70mm Presentations in Buffalo |
Read more at in70mm.com The 70mm Newsletter |
| Compiled by: Michael Coate | Date: 20.10.2022 |
 What
follows is a chronology of 70mm six-track stereophonic sound feature-film
presentations in the Buffalo region of western New York, USA and Ontario,
Canada.The focus of this work is 5-perf 70mm feature films and the cinemas in which they were exhibited. Short subjects, 8-perf and 15-perf (IMAX, Iwerks, etc.) and Special Venue presentations have not been included (but consideration will be given to adding them in a revision). The emphasis here is on the titles that received publicly-promoted, commercial exhibition in 70mm and their playdates. To facilitate an easy-to-reference title- and date-based layout, no details have been provided pertaining to the brand of 70mm (i.e. Todd-AO, Super Panavision, Ultra Panavision, Cinerama, D-150, etc.) or technical particulars of each presentation (i.e. O-neg source, inter-neg source, blow-up, pillarboxed, letterboxed, Dolby A, Dolby SR, five screen channels vs. three, baby boom, split surround, digital sound, etc.). Part 1: The 70mm-Equipped Cinemas AMHERST Maple Ridge Plaza-North University BUFFALO Center Century Granada The Regent Theatre (temporary installation for Todd-AO demonstration) Sheas (?) Teck CHEEKTOWAGA Holiday Thruway Mall Walden Galleria LACKAWANNA Towne NIAGARA FALLS (Ontario, Canada) Niagara Visitor Center (Showscan) Pyramid Place TONAWANDA Young St. Drive-In / I-290 Drive-In WILLIAMSVILLE Transit Center (IMAX) An overview of each cinema will be provided in a forthcoming revision. Part 2: The 70mm Presentations Opening date YYYY-MM-DD TITLE Cinema (duration in weeks) [notes] * Reserved-seat engagement (i.e. roadshow) ** Reserved-performance engagement (i.e. modified roadshow) 1953-08-08 Todd-AO test screening Regent 1956-08-15 OKLAHOMA!* Century (11) 1957-04-05 AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS* Century (21) 1957-10-03 AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS* Granada (21) 1958-02-25 OKLAHOMA! Granada (3) 1958-05-21 SOUTH PACIFIC* Century (25) 1958-12-25 SOUTH PACIFIC* Granada (7) 1959-02-18 SLEEPING BEAUTY Century (6) 1959-11-11 PORGY AND BESS* Granada (17) 1959-12-25 SOLOMON AND SHEBA Teck (9) 1960-03-15 BEN-HUR* Teck (40) 1960-05-05 CAN-CAN* Century (9) 1960-12-23 THE ALAMO Teck (8) 1961-03-22 EXODUS* Teck (12) 1961-05-04 SPARTACUS* Granada (12) 1961-12-21 KING OF KINGS* Teck (9) 1962-02-21 EL CID* Granada (15) 1962-03-15 WEST SIDE STORY* Teck (15) 1963-02-07 MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY* Teck (7) 1963-04-09 LAWRENCE OF ARABIA* Granada (20) 1963-05-29 55 DAYS AT PEKING Center (4) 1963-06-26 CLEOPATRA* Center (26) 1964-03-25 ITS A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD* Teck (7) 1964-08-05 CIRCUS WORLD* Teck (5) 1964-07-10 THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE Granada (5) 1964-08-12 MEDITERRANEAN HOLIDAY Granada (5) 1964-12-23 MY FAIR LADY* Granada (38) 1965-03-31 THE SOUND OF MUSIC* Teck (79) 1965-08-11 THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN IN THEIR FLYING MACHINES* Century (8) 1965-12-23 THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY* Granada (12) 1966-02-16 THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD* Century (11) 1966-05-26 DOCTOR ZHIVAGO* Granada (47) 1966-09-14 OKLAHOMA! Century (1) 1966-12-22 THE BIBLE* Teck (27) 1967-03-23 GRAND PRIX* Century (11) 1967-04-19 HAWAII* Granada (18) [70mm?] 1967-11-01 GONE WITH THE WIND* Granada (27) 1967-12-20 FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD* Century (6) 1967-12-21 CAMELOT* Teck (15) 1968-02-01 CUSTER OF THE WEST* Century (5) 1968-06-19 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY* Century (13) 1968-06-26 DOCTOR DOLITTLE* Teck (7) 1968-12-19 ICE STATION ZEBRA* Century (8) 1968-12-19 STAR!* Teck (6) 1969-05-22 SWEET CHARITY* Plaza-North (5) 1969-07-09 BEN-HUR Plaza-North (5) 1969-08-05 KRAKATOA, EAST OF JAVA Century (4) 1969-12-17 GOODBYE, MR. CHIPS* Plaza-North (9) 1969-12-17 HELLO, DOLLY!* Century (20) 1970-03-04 PATTON* Holiday (16) 1970-05-06 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY Century (3) 1970-10-07 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY Holiday (2) 1970-12-24 SONG OF NORWAY* Plaza-North (8) 1970-12-25 RYANS DAUGHTER** Granada (12) 1973-03-14 THE SOUND OF MUSIC Holiday (10) 1973-10-10 THIS IS CINERAMA Holiday (3) 1977-12-14 CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND Holiday (14) 1978-09-20 BEN-HUR Granada (1) 1978-11-03 THE MANITOU Holiday (2) 1978-12-01 TOMMY Holiday [Fri-Sat midnight] 1978-12-22 MY FAIR LADY Granada (3) 1979-02-07 JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR Granada (1) 1979-05-09 SUPERMAN Holiday (2) 1979-05-25 ALIEN Holiday (12) 1979-10-05 SLEEPING BEAUTY Pyramid Place (1+) 1979-12-21 THE ROSE Holiday (11) 1980-05-21 THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK Holiday (20) 1980-07-23 MY FAIR LADY Granada (2) 1980-08-27 THE SOUND OF MUSIC Granada (2) 1981-01-16 BLACK ORPHEUS Granada (1) 1981-04-03 APOCALYPSE NOW Pyramid Place (1) 1981-04-10 SUPERMAN Pyramid Place (1) 1981-04-17 SLEEPING BEAUTY Pyramid Place (1) 1981-04-24 STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE Pyramid Place (1) 1981-05-01 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY Pyramid Place (1) 1981-05-08 THE BLACK HOLE Pyramid Place (1) 1981-05-29 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY Holiday (1) 1982-03-19 QUEST FOR FIRE Holiday (4) 1982-06-04 POLTERGEIST Holiday (18) [70mm during Weeks 3-5] 1982-10-08 TRON Holiday (5) 1983-06-03 WARGAMES Holiday (17) 1983-09-30 BRAINSTORM Holiday (6) 1984-05-23 INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM Holiday (11) 1984-12-07 2010 Holiday (6) 1985-03-29 RETURN OF THE JEDI Holiday (3) 1985-06-21 COCOON University (16) [70mm?] 1985-07-10 SILVERADO Holiday (12) 1985-12-04 YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES University (5) 1986-03-07 THE RIGHT STUFF Towne (1) 1986-04-18 THE EXORCIST Towne (3) [Fri-Sat midnight] 1986-05-10 TOP GUN University [sneak preview] 1986-05-16 TOP GUN University (27) 1986-07-18 ALIENS Holiday (13) 1986-10-10 ALIEN Towne (4) [Fri-Sat midnight] 1986-11-26 STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME University (15) 1987-06-03 THE UNTOUCHABLES Maple Ridge (12) 1987-06-03 THE UNTOUCHABLES Thruway Mall (11) 1989-05-24 INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE University (20) 1989-05-24 INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE Walden Galleria (23) 1989-09-15 LAWRENCE OF ARABIA Walden Galleria (7) 1990-06-15 DICK TRACY Holiday (16) 1990-06-15 DICK TRACY University (16) 1992-05-09 FAR AND AWAY Thruway Mall [sneak preview] 1992-05-16 FAR AND AWAY Thruway Mall [sneak preview] 1992-05-22 FAR AND AWAY Thruway Mall (7) 1992-12-25 HOFFA University (4) 1997-11-15 VERTIGO Sheas [Classic Film Series] (70mm?) Note that some of the titles included in this chronology may have been presented in 35mm during the latter week(s) of their engagement due to contractual terms or print damage (and the distributors unwillingness to supply a 70mm replacement print) or because the booking was moved to a non-70mm-equipped auditorium within a multiplex. As well, the reverse may have been true in some cases whereas a booking began with a 35mm print because the lab was unable to complete a 70mm print order in time for an opening-day delivery or the exhibitor negotiated a mid-run switch to 70mm. In such cases, any 35mm portion of the engagement has been included in the duration figure. References: Various issues of Boxoffice, The Buffalo News, Motion Picture Exhibitor, and Variety; plus projection and sound system trade advertisements and installation records. Special Thanks: Jim Barg, Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, John Pytlak. If you believe this article contains any errors or omissions, please consider emailing the author or editor. Dedicated to John Pytlak, 1948-2007 |
More in 70mm reading: 70mm Cinemas in North America in70mm.com's list of films blown up to 70mm 70mm Engagements by Title 35mm to 70mm Engagements by Year Large Format 7OMM Engagements Month by month premiere list of wide gauge and 3-strip films Chronological premiere list of major 70mm films 70mm Blow Up List Dolby Stereo |
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