CAN CAN (2 Viewers)

[cinemiracle]

Yes I saw many 70MM films at the Plaza in Auckland and also screened films from that projection room many times, never 70MM. It was a great place to watch 70mm and the only place I know of that installed the curved TODD-AO screen when they showed 70MM, when they went back to 35MM they removed the curved screen and went back to flat screen. They would do the changeover after that last show of the night. Also one of the few places that had a drop down screen over the Waterfall curtain that the glass advertising slides were screened on. I screened 70MM at the Cinerama Auckland which was also great. However the best 70MM was at Kerridge Odeons Embassy Auckland, we had a great curved screen and the top masking went up for 70MM, the sound there was out of this world!

Didn't the Auckland Embassy have a very small screen for 70mm projection? I was rather disappointed by the small size,from what I remember.

 

[cinemiracle]

Cann Can may not be the best musical of all time but there are hundreds that were made much worse! However us film collectors dont just save the best films, in my collection of 3000 BDs I have a few hundred I will never watch or only look at the first 10mins or so...However I collect them for many reasons, too many to go into here...Thats what collectors do, they just dont collect the pretty stamps or the best looking coins etc etc... Can Can has a rating of 6.3 on IMDb, I bet you have films in your collection that rate lower than that, 6.3 is quite high infact for IMDb. Yes yes the film is long and drags in parts, but if you ever had seen this in 70MM on a huge curved screen and wonderful sound you may feel different, big screen images that are perfect looking are something else!

Totally agree with you. Seeing CAN-CAN on a huge curved TODD-AO screen was an unforgettable experience. I saw it numerous times where I worked. It was re-issued several times as it was a very popular movie.

 

[murrayThompson]

Didn't the Auckland Embassy have a very small screen for 70mm projection? I was rather disappointed by the small size,from what I remember.

The front circle was the best place to watch 70MM at the Embassy, it was large there. Probably just the same at the Plaza Auckland, front circle always the best. I made this image up years ago of the Embassy screen. The old original proscenium and then how they converted it for 70MM.

 

[cinemiracle]

The front circle was the best place to watch 70MM at the Embassy, it was large there. Probably just the same at the Plaza Auckland, front circle always the best. I made this image up years ago of the Embassy screen. The old original proscenium and then how they converted it for 70MM.

I only ever went to the Embassy in Auckland once and my memory of the screen size seems to have failed me so I will take your word for it about it's size. It was not however, on the same scale as the Embassy in Wellington which was advertised as the largest screen in the Southern Hemisphere for 70mm projection.. We had the second largest where I worked.Watch out for a forthcoming book on the Wellington EMBASSY'S history called THE LAST REMAINING SEATS .Written by David Lascelles-an old school buddy of mine and with whom I still have contact with.

 

[murrayThompson]

.Watch out for a forthcoming book on the Wellington EMBASSY'S history called THE LAST REMAINING SEATS .Written by David Lascelles

Do you know anything about this book of Davids, I havent heard a thing about it and Google tells me nothing?

 

[AnthonyClarke]

I'll look out for it. I was a friend of his father George and stayed at their old pile in Yorkshire. Amazing place... in one room the elaborate heavy curtains turned out to be in fact carved wood created by a chippie named Chippendale.....

 

[murrayThompson]

.Watch out for a forthcoming book on the Wellington EMBASSY'S history called THE LAST REMAINING SEATS .Written by David Lascelles-an old school buddy of mine and with whom I still have contact with.

Last Remaining Seats isnt a book by David, thats an old Australian book which Ive had for years.

 

[cinemiracle]

Do you know anything about this book of Davids, I havent heard a thing about it and Google tells me nothing?

It is still being written so forget about looking on Google. The book will also list every film shown in 70mm at the Embassy. PORGY AND BESS was the first and which I saw it on it's opening night.A most amazing cinema in which to see a film in 70mm. Generally David's books are sold only in New Zealand.

 

[cinemiracle]

Last Remaining Seats isnt a book by David, thats an old Australian book which Ive had for years.

 

[cinemiracle]

David's book is written and sold in New Zealand. I may have to tell him that there is another book with the same title sold overseas.

 

[murrayThompson]

David's book is written and sold in New Zealand. I may have to tell him that there is another book with the same title sold overseas.

Well Im in Auckland so I better get a copy when its available. Sorry the title I have is USA theaters and still available See on Amazon

 

[cinemiracle]

Well Im in Auckland so I better get a copy when its available. Sorry the title I have is USA theaters and still available See on Amazon

I have several nieces living in Auckland. Have not been to Auckland since 1979 and before that only to see HOW THE WEST WAS WON and WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM.

 

[AnthonyClarke]

must be a different David Lascelles than I thought.The UK David is the current Earl of Harewood and George, his dad, died about three or so years ago. Fascinating fellow .. i got to know him while he was Artistic Director of the Adelaide Arts Festival. In his time he was manager of English National Opera and Chair of Covent Garden. Earlier on he was a prisoner at Colditz. And his second wife Patricia, a viloinist with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and famous model under the name Bambi, was my best friend's mother.

 

[cinemiracle]

I'll look out for it. I was a friend of his father George and stayed at their old pile in Yorkshire. Amazing place... in one room the elaborate heavy curtains turned out to be in fact carved wood created by a chippie named Chippendale.....

Wrong person-wrong country

 

[cinemiracle]

I have several nieces living in Auckland. Have not been to Auckland since 1979 and before that only to see HOW THE WEST WAS WON and WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM.

I can give you my email address if you want to keep in touch.It is [email protected] sure if this can be done on this site.

 

[murrayThompson]

I have several nieces living in Auckland. Have not been to Auckland since 1979 and before that only to see HOW THE WEST WAS WON and WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM.

Yes I saw both of them at the Cinerama theatre in Auckland. I also projected films there but thats after it went to 70MM and 35MM and flat screen. That flat screen was so huge the 35MM looked terrible on it Im sad to say.

 

[cinemiracle]

Yes I saw both of them at the Cinerama theatre in Auckland. I also projected films there but thats after it went to 70MM and 35MM and flat screen. That flat screen was so huge the 35MM looked terrible on it Im sad to say.

New Zealand never had any really large sized Cinerama screens even for 3-strip. A pity as they were all only 65 feet wide..75 feet wide in Sydney and over 90 feet wide when I saw Cinerama in New York in 2 cinemas

 

[murrayThompson]

New Zealand never had any really large sized Cinerama screens even for 3-strip. A pity as they were all only 65 feet wide..75 feet wide in Sydney and over 90 feet wide when I saw Cinerama in New York in 2 cinemas

The Auckland Cinerama seemed very large as one sat pretty closed to the screen, the stalls wasnt deep and it was the best place to view.

 

[cinemiracle]

The Auckland Cinerama seemed very large as one sat pretty closed to the screen, the stalls wasnt deep and it was the best place to view.

Thanks for the photos as they bought back many memories. I still have newspaper articles on the Cinerama installations. in Auckland.as well as in Christchurch and Wellington (where I worked).I also saw SOUTH SEAS ADVENTURE and WINDJAMMER in Christchurch as well as GONE WITH THE WIND in 70mm on their Cinerama screen. I have also been privileged to see SEARCH FOR PARADISE in 3 strip cinerama with Director Otto Lang and appearing in a film with Karl Malden (of HOW THE WEST WAS WON fame).Having seen Cinerama in four countries and about a dozen cinemas,my favourite cinemas in which to experience Cinerama were the Warner Cinerama and Capitol (both in New York). What could be more memorable than walking across a Japanese bridge over water in order to enter the auditorium of the famed Capitol Cinerama cinema in New York. Memories that are forever embedded in my mind.

 

[murrayThompson]