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
1980
February 29:
The Ninth Configuration
Anamorphic Blow-Up / Six-Track Stereo
Warner Bros.
Hollywood: [Mann] Chinese
Released initially in 35mm on Feb. 8
Additional 70mm Engagement:
Hollywood: [Mann] Fox (Mar. 14)
Additional 70mm Screening:
Hollywood: [American Cinematheque] Egyptian (December 2, 2000--Shown as
"Twinkle, Twinkle, Killer Kane")
[Movie re-edited & re-issued as "Twinkle, Twinkle, 'Killer' Kane" (with
70mm prints in selected markets, Los Angeles not being one of them)]
April 11:
Sleeping Beauty / The Black Hole (Double Feature
Re-Issue)
"Two Worlds Of Disney Fantasy — A 70mm Stereo Sensation!"
Hollywood: [Pacific] Cinerama Dome
Additional 70mm Engagements:
West Los Angeles: [Pacific] Picwood* (Aug. 1)
Century City: [Plitt] Century Plaza (Mar. 27, 1981)
Costa Mesa: [Mann] South Coast Plaza (Mar. 27, 1981)
Hollywood: [Mann] Chinese (Mar. 27, 1981)
*Includes Invitational Preview Screening on July 31
Also see 1979 entry for "The Black Hole" and 1959, 1979, 1981 & 1997
"Sleeping Beauty" entries
April 25:
2001: A Space Odyssey (Re-Issue)
Super Panavision 70 / Six-Track Stereo
MGM (United Artists)
"The Unsurpassed Space Adventure Of All Time"
Westwood Village: [GCC] Avco Center
Additional 70mm Engagements:
Century City: [Plitt] Century Plaza (Oct. 29, 1982)
Century City: [Plitt] Century Plaza (Sep. 9, 1983)
Hollywood: [Pacific] Cinerama Dome* (Mar. 19, 1993)
Hollywood: [Pacific] Cinerama Dome (Nov. 10, 1995)
*One-week 25th Anniversary engagement
Also see 1968, 1974, 1977 & 2001 entries, and 1971 "MGM Fabulous Three"
entry, plus Special Screenings and Film Festivals (1990, 1992, 1996,
1997, 2005, 2007, 2008, and 2012) entries
May 16:
Fame
Spherical Blow-Up / Six-Track Dolby Stereo
MGM (United Artists)
Hollywood: [Pacific] Cinerama Dome
Includes West Coast Premiere on May 15
Additional 70mm Engagements:
Hollywood: [Pacific] Hollywood Pacific (June 20)
West Los Angeles: [Pacific] Picwood (Aug. 15 - Oct. 2)
Westwood Village: [GCC] Avco Center (Jan. 16, 1981)
West Los Angeles: [Pacific] Picwood (Apr. 3, 1981)
Bakersfield: [UA] Movies 6 (May 29, 1981)
May 21:
The Empire Strikes Back
Anamorphic Blow-Up / Six-Track Dolby Stereo
Lucasfilm Ltd./20th Century Fox
"The Star Wars Saga Continues"
Hollywood: [UA] Egyptian
Newport Beach: [Edwards] Newport
Orange: [Syufy] Cinedome 20
Orange: [Syufy] Cinedome 23
Westwood Village: [GCC] Avco Center*
*Includes Benefit Premiere on May 20
Expanded Release on June 27:
La Mirada: [Pacific] La Mirada
Lakewood: [Pacific] Lakewood Center
Montclair: [UA] Movies**
Woodland Hills: [UA] Warner Center**
**Six-Track Stereo
[70mm Trailer: "Heaven's Gate"]
Additional 70mm Engagements:
West Los Angeles: [Pacific] Picwood (Dec. 17)
West Covina: [Sanborn] Westcove (Dec. 19)
Also see 1981 & 1982 re-issue entries, and 1985 “Return Of The Jedi”
re-issue entry
June 13:
The Island
Anamorphic Blow-Up / Six-Track Dolby Stereo
Universal
Hollywood: [Mann] Vogue
June 20:
The Blue Lagoon
Spherical Blow-Up / Six-Track Stereo
Columbia
"A Story Of Natural Love"
Hollywood: [Pacific] Cinerama Dome
Includes World Premiere on June 19
June 20:
Can’t Stop The Music
Anamorphic Blow-Up / Six-Track Dolby Stereo
Associated Film (AFD)
"The Movie Musical Event Of The 80's!"
Hollywood: [SRO] Paramount
Includes Preview Premiere (in 70mm?) and Block Party on June 15 at the
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
August 1:
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
("The Special Edition" Re-Issue)
Anamorphic Blow-Up / Six-Track Dolby Stereo
Columbia
Hollywood: [Mann] Fox
Additional 70mm Engagements:
Hollywood: [Pacific] Cinerama Dome* (Mar. 6, 1981)
Hollywood: [SRO] Paramount (May 15, 1981)
West Los Angeles: [Pacific] Picwood** (July 3, 1981)
*"Now You Can See 'The Special Edition Close Encounters Of The Third
Kind' As The Original Was Presented At The Dome In 70mm-Dolby
Stereophonic Sound"
**Double Feature with "Alien"
Also see 1977 entry
August 1:
Raise The Titanic
Anamorphic Blow-Up / Six-Track Dolby Stereo
Associated Film (AFD)
Hollywood: [Pacific] Cinerama Dome
Orange: [Plitt] City Center
[70mm Trailer: "The Jazz Singer"]
Additional 70mm Engagements:
La Mirada: [Pacific] La Mirada (Nov. 7)
Montclair: [SRO] Montclair (Nov. 7)
Pasadena: [SRO] Hastings (Nov. 7)
September 26:
Divine Madness
Anamorphic Blow-Up / Six-Track Dolby Stereo
Ladd (Warner Bros.)
Century City: [Plitt] Century Plaza
Hollywood: [Mann] Chinese
Orange: [Syufy] Cinedome 23
Additional 70mm Engagements:
Pasadena: [SRO] Hastings (Oct. 24)
Pasadena: [UA] United Artists (Nov. 7)
West Los Angeles: [Pacific] Picwood (Nov. 21)
Eagle Rock: [?] Eagle (Nov. 28)
November 21:
Heaven’s Gate
Anamorphic Blow-Up / Six-Track Dolby Stereo
Reserved Performance Engagement
United Artists
Century City: [Plitt] Century Plaza
[West Coast Premiere and Engagement Cancelled]
Also see 1981 entry, plus Special Screenings and Film Festivals (1996)
entry
December 19:
The Jazz Singer
Spherical Blow-Up / Six-Track Dolby Stereo
Associated Film (AFD)
Hollywood: [Pacific] Cinerama Dome
Includes (World?) Premiere on Dec. 17 (Century Plaza)
Expanded Release on Feb. 13, 1981:
Hollywood: [SRO] Paramount*
Orange: [Syufy] Cinedome
Sherman Oaks: [Pacific] Galleria
West Los Angeles: [Pacific] Picwood
*Move-over from Cinerama Dome
Additional 70mm Engagements:
Bakersfield: [UA] Movies 6 (June 5, 1981)
West Los Angeles: [Pacific] Picwood** (Dec. 30, 1981)
**Double Feature with "Zoot Suit"
December 25:
Altered States
Spherical Blow-Up / Six-Track Dolby Stereo + Megasound
Warner Bros.
"Presented In Megasound: A Revolutionary New Concept In The Sensation Of
Sound"
Westwood Village: [Mann] Village
Includes 70mm Sneak Preview screening on Dec. 12
Expanded Release on Dec. 31:
Hollywood: [Mann] Chinese
Expanded Release on Jan. 16, 1981:
Newport Beach: [Edwards] Newport
Orange: [Syufy] Cinedome
[70mm Trailers: "Excalibur," "Outland"]
Also see 1982 re-issue entry, plus Special Screenings and Film Festivals
(1990 and 1998) entries
More 70mm
70mm In New York
70mm In Orange County