The Bible: The North American Roadshow and 70mm Engagements |
Read more at in70mm.com The 70mm Newsletter |
| Compiled by: Michael Coate | Date: 17.10.2024 |
 The
following is a reference / historical listing of the roadshow and
70-millimeter presentations of The Bible in the United States and Canada.
The Bible (official on-screen billing The Bible: In the Beginning ), a USA/Italy co-production in Dimension 150 was distributed by Twentieth Century-Fox and directed by John Huston (The Maltese Falcon, Annie). The cast included Michael Parks as Adam, Ulla Bergryd as Eve, Richard Harris as Cain, John Huston as Noah, Stephen Boyd as Nimrod, George C. Scott as Abraham, Ava Gardner as Sarah, Peter OToole as The Three Angels, Zoe Sallis as Hagar, Gabriele Ferzetti as Lot, and Eleonora Rossi Drago as Lots Wife. The world premiere was held September 28th, 1966, at Loews State in New York. The presentations cited in the main section of this work were hard ticket roadshow engagements (i.e. special, long-running, showcase presentations in major cities prior to the film being exhibited as a general release). Much like a stage production, these typically featured an average of only ten scheduled screenings per week, advanced admission pricing, reserved seating, and an overture/intermission/entracte/exit music. (The Bible lacked and overture and exit music.) A souvenir program booklet and soundtrack album were sold, as well, and, in some roadshow venues. The print types utilized during the films roadshow release were, depending on the booking, (1) 70-millimeter (2.20:1 from Dimension 150 origination) with discrete magnetic six-channel stereophonic sound, (2) 35-millimeter anamorphic reduction with discrete magnetic four-channel stereophonic sound and optical monaural sound, (3) 35-millimeter anamorphic reduction with optical monaural sound. The Bible was the first of two features shot in Dimension 150 aka D-150. (The other was Patton [1970].) Out of the hundreds of films released in North America during 1966, The Bible was among only nine given deluxe roadshow treatment and among only seven released with 70mm prints (three from 65mm origination, three blow-ups, and one converted from 3-panel Kinopanorama/Cinerama). PART 1: FIRST RUN / THE ROADSHOW ENGAGEMENTS (reserved-seat policy and [except where noted otherwise] a presumed 70mm presentation w/ six-track magnetic audio) D-150 = Dimension 150-branded/promoted 70mm presentation Opening date YYYY-MM-DD locale cinema (duration in weeks) [notes] 1966-09-28 New York, NY State (56) [D-150] 1966-10-05 Los Angeles (Beverly Hills) Beverly (56) [D-150] 1966-10-12 Charlotte, NC Charlottetown Mall II (19) [35mm] 1966-10-12 Dallas, TX Tower (30) 1966-10-12 Denver, CO Continental (37) [D-150] 1966-10-12 San Antonio, TX Broadway (16) 1966-10-19 Oklahoma City, OK Continental (30) [D-150] 1966-10-19 Pittsburgh, PA Warner (33) [D-150] 1966-10-26 Houston, TX Tower (24) 1966-10-26 Minneapolis (St. Louis Park), MN Park (24) 1966-10-26 San Diego, CA Capri (38) 1966-10-26 Washington, DC Uptown (29) 1966-11-09 Baltimore, MD Hippodrome (35) 1966-11-09 Indianapolis, IN Indiana (27) 1966-12-20 Norfolk, VA Newport (22) [35mm] 1966-12-21 Phoenix, AZ Cine Capri (22) [D-150] 1966-12-21 Tulsa, OK Continental (18) [D-150] 1966-12-22 Atlanta, GA Grand (22) 1966-12-22 Buffalo, NY Teck (27) 1966-12-23 Albuquerque, NM Sunshine (12) 1966-12-23 Chicago, IL Michael Todd (42) 1966-12-23 Cleveland, OH Ohio (30) 1966-12-23 Cincinnati, OH Valley (22) 1966-12-23 Des Moines, IA Ingersoll (21) 1966-12-23 Honolulu, HI Varsity (13) 1966-12-23 Kansas City, MO Midland (26) 1966-12-23 Memphis, TN Crosstown (18) 1966-12-23 Omaha, NE Indian Hills (27) 1966-12-23 Rochester, NY Waring (19) [35mm] 1966-12-23 San Francisco, CA United Artists (22) 1966-12-23 Syracuse (DeWitt), NY Shoppingtown (16) 1966-12-25 Albany, NY Hellman (14) 1966-12-28 Richmond, VA Willow Lawn (19) 1967-01-18 Akron (Cuyahoga Falls), OH Falls (18) 1967-01-18 New Haven (Hamden), CT Cinemart (1+) 1967-01-18 Salt Lake City, UT Utah (26) 1967-01-25 Miami (Bay Harbor Islands), FL Bay Harbor (29) 1967-01-25 Toronto, ON Vaughan (18) [35mm] 1967-02-01 Detroit, MI Madison (29) 1967-02-01 Milwaukee, WI Strand (30) 1967-02-01 Montreal, QC Seville (14) 1967-02-01 St. Louis, MO Ambassador (16) 1967-02-01 St. Petersburg (Pinellas Park), FL Palms (23) 1967-02-02 Louisville, KY Rialto (21) [D-150] 1967-02-02 Portland, OR Broadway (21) 1967-02-03 Birmingham, AL Roebuck Plaza (16) [35mm] 1967-02-08 Vancouver, BC Ridge (14) [35mm] 1967-02-09 Nashville, TN Belle Meade (13) 1967-02-14 Boston, MA Saxon (19) 1967-02-15 Columbus, OH Northland (18) 1967-02-15 Tucson, AZ Catalina (14) [35mm] 1967-02-16 Philadelphia, PA Boyd (22) 1967-02-21 Hartford (West Hartford), CT Elm (16) 1967-02-21 Providence (East Providence), RI Four Seasons 1 (17) 1967-02-22 Augusta, GA Daniel Village (10) [35mm] 1967-02-23 New Orleans, LA Saenger-Orleans (15) 1967-03-02 Lubbock, TX Winchester (17) 1967-03-07 Reno, NV Century 21 (8) 1967-03-15 Orlando (Winter Park), FL Sunset (17) 1967-03-15 Portland (Westbrook), ME Cinema I (10) 1967-03-15 Youngstown, OH State (15) 1967-03-16 Calgary, AB Capitol (7) 1967-03-16 Edmonton, AB Paramount (7) 1967-03-17 Ottawa, ON Regent (5) [35mm] 1967-04-05 Shreveport, LA Broadmoor (11) 1967-04-19 Springfield (West Springfield), MA Showcase 3 (13) [D-150] 1967-05-24 Dayton, OH McCook (20) 1967-05-31 Wichita, KS Sunset (17) 1967-06-27 Cincinnati, OH International 70 (12) [market return roadshow run] 1967-06-28 Seattle, WA 5th Avenue (18) 1967-07-12 Essex County (Lawrence), MA Showcase 1 (7) 1967-07-12 Toledo, OH Showcase 1 (12) 1967-07-18 Long Island (Syosset), NY Syosset (22) 1967-07-19 Las Vegas, NV Fox (9) 1967-08-10 Greenville, SC Wade Hampton Mall (7) 1967-08-11 Knoxville, TN Park (9) [35mm] 1967-08-30 Sacramento, CA Crest (12) 1967-09-21 Winnipeg, MB Metropolitan (6) 1967-09-27 Harrisburg, PA Eric (12) 1967-09-27 Rockland County (New City), NY Cinema (19) 1967-09-27 Newark (Upper Montclair), NJ Bellevue (12) 1967-10-04 Jacksonville, FL Plaza (8) 1967-10-24 San Jose, CA Century 22 (23) 1967-10-25 Fresno, CA Warnor (14) 1967-12-20 Modesto, CA Briggsmore (6) [unreserved seating] 1967-12-20 Monterey, CA Cinema 70 (4) [unreserved seating] 1968-01-16 Contra Costa County (Pleasant Hill), CA Century 21 (8) [D-150] 1968-01-31 Reading, PA Fox (6) 1968-02-07 Little Rock, AR Capitol (4) [unreserved seating] 1968-05-08 Florence, SC Capri (1) [unreserved seating] 1968-05-17 Chattanooga, TN Brainerd (4) PART 2: SUBSEQUENT 70MM ENGAGEMENTS AND SCREENINGS (second run, re-issue, revival, etc. / unreserved seating / general release policy) 1967-12-20 Louisville, KY Penthouse (2) 1970-03-04 New York, NY Ziegfeld (1) [4 for the Ziegfeld] 1970-05-20 Cedar Grove, NJ Cinema 23 [canceled; replaced with 2001] 1971-11-24 Louisville, KY Penthouse (1) 1971-12-22 Wichita, KS Uptown (1) [70mm festival] 1972-02-24 Odessa, TX Grandview (1) 1972-11-08 Beverly Hills, CA Beverly Hills (1) 1976-03-31 Wichita, KS Uptown (1) [70mm festival] 1976-04-07 Florence, SC Capri 1 (1) 1977-10-12 Kansas City, MO Midland (1) [70mm festival] 1977-11-23 Albuquerque, NM Fox Winrock (1) 1979-04-04 Albany, NY Madison (1) [70mm series] PART 3: THE RESTORATION AND DIGITAL SOUND (New 70mm print with DTS audio) 2009-08-28 Austin, TX Paramount (3 days) [70mm festival] This information has been principally referenced from film industry trade publications and regional newspaper promotion, with thanks to Sheldon Hall, Bill Kallay, Bill Kretzel, Mark Lensenmayer, Stan Malone, Jim Perry, Vince Young. The films international 70mm engagements have not been accounted for in this work. If you believe this article contains any errors or omissions, please consider emailing the author or editor. |
More in 70mm reading: in70mm.com's page about Dimension 150 70mm Cinemas in North America in70mm.com's list of films blown up to 70mm 70mm Engagements by Title 35mm to 70mm Engagements by Year Large Format 7OMM Engagements Month by month premiere list of wide gauge and 3-strip films Chronological premiere list of major 70mm films 70mm Blow Up List Dolby Stereo |
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