| Title | Released | Cinema | Notes | | "South Pacific" | 26 December, 1958 | Mayfair | Ran until June 1962 | | "The Miracle of Todd–AO" | 26 December, 1958 | Mayfair | | | "Solomon and Sheba" | (9) 10 December, 1959 | Paris | Very small screen. A waste of a 70mm print | | "Can-Can" | 16 April, 1960 | Paris | | | "Porgy and Bess" | 23 June, 1960 | Forum | Very small screen. A waste of a 70mm print. | | "Spartacus" | 9 December, 1960 | Forum | | | "Oklahoma!" | 9 November, 1961 | Paris | First time in 70mm | | "Black Tights" | 23 February, 1962 | Forum | | | "El Cid" | 21 April, 1962 | Forum | | | "The Alamo" | 26 April, 1962 | Paris | 26 minutes shorter than USA and New Zealand versions | | "West Side Story" | (6) 7 June, 1962 | Mayfair | | | "Exodus" | 12 July, 1962 | Paris | | | "55 Days at Peking" | 26 July, 1963 | Forum | | | "Around the World in 80 Days" | 15 August, 1963 | Paris | First time in 70mm | | "Barabbas" | 16 August, 1963 | Barclay | | | "The King and I" | 10 October, 1963 | Paris | First time in 70mm | | "Lawrence of Arabia" | (31 Oct) 1 November, 1963 | Barclay | 20 Minutes shorter than the London version. 35mm prologue, about Lawrence, was also shown | | "Cleopatra" | (5) 6 December, 1963 | Mayfair | 60 minutes shorter than USA version | | "The Fall of the Roman Empire" | 10 July, 1964 | Forum | | | "It’s a Mad,Mad,Mad,Mad World" | 3 December, 1964 | Plaza | Approx. 38 minutes shorter than the USA version. Shown in Cinerama. Cinema originally built for Grandeur 70 but the 1929/31 70mm era bypassed Australia | | "The Long Ships" | 26 December, 1964 | Barclay | | | "The Sound of Music" | 17 April, 1965 | Mayfair | Transferred to Paris cinema on 20 Dec.1967 and ran until 2 Oct.1968. | | "Circus World" | 4 June, 1965 | Forum | | | "Lord Jim" | (10) 11 June, 1965 | Barclay | | | "My Fair Lady" | (28) 29 July, 1965 | Century | Very small screen. A waste of a 70mm print | | "In Harms Way" | (16) 17 Septembe, 1965r | Forum | | | "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines" | 14 October, 1965 | Paris | | | "Genghis Khan" | 10 December, 1965 | Barclay | | | "The Great Race" | 17 December, 1965 | Forum | | | "The Greatest Story Ever Told" | 7 April, 1966 | Plaza | Shown in Cinerama | | "The Hallelujah Trail" | 15 September, 1966 | Plaza | Shown in Cinerama | | "Battle of the Bulge" | 10 November, 1966 | Plaza | Shown in Cinerama | | "The Agony and the Ecstacy" | 17 November, 1966 | Paris | 70mm prologue not screened although it appeared on the video | | "Cheyenne Autumn" | 18 November, 1966 | Forum | | | "The Lost Command" | 23 December, 1966 | Forum | | | "The Professionals" | 23 December, 1966 | Barclay | | | "Is Paris Burning" | 3 March, 1967 | Forum | | | "Khartoum" | (9) 10 March, 1967 | Plaza | Shown in Cinerama | | "Gone With The Wind" | 25 March, 1967 | Ascot | Best non-Cinerama 70mm screen in the city | | "The Bible…In The Beginning" | 1 June, 1967 | Century | | | "Casino Royale" | (8) 9 June, 1967 | Barclay | | | "Grand Prix" | (13) 14 July, 1967 | Plaza | Shown in Cinerama | | "The Sand Pebbles" | 1 September, 1967 | Paris | Approx. 18 minutes shorter than USA version | | "Camelot" | (20) 21 December, 1967 | Century | | | "Dr. Dolittle" | 21 December, 1967 | Mayfair | | | "Doctor Zhivago" | 21 December, 1967 | Ascot | First time in 70mm | | "Far From the Madding Crowd" | (21) 22 February, 1968 | Ascot | | | 2OO1: A Space Odyssey | (1) 2 May, 1968 | Plaza | Shown in Cinerama | | "Guns for San Sebastian" | 10 May, 1968 | Forum | | | "Zulu" | 12 July, 1968 | Forum | First time in 70mm | | "Valley of the Dolls" | 25 July, 1968 | Plaza | | | "Becket" | 4 October, 1968 | Forum | First time in 70mm | | "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" | 1 November, 1968 | Forum | First time in 70mm | | "The Hellfighters" | 13 December, 1968 | Ascot | | | "Ben Hur" | 13 December, 1968 | Forum | First time in 70mm | | "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" | 19 December, 1968 | Paris | | | "Finian’s Rainbow" | 19 December, 1968 | Century | | | "Custer of the West" | 20 February, 1969 | Plaza | Shown in Cinerama | | "Funny Girl" | 21 March, 1969 | Barclay | | | "Ice Station Zebra" | 3 April, 1969 | Plaza | Shown in Cinerama | | "Mackenna’s Gold" | 5 April, 1969 | Forum | | | "STAR!" | 23 May, 1969 | Mayfair | | | "The Longest Day" | 5 June, 1969 | Paris | First time in 70mm | | "Sweet Charity" | (14) 15 August, 1969 | Ascot | Most successful season in the world – running 8 months. Version shown had the "happy ending" "Melbourne screened the "sad" ending version | | "The Lion in Winter" | (20) 21 August, 1969 | Century | | | "Those Daring Young Men in their Jaunty Jalopies" | 3 October, 1969 | Forum | | | "Hello, Dolly!" | (18) 19 December, 1969 | Mayfair | | | "Castle Keep" | 20 February, 1970 | Forum | | | "Paint Your Wagon" | (5) 6 March, 1970 | Barclay | | | "The Wild Bunch" | 20 March, 1970 | Forum | | | "Airport" | (15) 16 April, 1970 | Ascot | Season opened in 35mm. 70mm print screened late into the lengthy season | | "Marooned" | (27) 28 May, 1970 | Mayfair | | | "The Jolson Story" | 2 July, 1970 | Astra | First time in 70mm. Screened in suburban Parramatta only. | | "Patton" | (8) 9 July, 1970 | Mayfair | | | "Cromwell" | (19) 20 August, 1970 | Mayfair | | | "Waterloo" | (18) 19 November, 1970 | Paris | | | "Song of Norway" | 24 December, 1970 | Mayfair | | | "Darling Lili" | 26 December, 1970 | Barclay | | | "Ryan’s Daughter" | (21) 22 January, 1971 | Ascot | | | "Too Late, the Hero" | 8 April, 1971 | Paris | | | "Le Mans" | (21) 23 July, 1971 | Barclay | | | "Tora! Tora! Tora!" | 29 July, 1971 | Plaza | Best place to see 70mm in Australia.Had the biggest and deepest curved screen. | | "The Last Valley" | 30 September, 1971 | Mayfair | | | "The Great Battle" | 28 October, 1971 | Plaza | | | "Raid on Rommel" | 29 October, 1971 | Barclay | | | "Wild Rovers" | 19 November, 1971 | Barclay | | | "Nicholas and Alexandra" | (7) 8 December, 1971 | Paris | | | "Krakatoa, East of Java" | 16 December, 1971 | Astra | Screened in Suburban Parramatta only. Never shown in Cinerama. | | "The Boy Friend" | (22) 24 December, 1971 | Barclay | 25 minutes shorter than original version. Full version was eventually screened in 35mm in the late nineties. | | "The Andromeda Strain" | 25 August, 1972 | Ascot | | | "The Cowboys" | 20 July, 1972 | Mayfair | | | "Poem of Dances" | 14 September, 1972 | Mayfair | | | "Scrooge" | 17 November, 1972 | Forum | | | "Young Winston" | (6) 7 December, 1972 | Century | | | "Never give An inch" | 9 February, 1973 | Ascot | | | "The Poseidon Adventure" | 1 March, 1973 | Plaza | | | "Lost Horizon" | (15) 16 August, 1973 | Paris | | | "The Bridge on the River Kwai" | 11 October, 1973 | Mayfair | First time in 70mm | | "The Ten Commandments" | 23 November, 1973 | Paramount | First time in 70mm | | "Tom Sawyer" | (12) 13 December, 1973 | Paris | | | "Jesus Christ Superstar" | 21 December, 1973 | Paramount | | | "The Great Caruso" | 17 May, 1974 | Sydney Opera House Concert Hall | First time in 70mm.Screened for one day only | | "The Three Muskeeters" | 25 July, 1974 | Mayfair | Premiered at the Sydney Film festival in June at the STATE - first and only 70mm screening at the STATE until 1980. | | "Earthquake" | 20 December, 1974 | Forum | In Sensurround | | "That’s Entertainment" | 20 December, 1974 | Barclay | | | "The Towering Inferno" | 27 March, 1975 | Plaza | | | "Rollerball" | (13) 14 August, 1975 | Mayfair | | | "Lucky Lady" | (14) 15 April, 1976 | Plaza | | | "Deliverance" | 15 April, 1976 | Village | First time in 70mm | | "The Return of a Man Called Horse" | 16 December, 1976 | Plaza | | | "Logan’s Run" | 17 December, 1976 | Paramount | | | "Star Wars" | 27 October, 1977 | HOYTS | | | "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" | (15) 16 March, 1978 | Hoyts | | | "Capricorn One" | (26) 27 July, 1978 | Hoyts | | | "Grease" | (2) 4 August, 1978 | Paramount | | | "Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band" | 24 November, 1978 | Barclay | | | "The Wiz" | (23) 24 August, 1979 | Barclay | | | "Apocalypse Now" | (15) 16 November, 1979 | Hoyts | | | "Alien" | (5) 6 December, 1979 | Hoyts | | | "The Muppet Movie" | 13 December, 1979 | Hoyts | | | "Star Trek" | (19) 21 December, 1979 | Paramount | Film opened in 35mm. 70mm print screened later on in the season. | | "The Rose" | 31 January, 1980 | Hoyts | | | "The Black Hole" | 28 March, 1980 | Barclay | | | "Can’t Stop the Music" | 20 June, 1980 | Paramount | Sydney season was the most successful in the world | | "The Empire Strikes Back" | (6) 7 August, 1980 | Hoyts | | | "Russian Adventure" | 25 August, 1980 | Forum | Sat on the shelf for 14 years. Never shown in Cinerama. Screened for 6 days only. | | "Divine Madness" | 5 December 1980 | State Cinema | | | "That’s Entertainment II" | 10 December, 1980 | Forum | First time in 70mm. Screened for one day only | | "The Jazz Singer" | (12) 13 February, 1981 | State | The biggest cinema in Sydney had the smallest screen. A waste of a 70mm print | | "Oliver" | 30 April, 1981 | Hoyts | First time in 70mm | | "Raiders of the Lost Ark" | 14 August, 1981 | Paramount | | | "The Sleeping Beauty" | 7 May, 1982 | State | First time in 70mm | | Napoleon | 24th May 1982 | State | | | "Quest for Fire" | 10 June, 1982 | Hoyts | | | "Poltergeist" | 6 August, 1982 | Paramount | | | "Rocky III" | (11) 12 August, 1982 | Hoyts | | | "Star Trek II" | (12) 13 August, 1982 | State | | | "E.T. – The Extra Terrestrial" | (25) 26 November, 1982 | State | | | "Pink Floyd – The Wall" | 3 December, 1982 | Barclay | | | "Annie" | 9 December, 1982 | Hoyts | | | The Best Little Whorehouse inTexas | 9 December 1982 | PARAMOUNT | | | "The Return of the Jedi" | (26) 27 October, 1983 | Hoyts | | | Brainstorm | 9 December, 1983 | Pitt Center | | | "The Right Stuff" | 8 March, 1984 | Village | 70mm print damaged during its opening week. Replaced with a 35mm print.70mm print transferred to suburban Sylvania on 22 March for two weeks. New 70mm print screened in the nineties. | | "Greystoke – the Legend of Tarzan" | 3 May, 1984 | State | | | "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" | 19 July, 1984 | State | | | "Gremlins" | 13 December, 1984 | State | | | "Amadeus" | 14 February, 1985 | Hoyts | | | "2010" | 21 March, 1985 | State | | | "Starman" | 6 June, 1985 | Hoyts | | | "Lifeforce" | 15 August, 1985 | Hoyts | | | "Cocoon" | 22 August, 1985 | Hoyts | | | "Santa claus" | 5 December, 1985 | Hoyts | | | "Silverado" | 12 December, 1985 | Hoyts | | | Young Sherlock Holmes | 19 December 1985 | Lyceum | | | "Rocky IV" | 19 December, 1985 | Hoyts | | | "The Year of the Dragon" | 9 January, 1986 | Hoyts | | | "Top Gun" | 31 July, 1986 | Lyceum | | | "Aliens" | (5) 6 November, 1986 | Hoyts | | | "The Mission" | 4 December, 1986 | Pitt center | | | "The Color of Money" | 19 February, 1987 | Greater Union George Street | | | "The Untouchables" | (2) 3 September, 1987 | Greater Union George Street | | | "The Last Emperor" | 26 November, 1987 | Hoyts | | | "Cry Freedom" | (17) 18 February, 1988 | Pitt Center | | | "Empire of the Sun" | (9) 10 March, 1988 | Hoyts | | | "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" | (23) 24 November, 1988 | Greater Union George Street | | | "Willow" | 15 December, 1988 | Greater Union George Street | | | "Lawrence of Arabia" | 13 July, 1989 | Hoyts | Restored Director’s cut. | | "The Bear" | 12 October, 1989 | Hoyts | | | "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" | June, 1989 | State Theatre | 70mm print used for one screening only at the premiere and then exported | | "Arachnophobia" | 26 December, 1990 | Pitt Center | | | "Edward Scissorhands" | (20) 21 March, 1991 | Hoyts | | | "The Doors" | (29) 30 May, 1991 | Hoyts | | | "Spartacus" | (16) 24 October, 1991 | Orpheum | Restored Director’s cut. Screened in suburban Cremorne only | | "Hook" | 26 March, 1992 | Hoyts | | | "The Last Boy Scout" | 23 april, 1992 | Village cinema | | | "Howard’s End" | 21 May, 1992 | Hoyts | | | "Far and Away" | 4 June, 1992 | Greater Union George Street | Screened in Suburban Paramatta also. This is the only time that two 70mm prints, of the same film, screened in Sydney simultaneously. | | "Beauty and the Beast" | 11 July, 1992 | Greater Union George Street | Screened for three days of public previews from 6 to 8 July | | "Patriot Games" | 13 August, 1992 | Greater Union George St | | | "Lethal Weapon 3" | 3 September, 1992 | Village cinema | | | 1993 | | No new films screened. | | "Remains of the Day" | 24 February, 1994 | Hoyts | | | "Baraka" | 22 July, 1994 | Orpheum | First time in 70mm. Screened in suburban Cremorne only. As at January 2000, the film is still screening several times a month. 6th year | | "Little Buddha" | 28 July, 1994 | Pitt Center | Very small screen. A waste of 70mm | | "Gettysburg" | 8 September, 1994 | Pitt Center | | | 1995 | | No new films screened. | | 1996 | | No new films screened. | | "Hamlet" | 22 May, 1997 | Hoyts | 4 Hour version later replaced with the 3 hour 35mm version | | "Vertigo" | 10 July, 1997 | Pitt Center | First time in 70mm. Restored print | | "Titanic" | (17) 18 December, 1997 | Hoyts | 35mm print sometimes substituted when inexperienced 70mm projectionists were on duty. Public not advised re this problem.
1. November 2005
Greetings!
Just a quick note regarding the list "70mm in Sydney" located on your (fantastic) web-site.
In his exhaustive list Peter fraser has quoted:
""Titanic" (17) 18 December, 1997 Hoyts Only 70mm screening in Australia. 35mm print sometimes substituted when inexperienced 70mm projectionists were on duty. Public not advised re this problem."
I am a Melbourne projectionist of 25+years experience in the industry and currently work at both the Melbourne IMAX Theatre and also at the art-deco ASTOR THEATRE in suburban St. Kilda. I have shown "TITANIC" in 70mm many, many times here in Melbourne, so perhaps a correction to claim it has only ever been shown in Sydney is in order?
The 1936 ASTOR is one of the few Australian venues still capable and actually still showing 70mm features on a regular basis. As a retro-nostalgia house, we usually feature a different DOUBLE FEATURE every night of the week - just like the good old days. The 70mm print of "2001:A SPACE ODYSSEY"; "HAMLET" and "PINK FLOYD THE WALL" still feature regularly on our program calendar - as have a number of other 70mm titles such as "LAWRENCE OF ARABIA"; "ITS A MAD, MAD. MAD, MAD WORLD"; "INDIANA JONES & THE TEMPLE OF DOOM"; "RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK"; "POLTERGEIST"; "BARAKA" - and of course James Cameron's 1997 epic "TITANIC" in all its 70mm DTS glory!
Peter is certainly to be congratulated on his work in compiling such an extensive list, and lm sure for the sake of historical record and clarity, he would be pleased to see any updates included as this type of information comes to light.
Keep up the good work!
Kind Regards,
KEVIN ADAMS
Projectionist
Melbourne IMAX Theatre
and
ASTOR Theatre, St. Kilda.
(Melbourne, Australia)
| | The Master | 8 November 2012 | Orpheum (Cremorne)
| | | "The Hateful Eight" | 14.01.2016 | Event George Street & Cremorne Orpheum
| ...in Ultra Panavision 70
The invited audience premiere was the night before on the 13
| | Fantastic Beasts | 17/11/2016 | Cremorne Orpheum | | | "Dunkirk" | 20/07/2017 | Event George Street | | | "Murder on the Orient Express" | 09/11/2017 | Randwick Ritz | | | "Joker" | 03/10/2019 | Randwick Ritz
| | | "Tenet" | 27/08/2020 | Randwick Ritz
| | | "Death on the Nile" | 10/02/2022 | | | | Oppenheimer | 23.07.2023 | • Ritz Cinemas Randwick
• Orpheum Cremorne | | | | | | | | | | |
| |
