Cinerama's 65th Anniversary Event at the Cooper in Casper Wy (USA) |
Read more at in70mm.com The 70mm Newsletter
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Written
by: Dave
Strohmaier & Randy Gitsch.
All Casper photos and captions by:
Tom H. March |
Date:
17.09.2017 |
The
Cooper Theatre was the first of three Cinerama theaters built by the Cooper
Foundation in the early 1960’s. The massive screens and latest sound
technology were designed to exhibit films made in the 3-strip Cinerama
process. Vintage image from the internet
The theatre in Casper, Wyoming that we visited, Sept. 7-10, 2017, is
modelled
after the Cooper Super Cinerama theatre in Denver and its co-owner, Randy
Pryde, also calls his theatre the Cooper. He is one of those Cinerama
aficionados and he built his own Cooper Theatre in his Cineplex. He selected
details like carpeting, sound baffles, signage, stairway railings, lighting
and curtains to exactly match the style of the Denver Cooper. The seats are
all recliners and spaced very far apart to provide luxury seating today just
as the Denver Cooper provided luxury seating in its day.
Randy Pryde is a big Cinerama memorabilia collector and historian and he
controls all 23 screens in Casper. He has a wonderful collection displayed
at his Cooper Theater about the Denver Cooper Cinerama and Cinerama in
general. He had always wanted to do a Cinerama event at his Cooper Theater so his
Cooper theater was a natural for an event. Otherwise the Cooper is more than
a fantastic place to see first run movies.
Casper's Cooper Auditorium has hosted a special Cinerama Weekend over three
days to celebrate the 65th anniversary of Cinerama in the heart of Wyoming's
famed Cowboy Country.
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More in 70mm reading:
Cinerama Remaster
Credits: Cinerama Remastered
in70mm.com's Cinerama page
Cinerama,
Dave Strohmaier and the "We have all seen it as a kid" thing
Interview
with producer Randy Gitsch
DP70s in Colorado
(CO)
Internet link:
wyomovies.com
cinematreasures.org
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The
Denver Cooper Super Cinerama, circa 1961.
Visitors came from all over to see Denver's
Cooper Theatre with its massive 105' X 38' screen and latest sound
technology. Vintage image from the internet
The Cooper proved the perfect venue for the event. Wyoming Theater's owner
Randy Pryde has built this special auditorium at his Studio City Mesa West
theater complex as homage to the glorious Cooper Theater in neighboring
Denver, Colorado (1961-1994). That theater is fondly recalled by film fans
the world over for whom admiration can now be bestowed on this Casper house.
Pryde has equipped his Cooper Theater with a lavish, 64 foot-wide, curved screen.
All seats are luxurious 24" wide recliners in leather. Draperies and wall
coverings are in a deep shade of rusty orange and accents in powder blue,
matching the Denver Cooper's scheme. Carpeting even features a bubble
design, reminiscent of the Denver house.
The event got underway on Sept. 8 with a showing of "Seven Wonders of the World" in digital
Cinerama. Cinerama restorationists
Dave Strohmaier and
Randy Gitsch travelled to Casper to introduce the road show version and
discuss its difficult restoration. Later that evening, the Cooper screened
Stanley Kubrick's epic feature, "2001: A Space Odyssey".
"2001" had been
screened in Cinerama venues during its original theatrical release.
The next day, Gitsch and Strohmaier again hosted screenings of their
documentary on the widescreen process,
“Cinerama Adventure”, followed by the roadshow version of
“This is Cinerama”. Encore screenings of all films
followed that evening and throughout the weekend.
Over a span of three days, Casper's Cooper Auditorium at Studio City Mesa
West screened the type of widescreen films for which it was designed. First
time Cinerama fans were awed at the experience on the Cooper's lavish
64-foot wide, curved screen. But many veteran viewers were left smiling
recalling this venues perfect recreation of the Denver Cooper's movie-going
experience."
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Cinerama Event Program
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Friday,
September 8:
Seven Wonders of the World in Cinerama – 7:00 PM
2001: A Space Odyssey in Cinerama - 10:00 PM
Saturday, September 9:
Cinerama Adventure +
This is Cinerama Double Feature - 1:30 PM
Seven Wonders of the World in Cinerama - 7:00 PM
2001: A Space Odyssey in Cinerama - 10:00 PM
Sunday, September 10:
Cinerama Adventure +
This is Cinerama Double Feature - 1:30 PM
2001: A Space Odyssey in Cinerama - 7:30 PM
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Cinerama Event Picture Report
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Inside
the Casper Cooper. Randy Pryde, Dave and Randy in front of the respectable
60’ X 30’ curved screen. It’s
not just the biggest in Casper, it’s the biggest in the entire state of
Wyoming. The whole color palate in the Cooper auditorium is a throwback to
the old Cooper theatre in Denver.
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The
Cinerama sign touting “Seven Wonders of the World” welcomes movie-goers
along the entrance way to the Studio City Theatres. It also cycles through
“This is Cinerama” and “2001: A Space Odyssey”.
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Randy
Gitsch, Randy Pryde and Dave in front of the Studio City Mesa Cineplex.
The other 10 screens in the complex
also feature reserved seating and luxury reclining leather seats.
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The
electronic poster wall, Dave and Randy Gitsch
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The
Casper Cooper entrance off the lobby.
The Casper Cooper is modeled after the
original Cooper Cinerama Theater.
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In
the Lobby. There is a
touch-screen soda machine, a self-serve coffee machine and a variety of food
options that go beyond the basic pop corn and soft drinks.
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Randy
Pryde Showing Dave and Randy his Cooper Theatre memorabilia in one of two
display cases at the Casper Cooper. He tried to imitate the Denver theatre to
every extent possible, including acquiring the naming rights. Obviously, his
memories of the Denver Cooper have stuck with him.
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Randy
Gitsch & Dave Strohmaier checking out the recliners.
Press a button on the side of the leather seat
and it electronically reclines. Seating capacity has been cut in half to
give each person their own personal space with some really deluxe seating
and with seating arrangements designed to maximize the screen’s visual
impact.
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The
obligatory TV interview. Randy Pryde is getting miked up in front of his
Cinerama curtains.
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The
TV interview. It’s Dave’s turn.
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Randy
Pryde and his Christie Projector (floor mounted).
It's a 4K digital projection system that fills
the 64’ wide ARQ deeply curved screen.
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28-07-24 |
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