Cinerama in Cardif | Read more at in70mm.com The 70mm Newsletter |
| Written by: Michael Williams | Date: 26.01.2012 |
 Whilst
surfing through the Todd AO pages the other day, I came across the sound log
of the Cinerama crew whilst shooting footage for
"Seven Wonders
of the World"
and suddenly realised that I had indeed met the Cinerama crew.
Long ago 1954, when I was a thirteen years old lad entranced by the magic of
Cinema Projection by my Mother who took me to the cinema on a weekly basis,
I was on a trolley bus going to school one September day in 1954. It was a
Saturday morning and as the bus passed Cardiff Castle I spotted a truck with
"Cinerama" on it. Now, anything with Cine on it was interesting so I hopped
off the bus and went back to the Castle. On entering the castle gate I
noticed a group of men with a strange looking camera and bright arc lights
filming some jousting knights, I hung around watching and eventually plucked
up enough courage to speak to these strange speaking men. They were great
and in their strange drawling voices explained to me what they were doing,
much of it went over my head but I did retain the three strip bit!After returning late to school (and getting detention) I thought greatly about this meeting, and I think it influence me greatly into going to work as a projectionist at the Olympia Cinema in Cardiff, where I worked through the conversion to show Todd-AO using those wonderful DP70's Over the years I have seen the Cinerama but have never seen the footage I witnessed in Cardiff. I had come to believe that I had a false memory in my mind but suddenly that article brought it all back to me and I realised that I had indeed met the Cinerama crew and I CAN say "I fleetingly touched Cinerama production in Wales" Footnote Another coincidence, they spent their time in Cardiff staying at the Park Hotel which coincidentally would become home to Cinerama in Cardiff, The Park Hall Cinema part of the hotel, was the only Cinema in Wales to show Cinerama. I hope that is of some interest To You, | More in 70mm reading: Travel Log of "Seven Wonders of the World" in70mm.com's Cinerama page Internet link: |
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