| Champaign |
Virginia
Theatre (P) |
| |
Two DP70 (2063
+ ____). The plaque on the side says, "Made in the
USA". The cat. # is 3070; serial # 59-169. The Type is
EL4001 and that number is followed by the designation "N.R.
2063". The projector was probably one of a pair used at
the Varsity Theatre in Peoria. Second projector (Installed
2000) has no serial number. 2063 installed in the
late 70's (possibly early 80's) to run the 70mm-blowups then
in vogue.
The 2nd projector was installed by James Bond who owns a
number of them (including one modified for 8 perf). He says
the one he put in at the Virginia is the same one that ran the
"Cinema Borealis" festival in Chicago's Lincoln Park in 1989.
That machine came from Mark Gulbrandsen who bought it from
Paul Mundt in San Francisco who had purchased a truckload of
them which came out of theatres in the Boston area so the
original installation for this unit was there. Lonny Jennings,
then of Dolby, was at the Cinema Borealis screening and said
he actually recognized that projector as a machine he helped
remove back when he was a tech in the Boston area.
At the Virginia it has been fitted with remaining magazine
components not seen in these pics from the CB festival. Steve Kraus
Just a note: while you have no serial number listed for the machine James Bond installed as the second DP70 in the Virginia Theatre in Champaign, IL, I was just in the booth last month and noted the serial numbers for both machines. The first was
Cat. 3070 59 169 as listed on your site, and the other one was Cat. 3070 59 102.
By the way, the woman who runs the Normal Theatre in Normal, IL. was a Kerasotes manager and says that the Thunderbird Theatre in Champaign had two 70mm Norelcos installed. She's seen them in the booth, and said that after the theatre became a bar they occasionally ran movies on the machines. I have a contact looking into whether or not they're still there. Bob Endres, 13 Sep 2007
November 2009 update:
The Thunderbird is now a rock club on the University of
Illinois campus and is quite popular. The [old] booth is
used for storage, but there was a Brenkert projector and
Strong xenon lamphouse still in position. The Norelcos had
been moved (I suspect at least one of them is the original
one in the Virginia in Champaign), but left in the booth
amidst the clutter were two Christie lamphouses and two
Christie rectifiers which I would bet were the lamps for the
Norelcos. Since, as far as I know, neither the Virginia in
Champaign nor the Madison in Peoria had 70mm before "Star
Wars", I wouldn't be surprised if Kerasotes hadn't taken
the machines out of the Thunderbird at that time. If I
didn't find out where the machines were after my visit, at
least I knew where they weren't!
The Thunderbird didn't open until after I left the campus,
but it is a pretty good sized "shopping center" theatre of
the type built in the '60's, and makes a pretty nice rock
venue. The stage has been extended but the original screen
is still located upstage although the speakers are no longer
behind it. Bob Endres,
30.11.2009
|
|
Chicago |
James Bond (p) |
| |
Two DP70 (806+1642)
806 sold to Worcester
Polytechnic Institute, Worcester,
Massachusetts, USA.
In storage and used for spare parts.
|
|
Chicago |
Lincoln Park
Summer Festival 1989 (T) |
|
|
 One DP70 (806).
Image by James Bond
|
| |
 Image
by James Bond
Ran "2001:A Space Odyssey" in 70mm.
DP70
returned to James Bond, Chicago |
|
Chicago |
McVickers
Theatre (*») |
| |
3-strip
Cinerama. Two DP70 installed for "Oklahoma!"
26.12.1955. 2264 seats Ampex 6 track stereo. 70mm again from
19.11.1963. Demolished 1985. |
|
Chicago |
Michael Todd
Theatre |
| |
Two DP70 (621+631).
Closed and gutted into a live house. The Micheal Todd was
set up for Todd-AO with a huge wall to wall screen. Mike
Todd removed the whole stage and ceiling to maxiumize the
screen size. Opening the house with "Around the
World in 80 Days". DP70 replaced by Century JJ's
and finally Brenkerts. Smellorama machine was in the
basement in the 80's but gone in 1994/5. The sister house to
the Michael Todd Theatre was the Cinestage. |
|
Chicago |
Palace Theatre
(*) |
| |
3-strip
Cinerama 1953 – 1959 and 1961 – 1962. Two DP70 installed
for "Can Can" March 1960. 1600 seats.
Closed now banqueting rooms |
|
Chicago |
State Lakes
Theatre (*») |
| |
Two DP70 (621+631)
from Michael Todd Theatre. 2684 seats. Gutted into a video
studio in downtown Chicago. Last film through was the "Indiana
Jones and the Temple of Doom" in 70mm. DP70
installed in 1965 for the premiere of "Cleopatra".
DP70 removed from the State Lake in 85 or 86 and stored on
the stage of the Chicago Theatre for a couple of years till
Plitt sold them to Carey Williams. |
|
Chicago |
Todd's
Cinestage (*») |
| |
Two DP70. Was
originally the Selwyn. Opened with Todd-AO with "Around
the World in 80 Days" on 52x26 feet floating curved
screen in 1957. 1038 seats. Closed and awaiting demolition.
Latest report explain it is now used as live theatre under
the name Selwyn. |
|
Chicago |
Carey
Williams (private) |
| |
Two DP70 (621-
Todd AO base # 1011+631- Todd AO base # 1012) from
the State & Lake Theatre. |
| Fairview
Heights |
Wehrenberg
Theatres, St. Clair 10 Cine' |
| |
Four
DP70 (2087+2089+____+____) in
storage with base numbers: 6413, 6386, 6388,
6353 |
| Hinsdale |
Hinsdale
Theatre (P) |
| |
Two DP70.
Machines installed late 1990s. The projectors were from a
big single screen UA theater in Milwaukee Wisconsin that was
demolished about 1985. |
| Peoria |
Varsity Theatre |
| |
Two DP70 (2063
+ ). The plaque on the side says, "Made in the
USA". The cat. # is 3070; serial # 59-169. The Type is
EL4001 and that number is followed by the designation "N.R.
2063". 2063 sent to Virginia Theatre, Champaign (IL). |
| Streator |
Majestic (P) |
| |
Two DP70 (1372+1374).
Sold to Tim Burke, Los Angeles, USA |
