The
following is a reference / historical listing of the 70-millimeter
engagements of “The Mission” in the United States and Canada. These were the
cinemas worth seeking out to experience this motion picture.
“The Mission” was among sixteen confirmed first-run films released in 1986
with 70mm prints for selected engagements. Approximately sixty 70mm prints
were struck for distribution in North America. The Warner Bros. release —
directed by Roland Joffe and starring Robert De Niro and Jeremy Irons —
opened exclusively in a 70mm limited release October 31st and rolled out in
a staggered fashion in the weeks and months thereafter.
Pre-release screenings included the U.S. premiere held October 29th at the
Ziegfeld in New York. (The world premiere was held May 16th at the Cannes
Film Festival.)
For the release of “The Mission,” Warner Bros. 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 “The Mission” featured Six-Track Dolby Stereo (A-encoded
Baby Boom format) and full-frame imagery blown up from anamorphic 35mm.
Warner Bros. circulated 70mm Six-Track Dolby coming-attraction trailers for
“Burglar,” “Full Metal Jacket,” “Heartbreak Ridge,” “Innerspace,” “Lethal
Weapon,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” “The Mosquito Coast,” “Over the Top,”
“Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol” and “The Witches of Eastwick” during
the release of “The Mission.” As well, other studios circulated 70mm
trailers during this period. Ultimately, any 70mm trailers screened during
the 70mm presentations of “The Mission” varied by venue and screening.
The duration of the engagements (measured in weeks) has been included in
parenthesis following the applicable cinema name.
Opening date YYYY-MM-DD … City — Cinema (duration in weeks) [notes]
1986-10-31 … New York, NY — RKO Cinema 5’s Cinema 1 (7)
1986-11-14 … Boston, MA — USA’s Cheri Triplex (5)
1986-11-14 … Chicago, IL — Center’s McClurg Court (5)
1986-11-14 … Los Angeles, CA — Plitt’s Century Plaza Twin (15) [HPS-4000]
1986-11-14 … Montreal, QC — United’s York (21)
1986-11-14 … St. Louis Park, MN — Plitt’s Cooper Twin (21)
1986-11-14 … San Francisco, CA — Syufy’s Cinema 21 (24)
1986-11-14 … Seattle, WA — SRO’s Uptown Triplex (1+)
1986-11-14 … Toronto, ON — Famous Players’ Eglinton (27) [THX]
1986-11-14 … Washington, DC — Circle’s Uptown (9)
1986-11-17 … Beverly Hills, CA — AMPAS’ Samuel Goldwyn
(“outstanding example of state-of-the-art sound” screening hosted by Dolby
Labs)
1986-11-26 … Newport Beach, CA — Edwards’ Newport Twin (4)
1986-12-19 … Calgary, AB — Famous Players’ Chinook (22)
1986-12-19 … Commack, NY — Redstone’s Commack 12-plex (5)
1986-12-19 … Edmonton, AB — Famous Players’ Westmount Twin (18)
1986-12-19 … Garden City, NY — RKO Century’s Roosevelt Field 4-plex (11)
1986-12-19 … Hawthorne, NY — Redstone’s All Westchester Saw Mill 10-plex (6)
[THX]
1986-12-19 … Laval, QC — United’s Laval 5-plex (4)
1986-12-19 … Mississauga, ON — Famous Players’ Square One 4-plex (8)
1986-12-19 … Montreal, QC — Cineplex Odeon’s Champlain Twin (3) [Version
Francaise]
1986-12-19 … Paramus, NJ — RKO Century’s Route Four 10-plex (11)
1986-12-19 … Sayreville, NJ — Redstone’s Amboy 12-plex (6)
1986-12-19 … Scarborough, ON — Famous Players’ Cedarbrae 8-plex (10)
1986-12-19 … Secaucus, NJ — Loews’ Meadow Plaza 8-plex (7)
1986-12-19 … Valley Stream, NY — Redstone’s Sunrise 12-plex (5)
1986-12-19 … Vancouver, BC — Famous Players’ Vancouver Centre Twin (25)
1986-12-19 … Woodbury, NY — UA’s Cinema 150 (6)
1986-12-25 … Atlanta, GA — Lefont’s Tara 4-plex (15)
1986-12-25 … Cincinnati, OH — USA’s Kenwood Twin (10)
1986-12-25 … Columbus, OH — USA’s Continent 9-plex (8)
1986-12-25 … Dallas, TX — GCC’s Northpark West Twin (9) [THX]
1986-12-25 … Denver, CO — Commonwealth’s Cooper Twin (4+)
1986-12-25 … Daly City, CA — Plitt’s Plaza Twin (18)
1986-12-25 … Laguna Hills, CA — Edwards/SoCal’s Laguna Hills Mall Triplex
(18)
1986-12-25 … Los Angeles, CA — Mann’s Studio (6)
1986-12-25 … Mountain View, CA — Syufy’s Century 10-plex (7)
1986-12-25 … Oak Brook, IL — Plitt’s Oakbrook Triplex (11)
1986-12-25 … Overland Park, KS — Dickinson’s Glenwood 4-plex (11)
1986-12-25 … Pasadena, CA — Pacific’s Hastings 5-plex (15)
1986-12-25 … Philadelphia, PA — Budco’s Olde City Twin (9)
1986-12-25 … Portland, OR — LT’s Lloyd 10-plex (11) [THX]
1986-12-25 … Redondo Beach, CA — GCC’s Galleria South Bay 6-plex (15) [THX]
1986-12-25 … Richmond Heights, MO — AMC’s Esquire 4-plex (8)
1986-12-25 … Sacramento, CA — Syufy’s Capitol 4-plex (15)
1986-12-25 … San Antonio, TX — Santikos’ Northwest 10-plex (9) [THX]
1986-12-25 … San Diego, CA — Mann’s Valley Circle (11)
1986-12-25 … San Jose, CA — Syufy’s Century 22 Triplex (6)
1986-12-25 … Southfield, MI — UA’s The Movies at Prudential Twin (13)
1986-12-25 … Ventura, CA — Syufy’s Century 8-plex (21)
1987-01-16 … Austin, TX — Presidio’s Arbor 4-plex (8) [THX]
1987-01-16 … Greenfield, WI — Capitol’s Spring Mall 4-plex (7)
1987-01-16 … Ottawa, ON — Famous Players’ Rideau Centre Triplex (14)
1987-01-16 … Phoenix, AZ — Plitt’s Cine Capri (7) [70mm from Week 3]
1987-01-16 … Salt Lake City, UT — Plitt’s Crossroads Triplex (5)
1987-01-16 … Scottsdale, AZ — Blair’s Kachina (7) [70mm from Week 4]
1987-01-16 … Tucson, AZ — Plitt’s El Dorado Twin (7)
1987-01-16 … Winnipeg, MB — Famous Players’ Northstar Twin (9)
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
1987-01-30 … Syosset, NY — UA’s Syosset Triplex (2)
1987-02-06 … San Jose, CA — Syufy’s Century 25 Twin (16)
1987-02-13 … Washington, DC — Circle’s Ontario (4)
1987-02-20 … Glendale, CA — Mann’s Glendale Twin (5)
1987-02-20 … Montreal, QC — Cineplex Odeon’s Champlain Twin (5) [Version
Francaise]
1987-02-20 … Salt Lake City, UT — Plitt’s Trolley Corners Triplex (9)
1987-03-06 … Roswell, GA — Interstate’s Roswell Mall 10-plex (4)
1987-03-06 … Tucson, AZ — Plitt’s Foothills 4-plex (1)
1987-03-13 … Portland, OR — LT’s Music Box (15)
1987-03-20 … Toronto, ON — Famous Players’ Sheraton Centre Twin (4)
1987-04-10 … Montreal, QC — United’s Palace 6-plex (4)
1987-04-10 … St. Louis Park, MN — Plitt’s Knollwood 4-plex (2)
1987-05-08 … Baltimore, MD — Durkee’s Senator (1)
1987-08-31 … Atlanta, GA — Fox [10th Annual Summer Film Festival]
1988-03-02 … Toronto, ON — Cinesphere (5 days) [70mm festival]
1989-03-01 … Toronto, ON — Cinesphere (3 days) [70mm festival]
1989-12-08 … Ottawa, ON — ByTowne [70mm festival; w/ “Batman”]
2003-05-06 … Los Angeles, CA — Pacific’s Arclight Hollywood 14-plex
[Hollywood Master Storytellers series w/ Roland Joffe Q&A]
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 and Mark Lensenmayer.
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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More in 70mm reading:
70mm Engagements
70mm Blow Up List
Dolby Stereo
Internet link:
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