“Dune”: The North American 70mm Engagements | Read more at in70mm.com The 70mm Newsletter |
| Compiled by: Michael Coate | Date: 26.02.2020 Updated: 01.03.2024 |
 The following is a reference / historical listing of the 70-millimeter engagements of “Dune” in the United States and Canada. These were the cinemas worth seeking out to experience this motion picture.“Dune” was among sixteen confirmed first-run films released in 1984 with 70mm prints for selected engagements. Approximately seventy-five 70mm prints were struck for distribution in North America and represented about ten percent of the film’s total initial print run. The Universal release — directed by David Lynch (“Eraserhead,” “Blue Velvet”) and starring Kyle MacLachlan, Virginia Madsen and Sting — opened December 14th. Pre-release screenings included the film’s world premiere December 3rd at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC (35mm “showprint” with interlocked mag audio), and an invitational preview December 13th at the Chinese in Los Angeles. For the release of “Dune,” Universal 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 “Dune” featured magnetic Six-Track Dolby Stereo (“A” encoded Baby Boom format [Dolby processor setting “42”]) and 2.20:1 imagery 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. Universal circulated a 70mm coming-attraction trailer for “The River” during the release of “Dune.” Other studios circulated 70mm trailers during this period, as well. Ultimately, any 70mm trailers screened during 70mm presentations of “Dune” varied by venue and screening. The duration of the engagements (measured in weeks) is included in parenthesis following the applicable cinema name. ALASKA Anchorage — LT’s Polar Triplex (6) ALBERTA Calgary — Famous Players’ Palace (7) Edmonton — Famous Players’ Paramount (7) ARIZONA Phoenix — UA’s Chris-Town Mall 6 (5) BRITISH COLUMBIA Vancouver — Famous Players’ Stanley (10) CALIFORNIA Los Angeles — Mann’s Chinese Triplex (5) [THX] Los Angeles — Pacific’s Picwood (8) Newport Beach — Edwards’ Newport Twin (5) Oakland — Renaissance Rialto’s Grand Lake Twin (7) Orange — Syufy’s City Center Twin (5) Sacramento — Syufy’s Century 6 (12) Sacramento — Syufy’s Cinedome 5 (7) San Francisco — Blumenfeld’s Regency I (8) San Jose — Syufy’s Century 22 Triplex (9) San Rafael — Marin’s Regency 6 (5) COLORADO Aurora — Commonwealth’s Cooper 5 (1+) Colorado Springs — Mann’s Cinema 150 (5) Littleton — Commonwealth’s Cooper 7 (1+) [HPS-4000] CONNECTICUT East Hartford — Redstone’s Showcase 9 (6) DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Washington — Circle’s Uptown (5) GEORGIA Atlanta — Lefont’s Tara Twin (6) Tucker — AMC’s Northlake Festival 8 (6) | More in 70mm reading: “Dune: Part Two”: The North American 70mm Engagements 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 |
 HAWAIIHonolulu — Consolidated’s Kapiolani (6) ILLINOIS Calumet City — Plitt’s River Oaks 8 (4) Chicago — GCC’s Ford City 5 (5) Norridge — M&R’s Norridge 5 (5) Schaumburg — Plitt’s Woodfield 4 (4) INDIANA Indianapolis — Y&W’s Eastwood (6) KANSAS Overland Park — Dickinson’s Glenwood 4 (8) KENTUCKY Erlanger — Redstone’s Showcase 8 (7) Louisville — Redstone’s Showcase 9 (6) LOUISIANA Baton Rouge — Gulf States’ Bon Marche Mall 11 (6) Metairie — Cobb’s Lakeside 4 (5) MANITOBA Winnipeg — Famous Players’ Metropolitan (9) MASSACHUSETTS Boston — Sack’s Cheri Triplex (5) MINNESOTA St. Louis Park — Plitt’s Knollwood 4 (8) MISSOURI Sunset Hills — Wehrenberg’s Mark Twain (6) NEVADA Las Vegas — Syufy’s Parkway Triplex (19) Reno — Syufy’s Century 6 (6) [70mm promoted only during Week 5] NEW JERSEY Secaucus — Loews’ Meadow 6 (4) Wayne — Loews’ Wayne 6 (4) NEW YORK Albany — UA’s Hellman Twin (7) Henrietta — Loews’ Towne Triplex (8) Hicksville — Town & Country’s Mid-Plaza 6 (4) Nanuet — UA’s Route 59 (4) New York — Cinema 5’s Murray Hill (7) New York — Loews’ 83rd Street 4 (4) New York — Moss’ Movieland (6) New York — UA’s Gemini Twin (5) Valley Stream — Redstone’s Sunrise 11 (4) NORTH CAROLINA Raleigh — Litchfield’s Mission Valley 5 (7) OHIO Cincinnati — Redstone’s Showcase Eastgate 7 (7) Springdale — Redstone’s Showcase 8 (6) ONTARIO Ottawa — Famous Players’ Nelson (7) Toronto — Famous Players’ Hollywood Twin (#1: 6) Toronto — Famous Players’ Hollywood Twin (#2: opening weekend only) Toronto — Famous Players’ Imperial 6 (6) Toronto — Famous Players’ Palace Triplex (6) OREGON Portland — LT’s Eastgate Triplex (9) PENNSYLVANIA Philadelphia — Sameric’s Mark I (6) QUEBEC Montreal — United’s Palace 6 (10) SOUTH CAROLINA North Charleston — Litchfield’s Aviation Avenue 6 (9) TEXAS Austin — Presidio’s Southpark Triplex (9) [THX] Bryan — Schulman’s Manor East Triplex (7) Dallas — GCC’s Northpark West Twin (5) El Paso — GCC’s Cielo Vista Mall 10 (8) Fort Worth — GCC’s Opera House (7) Houston — GCC’s Galleria 4 (9) San Antonio — Santikos’ Northwest 10 (9) Spring — Loews’ Spring 10 (6) UTAH Salt Lake City — Plitt’s Trolley Corners Triplex (6) South Ogden — Plitt’s Wilshire Triplex (7) South Salt Lake — Syufy’s Century 5 (7) VIRGINIA Richmond — Litchfield’s Midlothian 6 (7) WASHINGTON Seattle — LT’s Coliseum (1+) Note that some of the presentations included in this listing may have been presented in 35mm during the latter week(s) of engagement because the booking was moved to a non-70mm-equipped auditorium within a multiplex or due to print damage and the distributor’s unwillingness to supply a 70mm replacement print. As well, the reverse may have been true in some cases 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 & SCREENINGS 1985-01-18 … Irvine, CA — Edwards’ University 6 (3) [w/ “Starman”] 1985-01-18 … Los Angeles, CA — Mann’s Fox (3) 1985-01-18 … San Rafael, CA — Marin’s Fairfax (2) 1985-01-18 … Washington, DC — Circle’s MacArthur Triplex (1) 1985-01-25 … Carmel, IN — Heaston’s Woodland Twin (1) 1985-01-25 … Laval, QC — United’s Laval 5 (1) 1985-01-25 … Sainte-Foy, QC — United’s Canadien (7) 1985-01-25 … Toronto, ON — Famous Players’ Cumberland 4 (1) 1985-02-01 … Ogden, UT — Consolidated’s Newgate Starships Triplex (1) 1985-02-15 … Ogden, UT — Consolidated’s Newgate Starships Triplex (2) 1985-02-15 … San Jose, CA — Syufy’s Century 24 Twin (5) 1985-03-13 … Hartford, CT — Trinity College’s Cinestudio (4 days) 1985-03-15 … Greenville, SC — Litchfield’s Bijou 8 [canceled] 1985-03-15 … Tacoma, WA — Star Cinemas’ Temple (3) 1985-05-27 … Seattle, WA — Cinerama [SIFF 70mm marathon] 1985-07-24 … Norfolk, VA — Naro [w/ “2010”] 1986-01-17 … Cleveland, OH — CWRU’s Strosacker [CWRU Sci-Fi marathon] 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, Mark Brack, Bill Kallay, Bill Kretzel and Grant Smith. 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. | |
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