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Visit biografmuseet.dk about Danish cinemas
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How
Todd's "80
Days" Was Presented at London Premiere
|
This article first appeared in
..in 70mm
The 70mm Newsletter |
Written by:
The Ideal Kinema, July 11, 1957 |
Issue 64 - March 2001 |
When
"Around the World in 80 Days"
originally opened in London, England in 1957, it
was not in 70mm Todd-AO, but in the 35mm Cinestage format. The Cinestage format
was a reduction from the 65mm 24 fps. negative with 6-track sound coming from a
separate 35mm dubber.
What's interesting here is the fact that a sub-standard 34mm version of Cinestage was
running in London because of special British regulations.
I have reprinted a
letter from the chief projectionist at the Astoria in which he briefly
explains the format. The letter came from Grant Lobban and have great
historical value.
I
have also found an old Gaumont-Kalee brochure explaining the Cinestage
installation at the Astoria in London, England.
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Further in 70mm reading:
"80 Days" Openings
Discoveries
The Brochure
Internet link:
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The
Letter
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Astoria
Cinema
Charing Cross Road
W.C.2
15.05.1972
To
Mr. M.B. Littlechild
Dear
Sir,
In
answer to your letter regarding "Around the World in 80 Days"
I am sorry to say that I have no cuttings from this film as I had no need to
make any. The stock was very well and the first two copies were changed
after ten month run.
The
prints were made on 35mm with the Fox type perforations. 1 mm was then
trimmed from the right side of the picture, this was done in the U.S.A.
The
only reason to this was to avoid complications with the Quota List which
covered 35mm standard only. Twice during the 2 years run officials came to
check that we were still on 34mm.
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34mm
frames. Supplied by Dion Hanson
Mike
Todd called the process Cinema Stage. It was a anamorphic print with 1.56
squeeze giving us a ratio on screen of 2.2 to 1. The sound tracks were on
35mm mag. Tape with Selsyn synchronized follower heads. The tape had five
tracks for the five channels behind the screen and one track for the effects
speakers of which there were 34 round the auditorium. The effects track was
integrated by the Perspecta system which split the track in three channels
by means of a gating signal on the track. The signals were at 25 - 30 - 35
c.p.s. This very effective sound system worked from left, right and rear of
auditorium. The screen channels were full stereo on both speak and music.
Yours
faithfully
H. Handing
Chief
Projectionist
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Behind the scenes of Cinestage
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Gaumont-Kalee
Equipment chosen for London Premiere.
British
premiere of Michael Todd's mammoth film "Around the World in 80
Days", at the Astoria, Charing Cross Road, London, on Tuesday last
week, was in a new system of presentation, called Cinestage, which has been
evolved by technical experts in co-operation with Mr. Todd and, in addition
to the installation of special projection equipment, involved one of the
most comprehensive sound installations ever built in Great Britain. The film
was of course, originally shot in the Todd-AO process, but in the Cinestage
process a reduction print is used in conjunction with an anamorphic lens and
sound from a separate six-track magnetic film.
Forty
Speakers
The
sound installation, which includes more than 40 auditorium effects speakers
was carried out by GK-Kalee, Ltd.
The
projection equipment is linked to six individual Gaumonet-Kalee 21 amplifier
channels, and sound from the screen is reproduced through five large
Duosonic speaker assemblies. The effects channel incorporates a modified
integrator unit and three separate power amplifiers feeding the effects
speakers situated to the rear, above and to the sides of the audience.
Projector
adapted
Special
projection equipment was produced by Gaumont-Kalee for this Cinestage
presentation.
The
equipment is based on the Gaumont-Kalee 21 projector, with water-cooled
picture gate and adapted for the special film, and with Mole-Richardson
Gaumont-Kalee high power arcs with their self contained water circulating
system, producing screen illumination of the high order recommended by the
British Standards Institution.
Each
projector is mounted on a tandem drive assembly linked by Selsyn power
transmitter to a studio-type follower head capable of reproducing the
recording on six-track film. Modification has been made to the lens holders
to accommodate special lenses provided by Mr. Todd. The projector
installation also included the provision of special stands giving a lower
optical center.
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34mm
frames. Supplied by Dion Hanson
For
the audience at the premiere, there was a "new look" Astoria in
several other ways. GB-Kalee supplied the special curved and electrically
controlled curtain track shaped to the auditorium architectural cornice
line.
"Floating"
Effect
The
track carries a pair of traverse draw curtains, valance, dress curtains, all
in tan-coloured non-flame material and totaling 600 yards; the proscenium
surfaces and surrounds are clad in heavy black wool serge. From the same
company comes the Perlux screen, of maximum proportion to suit the
auditorium, and screen frame, with the frame arranged to give a
"floating" effect to the picture.
GB-Kalee,
Ltd. Also supplied carpeting in CMA rose and cherry floral patterns; and
"Battleship" linoleum; while the foyer carpet was specially made
to match the carpet already in the circle foyer and laid a few months ago by
the same company.
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Before the showing Michael Todd announced that the process described above
would be used for the showing of the film in most cities of the world.
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The
special Gaumont-Kalee equipment incorporates two model "21" tandem
drive 35mm projectors with water-cooled gate, standard type 83 optical sound
heads, and Mole-Richardson Gaumont-Kalee high power arcs, mounted on low
optical center stands.
A
special feature of the tandem drive is the use of two motors mechanically
connected to one another and to the soundhead. One of the motors is a
3-phase power Selsyn electrically connected to a similar Selsyn motor on the
associated sound reproducer. The latter is thus electrically interlocked
with the projector to provide exact synchronism between the sound and
picture films.
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Two
Mole Richardson, Gaumont-Kalee high power arc lamps, with their
self-contained water circulating system, provided ample screen illumination.
Heat filtering of the intense light beam is controlled by a glass filter
which is cooled by a continues stream of air from its own blower motor.
50000
Lumens at 130 amperes
This
outstanding figure was obtained with heat filter and lens in position with
wide film aperture 1.34" x 1,06". 29000 Lumens with Cinestage
aperrature 0.012" x 0.685". All readings taken with heatfilter and
lens in position but without the projector shutter running.
Magnetic
Reproducers
To
handle the sound two film special Gaumont-Kalee cabinet type magnetic
reproducers were installed. This type of reproducer is normally used in film
studios as part of a re-recording chain. Each of the reproducers is fitted
with a specially designed 6-track magnetic playback head and six magnetic
playback amplifiers.
Gaumont-Kalee. Amplifiers
& Loudspeakers
Five
of the six output signals from the Magnetic Reproducers are fed via a
special five-gang main volume control to Power Amplifiers Panels in the main
racks, and thence to the five Gaumont-Kalee "Duosonic" stage
loudspeaker assemblies, each speaker comprising a multi-celluar
high-frequency horn with two pressure type treble units, and two 15 in. low
frequency units mounted in direct flare baffle bins. The output of the sixth
track of the magnetic film is fed into a modified Gaumont-Kalee Integrator
Unit which, actuated by three superimposed control frequencies on the
"effects track" feeds through a three-gang volume control into
three type 1064 twin amplifier units. These outputs are used for driving the
auditorium speakers, which are divided into three groups situated left,
center rear and right, and are made to operate separately or together as
required by the action of the film.
Perlux
screen
A
Gaumont-Kalee "Perlux" screen of maximum proportions to suit the
auditorium was installed with a screen frame designed to give a floating
effect to the picture. The special "Perlux" surface, developed by
the technologists in the Rank Precision Industries Group, gives perfect film
enjoyment wherever patrons sit.
Curtains
& curved Track
A
curved and electrically controlled curtain track shaped to the auditorium
cornice line was installed. The traverse draw curtains, valance and dress
curtains are made of tan-colored non-flame material. Proscenium surfaces and
surrounds are clad in heavy black wool serge.
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"80 Days" in Paris, France
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21-01-24 |
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