The Alleged 70mm Releases | Read more at in70mm.com The 70mm Newsletter |
| Compiled by: Michael Coate and William Kallay | Date: 04.12.2022 |
 Agent 007 in space IN 7OMM? Never! Here is the 24 sheet of "Moonraker" at the former Cinerama cinema in Copenhagen, 1979. Image: Thomas HauerslevWhat follows is a compilation of motion picture titles that are said to have been released with 70-millimeter prints but for which no evidence has been found to confirm such releases ever occurred. The objective with this article is to account for these titles so that they can be categorically separated from the confirmed and well-documented 70mm releases. • Go to 70mm Blow Ups Which Never Were (in progress) • Go to The 70mm Trailer Anomaly • Go to in70mm.com's list of films blown up to 70mm • Go to Grant's Blow-Up Blog  • Go to Grant's Blow-Up-Tagebuch• Go to 70mm in London 1958-2023 • Go to 70mm Premieres in Los Angeles Seventy-millimeter prints of these titles were not promoted in their original theatrical releases and never turn up in studio asset inventories, film archives, retrospective festivals, private collections, etc., suggesting (to these historians, at least) such prints were never made. So what explains titles being listed as a 70mm release in the first place when evidence seems to suggest they were never given a 70mm release? The most plausible scenario for many of the subject titles is that a six-track audio mix was prepared with the intention of 70mm prints being made and plans for a 70mm release were announced in trade reports, and then the distributor revised their release strategy and issued the film only in 35mm. Some of these questionable titles are likely the result of faulty memory or sloppy research when historical works were written. Some historians may have experienced great-sounding 35mm 4-track mag stereo presentations and misremembered them as 70mm 6-track. Or…films with similar titles were confused with one another. For instance, was “Roller Boogie” confused with “Rollerball”? “Was “Chariots of Fire” confused with “Quest for Fire”? Was “The Last Dragon” confused with “Year of the Dragon”? Were the same-year releases “Iron Eagle” and “Legal Eagles” confused with one another and in turn confused with “Top Gun”? Another scenario: Some reporters and historians may have viewed a 70mm coming-attraction trailer and mistakenly assumed the creation of such meant said film was to be released with 70mm prints. (In the 1980s and early 1990s, in particular, every major studio circulated 70mm trailers for their forthcoming films.) Complicating matters (and which might be the explanation for some of the questionable titles) is the fact that some films were dubbed into a foreign language and released by a different distributor in 70mm in international market(s) whereas the films in question were issued only in 35mm in their country of origin. Or…a 70mm “one-off” print was exhibited during pre-release screenings or film festivals or a special event and then never placed into the release inventory. A point of contention in all of this is whether or not certain films were exhibited in 70mm without being promoted as such. A controversial and difficult-to-prove scenario, no doubt, but given the cost and prestige of 70mm prints, the idea of foregoing 70mm promotion seems dubious and while it may have happened in isolated, outlier cases, such likely would not have happened as a general practice. Another reason to compile this information is one cannot prove a negative, and so one ought to consider there is always the (small) chance by way of an extraordinary circumstance or oversight in research that some of these did get issued in 70mm and confirmation of such has simply eluded historians and interested parties. And, finally, it should be emphasized that even if 70mm prints were never struck, a six-track audio master may have been created for some of these and might still exist in an archive or among studio assets. | More in 70mm reading: 70mm Blow Ups Which Never Were (in progress) The 70mm Trailer Anomaly in70mm.com's list of films blown up to 70mm Grant's Blow-Up Blog Grant's Blow-Up-Tagebuch70mm in London 1958-2023 70mm Premieres in Los Angeles 70mm Cinemas in North America 70mm, Cinerama and Cinemiracle shown in Denmark 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 |
PART 1: THE UN-RELEASED “SIX-TRACK DOLBY” TITLES | |
 Prestigious Royal World Charity Premiere of Agent 007 in space IN 7OMM? Never! TimeOut full page advert promoting the event in London, UK in lovely 35mm optical Dolby Stereo.Presented here is a compilation of motion picture titles that appeared with a “70mm” designation in Dolby Laboratories’ master listings of Dolby Stereo releases. The implication is these were released to selected cinemas in 70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo. The evidence, however, points to these films getting issued only in 35mm with an optical 4-channel Dolby soundtrack. • Go to Presented in 70mm Dolby Stereo • Go to PDF Heard any good movies lately (April 1992) 1979 Moonraker 1980 Flash Gordon Roadie Rough Cut 1982 Das Boot / The Boat Inchon Megaforce Night Crossing The Pirate Movie 1983 The Pirates of Penzance 1984 The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai The Bounty Country Give My Regards to Broad Street Metropolis (re-issue) 1985 Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend The Last Dragon Starchaser: The Legend of Orin 1986 Down and Out in Beverly Hills The Name of the Rose 1987 The Sicilian 1988 The Adventures of Baron Munchausen Kansas 1990 Narrow Margin 1991 Final Approach | |
PART 2: OTHER ALLEGED AND QUESTIONABLE 70MM RELEASES | |
| 1960 The Unforgiven [“Four Aspects of the Film”] 1962 Gypsy [“Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner”] The Music Man [trade reports, “Widescreen Cinema” and “Wide Screen Movies”] 1963 The Pink Panther [“Wide Screen Movies”] 1964 The Carpetbaggers [American Cinematographer and “Wide Screen Movies”] 1965 The Flight of the Phoenix [Large Format Examiner] 1966 The Blue Max [Widescreen Review “Roadshow Movies” article] Hawaii [“Wide Screen Movies”] 1967 More Than a Miracle [American Cinematographer] Thoroughly Modern Millie [Widescreen Review “Roadshow Movies” article] Ulysses [trade reports] 1968 The Charge of the Light Brigade [Widescreen Review “Roadshow Movies” article] 1969 They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? [“The Moviegoing Experience, 1968-2001”] 1970 The Adventurers [“Wide Screen Movies”] Woodstock [Kodak’s In Camera article, “Back to the Land”] 1971 Bedknobs and Broomsticks [“Motor City Marquees”] The Emigrants [trade reports] Windjammer (re-issue) [“Motor City Marquees”] 1972 Jeremiah Johnson [“The Moviegoing Experience, 1968-2001”] The New Land [trade reports] 1973 Electra Glide in Blue [“Wide Screen Movies”] The Neptune Factor [“Wide Screen Movies”] 1975 Barry Lyndon [Pacific Theatres/Cinerama Dome lobby display] The Hindenburg [“Wide Screen Movies”] 1976 Grizzly [“Wide Screen Movies”] King Kong [“Wide Screen Movies”] 1977 Billy Jack Goes to Washington [“Wide Screen Movies”] Fantasia (re-issue) [regional newspaper coverage] Mohammad: Messenger of God [“Wide Screen Movies”] 1978 Coming Home [Widescreen Review “Presented in 70mm” article] The Punk Rock Movie [“Wide Screen Movies”] 1979 The Black Stallion [“Wide Screen Movies”] Roller Boogie [Widescreen Review “Presented in 70mm” article] 1980 The Watcher in the Woods [Disney News] 1981 Chariots of Fire [“Wide Screen Movies”] Lion of the Desert [Pacific Theatres/Cinerama Dome lobby display] 1982 The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas [“The Moviegoing Experience, 1968-2001”] Brimstone & Treacle [trade reports] 1983 Jaws 3-D [trade reports] The Keep [trade reports and “Wide Screen Movies”] Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone [trade reports] Twilight Zone: The Movie [trade reports] Yentl [Pacific Theatres/Cinerama Dome lobby display] 1984 The Killing Fields [“Wide Screen Movies”] The Never Ending Story [advertised opening weekend only, “Widescreen Movies”] Once Upon a Time in America [trade reports] Romancing the Stone [newspaper ads in advance of release] Sheena [trade reports] Tightrope [trade reports] 1985 Enemy Mine [“Wide Screen Movies”] King David [advertised in Chicago during 2nd week only and “Wide Screen Movies”] Pale Rider [“Wide Screen Movies”] Ran [“The Emperor and the Wolf” and “The Moviegoing Experience, 1968-2001”] A View to a Kill [“Wide Screen Movies”] 1986 The Fly [“Wide Screen Movies”] Iron Eagle [“Wide Screen Movies”] Labyrinth [“Wide Screen Movies”] Legal Eagles [“Wide Screen Movies”] Poltergeist II: The Other Side [“Wide Screen Movies”] 1987 Beverly Hills Cop II [TAP trade ad] Dead of Winter [newspaper advertisement in advance of release] 1988 Akira [Criterion LaserDisc liner notes] 1990 Bird on a Wire [LaserDisc liner notes/letterbox disclaimer] Fire Birds [San Diego run promoted first week of release] Hamlet [newspaper advertisement in advance of release] 1991 Flight of the Intruder [“The Moviegoing Experience, 1968-2001”] The Hard Way [LaserDisc liner notes/letterbox disclaimer] 1992 Aladdin [Pacific Theatres/Cinerama Dome lobby display] Batman Returns [Seattle Times article, “Cinedome is Left Holding Bat-bag”] The Bodyguard [newspaper advertisement in advance of release] 1993 Map of the Human Heart [65mm origination credit on some promotional material] 1994 Wolf [“US 70mm Capable Theatre Listing”] 1999 The Girl on the Bridge [65mm origination credit on some promotional material] | in70mm.com's list of films blown up to 70mm 35mm to 70mm Engagements by Year 70mm Blow Ups Which Never Were |
PART 3: Seventy-Millimeter That Bypassed The United States: | |
 Do you know 70mm presentations were more popular internationally? What follows is a listing of the known motion pictures released with 70mm prints in various regions of the world but exhibited only in 35mm in the United States. 1960 Carthage in Flames The Savage Innocents The Trials of Oscar Wilde 1961 The Flaming Years Hercules and the Captive Women The World by Night No. 2 1962 The Great Wall Taras Bulba 1963 Buddha Bye Bye Birdie The Leopard The Pink Panther Schéhérazade 1964 The Black Tulip The Carpetbaggers First Men in the Moon Fistful of Dollars The Long Ships Zulu* 1965 Genghis Khan The Golden Head* / Milly Goes to Budapest Marriage on the Rocks Operation Crossbow The Sleeping Beauty (Kirov Ballet)* Uncle Tom’s Cabin 1966 Around the World Under the Sea The Heroes of Telemark The Lost Command Othello Savage Pampas The Professionals Whom the Gods Wish to Destroy 1967 Casino Royale Cervantes / The Young Rebel Clint, the Lonely Nevadan The Comedians Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner In Cold Blood More Than a Miracle Play Time* The Taming of the Shrew The Young Girls of Rochefort 1968 Anzio / The Battle for Anzio The Bolshoi Ballet: Secret of Success Duel in the Sun (re-issue) Guns for San Sebastian Half a Sixpence Hell in the Pacific Hellfighters The Lion in Winter The Longest Day (re-issue) Mayerling Once Upon a Time in the West Planet of the Apes Quo Vadis (re-issue) The Robe (re-issue) Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (re-issue)* Shalako Valley of the Dolls 1969 Alfred the Great Battle of Britain Castle Keep The Greatest Show on Earth (re-issue) The Jolson Story (re-issue)* Julius Caesar (re-issue) Oh! What a Lovely War The Olympics in Mexico The Royal Hunt of the Sun The Southern Star The Story of Simon Bolivar Those Daring Young Men in Their Jaunty Jalopies / Monte Carlo or Bust! The Wild Bunch* Winning 1970 Cromwell Emiliano Zapata The Hawaiians Kelly’s Heroes* Little Big Man A Man Called Horse On a Clear Day You Can See Forever Tchaikovsky Two Mules for Sister Sara The Virgin and the Gypsy 1971 The Andromeda Strain Battle of Neretva The Boy Friend The Devils Elvis: That’s the Way It Is The Emigrants The Great Battle Hannie Caulder The Horsemen Le Mans The Light at the Edge of the World Murphy’s War The Music Lovers Never Give a Inch / Sometimes a Great Notion Nicholas and Alexandra Raid on Rommel Wild Rovers 1972 Antony and Cleopatra Blind Terror / See No Evil The Godfather The Great Caruso (re-issue) Jeremiah Johnson The New Land The Revengers Silent Running Solaris Young Winston 1973 The Bridge on the River Kwai (re-issue)* Hatari (re-issue) Jesus Christ Superstar* Let the Good Times Roll Lost Horizon The Neptune Factor The Three Musketeers 1974 Airport ’75 Earthquake* The Great Gatsby Mame Papillon Zardoz 1975 Funny Lady The Hindenburg Three Days of the Condor Tommy* 1976 The Food of the Gods 1977 Airport ’77 A Bridge Too Far Rollercoaster 1978 The Wiz 1979 The Champ The Concorde: Airport ‘79 The Electric Horseman Hair* Moonraker Tess The Tin Drum 1980 The Blues Brothers Flash Gordon Saturn 3 Xanadu 1981 Dance Craze** Das Boot / The Boat 1983 Carmen 1984 Fort Saganne Romancing the Stone Supergirl 1985 Legend Ran 1986 Highlander* The Name of the Rose Pirates Platoon 1987 The Living Daylights RoboCop 1988 The Adventures of Baron Munchausen Akira Cobra Verde 1989 Slipstream Young Einstein 1990 Dances with Wolves RoboCop 2 1995 Judge Dredd 1996 Independence Day* 1997 The Lost World: Jurassic Park Star Wars: Special Edition Tomorrow Never Dies* 1998 Armageddon Godzilla* 2000 Dinosaur 2001 Pearl Harbor 2008 Faubourg 36 *USA 70mm screenings only during second run, re-issue, revival, etc. **USA 70mm pre-release only (press screening, invitational previews, etc.) Note that dozens and possibly even hundreds more 70mm releases, particularly those exhibited in Spain and Russia and other under-researched regions of the world, have not been accounted for as more research is needed to comprehensively account for each and every 70mm release. | |
| Special thanks to Herbert Born, Miguel Carrara, Alain Dorange, Peter Fraser, Wolfram Hannemann, Thomas Hauerslev, and Doug Louden. If you have any comments, questions or corrections to this article, please consider emailing the authors Mike Coate and Bill Kallay or editor. | |
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