“Apocalypse Now”: The North American 70mm Engagements | Read more at
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The 70mm Newsletter
| | Compiled by: Michael Coate, Hollywood, USA | Date: 19.07.2010
Updated: 02-09-2023 |  Cinerama Dome in Hollywood. Photograph taken by Richard DuVal on September, 21st, 1979.
The following is a reference / historical listing of the 70-millimeter engagements of “Apocalypse Now” in the United States and Canada. These were the cinemas worth seeking out to experience this motion picture.
“Apocalypse Now” was among nine confirmed first-run films released in 1979 with 70mm prints for selected engagements. The Omni Zoetrope production and United Artists release—directed by Francis Ford Coppola (“The Godfather,” “One from the Heart”) and starring Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall and Martin Sheen—opened August 15th in limited release with a staggered rollout in the weeks thereafter.
The 70mm prints of “Apocalypse Now” featured Six-Track Dolby Stereo (“A” encoded Baby Boom format with a Split Surround playback option) and 2.20:1 full-frame imagery blown up from anamorphic 35mm.
Note that some venues screened a 70mm-Dolby print utilizing Dolby-compatible audio playback equipment from another manufacturer [Eprad, Smart, Ultra Stereo, etc.] and may or may not have been promoted as such, and in some instances an exhibitor made a special request for a 70mm print that lacked Dolby Noise Reduction so that it could be played on a cinema’s older, pre-Dolby-era sound system.
PART 1: THE FIRST-RUN 70MM ENGAGEMENTS
“Apocalypse Now” for many is remembered as a seminal moviegoing experience. Believing they had a special film, Zoetrope and United Artists issued Francis Ford Coppola’s Vietnam War epic slowly. First-class cinemas in three large, important markets were chosen to debut the film in mid-August of 1979 rather than saturating the market with hundreds or even thousands of bookings from the get-go (as would be the case if released today),
The film was shown on a reserved-performance, guaranteed-seat, quasi-roadshow basis and presented in 70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo, which showcased then-new split-surround audio technology. The film was shown without coming-attraction trailers or any opening or closing credits or studio logos; instead, a program was handed out to moviegoers which identified the cast and crew. In September and October, additional 70mm bookings were added for a North American first-run total of seventeen.
Opening date YYYY-MM-DD … city — cinema (duration in weeks) [notes]
1979-08-15 … Los Angeles, CA — Pacific’s Cinerama Dome (13)
1979-08-15 … New York, NY — Reade’s Ziegfeld (12)
1979-08-15 … Toronto, ON — Famous Players’ University (18)
1979-09-21 … Newport Beach, CA — Edwards’ Newport Twin (7)
1979-09-21 … Orange, CA — Syufy’s Cinedome 6 (20)
1979-09-21 … San Francisco, CA — Plitt’s Northpoint (12)
1979-09-21 … San Jose, CA — Syufy’s Century 21 (12)
1979-10-03 … Washington, DC — Circle’s Uptown (11)
1979-10-05 … Calumet City, IL — Plitt’s River Oaks 4 (11)
1979-10-05 … Chicago, IL — Plitt’s State Lake (7)
1979-10-05 … Evergreen Park, IL — M&R’s Evergreen Triplex (11)
1979-10-05 … Montreal, QC — United’s York (25)
1979-10-05 … Niles, IL — Fink’s Golf Mill Triplex (11)
1979-10-05 … Oak Brook, IL — UA’s Cinema Twin (11)
1979-10-05 … Vancouver, BC — Famous Players’ Stanley (25)
1979-10-10 … Boston, MA — Sack’s Cinema 57 Twin (10)
1979-10-12 … Seattle, WA — SRO’s Town (24)
In mid-October of 1979, “Apocalypse Now” was placed into a nationwide, 35mm general release where it played hundreds and ultimately thousands of cinemas across the United States and Canada and eventually the rest of the world. The 35mm version of the film was different from the 70mm version in a number of respects. Aside from the obvious visual and sonic differences, the 35mm version, whether Dolby Stereo or mono, featured a completely different audio mix, providing a less-dynamic, less-immersive experience than what was provided by the 70mm version and, most notably, featured an end-credit sequence which included footage of the Kurtz compound and its destruction not seen in the 70mm presentations.
| More in 70mm reading:
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
70mm in London 1958-2001 by John Sharp
|  “Apocalypse Now” in Los Angeles, USA. in70mm.com
PART 2: SUBSEQUENT 70MM ENGAGEMENTS & SCREENINGS
1979-11-06 … New York, NY — RKO Cinerama Twin (6)
1979-11-16 … Los Angeles, CA — Pacific’s Hollywood Pacific Triplex (5)
1979-11-21 … Chicago, IL — Center’s McClurg Court (4)
1979-12-14 … San Francisco, CA — Blumenfeld’s Royal (8)
1979-12-14 … San Jose, CA — Syufy’s Century 24 Twin (9)
1979-12-20 … Los Angeles, CA — Pacific’s Picwood (26)
1979-12-20 … Troy, MI — UA’s The Movies at Oakland 5 (11)
1979-12-21 … Houston, TX — AMC’s Westchase 5 (22)
1979-12-21 … South Salt Lake, UT — Syufy’s Century 5 (8)
1979-12-21 … Washington, DC — Circle’s Embassy Circle (8)
1980-03-21 … New York, NY — Reade’s Ziegfeld (4)
1980-04-11 … Lakewood, CA — Pacific’s Lakewood Center 4 (6)
1980-04-11 … Orange, CA — Syufy’s Cinedome 6 (9)
1980-04-11 … Toronto, ON — Famous Players’ University (6)
1980-04-18 … New York, NY — UA’s Gemini Twin (1)
1980-04-18 … Tukwila, WA — SRO’s Southcenter (5)
1980-05-02 … New York, NY — Reade’s Bay (1)
1980-05-30 … Los Angeles, CA — SRO’s Paramount (1)
1980-06-06 … Monterey, CA — Kindair’s Cinema 70 (2)
1980-06-06 … Tacoma, WA — Temple (1)
1980-06-13 … Troy, MI — UA’s The Movies at Oakland 5 (1)
1980-07-11 … San Francisco, CA — UA’s Metro (1)
1980-08-19 … Toronto, ON — Science Centre
1980-08-22 … Toronto, ON — Science Centre
1980-09-04 … Cleveland, OH — CWRU’s Strosacker (2 days) [CWRU Film Society]
1980-09-12 … Colorado Springs, CO — UA’s Cinema 150 (1)
1980-09-26 … Tulsa, OK — Continental (1)
1980-10-01 … Spokane, WA — SRO’s Lincoln Heights Triplex (1)
1980-10-03 … Fox Point, WI — Capitol’s Brown Port (3)
1980-10-04 … Atlanta, GA — Rhodes
1980-10-17 … Calgary, AB — Odeon’s North Hill [midnight]
1980-10-17 … Seattle, WA — SRO’s Music Box (2) [Fri-Sat midnight]
1980-10-24 … Chicago, IL — Center’s McClurg Court (1)
1980-10-31 … Denver, CO — Mann’s Aladdin (3)
1980-11-07 … Calgary, AB — Odeon’s North Hill (6)
1980-11-21 … Edmonton, AB — Odeon’s Meadowlark (4)
1980-11-26 … New York, NY — Cinema 5’s Cinema 1 (4) [replaced “Heaven’s Gate”]
1980-12-05 … San Diego, CA — Pacific’s La Jolla Village 4 (1)
1980-12-05 … Tulsa, OK — Continental (2)
1980-12-19 … Calgary, AB — Odeon’s Odeon (5)
1981-01-29 … Toronto, ON — Cinesphere (1) [70mm festival]
1981-02-06 … Washington, DC — K-B’s Cinema (1)
1981-02-21 … Atlanta, GA — Rhodes
1981-03-06 … Ottawa, ON — National Arts Centre Opera (2 days)
1981-03-06 … Windsor, ON — Famous Players’ Centre (2)
1981-03-27 … Oklahoma City, OK — Mid-America’s Continental (1)
1981-04-03 … Niagara Falls, ON — Pyramid Place (1) [70mm festival]
1981-05-01 … Las Vegas, NV — Syufy’s Cinedome 6 (3)
1981-05-01 … Vancouver, BC — Famous Players’ Stanley (3)
1981-05-05 … Washington, DC — Circle’s Uptown (5 days) [70mm festival]
1981-05-15 … Colorado Springs, CO — UA’s Cinema 150 (1)
1981-05-15 … Toronto, ON — Famous Players’ Uptown 5 (4)
1981-05-29 … La Mesa, CA — Pacific’s Cinema Grossmont (1)
1981-06-12 … Los Angeles, CA — Pacific’s Cinerama Dome (5)
1981-07-03 … Montreal, QC — United’s York (2)
1981-07-17 … Cleveland, OH — Colony (1)
1981-07-26 … Cleveland, OH — Colony (4 days)
1981-10-09 … Winnipeg, MB — Landmark’s Towne 8 (6)
1981-11-13 … Oak Brook, IL — UA’s Cinema Twin (4)
1981-11-20 … Vancouver, BC — Famous Players’ Stanley (2)
1981-11-27 … Toronto, ON — Famous Players’ Uptown 5 (2)
1981-12-11 … Calgary, AB — Odeon’s North Hill (2)
1981-??-?? … London, ON — Famous Players’ Park (?)
 1982-01-08 … Los Angeles, CA — Pacific’s Picwood (1)
1982-01-11 … Norfolk, VA — Naro
1982-01-15 … Ottawa, ON — National Arts Centre Opera (2 days)
1982-01-22 … Southfield, MI — SDT’s Northland Twin (2)
1982-02-05 … Las Vegas, NV — Plitt’s Parkway Triplex (1)
1982-03-03 … Toronto, ON — Cinesphere (12 days) [70mm festival]
1982-03-26 … Toronto, ON — Famous Players’ Cumberland 4 (1)
1982-04-09 … Winnipeg, MB — Landmark’s Towne 8 (3)
1982-04-22 … Cleveland, OH — CWRU’s Strosacker (2 days) [CWRU Film Society]
1982-04-23 … San Francisco, CA — Blumenfeld’s Regency I (1)
1982-05-07 … Windsor, ON — Famous Players’ Centre (1)
1982-05-14 … Vancouver, BC — Famous Players’ Vancouver Centre Twin (3)
1982-05-14 … Washington, DC — K-B’s Cinema (11 days)
1982-05-21 … Toronto, ON — Famous Players’ Hollywood Twin (3)
1982-07-06 … Norfolk, VA — Naro (2 days) [w/ “Days of Heaven”]
1982-07-30 … Washington, DC — Circle’s Uptown (2) [w/ “Annie”]
1982-08-20 … Atlanta, GA — Rhodes (2 days) [w/ “The Deer Hunter”]
1982-09-10 … Catonsville, MD — Westview 6 (1)
1982-09-10 … Towson, MD — Rappaport’s Hillendale Twin (1)
1982-09-19 … Toronto, ON — Famous Players’ University (2)
1982-10-08 … Los Angeles, CA — SRO’s Crest (1)
1982-10-15 … Philadelphia, PA — Sameric’s Mark I (1)
1982-10-22 … Calgary, AB — Odeon’s North Hill (5)
1982-11-05 … Toronto, ON — Famous Players’ Hollywood Twin (4)
1982-11-17 … San Francisco, CA — Plitt’s Northpoint (3)
1982-12-03 … Scarborough, ON — Famous Players’ Cedarbrae 6 (1)
1982-12-03 … Seattle, WA — SRO’s Cinerama [Fri-Sat midnight]
1982-12-03 … Tucson, AZ — Plitt’s El Dorado Twin (1)
1982-12-08 … Seattle, WA — SRO’s Cinerama (1)
1983-02-04 … Halifax, NS — Famous Players’ Scotia Square (2)
1983-02-16 … Toronto, ON — Cinesphere (12 days) [70mm festival]
1983-02-25 … Wichita, KS — Dickinson’s Mall (2) [Fri-Sat midnight]
1983-03-04 … Toronto, ON — Famous Players’ Uptown 5 (2)
1983-03-04 … Vancouver, BC — Famous Players’ Stanley (1)
1983-03-18 … Ottawa, ON — National Arts Centre Opera (2 days)
1983-04-29 … Winnipeg, MB — Landmark’s Towne 8 (1)
1983-04-22 … Ottawa, ON — Famous Players’ Nelson (1)
1983-08-05 … Norfolk, VA — Naro [Fri-Sat late show]
1983-09-09 … Montreal, QC — Odeon’s Place du Canada (1)
1983-11-04 … Richmond, VA — NTI’s Ridge 4 (2) [Fri-Sat midnight]
1983-11-18 … Calgary, AB — Odeon’s North Hill (1) [70mm festival]
1983-12-02 … Ottawa, ON — Odeon’s Somerset (1)
1983-12-02 … Vancouver, BC — Famous Players’ Stanley (1)
1984-02-01 … Toronto, ON — Cinesphere (12 days) [70mm festival]
1984-02-10 … Winnipeg, MB — Landmark’s Towne 8 (1)
1984-03-16 … Milwaukee, WI — Capitol’s Loomis Road 4 (1)
1984-03-23 … Toronto, ON — Famous Players’ Cumberland 4 (1)
1984-05-18 … Madison, WI — Marcus’ Eastgate 4 (4 days)
1984-06-15 … Richmond, VA — NTI’s Ridge 4 (2) [Fri-Sat midnight]
1984-11-23 … Phoenix, AZ — Plitt’s Cine Capri (1)
1985-02-06 … Toronto, ON — Cinesphere (12 days) [70mm festival]
1985-04-05 … Tacoma, WA — Star Cinemas’ Temple (1)
1985-04-12 … Richmond, VA — NTI’s Ridge 7 [Fri-Sat midnight]
1985-06-07 … Vancouver, BC — Famous Players’ Denman Place (1)
1985-07-03 … Washington, DC — Circle’s Uptown (2) [w/ “Return to Oz”]
1985-08-02 … Richmond, VA — NTI’s Ridge 7 [Fri-Sat-Sun midnight]
1986-02-28 … Vancouver, BC — Famous Players’ Denman Place (1)
1986-03-28 … Norfolk, VA — Naro [Fri-Sat late show]
1986-05-02 … Washington, DC — K-B’s Cinema (1)
1986-06-27 … Cleveland, OH — CWRU’s Strosacker [CWRU Film Society]
1986-10-03 … Scottsdale, AZ — Harkins’ Kachina (1) [canceled]
1987-01-14 … Toronto, ON — Cinesphere (5 days) [70mm festival]
1987-08-28 … Los Angeles, CA — Cineplex Odeon’s Showcase (2)
1987-08-28 … Lynnwood, WA — LT’s Alderwood 7 (1) [THX]
1987-08-28 … St. Ann, MO — AMC’s Northwest Square 10 (1)
1987-08-28 … San Francisco, CA — Syufy’s Presidio (2)
1987-08-28 … San Jose, CA — Syufy’s Century 24 Twin (2)
1987-08-28 … Springdale, OH — Redstone’s Showcase 8 (1)
1987-09-11 … Cleveland, OH — Colony (1) [w/ “The Untouchables”]
1987-09-18 … Calgary, AB — Famous Players’ Chinook (1)
1987-09-18 … Phoenix, AZ — Cinemark’s Cine Capri (1)
1987-09-18 … Winnipeg, MB — Famous Players’ Portage Place Triplex (1)
1988-02-17 … Toronto, ON — Cinesphere (5 days) [70mm festival]
1988-11-08 … Los Angeles, CA — Cinerama Dome [venue 25th anniversary festival]
1988-11-11 … Los Angeles, CA — Cinerama Dome [venue 25th anniversary festival]
 1990-01-19 … Dayton, OH — Neon Movies
1990-03-01 … Los Angeles, CA — Cinerama Dome [Zoetrope 20th w/ “One from the Heart”]
1990-04-08 … Hartford, CT — Trinity College’s Cinestudio (3 days)
1990-05-07 … San Francisco, CA — AMC’s Kabuki 8 [Zoetrope 20th w/ “One from the Heart”]
1990-09-14 … Corte Madera, CA — Pacific’s Cinema (1) [70mm festival]
1990-09-28 … San Francisco, CA — Blumenfeld’s Alhambra (1) [70mm festival]
1991-03-04 … Boston, MA — Wang Center [classic film series]
1992-01-24 … Toronto, ON — Cineplex Odeon’s Showcase (3)
1992-01-24 … Vancouver, BC — Cineplex Odeon’s Granville 7 (4) [THX]
1992-02-14 … Toronto, ON — Cineplex Odeon’s Hyland Twin (1)
1992-02-21 … Calgary, AB — Cineplex Odeon’s North Hill (2)
1992-02-26 … Toronto, ON — Cinesphere (4 days) [70mm festival]
1992-04-12 … Los Angeles, CA — Cineplex Odeon’s Odeon [lateshow] (THX)
1992-04-17 … Sacramento, CA — Landmark’s Tower Triplex [Fri-Sat late night]
1992-05-02 … San Francisco, CA — Cineplex Odeon’s Northpoint (2 days) [noon]
1992-07-04 … Los Angeles, CA — LACMA’s Leo S. Bing [70mm festival]
1992-11-04 … Los Angeles, CA — Cinerama Dome [All Time Classics retrospective]
1993-02-24 … Toronto, ON — Cinesphere (5 days) [70mm festival]
1993-04-23 … Vancouver, BC — Caprice (2)
1993-07-10 … Toronto, ON — Famous Players’ Uptown 5 [latenite]
1993-08-13 … Montreal, QC — Famous Players’ Palace 6 (2)
1993-10-24 … Hartford, CT — Trinity College’s Cinestudio (3 days)
1993-11-06 … Vancouver, BC — Famous Players’ Capitol 6 [latenite]
1994-01-05 … Toronto, ON — Cinesphere (3 days) [70mm festival]
1995-02-24 … San Francisco, CA — Castro (2 days)
1995-07-13 … Montreal, QC — Imperial [THX]
1996-05-24 … Los Angeles, CA — Pacific’s Cinerama Dome (1)
1996-07-12 … Los Angeles, CA — Mann’s Plaza [Fri-Sat lateshow]
1996-10-11 … San Francisco, CA — Cineplex Odeon’s Northpoint (1)
1996-11-03 … Long Beach, CA — CSULB’s Carpenter Center [Wide Screen Festival]
1997-09-05 … Chicago, IL — Cineplex Odeon’s Navy Pier IMAX (1) [late night]
1999-01-23 … Los Angeles, CA — LACMA’s Leo S. Bing [Vittorio Storaro retrospective]
1999-08-04 … Indianapolis, IN — White River State Park IMAX (2) [Hollywood festival]
1999-11-13 … Los Angeles, CA — Egyptian [70mm festival; w/ John Milius Q&A]
2005-08-05 … San Francisco, CA — Castro [70mm festival]
2010-04-22 … Champaign, IL — Virginia [EbertFest] (35mm “Redux” substitution)
2012-12-10 … Austin, TX — Alamo Drafthouse Ritz [70mm festival]
2016-09-11 … Seattle, WA — Cinerama [70mm festival]
2016-09-18 … Seattle, WA — Cinerama [70mm festival]
2017-02-05 … Austin, TX — Alamo Drafthouse Ritz [70mm festival]
2023-07-21 … Santa Monica, CA — Aero [70mm festival]
2023-07-28 … Santa Monica, CA — Aero [70mm festival]
2023-07-29 … Santa Monica, CA — Aero [70mm festival]
The information included in this article was principally referenced from film industry trade publications, regional newspaper promotion, print enclosures, and Dolby records. Special thanks to David Cash, Andrew Coll, Dolby Labs, Richard DuVal, Bill Kallay, Bill Kretzel, Jeffry Johnson, Mark Lensenmayer, Victor Liorentas, Kenneth Mitchell, and to the librarians who have assisted with this project.
Any international 70mm engagements of this title 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.
| | | | | Some key international premieres | |  “Apocalypse Now” in London, England. in70mm.com collection
• Paris (26.09.1979)
• Sydney (15.11.1979; Hoyts)
• London (01.12.1979; ABC Shaftesbury Avenue)
• Tokyo (15.03.1980)
Notably, “Apocalypse Now” was screened by special arrangement at the Moscow Film Festival in August 1979.
During the latter half of the film’s original release, as well as in the years since, “Apocalypse Now” in 70mm has been a re-issue and revival booking staple.
• Go to 70mm in London 1958-2023 by John Sharp
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Updated 02-09-23 | |
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