HOME    |    THE STUDIO GATE    |    THE BACKLOT    |    THE SCREENING ROOM   

THE SCREENING ROOM

A year-by-year, film-by-film history of 70-millimeter wide gauge exhibition in Southern California

 Compiled by Michael Coate and William Kallay

1980

February 29:
The Ninth Configuration
Anamorphic Blow-Up / Six-Track Stereo
Warner Bros.

Hollywood: [Mann] Chinese

Released initially in 35mm on Feb. 8

Additional 70mm Engagement:
Hollywood: [Mann] Fox (Mar. 14)

Additional 70mm Screening:
Hollywood: [American Cinematheque] Egyptian (December 2, 2000--Shown as "Twinkle, Twinkle, Killer Kane")

[Movie re-edited & re-issued as "Twinkle, Twinkle, 'Killer' Kane" (with 70mm prints in selected markets, Los Angeles not being one of them)]




April 11:
Sleeping Beauty / The Black Hole (Double Feature Re-Issue)
"Two Worlds Of Disney Fantasy — A 70mm Stereo Sensation!"

Hollywood: [Pacific] Cinerama Dome

Additional 70mm Engagements:
West Los Angeles: [Pacific] Picwood* (Aug. 1)
Century City: [Plitt] Century Plaza (Mar. 27, 1981)
Costa Mesa: [Mann] South Coast Plaza (Mar. 27, 1981)
Hollywood: [Mann] Chinese (Mar. 27, 1981)

*Includes Invitational Preview Screening on July 31

Also see 1979 entry for "The Black Hole" and 1959, 1979, 1981 & 1997 "Sleeping Beauty" entries




April 25:
2001: A Space Odyssey (Re-Issue)
Super Panavision 70 / Six-Track Stereo
MGM (United Artists)
"The Unsurpassed Space Adventure Of All Time"

Westwood Village: [GCC] Avco Center

Additional 70mm Engagements:
Century City: [Plitt] Century Plaza (Oct. 29, 1982)
Century City: [Plitt] Century Plaza (Sep. 9, 1983)
Hollywood: [Pacific] Cinerama Dome* (Mar. 19, 1993)
Hollywood: [Pacific] Cinerama Dome (Nov. 10, 1995)

*One-week 25th Anniversary engagement

Also see 1968, 1974, 1977 & 2001 entries, and 1971 "MGM Fabulous Three" entry, plus Special Screenings and Film Festivals (1990, 1992, 1996, 1997, 2005, 2007, 2008, and 2012) entries




May 16:
Fame
Spherical Blow-Up / Six-Track Dolby Stereo
MGM (United Artists)

Hollywood: [Pacific] Cinerama Dome

Includes West Coast Premiere on May 15

Additional 70mm Engagements:
Hollywood: [Pacific] Hollywood Pacific (June 20)
West Los Angeles: [Pacific] Picwood (Aug. 15 - Oct. 2)
Westwood Village: [GCC] Avco Center (Jan. 16, 1981)
West Los Angeles: [Pacific] Picwood (Apr. 3, 1981)
Bakersfield: [UA] Movies 6 (May 29, 1981)




May 21:
The Empire Strikes Back
Anamorphic Blow-Up / Six-Track Dolby Stereo
Lucasfilm Ltd./20th Century Fox
"The Star Wars Saga Continues"

Hollywood: [UA] Egyptian
Newport Beach: [Edwards] Newport
Orange: [Syufy] Cinedome 20
Orange: [Syufy] Cinedome 23
Westwood Village: [GCC] Avco Center*

*Includes Benefit Premiere on May 20

Expanded Release on June 27:
La Mirada: [Pacific] La Mirada
Lakewood: [Pacific] Lakewood Center
Montclair: [UA] Movies**
Woodland Hills: [UA] Warner Center**

**Six-Track Stereo

[70mm Trailer: "Heaven's Gate"]

Additional 70mm Engagements:
West Los Angeles: [Pacific] Picwood (Dec. 17)
West Covina: [Sanborn] Westcove (Dec. 19)

Also see 1981 & 1982 re-issue entries, and 1985 “Return Of The Jedi” re-issue entry




June 13:
The Island
Anamorphic Blow-Up / Six-Track Dolby Stereo
Universal

Hollywood: [Mann] Vogue




June 20:
The Blue Lagoon
Spherical Blow-Up / Six-Track Stereo
Columbia
"A Story Of Natural Love"

Hollywood: [Pacific] Cinerama Dome

Includes World Premiere on June 19




June 20:
Can’t Stop The Music
Anamorphic Blow-Up / Six-Track Dolby Stereo
Associated Film (AFD)
"The Movie Musical Event Of The 80's!"

Hollywood: [SRO] Paramount

Includes Preview Premiere (in 70mm?) and Block Party on June 15 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion




August 1:
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
("The Special Edition" Re-Issue)
Anamorphic Blow-Up / Six-Track Dolby Stereo
Columbia

Hollywood: [Mann] Fox

Additional 70mm Engagements:
Hollywood: [Pacific] Cinerama Dome* (Mar. 6, 1981)
Hollywood: [SRO] Paramount (May 15, 1981)
West Los Angeles: [Pacific] Picwood** (July 3, 1981)

*"Now You Can See 'The Special Edition Close Encounters Of The Third Kind' As The Original Was Presented At The Dome In 70mm-Dolby Stereophonic Sound"

**Double Feature with "Alien"

Also see 1977 entry




August 1:
Raise The Titanic
Anamorphic Blow-Up / Six-Track Dolby Stereo
Associated Film (AFD)

Hollywood: [Pacific] Cinerama Dome
Orange: [Plitt] City Center

[70mm Trailer: "The Jazz Singer"]

Additional 70mm Engagements:
La Mirada: [Pacific] La Mirada (Nov. 7)
Montclair: [SRO] Montclair (Nov. 7)
Pasadena: [SRO] Hastings (Nov. 7)




September 26:
Divine Madness
Anamorphic Blow-Up / Six-Track Dolby Stereo
Ladd (Warner Bros.)

Century City: [Plitt] Century Plaza
Hollywood: [Mann] Chinese
Orange: [Syufy] Cinedome 23

Additional 70mm Engagements:
Pasadena: [SRO] Hastings (Oct. 24)
Pasadena: [UA] United Artists (Nov. 7)
West Los Angeles: [Pacific] Picwood (Nov. 21)
Eagle Rock: [?] Eagle (Nov. 28)




November 21:
Heaven’s Gate
Anamorphic Blow-Up / Six-Track Dolby Stereo
Reserved Performance Engagement
United Artists

Century City: [Plitt] Century Plaza

[West Coast Premiere and Engagement Cancelled]

Also see 1981 entry, plus Special Screenings and Film Festivals (1996) entry




December 19:
The Jazz Singer
Spherical Blow-Up / Six-Track Dolby Stereo
Associated Film (AFD)

Hollywood: [Pacific] Cinerama Dome

Includes (World?) Premiere on Dec. 17 (Century Plaza)

Expanded Release on Feb. 13, 1981:
Hollywood: [SRO] Paramount*
Orange: [Syufy] Cinedome
Sherman Oaks: [Pacific] Galleria
West Los Angeles: [Pacific] Picwood

*Move-over from Cinerama Dome

Additional 70mm Engagements:
Bakersfield: [UA] Movies 6 (June 5, 1981)
West Los Angeles: [Pacific] Picwood** (Dec. 30, 1981)

**Double Feature with "Zoot Suit"




December 25:
Altered States
Spherical Blow-Up / Six-Track Dolby Stereo + Megasound
Warner Bros.
"Presented In Megasound: A Revolutionary New Concept In The Sensation Of Sound"

Westwood Village: [Mann] Village

Includes 70mm Sneak Preview screening on Dec. 12

Expanded Release on Dec. 31:
Hollywood: [Mann] Chinese

Expanded Release on Jan. 16, 1981:
Newport Beach: [Edwards] Newport
Orange: [Syufy] Cinedome

[70mm Trailers: "Excalibur," "Outland"]

Also see 1982 re-issue entry, plus Special Screenings and Film Festivals (1990 and 1998) entries

More 70mm

70mm In New York

70mm In Orange County

Return to 70mm In Los Angeles Index

Live Search
Best viewed on Google Chrome, Safari and Internet Explorer