The Best Of Cinerama -1963 (1 Viewer)

[Matt Hough]

I understood that film rentals are on a sliding scale at least for the biggest films. I've read somewhere (don't remember the source) that the studio gets to claim 90% of the first week's grosses and then the percentages taper off significantly over the course of a run. The theaters make their money with their overpriced concessions.

 

[RolandL]

I was relying on my memory and am not from the land of the long white cloud.

It may have been Auckland which in the 50's was N.Z's most important city.

In any event we all owe John a debt of thanks for passing by, what ever Cinerama theatre it was, just at the right time when they were loading up the truck to take all their prints to the dump.

It probably was the Cinerama theatre in Auckland as they did show 3-panel Cinerama.

 

[John Maher_289910]

People need to better understand box office reporting. The grosses that are generally reported are ticket sales, not actual film rental paid to the studio. Roughly 40-50% of the ticket price would have remained with the theatres, with the rest going to the distributor as film rental.


Variety used to publish a chart of all-time film rental champs, but I haven't seen it now for decades.

I believe THE SOUND OF MUSIC still holds that record. Although, as you say, it doesn't seem to exist, anymore. At least it holds it for single release (not counting re-releases).

 

[Brian Sharp]

Screening SOM we paid 50% on the first £X and then 90% on everything over. The trick was to try and control the advertising to keep it ticking along at just into the 90% bracket; we were happy and Fox were happy.


Re Song of Norway, my lasting memory of this film was coming from the theatre to find my car had been stolen. Got most of it back four days later!

 

[ahollis]

Watching South Seas Adventure last night and realized there haven't been any word on THE BEST OF CINERAMA, RUSSIAN ADVENTURE or THE GOLDEN HEAD. Any news forthcoming about a possible release date?

 

[RolandL]

Watching South Seas Adventure last night and realized there haven't been any word on THE BEST OF CINERAMA, RUSSIAN ADVENTURE or THE GOLDEN HEAD. Any news forthcoming about a possible release date?

CINERAMA´S RUSSIAN ADVENTURE was shown at the European Cinerama Festival Tour in Germany, Austria and Norway earlier this year.

 

[Strohmaier]

Hi all


It is my understanding that "Best Of Cinerama" will come out sometime in the spring with Flicker Alley. The major hold up was scanning the entire original 6 perf. camera negatives of "This Is Cinerama" at Fotokem. We did this so that when assembling the final version for "Best Of" all the images from "This Is Cinerama" that appear would be of the same quality to the other shows. Thus we could eliminate the old 65mm telecine images from 4 years ago. Just so you know there are no plans at this point to re issue this new version of "This Is Cinerama" on blu ray. That may come some day but we now have a DCP of this new version so we can show it at the Danish Film Institute this October as well as any future theatrical screenings that may come along. “Best Of Cinerama” will have its first premiere at this October's Widescreen Weekend Festival at the British National Media Museum in Bradford.


I had noticed that the color on the “This Is Cinerama” 0-negs had faded quite a bit since last working with it 7 years ago. However we were able to get pretty decent color back in although it is subtler that the 65mm version that originated from a 1960 Technicolor print done on an optical printer in the early 1970s. I can say that the join lines are quite a bit better now than before an a lot more detail and sharpness is very evident.


I also rebuilt the 1950s style trailer from a few years ago with the new images so you can get a brief idea of what “This Is Cinerama” now looks like.


It may take a while to load up:

http://www.davidstrohmaier.com/Trailers/Trailer%20redo2-iPad%20and%20iPhone%204.m4v


The current version of Russian Adventure is also from a 65mm composite and is not premium quality, but is reasonably acceptable for home video. It was done with the same “process photography” process that they did Windjammer with but done a little better as Windjammer was done in 35mm scope. We have done some tests on the IP of Russian Adv. (yep the 6 perf. IP has been located) and we are able to get a lot more sharpness and slightly better color than the old 65mm, so if we get the financing we may be able to do the scanning for another remastering of Russian Adventure.


Dave

 

[Dick]

Are there any sequences in BEST OF that were not included on any of the earlier releases?

 

[RolandL]

The Best of Cinerama had its premiere at the Cleveland Palace theatre on November 13, 1962

 

[ahollis]

Hi all

It is my understanding that "Best Of Cinerama" will come out sometime in the spring with Flicker Alley. The major hold up was scanning the entire original 6 perf. camera negatives of "This Is Cinerama" at Fotokem. We did this so that when assembling the final version for "Best Of" all the images from "This Is Cinerama" that appear would be of the same quality to the other shows. Thus we could eliminate the old 65mm telecine images from 4 years ago. Just so you know there are no plans at this point to re issue this new version of "This Is Cinerama" on blu ray. That may come some day but we now have a DCP of this new version so we can show it at the Danish Film Institute this October as well as any future theatrical screenings that may come along. “Best Of Cinerama” will have its first premiere at this October's Widescreen Weekend Festival at the British National Media Museum in Bradford.

I had noticed that the color on the “This Is Cinerama” 0-negs had faded quite a bit since last working with it 7 years ago. However we were able to get pretty decent color back in although it is subtler that the 65mm version that originated from a 1960 Technicolor print done on an optical printer in the early 1970s. I can say that the join lines are quite a bit better now than before an a lot more detail and sharpness is very evident.

I also rebuilt the 1950s style trailer from a few years ago with the new images so you can get a brief idea of what “This Is Cinerama” now looks like.

It may take a while to load up:
http://www.davidstrohmaier.com/Trailers/Trailer%20redo2-iPad%20and%20iPhone%204.m4v

The current version of Russian Adventure is also from a 65mm composite and is not premium quality, but is reasonably acceptable for home video. It was done with the same “process photography” process that they did Windjammer with but done a little better as Windjammer was done in 35mm scope. We have done some tests on the IP of Russian Adv. (yep the 6 perf. IP has been located) and we are able to get a lot more sharpness and slightly better color than the old 65mm, so if we get the financing we may be able to do the scanning for another remastering of Russian Adventure.

Dave

Thanks for the update. I look forward to the announcement of THE BEST OF CINERAMA. I also see that there is hope for RUSSIAN ADVENTURE.

in the middle of a Cinerama Festival with several friends at home. They enjoying them immensely.

 

[ahollis]

The Best of Cinerama had its premiere at the Cleveland Palace theatre on November 13, 1962

You just gotta love those ticket prices.

 

[Strohmaier]

Are there any sequences in BEST OF that were not included on any of the earlier releases?

No new sequences some seq. were shortened such as the opera and water show in This Is Cinerama and a few from the other shows.

It has new narration as Lowell Thomas is the only narrator.


Dave

 

[RolandL]

You just gotta love those ticket prices.

Yes, the top price jumped to $3 for Mad World a year later.

 

[RolandL]

It may take a while to load up:

http://www.davidstrohmaier.com/Trailers/Trailer%20redo2-iPad%20and%20iPhone%204.m4v

Loaded instantly for me. Looks great!

 

[ahollis]

Yes, the top price jumped to $3 for Mad World a year later.

And they went from 5 projectionists to one with that release

 

[DP 70]

The new images have so much more detail and sharpness as David says. Look forward to seeing a DCP screening.

thanks again David for your hard work.

 

[Dick]

And they went from 5 projectionists to one with that release

Which is one more than they need these days. The death of great projectionists saddens me so.

 

[ahollis]

Which is one more than they need these days. The death of great projectionists saddens me so.

I too lament the loss of trained projectionists, but with the projectors, servers, and LMS systems being controlled from the managers desk or in come cases from the corporate office, it's much better for the audience than a High School part-time projectionist. Who was only committed to get the concession girl into the booth for a half hour or so.

 

[Strohmaier]

There is a new article at In70mm.com on the reconstruction of "Best of" and the new restoration from o-negs of "This Is Cinerama"


http://www.in70mm.com/news/2015/best_of_cinerama/index.htm

 

[Robin9]

. . . a High School part-time projectionist. Who was only committed to get the concession girl into the booth for a half hour or so.

Listen to the voice of experience!