The following is a reference / historical listing of the 70-millimeter engagements of “The Untouchables” in the United States and Canada. These were the cinemas worth seeking out to experience this motion picture.
“The Untouchables” was among seventeen confirmed first-run films released in 1987 with 70mm prints for selected engagements. Approximately one-hundred ten 70mm prints were reportedly struck for North America representing about ten percent of the total number of first-run bookings. The Paramount release — directed by Brian De Palma (“Casualties of War”) and starring Kevin Costner, Charles Martin Smith, Andy Garcia, Robert De Niro and Sean Connery — opened June 3rd.
Pre-release screenings included an invitational preview held June 1st at the Cinerama Dome in Los Angeles and June 2nd at Astor Plaza in New York.
For the release of “The Untouchables,” Paramount 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 Untouchables” featured magnetic Six-Track Dolby Stereo (“A” encoded Baby Boom format [Dolby processor setting “42”]) and letterboxed imagery (approximately 2.39:1) blown up from anamorphic 35mm and provided a superior projection and sound experience in comparison to the film’s 35mm prints.
Note that some cinemas may have screened a 70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo print utilizing Dolby-compatible equipment from another manufacturer (EPRAD, Smart, Ultra Stereo, etc.), and in some instances an exhibitor may have made a special request for a 70mm print that lacked Dolby Noise Reduction so that it could be played on a cinema’s older, pre-Dolby-era sound system.
Paramount circulated 70mm Six-Track Dolby coming-attraction trailers for “Back to the Beach,” “Fatal Attraction” and “Summer School” during the release of “The Untouchables.” Other studios circulated 70mm trailers during this period, as well. Ultimately, any 70mm trailers screened during 70mm presentations of “The Untouchables” varied by venue and screening.
The duration of the engagements (measured in weeks) is included in parenthesis following the applicable cinema name.
ALBERTA Calgary — Famous Players’ Palliser Square Twin (15) Calgary — Famous Players’ Southcentre 7 (9) Edmonton — Famous Players’ Paramount (8) Edmonton — Famous Players’ Westmall 5 (12)
ARKANSAS Little Rock — UA’s Cinema 150 (8)
BRITISH COLUMBIA Burnaby — Famous Players’ Lougheed Mall Triplex (16) Vancouver — Famous Players’ Stanley (24) [THX] Victoria — Famous Players’ Coronet (8)
CALIFORNIA Carlsbad — SoCal’s Plaza Camino Real 5 (12) Corte Madera — Blumenfeld’s Cinema (8) Costa Mesa — Edwards’ South Coast Plaza Triplex (9) Fremont — Syufy’s Cinedome East 8 (9) Glendale — Pacific’s Roxy (9) Laguna Hills — Edwards/SoCal’s Laguna Hills Mall Triplex (9) [70mm during Week 8] La Mesa — Pacific’s Cinema Grossmont (10) Los Angeles — Mann’s National (7) [THX] Los Angeles — Pacific’s Cinerama Dome (9) Montclair — Pacific’s Montclair 5 (9) Newport Beach — Edwards’ Newport Twin (6) Orange — Syufy’s Cinedome 8 (9) Oxnard — Pacific’s Carriage Square 5 (11) Sacramento — Syufy’s Century 8 (12) Sacramento — Syufy’s Cinedome 8 (7) San Francisco — Blumenfeld’s Regency II (1) San Jose — Syufy’s Town & Country (9) South San Francisco — Syufy’s Century Plaza 8 (10)
COLORADO Arvada — Commonwealth’s Cooper 6 (9) Aurora — Commonwealth’s Cooper 5 (6) Colorado Springs — Mann’s Chapel Hills 9 (8) Littleton — Mann’s Festival 6 (11)
CONNECTICUT East Hartford — Redstone’s Showcase 9 (9)
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Washington — K-B’s Cinema (12)
FLORIDA Hialeah — Muvico’s Apollo 8 (9) Kendall — AMC’s Town & Country 10 (11) North Miami Beach — Loews’ 167th Street Twin (10) Winter Park — Wometco’s Winter Park Triplex (10)
GEORGIA Atlanta — Columbia (8) Atlanta — Plitt’s Phipps Plaza Triplex (7) Tucker — AMC’s Northlake Festival 8 (11)
HAWAII Honolulu — Consolidated’s Cinerama (7) [HPS-4000]
ILLINOIS Belleville — BAC’s Quad 4 (9) Chicago — Cineplex Odeon/Plitt’s Esquire (8) Hillside — M&R’s Hillside Square 6 (#1: 7) Hillside — M&R’s Hillside Square 6 (#2: 4) Lombard — GCC’s Yorktown 6 (12) [THX] Norridge — M&R’s Norridge 8 (9) Skokie — M&R’s Old Orchard 4 (9)
KANSAS Overland Park — Dickinson’s Glenwood 4 (9)
KENTUCKY Louisville — Redstone’s Showcase 11 (10)
MANITOBA Winnipeg — Famous Players’ Metropolitan (8)
MARYLAND Bethesda — K-B’s Montgomery Mall Triplex (9)
MASSACHUSETTS Boston — USA’s Cheri Triplex (10)
MICHIGAN Dearborn — UA’s The Movies at Fairlane 10 (17) Southfield — AMC’s Americana 8 (12) Troy — UA’s The Movies at Oakland 5 (10)
MISSOURI Shrewsbury — Wehrenberg’s Kenrick 8 (18) [THX]
NEVADA Las Vegas — Syufy’s Parkway Triplex (18) Reno — Syufy’s Century 6 (17) [venue renovated into an 8-plex during run]
NEW JERSEY Egg Harbor Township — Frank’s Towne 12 (12)
NEW MEXICO Albuquerque — Commonwealth’s Winrock 6 (9) [THX]
NEW YORK Amherst — AMC’s Maple Ridge 8 (12) Cheektowaga — GCC’s Thruway Mall 8 (11) [THX] New York — Guild’s Embassy 1 (11) New York — Loews’ 34th Street Showplace Triplex (12) New York — Loews’ 84th Street 6 (12) New York — Loews’ Astor Plaza [June 2nd premiere only] New York — Loews’ New York Twin (10) Pittsford — Loews’ Pittsford Triplex (12)
NOVA SCOTIA Halifax — Famous Players’ Scotia Square (1+)
OHIO Cincinnati — USA’s Carousel Twin (10) Cleveland — Colony (9) Columbus — GCC’s Northland 8 (7) [THX] North Olmsted — NTC’s Great Northern 7 (12) [THX]
OKLAHOMA Oklahoma City — AMC’s Memorial Square 8 (13)
ONTARIO Hamilton — Famous Players’ Tivoli (8) London — Famous Players’ Park (1+) Mississauga — Famous Players’ Sussex Centre 4 (15) [THX] North York — Famous Players’ Towne & Countrye Twin (7) North York — Famous Players’ Yorkdale 6 (#1: 18) North York — Famous Players’ Yorkdale 6 (#2: 4) Ottawa — Famous Players’ Nelson (17) Scarborough — Famous Players’ Cedarbrae 8 (15) Toronto — Famous Players’ Capitol (9) Toronto — Famous Players’ Runnymede Twin (8) Toronto — Famous Players’ Uptown 5 (#1: 8) Toronto — Famous Players’ Uptown 5 (#2: 3)
OREGON Portland — Cineplex Odeon’s 82nd Ave. 6 (#1: 9) [THX] Portland — Cineplex Odeon’s 82nd Ave. 6 (#2: 2) [THX] (interlock) Portland — Moyer’s Rose Moyer 6 (9) Wilsonville — Moyer’s Grand Parkway Triplex (5)
PENNSYLVANIA Bensalem — AMC’s Premiere Twin (9) Philadelphia — Budco’s 309 9 (11) Philadelphia — Budco’s Olde City Twin (10) Philadelphia — Budco’s Orleans 8 (9)
QUEBEC Dorval — United’s Dorval Triplex (9) Laval — United’s Laval 5 (7) Montreal — United’s Imperial (15) [THX] Montreal — United’s Versailles 6 (7) Sainte-Foy — United’s Ste-Foy Triplex (7)
TEXAS Austin — Presidio’s Arbor 4 (9) [THX] Dallas — AMC’s Prestonwood 5 (15) Dallas — UA’s Cine Twin (12) El Paso — GCC’s Cielo Vista 10 (6) Fort Worth — UA’s Hulen 10 (14) [THX] Houston — AMC’s Meyer Park 14 (9) Houston — Loews’ Saks Center Twin (9) Mesquite — AMC’s Towne Crossing 8 (16)
VIRGINIA Fairfax — UA’s The Movies at Fair Oaks 8 (10) McLean — Cineplex Odeon/NTI’s Tysons Center 4 (9)
WASHINGTON Bellevue — Cineplex Odeon/SRO’s Factoria 8 (8) Lynnwood — Cineplex Odeon/SRO’s Grand Alderwood 8 (9) Seattle — Cineplex Odeon’s/SRO’s Uptown Triplex (10) Spokane — Cineplex Odeon/SRO’s Lyons Avenue 4 (9)
WISCONSIN Brookfield — GCC’s Brookfield Square Twin (8) Madison — Marcus’ Eastgate 6 (10)
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 situations 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 AND SCREENINGS
1987-06-10 … San Francisco, CA — Blumenfeld’s Regency I (8) 1987-07-17 … St. Charles, MO — Wehrenberg’s St. Charles 10 (6) [THX] 1987-08-05 … Los Angeles, CA — Pacific’s Hollywood Pacific Triplex (3) 1987-08-05 … San Francisco, CA — Blumenfeld’s Regency II (3) 1987-08-05 … San Jose, CA — Syufy’s Century 24 Twin (3) 1987-08-28 … Downers Grove, IL — Classic Cinemas’ Tivoli (2) [HPS-4000] 1987-08-28 … San Francisco, CA — Blumenfeld’s Regency III (4) 1987-08-28 … San Jose, CA — Syufy’s Century 25 Twin (6) 1987-09-04 … Cleveland, OH — Colony (1) 1987-09-11 … Cleveland, OH — Colony (1) [w/ “Apocalypse Now”] 1987-09-25 … Calgary, AB — Famous Players’ Chinook (2) 1987-09-25 … San Francisco, CA — Blumenfeld’s Royal (3)
1988-01-22 … Cleveland, OH — CWRU’s Strosacker [CWRU Film Society series] 1988-02-12 … Toronto, ON — Famous Players’ Uptown 5 (2) 1988-02-19 … New Orleans, LA — Golden Crest’s Kenilworth (1) 1988-04-15 … Niagara Falls, ON — Niagara Falls IMAX (1) 1988-05-20 … Edmonton, AB — Cineplex Odeon’s Meadowlark (1)
1989-03-11 … Toronto, ON — Cinesphere (2 days) [70mm festival]
1991-04-11 … Ann Arbor, MI — Michigan (2 days) [Gangster Month] 1991-08-30 … Madison, WI — Marcus’ Eastgate 10 (1) [70mm festival] 1991-09-20 … Brookfield, WI — Marcus’ West Point 8 (1) [70mm festival] 1991-11-06 … Portland, OR — CineMagic (1)
1992-09-19 … Los Angeles, CA — AMC’s Century 14 [retro festival] 1992-09-23 … Los Angeles, CA — AMC’s Century 14 [retro festival]
1996-01-12 … Los Angeles, CA — Plaza [Fri-Sun midnight] 1996-06-22 … Calgary, AB — Cineplex Odeon’s Eau Claire Market 5 [midnight]
2000-07-13 … Austin, TX — Paramount [70mm festival] 2000-07-14 … Austin, TX — Paramount [70mm festival]
2001-05-06 … New York, NY — American Museum of the Moving Image [De Palma retrospective; w/ “Casualties of War”]
2008-12-21 … Los Angeles, CA — Laemmle’s Royal [Laemmle’s 70th Anniversary series/80s New Classics Day w/ “Top Gun,” “Gremlins” and “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”]
2009-02-24 … Seattle, WA — Cinerama [70mm festival] 2009-02-26 … Seattle, WA — Cinerama [70mm festival] 2009-03-01 … Seattle, WA —Cinerama [70mm festival] 2009-03-03 … Seattle, WA — Cinerama [70mm festival] 2009-05-23 … Santa Monica, CA — Aero [70mm festival; w/ “Vertigo”]
2010-04-15 … Santa Monica, CA — Aero [Tax Day + David Mamet Q&A] 2010-09-26 … Gatineau, QC — Museum of Civilization [70mm festival]
2011-06-19 … Los Angeles, CA – Egyptian [70mm festival; w/ “Blue Thunder”]
2013-01-26 … Austin, TX — Alamo Drafthouse Ritz (3 days) 2013-02-25 … Los Angeles, CA — Laemmle’s Fallbrook 7 (3 days) [THX]
2014-08-25 … Santa Monica, CA — Aero [Sean Connery Day; w/ DCP “Thunderball”]
2016-06-22 … Chicago, IL — Music Box [Brian De Palma retrospective] 2016-07-09 … Austin, TX — Alamo Drafthouse Ritz (2 days)
2017-03-22 … Tucson, AZ — The Loft [70mm series] 2017-09-05 … Seattle, WA — Cinerama [70mm festival] 2017-09-24 … Somerville, MA — Somerville 5 [70mm & Widescreen festival]
2019-06-15 … Portland, OR — Hollywood [70mm series] 2019-11-02 … Seattle, WA — Cinerama [70mm festival]
2020-03-14 … Chicago, IL — Music Box [70mm festival] 2020-03-17 … Chicago, IL — Music Box [70mm festival] 2020-03-18 … Chicago, IL — Music Box [70mm festival]
2022-09-11 … Beverly Hills, CA — Fine Arts [70mm Sundays series]
2023-07-08 … Santa Monica, CA — Aero [70mm festival]
2024-10-08 … New York, NY — Paris [Big & Loud! series]
The information included in this article was principally referenced from film industry trade publications, regional newspaper promotion, print enclosures, TAP records, Dolby records, etc. Special thanks to Don Beelik, Neil S. Bulk, John Emery, Bill Kallay, Bill Kretzel, Mark Lensenmayer and Victor Liorentas.
International 70mm engagements of this title have not been accounted for in this work.
If you believe this article contains any errors or omissions, please consider emailing the author or editor. | More in 70mm reading:
70mm Cinemas in North America
in70mm.com's list of films blown up to 70mm
70mm Engagements by Title
35mm to 70mm Engagements by Year
Large Format 7OMM Engagements
Month by month premiere list of wide gauge and 3-strip films
Chronological premiere list of major 70mm films
70mm Blow Up List
Dolby Stereo |