“Star Trek III: The Search for Spock” The North American 70mm Engagements | Read more at in70mm.com The 70mm Newsletter |
| Compiled by: Michael Coate | Date: 14.03.2022 |
 The following is a reference / historical listing of the 70-millimeter large-format engagements of “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock” in the United States and Canada. These were the best cinemas in which to experience this motion picture. “Star Trek III” was among sixteen confirmed first-run films released in 1984 with 70mm prints for selected engagements. Approximately one-hundred 70mm prints were reportedly struck for distribution in North America and represented about five percent of the film’s total initial print run. The Paramount release — directed by Leonard Nimoy and starring William Shatner, DeForest Kelley and Christopher Lloyd — opened June 1st. Pre-release screenings included an invitational preview held May 30th at Paramount Studios. For the release of “Star Trek III,” Paramount 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 “Star Trek III” featured full-frame imagery blown up from anamorphic 35mm and Six-Track Dolby Stereo (“A” encoded “baby boom” format). Paramount circulated 70mm trailers for “Best Defense,” “First Born,” “Joy of Sex” and “Top Secret!” during the release of “Star Trek III.” As well, other studios circulated 70mm trailers during this period. Ultimately, the 70mm trailers, if any, seen during the 70mm presentations of “Star Trek III” varied by venue and screening. The duration of the engagements (measured in weeks) has been included in parenthesis following the applicable cinema name. ALBERTA Calgary — Famous Players’ Palliser Square Twin (11) Edmonton — Famous Players’ Londonderry Twin (8) Edmonton — Famous Players’ Westmount Twin (13) BRITISH COLUMBIA Vancouver — Famous Players’ Vancouver Centre Twin (9) CALIFORNIA Bakersfield — UA’s Movies 6-plex (7) [70mm from Week 3] Burlingame — Syufy’s Hyatt Twin (12) Costa Mesa — Edwards’ Town Center 4-plex (6) Daly City — Plitt’s Plaza Twin (7) Del Mar — AIT’s Flower Hill 4-plex (10) Escondido — AIT’s Carousel 6-plex (17) La Mirada — Pacific’s La Mirada Mall 6-plex (7) Lakewood — Pacific’s Lakewood Center 4-plex (6) Los Angeles (Hollywood) — Pacific’s Cinerama Dome (6) Los Angeles (North Hollywood) — UA’s Valley Plaza 6-plex (5) Los Angeles (Northridge) — Pacific’s Northridge 6-plex (7) Los Angeles (Sherman Oaks) — Pacific’s Galleria 4-plex (8) Los Angeles (Tarzana) — Mann’s Valley West 6-plex (6) Los Angeles (Westwood Village) — Mann’s Village (7) National City — Pacific’s Sweetwater 6-plex (13) Newark — Syufy’s Cinedome West 7-plex (#1: 8) Newark — Syufy’s Cinedome West 7-plex (#2: 4) Newport Beach — Edwards’ Newport Twin (6) Orange — Syufy’s City Center Twin (7) Redwood City — UA’s Redwood 6-plex (11) Riverside — UA’s Tyler Mall 4-plex (7) Sacramento — Syufy’s Century 6-plex (11) Sacramento — Syufy’s Cinedome 5-plex (#1: 8) Sacramento — Syufy’s Cinedome 5-plex (#2: 3) San Diego — Pacific’s Cinerama (7) San Francisco — Blumenfeld’s Royal (7) San Jose — Syufy’s Century 23 Twin (#1: 11) San Jose — Syufy’s Century 23 Twin (#2: 3) San Rafael — Marin’s Regency 6-plex (6) Torrance — Mann’s Old Towne 6-plex (8) West Covina — Sanborn’s Eastland 5-plex (8) COLORADO Colorado Springs — UA’s Cinema 150 (11) [70mm from Week 4] DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Washington — K-B’s Fine Arts (7) FLORIDA Winter Park — Wometco’s Winter Park Triplex (8) GEORGIA Atlanta — Plitt’s Phipps Plaza Triplex (17) HAWAII Honolulu — Consolidated’s Waikiki Twin (6) ILLINOIS Bloomingdale — Plitt’s Stratford Square 8-plex (8) Champaign — Kerasotes’ Virginia (1+) Chicago — Essaness’ Plaza Triplex (7) Niles — M&R’s Niles Square (6) IOWA Sioux City — Dubinsky’s Riviera Twin (7) KANSAS Overland Park — Dickinson’s Glenwood 4-plex (11) KENTUCKY Florence — Mid States’ Florence 6-plex (11) LOUISIANA Baton Rouge — Gulf States’ Bon Marche Mall 8-plex (7) [70mm during Week 3] New Orleans — Golden Crest’s Kenilworth (7) MANITOBA Winnipeg — Famous Players’ Northstar Twin (8) MASSACHUSETTS Boston — Sack’s Cinema 57 Twin (7) MISSOURI Kansas City — Commonwealth’s Bannister Mall 5-plex (4) NEBRASKA Omaha — Commonwealth’s Orchard 4-plex (4+) NEW JERSEY Moorestown — Sameric’s Eric Plaza Twin (#1: 9) Moorestown — Sameric’s Eric Plaza Twin (#2: 3) Paramus — RKO Century’s Route Four 10-plex (8) NEW YORK Guilderland — Cinema Centers’ Crossgates Mall 10-plex (8) Henrietta — Loews’ Towne 4-plex (8) Levittown — Loews’ Nassau 6-plex (7) New York — Loews’ 34th Street Showplace Triplex (7) New York — Loews’ Orpheum Twin (7) New York — Loews’ State Twin (7) Valley Stream — Redstone’s Sunrise 11-plex (7) NORTH CAROLINA Raleigh — Litchfield’s Mission Valley 5-plex (10) [70mm from Week 3] Winston-Salem — Plitt’s Thruway Twin (4+) OHIO Cleveland — Colony (7) Springdale — Mid States’ Tri-County 7-plex (16) ONTARIO Ottawa — Famous Players’ Rideau Centre Triplex (11) Toronto — Famous Players’ Hollywood Twin (15) Toronto — Famous Players’ Imperial 6-plex (9) OREGON Beaverton — Moyer’s Town Center Triplex (7) Portland — LT’s Eastgate Triplex (7) Portland — LT’s Fox (8) PENNSYLVANIA Philadelphia — Sameric’s Mark I (7) QUEBEC Montreal — United’s Palace 6-plex (11) TENNESSEE Memphis — Park (6) TEXAS Austin — AMC’s Americana (9) Bryan — Schulman’s Manor East Triplex (1+) Dallas — AMC’s Prestonwood 5-plex (8) Dallas — Loews’ Park Central 4-plex (6) Dallas — Plitt’s Medallion (7) Fort Worth — Plitt’s Ridglea (7) Houston — Cineplex’s Gaylynn Terrace (8) Houston — Cineplex’s Windsor Twin (7) Houston — Plitt’s Woodlake Triplex (7) San Antonio — Santikos’ Northwest 10-plex (7) UTAH Holladay — Mann’s Cottonwood Mall 4-plex (7) Salt Lake City — Plitt’s Crossroads Triplex (7) South Salt Lake — Syufy’s Century 5-plex (7) WASHINGTON Bellevue — SRO’s Factoria 5-plex (10) Lynnwood — SRO’s Grand Alderwood 5-plex (10) Tukwila — SRO’s Lewis & Clark 7-plex (11) WISCONSIN Waukesha — Marcus’ Westown 6-plex (6) West Allis — Marcus’ Southtown Triplex (8) 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 & SCREENINGS 1984-06-29 … Riverside, CA — Sanborn’s Canyon Crest 9-plex (7) 1984-07-13 … Los Angeles, CA — Pacific’s Hollywood Pacific Triplex (2) 1984-07-20 … Cleveland, OH — Colony (1) [w/ “Star Trek II”] 1984-08-10 … Seattle, WA — Seven Gables’ Crest 4-plex (4) 1984-08-24 … Knoxville, TN — Simpson’s Capri 4-plex (1) 1984-08-24 … Nashville, TN — Martin’s Belle Meade (3) 1984-08-24 … San Francisco, CA — Blumenfeld’s Royal (1) [w/ “The Last Starfighter”] 1984-09-07 … Augusta, GA — GTC’s National Hills (2) 1984-09-07 … Greenville, SC — Litchfield’s Bijou 8-plex (1) 1984-09-07 … Toronto, ON — Famous Players’ Palace Triplex (1) 1984-09-21 … Atlanta, GA — Columbia (1) 1984-09-21 … Tukwila, WA — SRO’s Lewis & Clark 7-plex (1) [w/ “Star Trek” and “Star Trek II”] 1984-09-28 … Oakland, CA — Renaissance Rialto’s Grand Lake 4-plex (1) [w/ “Gremlins”] 1984-11-09 … Indianapolis, IN — Y&W’s Eastwood (2) 1984-12-07 … Phoenix, AZ — Plitt’s Cine Capri (1) 1984-12-07 … San Francisco, CA — Syufy’s Cinema 21 (1) [w/ “Indiana Jones…”] 1985-03-13 … Toronto, ON — Cinesphere [70mm fest] 1985-04-26 … Cleveland, OH — Strosacker [CWRU Film Society] 1985-05-10 … Cleveland, OH — Colony (Fri/Sat midnight) [w/ “Star Trek II”] 1985-07-26 … Richmond, VA — NTI’s Ridge 7-plex [Fri/Sat midnight] 1985-08-12 … Atlanta, GA — Fox [7th annual summer film festival] 1985-11-08 … Houston, TX — AMC’s Commerce Park 8-plex (1) [AMC Series 70] 1986-01-18 … Austin, TX — Presidio’s Arbor 4-plex (2 days) [THX] (“Star Trek” series) 1987-02-25 … Toronto, ON — Cinesphere (5 days) [70mm fest; w/ “Star Trek II”] 1987-08-18 … Ottawa, ON — NAC Opera 1994-06-03 … Vancouver, BC — CN IMAX (Fri/Sat) [“Star Trek” fest] 1994-07-15 … Vancouver, BC — CN IMAX (Fri/Sat) [“Star Trek” fest] 1994-10-22 … Toronto, ON — Famous Players’ Uptown 5-plex [70mm?] 1994-10-22 … Vancouver, BC — Famous Players’ Capitol 6-plex [Sat Latenite] 1994-11-09 … Castle Rock, WA — Cinedome (5 days) [“Star Trek” fest] 1996-11-15 … Toronto, ON — Cinesphere [fest] (70mm?) 2010-06-26 … Los Angeles (West Los Angeles), CA — Laemmle’s Royal [“Star Trek” series] The information included in this article was principally referenced from film industry trade publications, regional newspaper promotion, print enclosures, TAP records, and Dolby records, with thanks to Bill Kallay, Bill Kretzel, W.R. Miller, and an extra special thank-you to all of the librarians who assisted with the research for this project. If you believe this article contains any errors or omissions, please consider emailing the author or editor. | More in 70mm reading: 70mm Cinemas in North America 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 |
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