“Return to Oz”: The North American 70mm
Engagements |
Read more at in70mm.com The 70mm Newsletter |
| Compiled by: Michael Coate | Date: 18.02.2021 |
 The following is a reference / historical listing of the 70-millimeter
engagements of “Return to Oz” in the United States and Canada. These were the
best cinemas in which to experience this motion picture.“Return to Oz” was among twenty-three confirmed first-run films released in 1985 with 70mm prints for selected engagements. The Walt Disney/Silver Screen Partners II production and Buena Vista release — directed by Walter Murch and starring Nicol Williamson, Jean Marsh, Piper Laurie and Fairuza Balk — opened June 21st. Pre-release screenings included an invitational preview held June 15th at Mann Plaza in Los Angeles. For the release of “Return to Oz,” Buena Vista employed the services of Lucasfilm’s Theatre Alignment Program (TAP) to evaluate and approve the cinemas selected to book a 70mm print. The 70mm prints of “Return to Oz” featured pillarboxed imagery (approximately 1.85:1) blown up from spherical 35mm and Six-Track Dolby Stereo (“A” encoded Baby Boom format with a Split Surround playback option). Buena Vista circulated 70mm trailers for “The Black Cauldron,” “The Journey of Natty Gann,” “My Science Project” and “One Magic Christmas” during the release of “Return to Oz.” As well, other studios circulated 70mm trailers during this period. Ultimately, the 70mm trailers, if any, seen during the 70mm presentations of “Return to Oz” varied by venue and screening. The duration of the engagements (measured in weeks) has been included in parenthesis following the cinema name. ALBERTA Calgary — Famous Players’ Sunridge 5-plex (5) Edmonton — Famous Players’ Londonderry Twin (5) BRITISH COLUMBIA Vancouver — Famous Players’ Denman Place (5) CALIFORNIA Corte Madera — Marin’s Cinema (3) Costa Mesa — Edwards’ Town Center 4-plex (2) Laguna Hills — Edwards/SoCal’s Laguna Hills Mall Triplex (3) Los Angeles — Mann’s Chinese Triplex (2) [THX] Los Angeles — Mann’s Plaza (3) Montclair — UA’s Town Center Plaza 6-plex (4) Newport Beach — Edwards’ Newport Twin (2) Oakland — Cinerama’s Piedmont (3) Orange — Syufy’s Cinedome 6-plex (2) Palo Alto — Renaissance Rialto’s Stanford (3) Pasadena — Pacific’s Hastings (2) Sacramento — Syufy’s Century 6-plex (3) Sacramento — Syufy’s Cinedome 5-plex (3) San Diego — Mann’s Cinema 21 (3) San Francisco — Blumenfeld’s Regency I (2) San Jose — Syufy’s Century 23 Twin (3) Temple City — Edwards’ Temple 4-plex (3) DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Washington — Circle’s Uptown (3) ILLINOIS Chicago — Center’s McClurg Court (2) Northbrook — Center’s Edens Twin (2) Orland Park — Plitt’s Orland Square 4-plex (2) KANSAS Overland Park — Dickinson’s Glenwood 4-plex (1+) LOUISIANA Metairie — Cobb’s Lakeside 4-plex (4) MARYLAND Catonsville — Einbinder & Brehm’s Westview 8-plex (4) MASSACHUSETTS Boston — Sack’s Charles Triplex (4) MINNESOTA St. Louis Park — Plitt’s Knollwood 4-plex (5) MISSOURI Creve Coeur — Wehrenberg’s Creve Coeur Triplex (4) Shrewsbury — Wehrenberg’s Kenrick 8-plex (4) NEVADA Las Vegas — Syufy’s Cinedome 6-plex (3) NEW JERSEY Moorestown — Sameric’s Eric Plaza Twin (4) NEW YORK New York — Rockefeller’s Radio City Music Hall (5) OHIO Columbus — GCC’s Eastland Mall Twin (4) Mentor — NTC’s Great Lakes Mall 5-plex (3) Parma — GCC’s Parmatown 5-plex (3) Springdale — Mid States’ Tri-County 7-plex (5) OKLAHOMA Oklahoma City — AMC’s Memorial Square 8-plex (5) ONTARIO Toronto — Famous Players’ Hollywood Twin (5) OREGON Portland — LT’s Eastgate Triplex (2) PENNSYLVANIA King of Prussia — Sameric’s Plaza Twin (3) Philadelphia — Sameric’s SamEric 4-plex (4) QUEBEC Montreal — United’s Capitol 6-plex (3) Westmount — United’s Westmount Square (5) TEXAS Dallas — GCC’s Caruth Plaza Triplex (1+) Houston — Plitt’s West Oaks 7-plex (6) UTAH Salt Lake City — Plitt’s Crossroads Triplex (3) WASHINGTON Seattle — Seven Gables’ Guild 45th Twin (1+) Tukwila — LT’s Parkway Plaza 5-plex (1+) WISCONSIN Waukesha — Marcus’ Westown 6-plex (2) Note that some of the presentations included in this listing may have been presented in 35mm during the latter week(s) of engagement due to contractual terms or print damage and the distributor’s unwillingness to supply a 70mm replacement print or because the booking was moved to a smaller, non-70mm-equipped auditorium within a multiplex. As well, the reverse scenario may have been true in some cases whereas a booking began with a 35mm print because the lab was unable to complete the 70mm print order in time for an opening-day delivery or the exhibitor negotiated a mid-run switch to 70mm. In such cases, any 35mm portion of the engagement (or movement out of a branded auditorium) has been included in the duration figure. SUBSEQUENT 70MM ENGAGEMENTS AND SCREENINGS 1985-07-03 … San Francisco, CA — Blumenfeld’s Royal (1) 1985-07-03 … Washington, DC — Circle’s Uptown (1) [w/ “Apocalypse Now”] 1985-08-02 … Carmel, IN — Heaston’s Woodland Twin (1) [w/ “Pink Floyd: The Wall”] 1986-06-04 … Toronto, ON — Ontario Science Centre The information included in this article was principally referenced from film industry trade publications, regional newspaper promotion, print enclosures, TAP records, and Dolby records. Special thanks to Bill Kallay, Bill Kretzel, Mark Lensenmayer, and W.R. Miller. International 70mm engagements of this title have not been accounted for in this article. If you believe this article contains any errors or omissions, please consider emailing the author or editor. |
More in 70mm reading: Chronological premiere list of major 70mm films Month by month premiere list of wide gauge and 3-strip films 70mm Engagements 70mm Blow Up List Dolby Stereo Internet link: |
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