The Successful Norelco Universal 70/35mm
(Philips DP70/35) Film Projector |
Read more at in70mm.com The 70mm Newsletter |
| Written, compiled and partly translated by: Gerhard Witte (Berlin, Germany) in winter 2020/21 – also with the help of the impressive non-profit library "Internet Archive" (especially from the collections of the "Library of Congress" in Washington, D.C.) | Date: 20.02.2021 |
"South Pacific" (USA, 1958) |
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Magna Theatres' $6,500,000 film production had its World Premiere at New York's
"Criterion Theatre" on 19.03.1958, where it ran until 06.10.1958 (29 weeks).
Then it moved over to New York's "Rivoli
Theatre", where it ran until 31.03.1959
(another 25 weeks). An article from the trade magazine "Motion Picture Daily" dated 18.03.1958: Criterion Changes for "South Pacific" Run For the New York presentation of "South Pacific", the "Criterion Theatre" has required little change beyond installations for the Todd-AO 70mm projection and six-track sound. Two Todd-AO-Philips projectors, complete with pedestals, optical and magnetic soundheads, etc., replace the standard equipment. Existing lamps, Peerless Hy-Candescents, are being continued in service, however, with modification for wider aperture. A Raytone moderate-gain screen has been installed within the arch for a picture 46 feet wide, in a ratio of about 2-to-1. With a throw of 113 feet, it has a curvature of 6 feet from the chord at the center. Increase of picture size has resulted in removal of the first two rows of seating. For sound, five screen channels and one for 12 speakers around the auditorium have been installed by Altec Service, with Fred J. Pfeiff representing Todd-AO. Projection installations were under the supervision of T.P. Prendergast of Todd-AO. An article from "Motion Picture Daily" dated 19.03.1958: "Pacific" Premiere for PAL Benefit Tonight Rogers and Hammerstein's "South Pacific" in Todd-AO will open at the "Criterion Theatre" here tonight in a benefit premiere for the Police Athletic League. Some 1500 civic, state, and prominent entertainment personages will attend. The guests will be showered with more than 1,000 orchids, flown here direct from the Pacific island of Kauai, where most of the film was made. In addition, PAL's 30-member chorus and drum and bugle corps will be stationed in front of the theatre to play a medley of popular songs from the picture. Heading the celebrities will be Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, along with producer Buddy Adler, who supervised the entire production, and Joshua Logan, who directed the picture. An article from "Motion Picture Daily" dated 20.03.1958: Second Charity Showing Of "Pacific" Tonight A 60-foot replica of a United States aircraft carrier will be anchored in front of the "Criterion Theatre" here tonight for the festivities attending the second charity premiere of Rogers and Hammerstein's "South Pacific". Proceeds from the benefit debut will go towards the construction of the new Navy-Marine Corps stadium to be built at Annapolis. The 25-man Third Naval District band and color guard will parade down Broadway stopping in front of the "Criterion" to play a medley of songs from the Todd-AO musical. Heading the list of guests will be Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rogers, Buddy Adler, Joshua Logan, Rossano Brazzi, Mitzi Gaynor and John Kerr. |
More in 70mm reading: PDF: The Successful Norelco Universal 70-35mm (Philips DP70) Film Projector Gerhard Witte's Library 55th Anniversary of the DP70 Academy Award DP70 / Universal 70-35 / Norelco AAII - The Todd-AO Projector in70mm.com's Todd-AO Page Restoration of "Spartacus" A Brief History of Philips Cinema "South Pacific" 70mm Seasons Internet link: The Dominion Theatre, Tottenham Court Road, London Los Angeles Theatres: Pantages Theatre: an overview |
 The two adverts about the Todd-AO movie "South Pacific" are from the American
trade magazines "Film Bulletin" dated 17.03.1958 (left), and right from "Film
Bulletin (Summer Product Prospectus) 1958" … "South Pacific" No. 1 Boxoffice
Champion! In only 23 engagements, playing only 10 shows per week, it has grossed
to date $2,571,835.25. In London & Manchester SOLD OUT SINCE OPENING! … Note –
"South Pacific" will be shown only in TODD-AO indefinitely!See advert on the left: First US Premiere Engagements of "South Pacific" in 1958: World Premiere at the: • New York "Criterion Theatre" on 19th March • Miami Beach at "Sheridan Theatre" on 24th March • Philadelphia at "Midtown Theatre" on 26th March • Chicago at "McVickers Theatre" on 26th March • Washington at "Uptown Theatre" on 1st April • Baltimore at "New Theatre" on 1st April • Cleveland at "Loew's Ohio Theatre" on 2nd April • Pittsburg at "Nixon Theatre" on 7th April • Boston at "Saxon Theatre" on 8th April • Detroit at "United Artists Theatre" on 9th April • Dallas at "Winwood Theatre" on 15th April • St. Louis at "Pageant Theatre" on 16th April. "South Pacific" had its European Premiere at London's "Dominion Theatre" (located in London's West End at 268-269 Tottenham Court Road) on 21st April 1958 – this had been the very first TODD-AO presentation in the U.K. For this event, the theatre's former 677-seat balcony (the upper circle) had been closed off and was converted into offices. Two Philips DP70 projectors were installed into a newly built projection booth at the back of the orchestra stalls that now provided a 78ft level throw to the screen. A large 46ft wide screen (with a 5ft deep curvature – measured from the chord at the center) was erected in the theatre's 54ft wide proscenium opening. Other side seats with a bad view were also taken out. Thus, the seating capacity of the theatre was ultimately reduced to 1,654. [Source: the book "London's West End Cinemas" (1991) by Allen Eyles & Keith Skone, and the website "cinematreasures.org"]. "South Pacific" ran at London's "Dominion Theatre" until 30th September 1962 in 2,551 performances. This had been an exceptional (unique) long season of 4 years, 5 months, 1 week and 2 days (or 232 weeks). At the time, they had used two "South Pacific" 70mm prints with one print shown more than 1,382 times. This was followed by Otto Preminger's “Porgy and Bess” presented in 70mm Todd-AO too. Joshua Logan, the movie's director, writes in his book "Movie Stars, Real People, and Me" (1978) about London's "Dominion Theatre":
"South Pacific" premiered at Manchester's "Gaumont
Theatre" on 29th April 1958,
where it successfully ran for more than 2 years. |
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 PROGRESS WITH TODD-AO – advertising from the trade magazine "Motion Picture
Daily" dated 18.03.1958.A short article from the trade magazine "International Projectionist" dated February 1960:
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Go to PDF:
The Successful Norelco Universal 70-35mm (Philips DP70) Film Projector |
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"Spartacus" (USA, 1960) |
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 Announcement advert left from "Motion Picture Exhibitor" dated 05.10.1960,
and on the right a picture that shows the façade of the film's World Premiere
venue – New York's "DeMille Theatre", located at the corner of Broadway and 47th
Street (image from "Motion Picture Daily" dated 07.10.1960). At the time, one of
the largest advertisings in New York's city in order to herald a motion picture.
Measuring 90 feet by 88 feet, it had over 10,000 lamp bulbs. The "S" of the
title "SPARTACUS" was 30 feet high and the other letters were 22 feet high. For
the film's festive premiere the cinema's 36 usherettes wore specially Hollywood
designed togas rather than the customary usherette uniform. The toga costumes
were inspired from those worn by Jean Simmons who plays the role of `Varinia' in
the film. (Information from "Motion Picture Daily" from that time).Following a series of invitational previews the widely-heralded BRYNA Production "Spartacus" (released by Universal International) had its world bow at New York's revered "DeMille Theatre" on 6th October 1960 (as a benefit for the American Academy of Dramatic Arts), where it consequently ran for 53 weeks (runtime source: Michael Coate & William Kallay). A short article from the trade magazine "Motion Picture Daily" dated 17.08.1960: 50 "Spartacus" Prints HOLLYWOOD, Aug. 16. – The initial order of "Spartacus" prints went to Technicolor this week. It was for fifty 70mm color prints. At 26 reels per print, this represents a run of over a million feet of film for the Technicolor plant, a run that is expected to take two months to process. |
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 Image left from "Film Bulletin" dated 22.07.1960: Peter Ustinov (left) and
John Gavin, both in New York for advance promotion activity on Universal's
"SPARTACUS" back then, had visited `Artkraft-Strauss Sign Co.' in order to see
how work had been progressing on their giant likenesses. The big round signs
became part of the spectacular "SPARTACUS" advertising that had decorated the
corner façade of the "DeMille Theatre".Image right from "Motion Picture Exhibitor" dated 12.10.1960: a 70/35mm Victoria Cinemeccanica projector with an Ashcraft lamphouse installation in the projection room of New York's "DeMille Theatre" – the projector with which "SPARTACUS" was projected back then. The movie's festive U.S. West Coast Premiere took place at the Los Angeles "RKO Pantages Theatre" on 19.10.1960, where it consequently ran for 61 weeks. From the trade magazine " Motion Picture Exhibitor" dated 22.06.1960: Pantages Gets "SPARTACUS" HOLLWYOOD – "Spartacus", Bryna Productions` $12,000,000 epic film, has been booked into the "RKO Pantages" here for an extended, reserved-seat roadshow engagement commencing Oct. 19, it was jointly announced by RKO Theatres and Universal Pictures Company, Inc. – distributors of the film. The Hollywood engagement will be the third in the country, following the New York world premiere at the "DeMille" on Oct. 6, and the "McVickers", Chicago, opening Oct. 13. Among the planned innovations at the new "Pantages" is a Swedish curtain, a mechanically operated drapery of opulent fabric which can, at the touch of a switch, alter the seating capacity from 2,800 down to 1,500. These 1,500 seats, the "heart of the house", will be used for the showing of "Spartacus", assuring perfect sight lines and hi-fi audio quality for each seat. A short article from "Motion Picture Daily" dated 18.08.1960: 70mm for 2 Theatres – The sale of NORELCO 70/35mm projectors, as well as are lamps and 6-channel stereophonic sound equipment, to "RKO Pantages Theatre" in Hollywood and the "RKO Grand Theatre" in Cincinnati, Ohio, was announced by Todd-AO Corp. |
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 The "RKO Pantages Theatre" in the evening of this extraordinary premiere. In
order to accommodate a film of the importance of "SPARTACUS" (presented in Super
Technirama 70), the theatre previously had to be closed for remodeling for a
month. These transformations cost $150,000 (author's note: another source says
$125,000). Image taken from the French trade magazine "Ciné-Télé-Revue" from
that time.An article from "International Projectionist" dated November 1960: Bausch and Lomb has New 70mm Projection Lenses A new Bausch and Lomb optical system for 70mm projection was used for the West Coast premiere of Bryna's "Spartacus" at the "RKO Pantages Theatre". This new Bausch and Lomb design permits the exhibitor to take full advantage of the high quality of production, which has been achieved in the film. Advantages of this new system, according to the company, are: (1) Excellent depth of focus, (2) Extreme flatness of field, (3) Uniform screen illumination, (4) The new lenses are smaller than most lenses used for professional 35mm projection. The Bausch and Lomb lenses used for "Spartacus" premiere, and a uniquely different 35mm design introduced at the New York Premiere of "Sunrise at Campobello" (author's note: at the "RKO Palace Theatre" on 28.09.1960), are the first two such sets of Bausch and Lomb lenses in the world. |
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 758 screenings of "SPARTACUS" from one 70mm print with NORELCO 70/35mm
projectors at the "RKO Pantages Theatre" in Los Angeles.An advert from the North American Philips Company, Inc., taken from the trade magazine "Boxoffice" dated 05.03.1962.
More detailed information about the remodeled Los Angeles "RKO Pantages Theatre"
and the screening of "SPARTACUS" (in an extra bonus section also about the film's Berlin/Germany openings)
is
available in the report's
attached PDF file. |
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 Image from the trade magazine "Boxoffice" dated 15.04.1963, and an article
from "International Projectionist" dated July 1963:
Previous Projector Wins Academy Award[Author´s note: in 1963, a Scientific and Engineering Award – "Award of Merit for outstanding Achievement" – (a Class 2, golden plaque-style Oscar) from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences for the design and engineering of the Norelco Universal 70/35mm motion picture projector. The 35th Academy Awards, honoring the best in film for 1962, were held at the "Santa Monica Civic Auditorium" in Santa Monica (California) on 08.04.1963]. The Norelco Universal 70/35mm projector (author's note: the successor model was the Norelco AAII UNIVERSAL 70/35 projector) received one of the special awards from the `Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' in recognition of outstanding technical achievement for the showing of the newer wide gauge films. It is the first such award in the projection field since 1959. [Author's note: in 1960, Douglas G. Shearer of MGM, Inc., and Robert E. Gottschalk and John R. Moore of Panavision, Inc., had received a Scientific and Engineering Award (also a Class 2 – Academy Award plaque) for the development of a system of producing and exhibiting wide film motion pictures known as Camera 65] Accepting a plaque for the `North American Philips Company' was Fred J. Pfeiff, technical manager of the motion picture equipment department of the firm. Mr. Pfeiff has been closely associated with the development of the 70/35mm projection system since it first became available in 1955. Originally designed and developed through the joint efforts of the American Optical Corporation and Philips, this projector introduced the 70mm Todd-AO process into movie theatres. Jan Kotte of Norelco is to be commended as the original designer of this equipment. Today there are more than 450 installations of the Norelco Universal 70/35mm projector in 35 states, Canada and other countries. In receiving the award, Mr. Pfeiff stressed that motion picture audiences the world over are enjoying greater clarity and better quality of screen images with less eye strain thanks to the wider films and the award-winning Norelco projection equipment. And there are important benefits to the exhibitor, Pfeiff pointed out, explaining that a single 70mm print has been played for as many as 1000 runs, film damage is greatly reduced, and the Norelco 70/35mm projector may be converted in minutes for either 70mm or 35mm operation, providing the theatre owner with greater versatility in presenting the latest films. Built primarily for 70mm with the added convenience of 35mm, the Norelco Universal 70/35mm projector enables audiences to see easily the tiniest photographic details in such current films as "Lawrence of Arabia", "Mutiny on the Bounty", "Cleopatra", and many more now in production. An article on Fred J. Pfeiff from the trade magazine "Boxoffice" magazine dated 09.01.1961: LONG EXPERIENCE IN FIELD – For the past five years, Pfeiff was chief engineer of the Theatre Equipment Division of Todd-AO Corporation, the original distributors of the Norelco 70/35mm projector. In that capacity, he supervised over 100 installations of the equipment in the United States and Canada. Pfeiff's experience in the motion picture field dates back to the early days of sound, starting with the Acoustic Department of the Electrical Research Products (ERPI-Western Electric Incorporated – author's note: ERPI = Electrical Research Products Incorporated), which subsequently became the present Altec Service Company. While with Altec, he was involved in a wide range of activities, including laboratory control, specialized equipment production, large screen TV, and the introduction of CinemaScope in the United States and Europe. Pfeiff is a member of the Audio Engineering Society and the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers. |
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 An advert taken from the French trade magazine "La Cinématographie Française"
dated December 1961 about the successful Philips DP70 projector.Dans l'annonce est écrit:
In the advert is written: global success of the PHILIPS technique. The most
beautiful images on the largest screens with the prestigious projector. The
Philips 70/35 projector is in use in all countries of the world. Every day, the
success of the 70mm format is confirmed with new films and new installations.
Among the most spectacular French realizations let us quote: A) the `Palais du
Festival' in Cannes, B) the `Gaumont-Palace' in Paris and C) the passenger
vessel (paquebot) `France'. (Philips / 162 Rue St-Charles, Paris) |
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 Fred J. Pfeiff (left), technical manager of Norelco Motion Picture Division
of North American Philips Company, Inc., and Niels Tuxen (right), general
manager of Communications and Electronics Division, inspect Philips motion
picture installation on the "SS France" on the ship's first voyage to New York.
(Image from "Boxoffice" magazine dated 09.04.1962)More information on the French passenger vessel "SS France" and its maiden voyage from Le Havre to New York in February 1962 is available here: • Go to PDF: "La Fayette" • Go to PDF: The Successful Norelco Universal 70-35mm (Philips DP70) Film Projector • Go to: DP70 / Universal 70-35 / Norelco AAII - The Todd-AO Projector |
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