| | 70mm Presentations in Fresno A Chronology of 70mm Large Format Exhibition, 1963-Present | Read more at in70mm.com The 70mm Newsletter
| Compiled by: Michael Coate | Date: 02.10.2021 | The Sound of Music Fresno premiere advert, The Fresno Bee, 25th December 1965
What follows is a work-in-progress chronology of 70mm six-track stereophonic sound feature-film presentations in the Fresno region of California, USA.
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, special venue presentations, etc., have not been included.
Part 1: The 70mm-Equipped Cinemas
CLOVIS Clovis Movies / Clovis Towne Center Regency Cinemas
FRESNO Festival Cinemas Sunnyside Drive-In Warner / Warnor
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)
# Presentation not explicitly or consistently promoted as 70mm suggesting presentation may have been 35mm
1963-05-29
LAWRENCE OF ARABIA*
Warner (8)
1964-05-27
ITS A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD*
Warner (18) 1964-09-10
CIRCUS WORLD*
Warner (10) 1964-12-16
MEDITERRANEAN HOLIDAY*
Warner (10)
1965-02-24
LAWRENCE OF ARABIA
Warner (3) 1965-03-17
MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY
Warner (1) 1965-03-26
KING OF KINGS
Warner (1) 1965-04-07
MY FAIR LADY*
Warner (16) 1965-05-26
CHEYENNE AUTUMN
Sunnyside Drive-In (1) 1965-07-28
THE HALLELUJAH TRAIL*
Warner (9) 1965-09-29
THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN IN THEIR FLYING MACHINES*
Warner (12) 1965-12-25
THE SOUND OF MUSIC*
Warner (33)
1966-08-10
THE BATTLE FOR KHARTOUM*
Warner (7) 1966-09-29
DOCTOR ZHIVAGO*
Warner (24)
1967-03-15
THE SAND PEBBLES*
Warnor (14) 1967-06-20
GRAND PRIX*
Warnor (18) 1967-10-25
THE BIBLE*
Warnor (14)
1968-01-31
GONE WITH THE WIND*
Warnor (18) 1968-06-05
MEDITERRANEAN HOLIDAY*
Warnor (3) 1968-06-26
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY*
Warnor (17) 1968-10-23
RUSSIAN ADVENTURE*
Warnor (6) 1968-12-19
ICE STATION ZEBRA*
Warnor (8)
1969-02-11
THE SHOES OF THE FISHERMAN*
Warnor (6) # 1969-03-26
STAR!*
Warnor (6) # 1969-05-29
FUNNY GIRL*
Warnor (13) # 1969-08-27
BEN-HUR*
Warnor (6) 1969-12-18
PAINT YOUR WAGON*
Warnor (13) #
1970-05-06
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
Warnor (4)
1979-05-25
ALIEN
Festival (16) 1979-09-21
CAMELOT
Festival (1) 1979-09-28
THE DEER HUNTER
Festival (2) 1979-10-10
DAYS OF HEAVEN
Festival (1) 1979-10-19
THE SOUND OF MUSIC
Festival (1) 1979-11-09
THE EXORCIST
Festival (1) 1979-11-16
ALIEN
Festival (1)
1980-01-23
GONE WITH THE WIND
Festival (1) 1980-01-30
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
Festival (1) 1980-02-06
DOCTOR ZHIVAGO
Festival (1) 1980-05-21
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
Festival (38)
1981-05-22
OUTLAND
Festival (6)
1983-07-15
STAYING ALIVE
Festival (14) 1983-09-30
BRAINSTORM
Festival (5)
1984-05-23
INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM
Festival (18) 1984-05-23
INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM
Regency (11) 1984-12-07
2010
Regency (6)
1985-12-03
RETURN OF THE JEDI
Clovis Towne Center [venue grand opening]
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 the 70mm print order in time for an opening-day delivery or the exhibitor negotiated a mid-run switch to 70mm. In these cases, any 35mm portion of the engagement has been included in the duration figure.
During the roadshow era, the reserved-seat policy, in some instances, was relaxed during the summer and/or latter weeks of the run. Any non-roadshow portion of such an engagement has been included in the applicable duration figure.
References: Various issues of Boxoffice, The Fresno Bee, Motion Picture Exhibitor, Variety, and projection and sound system trade advertisements and installation records.
Special Thanks: California State Library, Melissa Scroggins (Fresno County Public Library) and Roland Lataille.
If you believe this article contains any errors or omissions, please consider emailing the author or editor. | 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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