Cinerama Dome

Last updated

Cinerama Dome
Cinerama Dome front.jpg
Cinerama Dome
Location6360 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, California
Coordinates 34°05′51″N118°19′41″W / 34.097581°N 118.328088°W / 34.097581; -118.328088
Owner Pacific Theatres
TypeIndoor movie theater
Construction
OpenedNovember 7, 1963
ArchitectPierre Cabrol
Welton Becket & Associates
General contractorAECOM Hunt
DesignatedDecember 18, 1998
Reference no.659

The Cinerama Dome is a movie theater located at 6360 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. Designed to exhibit widescreen Cinerama films, it opened November 7, 1963. [1] [2] [3] The original developer was William R. Forman, [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] founder of Pacific Theatres. The Cinerama Dome continued as a leading first-run theater, most recently as part of the ArcLight Hollywood complex, until it closed temporarily in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in California. The ArcLight chain closed permanently in April 2021, with the theater never having reopened. In June 2022, it was announced that there were plans to reopen it and the former ArcLight Hollywood under a new name, Cinerama Hollywood. [10]

Contents

History

In February 1963, Cinerama Inc. unveiled a radically new design for theaters that would show its movies. They would be based on the geodesic dome developed by R. Buckminster Fuller, would cost half as much as conventional theaters of comparable size, and could be built in half the time. Cinerama's goal was to see at least 600 built worldwide within two years. The following April, Pacific Theatres Inc. announced plans to build the first theater based upon the design, and had begun razing existing buildings at the construction site. Located on Sunset near Vine Street, it would be the first new major motion-picture theater in Hollywood in 33 years and would be completed in time for the scheduled November 2 press premiere of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World . The design was proposed by French architect Pierre Cabrol, lead designer in the noted architectural firm of Welton Becket and Associates. Pierre Cabrol worked with R. Buckminster Fuller during his studies at MIT.

Pacific Theatres founder, William R. Forman, announced the construction of the Cinerama Dome in July 1963 at a star-studded, ground-breaking ceremony where Spencer Tracy, Buddy Hackett, Mickey Rooney, Dick Shawn, Edie Adams, and Dorothy Provine donned hard hats, and, with picks and shovels, began construction. Forman had committed to United Artists that the theatre would be ready for the November 7, 1963, world premiere of the first movie filmed in the new 70mm, single-strip Cinerama process, Stanley Kramer's It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World. Working around the clock, the entire construction spanned only 16 weeks. The Cinerama Dome is the only concrete geodesic dome in the world. The theatre is made up of 316 individual hexagonal and pentagonal shapes in 16 different sizes. Each of these pieces is approximately 12 feet (3.7 metres) across and weighs around 7,500 pounds (3,400 kilograms). The theatre also has design elements such as a loge section with stadium seating, architecturally significant floating stairways, and, at the time of its opening, the largest contoured motion-picture screen in the world, measuring 32 ft (9.8 m) high and 86 ft (26 m) wide, with a maximum aspect ratio of 2.69:1. [11]

The It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World premiere (filmed in Ultra Panavision 70) marked the dawn of "single lens" Cinerama. Previously, Cinerama was known for its groundbreaking three-projector process. From 1963 until 2002, the Cinerama Dome never showed movies with the three-projector process. (The nearby Warner Cinerama at 6433 Hollywood Boulevard used the three-projector process until December 1964.) A unique "rectified" print was made with increased anamorphic compression towards the sides, which compensated for distortions that would otherwise be induced by Cinerama's deeply curved screen.

21st century

In 2002, after a two-year closure, the Cinerama Dome was reopened as a part of Pacific Theatres' ArcLight Hollywood complex. The dome remains essentially unchanged, though there have been improvements, notably, in the acoustics. But for the first time ever, the Cinerama Dome began showing movies in the three-projector format. It is one of four known Cinerama theaters left [12] in the world, the others include: Pictureville Cinema, Seattle Cinerama, The New Neon Cinema, [13] and Cinerama restorationist and former Canadian broadcast engineer, Tom H. March's Calgary basement. [14] [ citation needed ]

"Cinerama was installed at the National Media Museum (formerly the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television) in Bradford, UK" (Pictureville Cinema) [15]
"The Cinerama Preservation Society, Inc. presented true three-projector showings of Cinerama films at the Neon Movies [16] (Dayton, Ohio) between 1996 and 2000." [13]

The Cinerama Dome made its digital projection debut in May 2005 with Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith . In 2009, James Cameron's Avatar was the first 3D film to be shown in the Cinerama Dome, using technology from XpanD 3D.

In December 2015, the Cinerama Dome upgraded to a laser-projection system, using two Christie 6P projectors and Dolby 3D. [17] The venue is still capable of both 35mm and 70mm-film projection.

Front lobby of the Cinerama Dome as seen from the second floor in July 2019 Cinerama Dome, interior, Los Angeles (July 2019) 1.jpg
Front lobby of the Cinerama Dome as seen from the second floor in July 2019

In April 2021, the parent company of Pacific Theatres announced that it would not be reopening any of its locations, including the Cinerama Dome, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. [18] Later in the year, it was reported that a permit had been filed with provisions for a bar and restaurant. [19]

In June 2022, it was reported that Decurion Corp. had plans to reopen the theater under the name Cinerama Hollywood along with the adjoining fourteen-screen multiplex. There were also plans to include two bars and a restaurant at the location. [10] Three months later, it was reported that the theater would not be reopening until at least the latter part of 2023; [20] however, in May 2023, it was reported that it was delayed once again to the latter part of 2024. [21] In November 2023, the cinema's reopening was again delayed this time until the second quarter of 2025 due mostly in part to the redesign happening in the space including the addition of restaurants and event space. [22]

Preservation

With its 86 feet (26 m) wide screen, advanced acoustics and 70mm film capability, the Cinerama Dome remained a favorite for film premieres and "event" showings. But by the late 1990s, the motion picture exhibition business began to favor multiplex cinemas, and Pacific Theatres proposed a plan to remodel the Dome as a part of a shopping mall/cinema complex. Historical preservationists were outraged, not wishing to see another great theater turned into a multiplex or destroyed. At the same time, a small contingent of Cinerama enthusiasts had begun resurrecting the three-projector process. They and the preservationists prevailed upon Pacific to rethink its plans for the property.

The preservation of the Cinerama Dome came at a time when most other surviving Cinerama theaters were being demolished. An example of this was the case of the Indian Hills Theater in Omaha, Nebraska, a round Cinerama theater boasting a 110-foot screen that was razed in 2001 to make room for a parking lot.

The Cinerama Dome was declared a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 1998. [23]

The Cinerama Dome, decorated for Shrek 2 Cinerama-Dome-decorated-for-Shrek-2.jpg
The Cinerama Dome, decorated for Shrek 2
The ArcLight Cinerama Dome decorated for Spider-Man 2 in 2004 Arclight.JPG
The ArcLight Cinerama Dome decorated for Spider-Man 2 in 2004
The Cinerama Dome, decorated for Godzilla: King of the Monsters Godzilla Cinerama Dome.jpg
The Cinerama Dome, decorated for Godzilla: King of the Monsters

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">70 mm film</span> Wide high-resolution film gauge

70 mm film is a wide high-resolution film gauge for motion picture photography, with a negative area nearly 3.5 times as large as the standard 35 mm motion picture film format. As used in cameras, the film is 65 mm (2.6 in) wide. For projection, the original 65 mm film is printed on 70 mm (2.8 in) film. The additional 5 mm contains the four magnetic stripes, holding six tracks of stereophonic sound. Although later 70 mm prints use digital sound encoding, the vast majority of existing and surviving 70 mm prints pre-date this technology.

IMAX is a proprietary system of high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio and steep stadium seating, with the 1.43:1 ratio format being available only in few selected locations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cinerama</span> Widescreen, curved screen projection process

Cinerama is a widescreen process that originally projected images simultaneously from three synchronized 35mm projectors onto a huge, deeply curved screen, subtending 146-degrees of arc. The trademarked process was marketed by the Cinerama corporation. It was the first of several novel processes introduced during the 1950s when the movie industry was reacting to competition from television. Cinerama was presented to the public as a theatrical event, with reserved seating and printed programs, and audience members often dressed in their best attire for the evening.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Coliseum</span> Theatre in London, home to the English National Opera

The London Coliseum is a theatre in St Martin's Lane, Westminster, built as one of London's largest and most luxurious "family" variety theatres. Opened on 24 December 1904 as the London Coliseum Theatre of Varieties, it was designed by the architect Frank Matcham for the impresario Oswald Stoll. Their ambition was to build the largest and finest music hall, described as the "people's palace of entertainment" of its age.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Todd-AO</span> American post-production company

Todd-AO is an American post-production company founded in 1953 by Mike Todd and Robert Naify, providing sound-related services to the motion picture and television industries. The company retains one facility, in the Los Angeles area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grauman's Chinese Theatre</span> Movie theater in Hollywood, Los Angeles

The TCL Chinese Theatre, commonly referred to as Grauman's Chinese Theatre, is a movie palace on the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame in the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Century Theatres</span> Movie theater chain in the western United States

Century Theatres is a movie theater chain that operates many multiplexes in the western United States, primarily in California, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona. In its later years, it had expanded into the inter-mountain states, the Pacific Northwest, Texas, Alaska and parts of the Midwestern United States. Founded in 1941, the chain was headquartered in San Rafael, California until it was acquired by Cinemark Theatres from Plano, Texas in 2006. Many now-Cinemark-owned theaters continue to operate under the Century brand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regal Cinemas</span> Movie theater chain in the United States

Regal Cinemas is an American movie theater chain founded on August 10, 1989 and owned by the British company Cineworld, headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, and operates the second-largest theater circuit in the United States, with 6,853 screens in 511 theaters as of December 31, 2021. The three main theater brands operated by Regal Entertainment Group are Regal Cinemas, Edwards Theatres, and United Artists Theatres.

A roadshow theatrical release or reserved seat engagement is the practice of opening a film in a limited number of theaters in major cities for a specific period of time before the wide release of the film. Roadshows would generally mimic a live theatre production, with an upscale atmosphere as well as somewhat higher prices than during a wide release. They were commonly used to promote major films from the 1920s–60s and build excitement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prince Edward Theatre</span> West End theatre in Westminster, London

The Prince Edward Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Old Compton Street, just north of Leicester Square, in the City of Westminster, London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Projectionist</span> Movie projector operator

A projectionist is a person who operates a movie projector, particularly as an employee of a movie theater. Projectionists are also known as "operators".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sherman Oaks Galleria</span> Shopping mall in California, U.S.

Sherman Oaks Galleria is an open-air shopping mall and business center located in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States, at the corner of Ventura and Sepulveda Boulevards in the San Fernando Valley.

The Indian Hills Theater in Omaha, Nebraska, United States, was a movie theater built in 1962 showcasing films in the Cinerama wide-screen format. Its location was at 8601 West Dodge Rd. The theater's screen was the largest of its type in the United States. Despite the protests of local citizens, Hollywood legends, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the theater was demolished in 2001 by Nebraska Methodist Health System for a parking lot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seattle Cinerama</span> Movie Theatre in Seattle, Washington

The Seattle Cinerama Theatre is a landmark movie theater in the Belltown neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, United States. The theater opened in 1963 and was renovated in the 1990s after its acquisition by Paul Allen. The Cinerama was closed in May 2020. At the time of its 2020 closure, it was one of only three movie theaters in the world capable of showing three-panel Cinerama films. In 2023, the theater was purchased by the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) and reopened on December 14, 2023 as SIFF Cinema Downtown due to trademark issues with the "Cinerama" name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ultra Panavision 70</span> 65 mm motion picture widescreen process

Ultra Panavision 70 and MGM Camera 65 were, from 1957 to 1966, the marketing brands that identified motion pictures photographed with Panavision's anamorphic movie camera lenses on 65 mm film. Ultra Panavision 70 and MGM Camera 65 were shot at 24 frames per second (fps) using anamorphic camera lenses. Ultra Panavision 70 and MGM Camera 65's anamorphic lenses compressed the image 1.25 times, yielding an extremely wide aspect ratio of 2.76:1.

ArcLight Cinemas was an American movie theater chain that operated from 2002 to 2021. It was owned by The Decurion Corporation, which was also the parent company of Pacific Theatres. The ArcLight chain opened in 2002 as a single theater, the ArcLight Hollywood in Hollywood, Los Angeles, and later expanded to eleven locations in California, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Illinois.

Pacific Theatres was an American chain of movie theaters in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of California. Pacific Theatres was owned by The Decurion Corporation which also owned and operated ArcLight Cinemas. In 2008, it sold its store locations in San Diego to Reading Cinemas. In April 2021, Pacific Theatres announced they would not be reopening any of their theater locations after being closed since March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In June 2021, the company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Following the closure, some former Pacific locations were acquired by AMC Theatres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strand Theatre (Manhattan)</span> Former movie theater in Manhattan, New York

The Strand Theatre was an early movie palace located at 1579 Broadway, at the northwest corner of 47th Street and Broadway in Times Square, New York City. Opened in 1914, the theater was later known as the Mark Strand Theatre, the Warner Theatre, and the Cinerama Theatre. It closed as the RKO Warner Twin Theatre, and was demolished in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hollywood Pacific Theatre</span> Theater in Los Angeles, California

Hollywood Pacific Theatre, also known as Warner Theatre, Warner Bros. Theatre, Warner Hollywood Theatre, Warner Cinerama, Warner Pacific, and Pacific 1-2-3, is a historic office, retail, and entertainment space located at 6433 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It is best known for its movie theater, which was owned by Warner Bros. from 1928 to 1953, Stanley Warner Theatres from 1953 to 1968, and Pacific Theatres from 1968 to 1994.

The Decurion Corporation was an American corporation with headquarters in Los Angeles, California. It was the parent company of Pacific Theatres and ArcLight Hollywood.

References

  1. ↑ "Cinerama Dome". Los Angeles Times . August 12, 1998. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  2. ↑ Gettell, Oliver (April 12, 2012). "Cinerama Dome puts 'How the West Was Won' in proper perspective". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  3. ↑ Hawthorne, Christopher (April 12, 2013). "Motion Picture Academy unveils ambitious plans for film museum". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Motion Picture Exhibitor". archive.org. Philadelphia: Jay Emanuel Publications, Inc. July–October 1964. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  5. ↑ Maddaus, Gene (June 15, 2021). "Why Did the ArcLight Fade Away? Inside the Sad Final Chapter of the Pacific Theatres Chain". Variety. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  6. ↑ Lang, Gene Maddaus, Brent; Maddaus, Gene; Lang, Brent (April 13, 2021). "Pacific Theatres Shutters: Who Will Rescue the Cinerama Dome?". Variety. Retrieved March 11, 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ↑ Counter, B. "Cinerama Dome: history". Los Angeles Theatres.
  8. ↑ "Forman". Los Angeles Business Journal. May 4, 1997. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  9. ↑ "William R. Forman, who opened the first drive-in theater... - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  10. 1 2 "Cinerama Dome Returning With New Name, Plans for Two Bars and Restaurant". Variety . June 30, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  11. ↑ "ArcLight Cenemas' Cinerama Dome". TCM Classic Film Festival. Archived from the original on April 10, 2019. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  12. ↑ https://incinerama.com/ [ bare URL ]
  13. 1 2 "Cinerama". June 15, 2000. Archived from the original on June 15, 2000. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  14. ↑
  15. ↑
  16. ↑
  17. ↑ Carolyn Giardina (December 17, 2015). "ArcLight's Cinerama Dome Debuts 3D Laser Projection for New 'Star Wars'". The Hollywood Reporter .
  18. ↑ Lang, Brent (April 13, 2021). "Arclight Cinemas, Pacific Theatres Will Close Permanently". Variety. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  19. ↑ Niland, Josh (December 20, 2021). "LA's Cinerama Dome finally has a (far off) future". Archinect. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  20. ↑ McClintock, Pamela (September 16, 2022). "ArcLight Hollywood and Cinerama Dome Won't Reopen This Year". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
  21. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 4, 2023). "Cinerama Dome Re-Opening Pushed To 2024 – Update". Deadline. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  22. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 30, 2023). "Cinerama Dome Now Planning To Reopen In 2025". Deadline. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  23. ↑ Department of City Planning. "Designated Historic-Cultural Monuments". City of Los Angeles. Archived from the original on June 9, 2010. Retrieved 2012-10-04.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.