motors were used keep the 4 units in synch. And when they drifted out, there were knobs to turn by the tech sitting at the control panel in the auditorium to retard or advance the machine in trouble. For the Dome's installation a more modern servo system was designed by Paul D. Smith.
The 3-strip installation only dates from 2002. The original wide,
wraparound booth layout was designed for that equipment but by the time
of the theatre's opening Cinerama had gone to a 70mm format. The Dome
has hosted revival screenings of "How The West Was Won,"
"This is Cinerama" and other titles. On In70mm.com see the article
about the initial three strip presentations at the Dome: "Cinerama Dome 2002."
A left frame (projected from the "Able" booth) from a "This Is Cinerama" scene shot in Venice. It's from Greg Kimble's "
This is Cinerama" article on the site In70mm. Note the 6 perforations per frame pull-down. You can click on these for enlarged views.
The center frame from the shot, projected from the "Baker" booth.
The right frame from the "This Is Cinerama" shot, projected from the "Charlie" booth.
The "Charlie" Cinerama projector at the house left end of the Dome's
large curved booth booth threaded up for a December 2002 screening of
"How The West Was Won." The photo comes from an
In70mm article about the event by Rick Mitchell.
Another look at the house left end of the booth. Photo: Bill Counter - 2017
A closer look at one of the Century projectors used for three-strip Cinerama presentations.The photo is from an article on the December 2002 screening of "
How the West Was Won" on the site
In70mm.com.
A 2002 view of the center of the booth with a Kinoton 35/70mm
projector beyond the platter and the center Cinerama projector behind
that. The photo is on the
Film-Tech.com page on the theatre
which you can find by going to
pictures and scrolling down to the Cinerama Dome listing under "singles, twins, trios, quads."
The center Cinerama projector. It's a photo from Film-Tech.
A closer look at the Century head. Straight gate, water cooled. Photo: Bill Counter - 2017
The 35mm full coat mag sound reproducer for three strip Cinerama
presentations. It's a 7500' reel. For this installation platters are
used for the 3 projectors. Originally the 3 film sections were on huge
reels as well -- about 34" in diameter and holding almost 12,000 ft. of
film. The picture is 6 perforations per frame, running at 135 feet per
minute. The sound runs at the same speed.
The "Able" projector at the house right end of the booth. Photo: Bill Counter - 2017
Visit the Film-Tech site for
many more booth photos by Mark Ogden and John Sittig. Head to
pictures
and scroll down to the Cinerama Dome listing. There are also photos of
many other theatres to browse as well as equipment manuals and more.
On the site
Ominous-Valve.com pay a visit to Hugh's article "
Cinerama II: The Revival"
for his informative review of a 2012 three-strip screening of "How the
West Was Won" at the Dome as well as a discussion of the technical
aspects of the Cinerama process itself. Bonus feature: aspect ratio
chart. Also see the site's
Altec page for a discussion of the original sound system at the Dome.
The Cinerama Process at 60: The Dome had a a 3 strip festival in
September 2012 to celebrate Cinerama's 60th Anniversary. It featured
both new and vintage three strip Cinerama footage as well as 70mm
presentations. See the
In70mm.com article for many photos. Also see the photos of the event on the same site from
Anders Olsson.
A three-strip Cinerama camera back in action in 2012 -- for the first
time in over 50 years. On YouTube there are several shorts by Michael
Cahill about film historian Dave Strohmaier shooting new 3 strip
Cinerama footage in Los Angeles for his film "In The Picture." |
"Cinerama 2012" Part 1 |
Part 2
A three strip Cinerama camera displayed at the Dome during the September 2012 "Cinerama at 60" festival. The photo on
Photos of Los Angeles is by Mark Tipton.
The lens end of the Cinerama camera. It's a 2012 photo by Mark Tipton.
A closeup view by Mark Tipton of the three very tiny Cinerama lenses. Thanks, Mark! See the trailer on YouTube for "
The Last Days of Cinerama,"
a documentary about the 2012 shooting of three-strip Cinerama footage
in Los Angeles. And from What Happens Next Productions, the full 24
minute short: "
The Last Days of Cinerama."
The crew of the Cinerama short "In The Picture" gathered in front on April 23, 2012 following the 3-strip showing of "How the West Was Won" for the TCM Festival. Thanks to theatre historian Kurt Wahlner for providing the photo.
Standing, left to right: Cinerama Camera Restoration/Technician Ken Stone; Co-Director of Photography John Hora, A.S.C.; Camera Operator Lance Fisher, S.O.C.; Co-Director of Photography Douglas H. Knapp; Cinerama Camera Number 3; Camera Film Loader David Tondeur; Gaffer Joe di Gennaro; Sound Recordist Lincoln Morrison; Co-Producer Tom H. March. Kneeling front left to right: Production Assistant Mike Cahill; Producer/Director/Writer/Editor David Strohmaier; Camera Assistant Kurt Wahlner; Producer Anthony Saenz.
From the February 10, 1964 issue of Boxoffice:
More 70mm Information: See the
Egyptian Theatre
page here on the Los Angeles Theatres site for lots of data about
TODD-AO, the 70mm process that kicked off
the big screen roadshow era in 1955. The Egyptian was the first theatre
in the area equipped for the process. For a rundown on 70mm engagements
at Los Angeles theatres, go to Michael Coate's terrific site
FromScriptToDVD.com. Head for the main
70mm page.
More Cinerama Process
Information: For more information on the history of the Cinerama
projection process see the Cinerama section on the
film and theatre technology resources page. Check out the main
Warner Hollywood
page where there's lots of Cinerama information. Prior to the opening
of the Dome, the Warner was the Cinerama theatre for southern
California.
Michael Coate's From Script To DVD site has a great
This Is Cinerama in L.A. page with a history of three-strip and 70mm Cinerama engagements in Los Angeles. See Roland Lataille's
InCinerama.com web site for lots more data and Cinerama memorabilia. And for lots of fun check out the site about the documentary
"
Cinerama Adventure" -- the site also has information about the 2012 Cinerama production "In The Picture."
The site
In70mm.com has lots of Cinerama information. See their
Cinerama index page and the article on
Cinerama pictures on digital. For the latest Cinerama filming in Los Angeles there's the article "
Cinerama 2012."
And don't miss the six page Cinerama section on Martin Hart's amazing site
Widescreen Museum. The
name "Cinerama" and the distinctive zig-zag logo are trademarks of
Cinerama Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Pacific Theatres.
The Cinerama pages: Cinerama Dome history | exterior views | interior views | back to top - projection | Hollywood ArcLight | the other Cinerama house: Warner Hollywood |
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