THE SCREENING ROOM
A year-by-year, film-by-film history of 70-millimeter wide gauge exhibition in Southern California
Compiled by Michael Coate and William Kallay
1969
March 12:
Where Eagles Dare
Anamorphic Blow-Up / Six-Track Stereo
MGM
"In Spectacular 70mm"
Hollywood: [Loew's]
March 26:
Ben-Hur (Re-Issue)
MGM Camera 65 / Six-Track Stereo
Reserved Seat Engagement
MGM
Beverly Hills: [NGC] Fox Wilshire
Expanded release on July 16:
Orange: [Syufy] Cinedome 21
Also see 1959 & 1990 entries, plus Special Screenings and Film Festivals
(1992 and 2000) entries
March 29:
Sweet Charity
Anamorphic Blow-Up / Six-Track Stereo
Reserved Seat Engagement
Universal
“70mm/Panavision With Full Dimensional Sound”
Hollywood: [Pacific] Hollywood Pantages
Includes Southern California Premiere on March 28
Also see Special Screenings and Film Festivals (1992) entry
May 15:
Krakatoa East Of Java
Uncredited 65mm / “Cinerama” / Six-Track Stereo
Reserved Seat Engagement
ABC/Cinerama, Inc.
"The New Cinerama Hurls You Into The Incredible Day That Shook The Earth
To Its Core!"
Hollywood [Pacific] Cinerama Dome
Includes Earth-Shaking U.S. Premiere on May 14
June 25:
MacKenna’s Gold
Super Panavision 70 / Six-Track Stereo
Columbia
Costa Mesa: [Edwards] Cinema*
Hollywood: [Loew’s]
*Includes West Coast Premiere on June 24
October 1:
South Pacific (Re-Issue)
Todd-AO / Six-Track Stereo
"Original 70mm Stereo Sound Version...As You Loved It Before!"
Beverly Hills: [NGC] Fox Wilshire
Also see 1958, 1964, and 2006 entries, plus Special Screenings and Film
Festivals (2006) entry
October 23:
Paint Your Wagon
Anamorphic Blow-Up / Six-Track Stereo
Reserved Seat Engagement
Paramount
Hollywood: [Pacific] Cinerama Dome
Includes West Coast Premiere on October 22
Additional 70mm engagements:
Westminster: [Edwards] Cinema West 1 (Sep. 16, 1970)
Costa Mesa: [Edwards] Mesa (Oct. 14, 1970)
November 8:
Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Anamorphic Blow-Up / Six-Track Stereo
Reserved Seat Engagement
MGM
Beverly Hills: [NGC] Fox Wilshire
Includes West Coast Premiere on November 7
December 13:
Marooned
Anamorphic Blow-Up / Six-Track Stereo
Reserved Seat Engagement
Columbia
Hollywood: [UA] Egyptian
Includes World Premiere on December 12
December 18:
Anne Of The Thousand Days
Anamorphic Blow-Up / Six-Track Stereo
Universal
Beverly Hills: [Loew's] Beverly
One-week Academy Award-consideration engagement
Release on March 11, 1970:
Beverly Hills: [Loew's] Beverly
December 20:
Hello, Dolly!
Todd-AO / Six-Track Stereo
Reserved Seat Engagement
20th Century Fox
Hollywood: [NGC] Grauman's Chinese
Includes Southern California Premiere on December 19
Expanded release on May 28, 1970:
Orange: [Syufy] Cinedome 21
Includes Orange County Premiere on May 27, 1970
Additional 70mm engagements:
Beverly Hills: [Mann] Fox Wilshire* (Oct. 1, 1975)
Beverly Hills: [Mann] Fox Wilshire* (Sep. 8, 1976)
Westwood Village: [Mann] National* (Sep. 24, 1976)
Beverly Hills: [Mann] Fox Wilshire* (June 15, 1977)
*Double Feature with "Camelot"
Also see 2002 re-issue entry, plus Special Screenings and Film Festivals
(2004 and 2005) entries
[Gene Kelly placed his hand and foot prints at the Chinese Theatre in
connection with "Hello, Dolly!" on Nov. 24, 1969]
More 70mm
70mm In New York
70mm In Orange County