Movie Memories

[W. Gray]

When I was growing up, 20th Century Fox released The Robe hailing it as the first wide screen motion picture.

Advertisements for the 1953 release hailed it as the "first motion picture in Cinema Scope--the modern miracle you see without glasses!"

The wording "without glasses" was a reference to the 3D fad that boomed and then busted within a two-year period. Supposedly, audiences did not like wearing special glasses, but I can tell you we kids did. Some of us screamed and ducked every time an arrow or spear came flying into the audience.

However, The Robe was not the first wide screen motion picture. The first wide screen movie came in 1930 and was filmed in Movietone and Fox Grandeur by 20th Century Fox. Movietone meant it was a sound movie and Fox Grandeur meant it was wide screen. Old timers might recall the Fox Movietone newsreels, which ran until 1968. 

That first wide screen movie was The Big Trail and starred, of all people, John Wayne. Prior to this film, he was an extra and a prop hand and had never starred in a feature length film. The Big Trail flopped. Not too many theaters wanted to go to the expense of retooling and remodeling to accommodate the wide format. Even though the movie was also released in standard format, it still flopped. It took John Wayne another nine years to become a big star when he appeared in Stagecoach.

I cannot recall if the Plaza Theater in Howard converted to wide-screen but I am sure they did. I probably even watched some of the movies.

Cinema Scope was exclusive to 20th Century Fox. Other studios had their own version of wide screen calling it by another name. Regal Scope, Super Scope, Panavision, Ultra Vision, and Vista Vision, come to mind. Today, all wide screen formats are called just wide screen.

Shortly after the Cinema Scope introduction came Cinerama a super wide screen in which three cameras simultaneously filmed one third of each scene. It took three projectors spaced several feet apart in the projection room to show a movie. Each projector projected one third the image on the screen. I think Wichita might have had a Cinerama theater. Cinemiracle was a Cinerama rip off needing three cameras to film but used only one projector to show the three filmstrips.

3D, Cinema Scope, Cinerama, and the other wide screen formats were developed to combat a huge threat: the 7 to 19 inch black & white television sets that people were buying like hotcakes.

The only exception, today, to being called wide screen is IMAX, that super duper format which is wider and taller than anything is and can show 3D without glasses. In all of Kansas, only Olathe and Hutchinson have theaters capable of showing IMAX movies.

[archeobabe]

I remembered seeing movies in Cinerama.  The cinerama movies were shown at the Crown Uptown theater and it took three projectors to show the movies.  Can you name all the Cinerama movies that were shown.  I know the first cinerama movie was "Seven Wonders of the World" where you have sensation of flying at the beginning of the movie.  "The Hallelujah Trail", "The Battle of the Budge",  "Kelly Heros"?,  "Where Eagles Dare", "Grand Prix", "How The West Was Won"

[W. Gray]

The first Cinerama movie was This is Cinerama with Lowell Thomas narrating. Lowell Thomas, a big newsman of the time, was an investor. It actually came out in 1952 even before Cinema Scope.

That movie had the famous roller coaster ride. I first saw it in Kansas City and everyone was screaming. The next time I saw it I was in Bangkok, Thailand.

It was made as a vehicle to promote the process.

The second movie was Cinerama Holiday in 1955.

Seven Wonders of the World was the third also in 1955.

I was a huge Cinerama fan, but I have only seen one IMAX movie.

[archeobabe]

I remembered the "Seven Wonders of the World" and what I remembered was flying under the Golden Gate bridge.  There was two other movies that I have seen that was cinerama at the Crown Uptown was "Grand Prix" and "How the West was Won" I enjoyed watching because you feel that you were in the movie.  But the price of the tickets were high.

[W. Gray]

When Turner Movie Classics shows How the West Was Won, the merge lines between the three film strips can be plainly seen.

Just before How the West Was Won, was another Cinerama movie The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm.

I don't remember how much tickets were at the Empire Cinerama in Kansas City, but women patrons dressed to the hilt, men wore coat and tie, and all seats were reserved and almost always were purchased in advance.

[Roma Jean Turner]

  I remember going to see the Seven Wonders of the World at the Empire.  It was so realistic that I dealt with motion sickness through so much of it that at times I had to get up and leave or close my eyes.  What a beautiful theatre that was and still may be.  I haven't been in it years.  The last I remember they were doing live concerts there.  I would love to go to some of the IMAX movies but haven't because I'm afraid I'd have the same problem.

[W. Gray]

For whatever this is worth:

Prior to being the Empire, the theater was the RKO Radio Theater.

Ever since I had seen King Kong, I was aware there was an RKO Radio motion picture producing company (headed by Howard Hughes at one time) rivaling Warner Brothers, MGM, Paramount, etc.

It seemed strange that Radio could be connected with movies. I knew MGM meant Metro Goldwyn Mayer but I could never find out what RKO meant and was not able to find out until the internet came in.

RKO stands for Radio Keith Orpheum. The studio was an organization formed by the Radio Corporation of America (RCA), Joseph Kennedy, and Keith Orpheum theaters. Apparently, RCA wanted double representation in the name.

[patyrn]

Roma Jean,

The Imax movies are SPECTACULAR!!!!  You truly feel like you are a part of the action.  However, I have the same motion sickness problem and even taking Dramamine before going didn't help me.  I've tried it at  four different  times in four different theaters  with the same sick results, so that's it for me.  Just a warning.............

[archeobabe]

I forgot about "The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm".  I didn't see that one at the Crown Uptown only on TV when it was on especially on Turner Classic Movies.

[W. Gray]

The Soviets called their three strip ripoff of Cinerama, Kinopanorama