“Almost like a real web site”
 

IN7OMM.COM
Search | Contact
News | e-News |
Rumour Mill | Stories
Foreign Language
in70mm.com auf Deutsch

WHAT'S ON IN 7OMM?

7OMM FESTIVAL
Todd-AO Festival
KRRR! 7OMM Seminar
GIFF 70, Gentofte
Oslo 7OMM Festival
Widescreen Weekend

TODD-AO
Premiere | Films
People | Equipment
Library | Cinemas
Todd-AO Projector
Distortion Correcting

PANAVISION
Ultra Panavision 70
Super Panavision 70
 

VISION, SCOPE & RAMA
1926 Natural Vision
1929 Grandeur
1930 Magnifilm
1930 Realife
1930 Vitascope
1952 Cinerama
1953 CinemaScope
1955 Todd-AO
1955 Circle Vision 360
1956 CinemaScope 55
1957 Ultra Panavision 70
1958 Cinemiracle
1958 Kinopanorama
1959 Super Panavision 70
1959 Super Technirama 70
1960 Smell-O-Vision
1961 Sovscope 70
1962
Cinerama 360
1962 MCS-70
1963 70mm Blow Up
1963 Circarama
1963 Circlorama
1966 Dimension 150
1966
Stereo-70
1967 DEFA 70
1967 Pik-A-Movie
1970 IMAX / Omnimax
1974 Cinema 180
1974 SENSURROUND
1976 Dolby Stereo
1984 Showscan
1984 Swissorama
1986 iWERKS
1989 ARRI 765
1990 CDS
1994 DTS / Datasat
2001 Super Dimension 70
2018 Magellan 65

Various Large format | 70mm to 3-strip | 3-strip to 70mm | Specialty Large Format | Special Effects in 65mm | ARC-120 | Super Dimension 70Early Large Format
7OMM Premiere in Chronological Order

7OMM FILM & CINEMA

Australia | Brazil
Canada | Denmark
England | France
Germany | Iran
Mexico | Norway
Sweden | Turkey
USA

LIBRARY
7OMM Projectors
People | Eulogy
65mm/70mm Workshop
The 7OMM Newsletter
Back issue | PDF
Academy of the WSW

7OMM NEWS
• 2026 | 2025 | 2024
2023 | 2022 | 2021
2020 | 2019 | 2018
2017 | 2016 | 2015
2014 | 2013 | 2012
2011 | 2010 | 2009
2008 | 2007 | 2006
2005 | 2004 | 2003
2002 | 2001 | 2000
1999 | 1998 | 1997
1996 | 1995 | 1994
 

in70mm.com Mission:
• To record the history of the large format movies and the 70mm cinemas as remembered by the people who worked with the films. Both during making and during running the films in projection rooms and as the audience, looking at the curved screen.
in70mm.com, a unique internet based magazine, with articles about 70mm cinemas, 70mm people, 70mm films, 70mm sound, 70mm film credits, 70mm history and 70mm technology. Readers and fans of 70mm are always welcome to contribute.

Disclaimer | Updates
Support us
Testimonials
Table of Content
 

 
 
Extracts and longer parts of in70mm.com may be reprinted with the written permission from the editor.
Copyright © 1800 - 2070. All rights reserved.

Visit biografmuseet.dk about Danish cinemas

 

“Man of La Mancha”: The North American Roadshow and 70mm Engagements
“The impossible dream comes true”

Read more at
in70mm.com
The 70mm Newsletter
Compiled by: Michael Coate Date: 20.04.2023
The following is a reference / historical listing of the roadshow presentations of “Man of La Mancha” in the United States and Canada. These were the first and best cinemas in which to experience this motion picture.

The presentations cited in the Part 1 section of this work were “hard ticket” roadshow engagements and were special, long-running, showcase presentations in major cities prior to the film being exhibited as a general release. Much like a stage production, these presentations featured advanced admission pricing, reserved seating (typically sold in advance), and an average of ten scheduled screenings per week (one per evening, plus a matinee on weekends, Wednesdays and holidays, though this policy varied by locale and/or was modified during the latter phase of engagement). Souvenir roadshow programs were sold as well, and the presentation included an overture. (Many roadshows included an intermission, entr’acte and exit music or combination of, as well, though “La Mancha,” as with some notable exceptions, lacked such components.)

Roadshow presentations, compared to general release and the average moviegoing experience of the era, typically were booked into larger cinemas and offered a superior projection and sound experience in addition to the other roadshow amenities. The print types utilized during the film’s roadshow release were, depending on the booking, (1) 70-millimeter (2.20:1 blow-up from spherical 35mm) with discrete magnetic six-channel stereophonic sound, (2) 35-millimeter with discrete magnetic four-channel stereophonic sound and optical monaural sound, (3) 35-millimeter with optical monaural sound. United Artists, the distributor of “Man of La Mancha,” elected not to promote the film’s presentation tech details, though it is believed the majority of the film’s reserved-seat presentations featured stereophonic sound: 4-track for 35mm prints and 6-track for the coveted 70mm prints.

The United Artists release was directed by Arthur Hiller (“Love Story,” “Silver Streak”) and starred Peter O’Toole, Sofia Loren and James Coco and was based upon the novel “Don Quixote” and the Broadway musical. The world premiere was held December 11th, 1972 at the Rivoli in New York City.

Out of the hundreds of films released in North America during 1972, “Man of La Mancha” was among only three given deluxe roadshow treatment and among only six issued with 70mm prints.

PART 1: THE ROADSHOW ENGAGEMENTS
(reserved seat policy / 70mm* presentation)

*Note that these bookings did not explicitly or consistently promote 70mm, suggesting they may have been screened in 35mm.

Premiere/opening date YYYY-MM-DD … locale — cinema (duration in weeks) [notes]

1972-12-11 … New York — Rivoli (15)
1972-12-12 … Long Island (Woodbury) — Cinema 150 (15)
1972-12-12 … Newark (Paramus) — Paramus 2 (18)
1972-12-13 … Cincinnati — Valley (12)
1972-12-13 … Detroit (Southfield) — Northland (18)
1972-12-13 … Los Angeles (Beverly Hills) — Fox Wilshire (17)
1972-12-13 … Montreal — Place du Canada (12)
1972-12-13 … Toronto — University (12)
1972-12-13 … Vancouver — Park (12)
1972-12-13 … Washington — Uptown (18)
1972-12-14 … Boston — Cinema 57 Twin 1 (12)
1972-12-14 … Chicago — McClurg Court (14)
1972-12-14 … Chicago (Northbrook) — Edens 2 (11)
1972-12-14 … Cleveland — Colony (19)
1972-12-14 … Denver — Aladdin (1+)
1972-12-14 … Houston — Tower (13)
1972-12-14 … Milwaukee — Southgate (18)
1972-12-14 … Minneapolis — Academy (10)
1972-12-14 … Orange — Cinedome 20 (15)
1972-12-14 … Philadelphia — SamEric (16)
1972-12-14 … Philadelphia (Pennsauken) — Eric (10)
1972-12-14 … Pittsburgh — Manor (18)
1972-12-14 … St. Louis — Cinerama (13)
1972-12-14 … Salt Lake City (South Salt Lake) — Century 21 (16)
1972-12-14 … San Diego — Loma (16)
1972-12-14 … San Francisco — Golden Gate 1 (16)
1972-12-14 … San Jose — Century 24 (14)
1972-12-14 … Seattle — Uptown (20)
1972-12-20 … Dallas — Cine II (12)
1972-12-20 … Miami — Twin Gables-2 (10)
1972-12-20 … Miami (Deerfield Beach) — Ultravision-2 (10)
1972-12-20 … Miami (North Miami Beach) — Sunny Isles-2 (10)

1973-02-07 … Atlanta — Atlanta (6)
1973-02-07 … Baltimore (Randallstown) — Randallstown Plaza (10)
1973-02-07 … Hartford — Cinerama (9)
1973-02-07 … New Orleans — Cinerama (10)
1973-02-07 … Rochester (Henrietta) — Towne II (14)
1973-02-14 … Kansas City — Midland (9)
1973-02-14 … Phoenix (Scottsdale) — El Camino (9)
1973-02-21 … Sacramento — Century 21 (6)
1973-03-07 … Dayton — Dabel (6)
1973-03-21 … Buffalo (Amherst) — Plaza-North (7)
1973-03-21 … Des Moines — River Hills (4)
1973-03-28 … Albuquerque — Sunshine (6)
1973-03-28 … Honolulu — Cinerama (8)
1973-03-28 … Omaha — Admiral (5)
1973-03-28 … Portland — Hollywood (4)

PART 2: SUBSEQUENT 70MM ENGAGEMENTS
(second run / revival / unreserved seating)

1973-05-09 … Ventura, CA — Fox (1)
1973-10-19 … Anaheim, CA — Cinemaland (3) [w/ “Fiddler on the Roof”]
1973-10-24 … Beverly Hills, CA — Wilshire (1) [w/ “Fiddler on the Roof”]

1975-07-25 … San Francisco, CA — Royal (2) [w/ “The Wind and the Lion”]

1978-10-13 … Chicago, IL — McClurg Court (1)

The reserved-seat policy, in some instances, was relaxed during the latter weeks of the run. Any non-roadshow portion of such an engagement has been included in the duration figure.

This information has been principally referenced from film industry trade publications and regional newspaper promotion, with thanks to Sheldon Hall, Bill Kallay, Bill Kretzel and Paul Linfesty.

The film’s international roadshow/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.
 
More in 70mm reading:

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

 
   
   
   

• Go to
“Man of La Mancha”: The North American Roadshow and 70mm Engagements
 
Go: back - top - back issues - news index
Updated 21-01-24