“E.T. - The Extra Terrestrial”:
The 70mm Engagements |
Read more at in70mm.com The 70mm Newsletter |
| Compiled by: Michael Coate | Date: 09.06.2017 |
 The
following is a reference / historical listing of the 70-millimeter
presentations of “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” in the United States and
Canada. These were the cinemas worth seeking out to experience this motion
picture.“E.T.” was among eighteen confirmed first-run films released in 1982 with 70mm prints for selected engagements. Thirty-one 70mm prints of the film were reportedly struck for distribution in North America (plus at least two additional 70mm prints struck during the release). The Universal release — directed by Steven Spielberg (“Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark”) and starring Dee Wallace, Peter Coyote and Henry Thomas — opened June 11th. Pre-release screenings of “E.T.” included the world premiere as the closing night feature of the 1982 Cannes Film Festival on May 26th and the U.S. premiere held June 10th at the Cinerama Dome in Los Angeles. The 70mm prints of “E.T.” featured Six-Track Dolby Stereo (“A” encoded Baby Boom format) and pillarboxed imagery (approximately 1.85:1) blown up from spherical 35mm. (The 70mm prints of “E.T.” screened in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco were reportedly struck directly from the original negative, with the balance of the 70mm prints contact-printed from a 65mm inter-negative.) Universal circulated 70mm Six-Track Dolby coming-attraction trailers for “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” “The Dark Crystal” and “The Thing” during the initial weeks of the release of “E.T.” Additional 70mm trailers from Universal became available over the course of the film’s lengthy release, including “Doctor Detroit,” “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” “Halloween III: Season of the Witch,” “Jaws 3-D,” “The Pirates of Penzance,” “Six Weeks” and “The Sting II.” Other studios circulated 70mm trailers during this period, as well. During the film’s 1985 re-issue, Universal circulated 70mm trailers for “Creator,” “Legend” and “Weird Science.” Ultimately, any 70mm trailers screened during 70mm presentations of “E.T.” varied by venue and screening. The duration of the engagements (measured in weeks) is included in parenthesis following the applicable cinema name. BRITISH COLUMBIA Vancouver — Odeon’s Park (45) CALIFORNIA Costa Mesa — Edwards’ Town Center 4 (49) Los Angeles — Pacific’s Cinerama Dome (5) Los Angeles — Pacific’s Picwood (22) [opened July 16th] Newport Beach — Edwards’ Newport Twin (19) [opened July 16th] Oakland — Renaissance Rialto’s Grand Lake Twin (36) Orange — Syufy’s City Center Twin (27) Riverside — Sanborn’s Canyon Crest 5 (39) [opened July 16th] Sacramento — Syufy’s Capitol Twin (39) San Diego — Mann’s Loma (52) San Francisco — Blumenfeld’s Regency II (5) San Jose — Syufy’s Century 21 (1) Westminster — UA’s Westminster Mall Twin (27) DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Washington — K-B’s Cinema (26) GEORGIA Atlanta — Columbia (17) [opened Aug. 20th] HAWAII Honolulu — Consolidated’s Waikiki Twin (27) ILLINOIS Calumet City — Plitt’s River Oaks 6 (27) Chicago — GCC’s Ford City Triplex (27) Orland Park — Plitt’s Orland Square 4 (28) Schaumburg — Plitt’s Woodfield 4 (27) Skokie — M&R’s Old Orchard Triplex (21) LOUISIANA Metairie — Cobb’s Lakeside 4 (52) [70mm from Week 28] MINNESOTA Minneapolis — Plitt’s Skyway 4 (23) NEW YORK New York — Loews’ New York Twin (27) New York — Moss’ Movieland (52) New York — Reade’s Bay (26) ONTARIO Toronto — Odeon’s Hyland Twin (44) OREGON Beaverton — LT’s Westgate Triplex (43) Portland — LT’s Eastgate Triplex (43) TEXAS Dallas — GCC’s Northpark West Twin (27) Houston — GCC’s Galleria 4 (32) UTAH Riverdale — Tullis-Hansen’s Cinedome Twin (1+) Salt Lake City — Plitt’s Crossroads Triplex (48) South Salt Lake — Syufy’s Century 5 (51) WASHINGTON Seattle — UA’s Cinema 150 (22) [opened July 16th] Note that some of the presentations included in this listing may have been presented in 35mm during the latter week(s) of engagement due to contractual terms or print damage and the distributor’s 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 (or movement out of a branded auditorium) has been included in the duration figure. SUBSEQUENT 70MM ENGAGEMENTS & SCREENINGS 1982-06-17 … San Jose, CA — Syufy’s Century 23 Twin (2) 1982-07-02 … San Jose, CA — Syufy’s Century 22 Triplex (3) 1982-07-16 … Los Angeles, CA — Pacific’s Hollywood Pacific Triplex (27) 1982-07-16 … San Francisco, CA — Blumenfeld’s Regency I (22) 1982-07-23 … San Jose, CA — Syufy’s Century 23 Twin (43) 1982-10-22 … West St. Paul, MN — Engler’s Signal Hills 4 (1+) 1982-11-12 … Nashville, TN — Martin’s Belle Meade (5) 1982-12-17 … Colorado Springs, CO — Commonwealth’s Ute 70 (14) 1982-12-17 … Dallas, TX — Plitt’s Cinema Twin (9) 1982-12-17 … Philadelphia, PA — Budco’s Regency Twin (17) [70mm from Week 7] 1982-12-22 … Los Angeles, CA — Mann’s Valley West 6 (9) 1983-02-18 … Cedar Grove, NJ — Cinema 23 (3) 1983-02-18 … East Meadow, NY — UA’s Meadowbrook 4 (3) 1983-02-18 … Hicksville, NY — RKO Century’s Mid-Island Plaza Twin (3) 1983-02-18 … Nanuet, NY — UA’s Route 59 (3) 1983-02-18 … New York, NY — Loews’ New York Twin (3) 1983-02-18 … New York, NY — Reade’s Bay (2) 1983-02-18 … Secaucus, NJ — Loews’ Meadow 6 (3) 1983-02-18 … Wayne, NJ — Loews’ Wayne 6 (3) 1983-02-18 … White Plains, NY — UA’s Cinema (3) 1983-03-04 … Los Angeles, CA — UA’s Egyptian Triplex (3) 1983-03-25 … Chicago, IL — Plitt’s State Lake (1) 1983-03-25 … Evergreen Park, IL — M&R’s Evergreen Triplex (1) 1983-03-25 … Forest Park, IL — Essaness’ Forest Park Triplex (1) 1983-03-25 … Norridge, IL — M&R’s Norridge 4 (1) 1983-03-25 … Schaumburg, IL — Plitt’s Woodfield 4 (1) 1983-04-01 … Little Rock, AR — UA’s Heights (2) 1983-04-01 … Memphis, TN — Rand’s Park (2) 1983-04-08 … Oklahoma City, OK — Westwood (6) 1983-04-13 … Greenfield, WI — Capitol’s Spring Mall Triplex (1) 1983-04-15 … Toronto, ON — Famous Players’ Palace Triplex (3) 1983-05-06 … Tacoma, WA — Galaxy’s Temple (5) [w/ “The Dark Crystal”] 1983-05-20 … Cleveland, OH — Colony (1) 1983-05-20 … San Jose, CA — Syufy’s Century 21 (3) 1983-05-20 … Southfield, MI — SDT’s Northland Twin (2) 1983-05-27 … Huntsville, AL — United Amusement’s Madison Twin (2) 1983-06-03 … Atlanta, GA — Fox (6 days) [6th Annual Summer Film Festival] 1985-07-19 … Los Angeles, CA — Mann’s Plaza (2) 1985-07-19 … Los Angeles, CA — Pacific’s Hollywood Pacific Triplex (4) 1985-07-19 … Montreal, QC — Cineplex Odeon’s Champlain Twin (5) [Version Francaise] 1985-07-19 … New York, NY — Loews’ Orpheum Twin (4) 1985-07-19 … New York, NY — Loews’ State Twin (3) 1985-07-19 … San Francisco, CA — Blumenfeld’s Royal (2) 1985-07-19 … San Jose, CA — Syufy’s Century 22 Triplex (3) 1985-07-19 … Toronto, ON — Famous Players’ Hyland Twin (5) 1985-07-19 … Washington, DC — Circle’s MacArthur Triplex (4) 1985-08-09 … San Jose, CA — Syufy’s Century 24 Twin (1) 1985-08-16 … Corte Madera, CA — Marin’s Cinema (1) 1985-08-23 … Los Angeles, CA — Four Star (1) 1985-08-30 … Mesa, AZ — Mann’s Superstition 5 (3) [w/ “The Black Cauldron”] 1985-09-27 … Wichita, KS — Dickinson’s Mall (1) 1985-10-13 … Sacramento, CA — Landmark’s Tower Triplex* (2 days) 1985-12-20 … Norfolk, VA — Naro (1) 1985-12-26 … Toronto, ON — Cinesphere* (11 days) [70mm festival] 1986-02-22 … Cleveland, OH — CWRU’s Strosacker [CWRU Film Society series] 1986-06-06 … Los Angeles, CA — Pacific’s Hollywood Pacific Triplex (1) [w/ “Back to the Future”] 1987-06-30 … Universal City, CA — Cineplex Odeon’s Universal City 18** 1990-07-22 … Los Angeles, CA — Cineplex Odeon’s Fairfax Triplex*** 2017-06-18 … Los Angeles, CA — American Cinematheque’s Egyptian* 2017-06-23 … Los Angeles, CA — American Cinematheque’s Egyptian* 2017-08-20 … Santa Monica, CA — American Cinematheque’s Aero* 2017-12-23 … Toronto, ON — TIFF Bell Lightbox* 2017-12-25 … Toronto, ON — TIFF Bell Lightbox* 2017-12-30 … Toronto, ON — TIFF Bell Lightbox* 2017-12-31 … Toronto, ON — TIFF Bell Lightbox* 2018-01-06 … Toronto, ON — TIFF Bell Lightbox* 2018-09-?? … Seattle, WA — Cinerama* 2019-08-03 … Los Angeles, CA — American Cinematheque’s Egyptian* 2019-09-28 … Seattle, WA — Cinerama* 2020-03-13 … New York, NY — Alamo Drafthouse Brooklyn [canceled?] 2021-06-19 … Santa Monica, CA — American Cinematheque’s Aero* * Screened during a 70mm series/festival ** Screened during the Magnificent Movie Poll grand-opening event *** Screened during the Classic Film Festival The information included in this article was principally referenced from film industry trade publications, regional newspaper promotion, print enclosures, TAP records, and Dolby records. Special thanks to Bill Kallay, Bill Kretzel, Monty Marin and Vince Young. International 70mm engagements of this title have not been accounted for in this article. If you believe this article contains any errors or omissions, please consider emailing the author or editor. |
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