“Fantasia”: The North American 70mm Re-Release
Engagements |
Read more at in70mm.com The 70mm Newsletter |
| Compiled by: Michael Coate | Date: 18.02.2021 |
 The following is a reference / historical listing of the 70-millimeter
50th anniversary re-release engagements of “Fantasia” in the United
States and Canada. These were the cinemas that offered a unique
opportunity to re-experience this motion picture.“Fantasia” was among twenty confirmed first-run and three re-issued films released during 1990 with 70mm prints for selected engagements. The Walt Disney production and Buena Vista release — featuring Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra and Mickey Mouse as the Sorcerer’s Apprentice — opened October 5th. Pre-release screenings included the Festival des films du monde in Montreal (Imperial, September 1st) and Boston Film Festival (Charles, September 15th) For the re-release of “Fantasia,” Buena Vista employed the services of Lucasfilm’s Theatre Alignment Program (TAP) to evaluate and approve the cinemas selected to book a 70mm print. The 70mm prints of “Fantasia” featured pillarboxed imagery (approximately 1.37:1) blown up from spherical 35mm and a dual inventory of Six-Track Dolby Stereo (“A”-encoded Baby Boom) and Six-Track Dolby Stereo (“SR”-encoded Fantasound). Historical footnote: The “Fantasia” 70mm re-issue was announced in trade reports to be released in Cinema Digital Sound (CDS). Prior to release, however, Disney canceled their plans for some prints to include CDS. (Digital sound accelerated an industry trend of fewer titles released with 70mm prints.) Buena Vista circulated 70mm Six-Track Dolby coming-attraction trailers for “Green Card,” “Mr. Destiny,” “The Rescuers Down Under,” “Three Men and a Little Lady” and “White Fang” during the re-release of “Fantasia.” Other studios circulated 70mm trailers during this period, as well. Ultimately, any 70mm trailers screened during 70mm presentations of “Fantasia” varied by venue and screening. The duration of the engagements (measured in weeks) is included in parenthesis following the cinema name. *Fantasound 6-channel discrete Dolby Stereo SR No asterisk = 6-channel discrete Dolby Stereo (“A”-encoded Baby Boom format) ALBERTA Edmonton — Famous Players’ Paramount (6) [THX] BRITISH COLUMBIA Vancouver — Famous Players’ Stanley (10) [THX] CALIFORNIA Corte Madera — Pacific’s Cinema (6) Los Angeles — AMC’s Century 14 (7) [THX] Los Angeles — Pacific’s Cinerama Dome* (4) Los Angeles — Pacific’s Crest (7) [THX] Mountain View — Syufy’s Century 10 (7) Newport Beach — Edwards’ Newport Triplex (6) Oakland — Renaissance Rialto’s Grand Lake 4 (10) San Diego — Mann’s Cinema 21 (6) San Francisco — Blumenfeld’s Regency I (10) San Jose — Syufy’s Century 22 Triplex (1+) Santa Ana — AMC’s MainPlace 6 (6) [THX] COLORADO Denver — Mann’s Century 21 (1+) [THX] DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Washington — Cineplex Odeon’s Avalon Twin (11) [HPS-4000] FLORIDA Lake Buena Vista — AMC’s Pleasure Island 10 (5) [THX] HAWAII Honolulu — Consolidated’s Cinerama (8) [HPS-4000] ILLINOIS Chicago — Cineplex Odeon’s McClurg Court Triplex (5) [THX] Skokie — M&R/Loews’ Old Orchard 4 (6) KANSAS Overland Park — Dickinson’s Glenwood 4 (7) MASSACHUSETTS Brookline — Coolidge Corner Twin (10) MINNESOTA Roseville — GCC’s Har-Mar 11 (10) [THX] NEW YORK New York — City Cinemas’ Gramercy (7) New York — City Cinemas’ Sutton Twin (7) New York — Guild’s 50th Street (6) New York — Loews’ 84th Street 6 (5) OHIO Cleveland Heights — NTC’s Severance 8 (7) [THX] ONTARIO Ottawa — Famous Players’ Rideau Centre Triplex (6) Toronto — Famous Players’ Eglinton (11) [THX] PENNSYLVANIA Philadelphia — AMC’s Olde City Twin (7) QUEBEC Montreal — Famous Players’ Loews 5 (7) TEXAS Dallas — AMC’s Glen Lakes 8 (7) UTAH Salt Lake City — Mann’s Villa (6) WASHINGTON Seattle — Seven Gables’ Egyptian (1+) 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 1990-11-02 … Los Angeles, CA — GCC’s Beverly Connection 6-plex (4) [THX] 1990-11-16 … Chicago, IL — M&R/Loews’ Esquire 6-plex (4) 1991-02-23 … Cleveland, OH — CWRU’s Strosacker [CWRU Film Society] 1991-03-22 … Carmel, IN — CTS Heaston’s Woodland Twin (1) 1991-05-24 … Los Angeles, CA — Mann’s Village* (1) [THX] 1991-05-24 … San Diego, CA — Mann’s Valley Circle (1) 1991-06-03 … Atlanta, GA — Fox [14th Annual Summer Film Festival] 1991-06-07 … San Francisco, CA — Blumenfeld’s Regency I (1) 1991-09-13 … Los Angeles, CA — Pacific’s El Capitan* (3) [THX] 1991-09-20 … Washington, DC — Cineplex Odeon’s Uptown (1) [70mm fest] 1991-09-27 … Phoenix, AZ — Harkins’ Cine Capri (2) 1991-10-11 … Casper, WY — Movie Palaces’ America (2) 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 David Ayers, Bill Kallay, Bill Kretzel and Cliff Stephenson. 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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