VistaVision presented in Horizontal Projections |
Read more at in70mm.com The 70mm Newsletter |
| Written by: Alain Dorange, with editign contribution from Gerhard Witte, Berlin | Date: 10.09.2015 |
 This is a list of the VistaVision movies shown in selected theatres
equipped for horizontal projections. The
Technirama (only one movie) is
also shown here as it was an anamorphic VistaVision process.Canada – Toronto: Imperial Theatre (2 Century projectors) Screen: 52ft x 27ft "Strategic Air Command", on May 12th, 1955 "The Seven Little Foys", on July 1st, 1955 "To Catch a Thief", on August 27th, 1955 France – Paris: Normandie Theatre (2 Century projectors) "Oeil pour Oeil", on September 13th, 1957 The only French movie shot in VistaVision by the director André Cayatte. Paramount Opera Theatre (2 Century projectors) "Strategic Air Command", on October 7th, 1957 The following titles are unconfirmed: "The Far Horizons", on February 10th, 1956 "The Seven Little Foys", on May 11th, 1956 "To Catch a Thief", on December 23rd, 1955 Italy – Turin: Reposi Theatre (2 Micro Lambda projectors) Screen: 68.9ft x 28.7ft / Technirama process "The Monte Carlo Story", on December 19th, 1956 UK – London: Plaza Piccadilly Theatre (2 Century projectors) Screen: 43ft x 23ft "Strategic Air Command" "The Far Horizons" "The Seven Little Foys" Odeon Leicester Square (2 G.B. Kalee projectors) "The Battle of the River Plate", on October 10th, 1956 Unconfirmed title: "Simon and Laura" |
More in 70mm reading: Horizontal VistaVision Projector Restoration of "Vertigo" Berg der Kinoträume: Paramounts VistaVision VistaVision Review The Technirama Story Internet link: |
 USA – Chicago: State Lake Theatre (2 Century projectors) Screen:
54ft x 24ft"Strategic Air Command", on May 4th, 1955 "The Far Horizons" "The Seven Little Foys" Hollywood: Paramount Theatre (2 Century projectors) "The Seven Little Foys", on June 23rd, 1955 "To Catch a Thief", on August 3rd, 1955 Los Angeles: Warner Beverly Theatre (2 Century projectors) "White Christmas", on October 26th, 1954 "Strategic Air Command", on April 28th, 1955 "The Far Horizons" New Orleans: Saengers Theatre (2 Century projectors) "Strategic Air Command", on May 6th, 1955 "The Far Horizons", on May 29th, 1955 "The Seven Little Foys" |
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 New York: Criterion Theatre (2 Century projectors) The projectors
were delivered but never installedParamount Theatre (3 Century projectors) Screen: 64ft x 34ft The sound was in Mono because they did not have the time to install the Perspecta system for their first movie (SAC) "Strategic Air Command", on April 20th, 1955 "The Far Horizons", on May 20th, 1955 "The Seven Little Foys", on June 29th, 1955 "To Catch a Thief", on August 4th, 1955 Unconfirmed: "The Court Jester", on February 1st, 1956 Radio City Music Hall (2 prototype Century projectors and 2 x 35mm vertical projectors for the Perspecta sound interlocked with the Century's) Screen: 58ft x 25ft "White Christmas", on October 14th, 1954 Omaha Beach: Orpheum Theatre (2 Century projectors) Screen: 50ft x 27ft "Strategic Air Command", on March 25th, 1955 "To Catch a Thief", on August 11th, 1955 Philadelphia: Stanley Theatre (2 Century projectors) "Strategic Air Command", on May 5th, 1955 "The Far Horizons" "The Seven Little Foys" Pittsburg: Penn Theatre (2 Century projectors) "Strategic Air Command", on May 10th, 1955 "The Far Horizons" "The Seven Little Foys" Washington: Capitol Theatre (2 Century projectors) "Strategic Air Command", on May 12th, 1955 "To Catch a Thief", on August 18th, 1955 Williamsburg: Colonial Williamsburg Theatre (there are actually 2 theatres with a common projection booth between each other and 2 x 2 Century projectors). There are 6 magnetic soundtracks on the film and 6 tracks on separate player for the dialogues in foreign languages. "The Story of a Patriot", on March 30th, 1957. Those 4 Century projectors were then given to ILM (George Lucas) and replaced by 70mm projectors. This movie is still shown nowadays (2015) but in digital NB: The two VistaVision movies: "The Ten Commandments" and "Vertigo" were never shown in horizontal Vistavision projection process but have been printed onto 65mm film and were re-released in "Super Vistavision 70" in 1989 and 1996. |
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The VistaVision Demonstrations |
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 Ironically, all the VistaVision demonstrations were not in horizontal
but on standard 35mm vertical (except the last 2 in the US) as,
obviously, there were no correct projectors available. Similar story for
the CinemaScope 55 but this process was clearly announced from the
beginning it would only be used as reduction on 35mm support. VistaVision demonstrations in the USA (and Canada) March 2nd, 1954: At the Paramount Studios (Hollywood) Use of Joseph Tushinsky Lens Screen type Stewart Trans-Lux Luxuria. Projected image of 61ft x 33ft. Footages of "White Christmas" and "The Big Top" Perspecta sound was in use April 27th, 1954: At the Radio City Hall (New York). Projection onto a screen of 50ft x 30ft previously installed for the premiere of "Shane" on March 23rd, 1953 May 5th, 1954: At the Capitol Theatre (Washington) May 10th, 1954: At the Loew's Grand Theatre (Atlanta) May 13th, 1954: At the Majestic Theatre (Dallas) May 21st, 1954: At the Imperial Theatre (Toronto) Demonstrations on a screen of 46ft x 24ft later replaced by 52ft x27ft for the Canadian premiere of "Strategic Air Command" August 23rd, 1954: At the Paramount Studios (Hollywood) Demo of "White Christmas" with the use of Kollmorgen Lens October 5th, 1954: At the Paramount Studios (Hollywood). For the FIRST TIME, presentation in horizontal VistaVision with footage of "To Catch a Thief" and the short: "VistaVision visits Norway". The projectors are prototypes from Century January 21st, 1955: At the Paramount Studios (Hollywood). Horizontal projection presented by Adolph Zukor: "Paramount presents VistaVision" with Extracts of the first 10 VistaVision movies: "White Christmas", "Strategic Air Command", "Three Ring Circus", "We're No Angels", "Run for Cover", "The Seven Little Foys", "To Catch a Thief", "The Trouble with Harry", "The Far Horizons" & "Lucy Gallant" |
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 VistaVision demonstrations in EuropeJune 16th, 1954: At the Piccadilly Plaza Theatre (London) June 21st, 1954: At the Paramount Opera Theatre (Paris) June 29th, 1954: At the Supercinema Theatre (Roma) June 30th, 1954: At the Turm-Palast Theatre (Frankfurt) VistaVision demonstrations in Asia Pacific The Ambassador for those presentations was the actor William Holden. June 22nd, 1954: At the Ernie Pyle Theatre (Tokyo) Then unknown dates and locations successively to Manila, Singapore (maybe at the Odeon), Bombay (Mumbai), Sydney, Melbourne. VistaVision demonstrations in South America and Cuba July 21st, 1954: At Havana (unknown Theatre), followed by the followign countries: Mexico, Lima, Rio de Janeiro, Caracas. In total, the VistaVision demonstrations took place in 15 cities out of the US. |
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