2013 Academy Member Johan Wolthuis (The Netherlands) | Read more at in70mm.com The 70mm Newsletter |
| Written by: Bill Lawrence, Halifax, UK | 28. April 2013 |
 Johan Wolthuis, Acedemy member 2013. Picture by Bill Lawrence.Some months before I was born, a young man went to see a film based on an operetta by Franz Lehar starring Martha Eggerth and Jan Kiepura,. It was a life changing experience and triggered a life-long love of film and especially musicals. Later that year, while faced with the more high profile stars, Rod Taylor, Ava Gardner and Howard Keel, their celebrity was as nothing compared to the shape of the screen. It was 1954 and CinemaScope was the driving force to save cinemas from television. | Further in 70mm reading: Academy of the Widescreen Weekend Johan Wolthuis Interview Widescreen Weekend 2013 Widescreen Weekend home Internet link: International 70mm Publishers Katwoudehof 36 6843 BX Arnhem The Netherlands E-mail: johanwolthuis@yahoo.co.uk |
 July 1988 issue of Image Technology with the first announcement of The 70mm AssociationThe following year, it was VistaVision that captivated this young mind. The 1950s was one new widescreen format after another until in 1957 he was faced with the excitement of "The Miracle of Todd-AO" and the musical brilliance of "Oklahoma" Soon to be followed by "Around the World in 80 Days". From that time on he was convinced that 70mm Todd-AO with 6 channel sound was the ultimate film presentation format for the cinema. An obsession was born. After years for gathering material and watching his favourite formats, he reached the conclusion came across a BKSTS Film Formats poster and at the same time heard of the International Cinerama Society and in 1988 he set up the International 70mm Association. That also started a still ongoing campaign with the major studios to work in 70mm and provide information on their films. | |
 Johan Wolthuis is inducted into the Academy of the Widescreen Weekend. Picture by Anders M OlssonWith a lot of correspondence from members and increasing amounts of material he launched The 70mm Newsletter, a magazine he published through to 1994. This became the bible for me in the early years of the developing the Widescreen Weekend, packed with information and rumours about 70mm prints. Without it, I doubt we would have got started. In 1994 he organized The 70mm Promotion Tour to Los Angeles in an effort to raise the interest in 70mm film. And it wasn’t the only time. He followed it with publications 70mm Promotion; Film Presentation for the 21st Century and Digital & 65mm. Today he is still promoting 70mm and celebrating movies in 70mm and Cinerama and 60 years on from the birth of his great passion and in recognition of his tireless work we are delighted to welcome to the Widescreen Academy Johan Wolthuis. | |
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