Raiders of the Lost Ark: The North American 70mm Engagements | Read more at in70mm.com The 70mm Newsletter |
| Compiled by: Michael Coate | Date: 05.02.2024 |
 The following is a reference / historical listing of the 70-millimeter large-format engagements of Raiders of the Lost Ark in the United States and Canada. These were the cinemas worth seeking out to experience this motion picture. Raiders of the Lost Ark was among eight confirmed first-run films released in 1981 with 70mm prints for selected engagements. The Lucasfilm Ltd. production and Paramount release directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Harrison Ford and Karen Allen opened June 12th (except where noted otherwise). Pre-release screenings included a private sneak preview May 9th at the Northpoint in San Francisco (70mm? 35mm? 35mm w/ interlocked audio?) and public sneak preview held June 5th (70mm at Chinese and National in Los Angeles and State in New York), and a series of invitational previews held in the days preceding the films release. The 70mm prints of Raiders featured magnetic Six-Track Dolby Stereo (A encoded Baby Boom format [Dolby processor setting 42]) and 2.20:1 full-frame imagery blown up from anamorphic 35mm and provided a superior projection and sound experience in comparison to the films 35mm prints. Note that some cinemas 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 made a special request for a 70mm print that lacked Dolby Noise Reduction so that it could be played on a cinemas older, pre-Dolby-era sound system. The duration of the engagements (measured in weeks) is included in parenthesis following the applicable cinema name. ALBERTA Calgary Chinook (48) Edmonton Westmount Twin (48) ARKANSAS Little Rock Cinema 150 (23) [70mm from Week 14] BRITISH COLUMBIA Burnaby Lougheed Mall Triplex (48) Vancouver Vancouver Centre Twin (48) CALIFORNIA Corte Madera Cinema (25) Costa Mesa South Coast Plaza Triplex (54) La Mesa Cinema Grossmont (58) La Mirada La Mirada Mall 6 (38) [70mm from Week 17] Los Angeles Chinese Triplex (15) Los Angeles National (16) Montclair Montclair Triplex (27) [70mm from Week 23] Orange Cinedome 6 (56) Sacramento Century 6 (27) [70mm from Week 5] San Francisco Regency I (23) San Jose Century 21 (25) San Jose Century 23 Twin (10) COLORADO Denver Century 21 (25) DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Washington Cinema (25) ILLINOIS Calumet City River Oaks 6 (#1: 27) Calumet City River Oaks 6 (#2: 1) [shared print] Chicago Esquire (13) [opened June 26th] Evergreen Park Evergreen Triplex (20) Lombard Yorktown 4 (16) Niles Golf Mill Triplex (15) Northbrook Edens Twin (15) Schaumburg Woodfield 4 (#1: 27) Schaumburg Woodfield 4 (#2: 1) [shared print] KENTUCKY Louisville Showcase 9 (57) LOUISIANA New Orleans Robert E. Lee (25) [70mm from Week 24] MANITOBA Winnipeg Northstar Twin (48) MASSACHUSETTS Boston Cinema 57 Twin (27) MICHIGAN Southfield Northland Twin (27) NEW JERSEY Paramus Route Four 4 (28) [70mm from Week 4] NEW YORK Levittown Nassau 4 (27) [70mm from Week 4] New York 34th Street Showplace Triplex (14) New York Astor Plaza (23) New York Orpheum Twin (14) New York State Twin (June 5th sneak preview only) Pittsford Loews Triplex (27) [70mm from Week 5] Valley Stream Sunrise 8 (15) [70mm from Week 4] OHIO Dayton Dayton Mall 4 (27) [70mm from Week 24] Springdale Showcase 7 (27) ONTARIO Hamilton Tivoli (23) [opened June 26th] Ottawa Nelson (35) [opened July 3rd] Scarborough Cedarbrae 4 (25) Toronto Eglinton (25) Toronto Runnymede Twin (25) Toronto Uptown 5 (3) PENNSYLVANIA Philadelphia SamEric (20) QUEBEC Montreal Imperial (26) TEXAS Austin Fox Triplex (27) [70mm from Week 4] Dallas Cinema Twin (42) [70mm from Week 33] Houston Windsor Twin (27) [70mm from Week 4] UTAH Salt Lake City Villa (53) [70mm from Week 6] WASHINGTON Tukwila Southcenter (26) Note that some of the presentations included in this listing may have been presented in 35mm during the latter week(s) of engagement because of contractual terms or the booking was moved to a smaller, non-70mm-equipped auditorium within a multiplex or due to print damage and the distributors 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 has been included in the duration figure. SUBSEQUENT / ADDITIONAL 70MM ENGAGEMENTS 1981-07-03 Toronto, ON University (22) 1981-07-31 Lakewood, CA Lakewood Center 4 (9) 1981-08-21 Des Moines, IA River Hills (15) 1981-09-25 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood (7) 1981-10-09 Sainte-Foy, QC Canadien (10) 1981-11-06 Los Angeles, CA National (4) 1981-11-13 Los Angeles, CA Chinese Triplex (5) 1981-11-20 Lakewood, CA Lakewood Center 4 (9) 1981-11-20 San Francisco, CA Royal (4) 1981-12-04 Denver, CO Aladdin (14) 1981-12-04 San Jose, CA Century 25 Twin (56) 1981-12-11 Montreal, QC Imperial (9) [Version Francaise] 1981-12-11 Montreal, QC York (7) 1981-12-11 Lynnwood, WA Grand Alderwood 5 (31) 1981-12-25 Cleveland, OH Colony (4) 1981-12-25 Houston, TX Westchase 5 (25) [70mm from Week 5] 1981-12-26 Atlanta, GA Fox (5 days) 1982-01-01 Nashville, TN Belle Meade (11) 1982-01-22 Los Angeles, CA Century Plaza Twin (3) 1982-01-29 Knoxville, TN Capri Triplex (7) 1982-02-05 Atlanta, GA Phipps Plaza Triplex (5) 1982-02-12 Montreal, QC Palace 6 (14) [Version Francaise] 1982-02-12 Windsor, ON Centre (5) 1982-02-17 Chicago, IL State Lake (1) 1982-02-26 Chicago, IL McClurg Court (1) 1982-02-26 Huntsville, AL Madison Twin (15) 1982-03-05 Toronto, ON Cumberland 4 (1) [La Reserve] 1982-03-12 Halifax, NS Scotia Square (9) 1982-03-26 San Francisco, CA Cinema 21 (6) 1982-04-02 Los Angeles, CA Cinerama Dome (10) 1982-04-02 Philadelphia, PA Mark I (4) 1982-04-16 Corte Madera, CA Cinema (4) 1982-04-16 Portland, OR Music Box (6) 1982-06-11 Los Angeles, CA Picwood (5) 1982-07-16 Atlanta, GA Fox (4 days) 1982-07-16 Kansas City, MO Bannister Mall 5 (2) 1982-07-16 Las Vegas, NV Cinedome 6 (4) 1982-07-16 Los Angeles, CA Avco Center Triplex (3) 1982-07-16 Montreal, QC Le Parisien 5 (5) [Version Francaise] 1982-07-16 New York, NY Ziegfeld (3) 1982-07-16 Renton, WA Roxy (2) [w/ Raise the Titanic] 1982-07-16 San Antonio, TX Galaxy 10 (3) 1982-07-16 Seattle, WA Crest 4 (4) 1982-07-16 Washington, DC MacArthur (3) 1982-07-23 Atlanta, GA Columbia (1) 1982-08-06 New York, NY Embassy I (3) 1982-08-13 Winnipeg, MB Towne 8 (4) 1982-08-20 Los Angeles, CA Cinerama Dome (5) 1982-08-20 San Francisco, CA Alexandria Triplex (3) 1982-09-01 Philadelphia, PA SamEric Triplex (1) 1982-09-03 Birmingham, AL Village East Twin (1) 1982-09-03 Burnaby, BC Lougheed Mall Triplex (1) 1982-09-03 Catonsville, MD Westview 6 (1) 1982-09-03 Norfolk, VA Naro (1) 1982-09-03 Towson, MD Hillendale Twin (1) 1982-09-24 Los Angeles, CA Chinese Triplex (7) 1982-??-?? London, ON Park (1+) 1983-03-25 Atlanta, GA Fox (1) 1983-03-25 Calgary, AB Palace (3) 1983-03-25 Los Angeles, CA Bruin (1) 1983-03-25 Los Angeles, CA Chinese Triplex (1) 1983-03-25 Montreal, QC Imperial (2) [Version Francaise] 1983-03-25 New York, NY Astor Plaza (3) 1983-03-25 Riverside, CA Canyon Crest 5 (6) 1983-03-25 San Diego, CA Valley Circle (1) 1983-03-25 Toronto, ON Hollywood Twin (2) 1983-03-25 Toronto, ON Uptown 5 (3) 1983-03-25 Tucson, AZ Foothills 4 (5) 1983-04-01 Los Angeles, CA Fox (2) 1983-04-08 Sainte-Foy, QC Canadien (7) [Version Francaise] 1983-04-08 Toronto, ON Palace Triplex (1) 1983-04-15 Edmonton, AB Londonderry Twin (2) 1983-04-15 Huntsville, AL Madison Twin (2) 1983-04-22 Sacramento, CA Century 6 (5) 1983-04-22 San Francisco, CA Regency II (1) 1983-04-22 San Jose, CA Town & Country (3) 1983-05-13 Calgary, AB Chinook (1) 1983-05-20 Calgary, AB Palace (1) 1983-05-20 Los Angeles, CA Chinese Triplex (3) 1983-05-30 Seattle, WA Cinerama [SIFF marathon] 1983-06-03 Norfolk, VA Naro (3 days) [w/ Poltergeist] 1983-06-10 Seattle, WA Crest 4 (1) 1983-06-17 Chicago Ridge, IL Chicago Ridge Mall Triplex (1) 1983-07-01 Wichita, KS Mall [Fri/Sat midnight] 1983-07-08 New York, NY Paramount (2) 1983-08-12 Cleveland, OH Colony (1) 1983-08-31 Cleveland, OH Colony (1) 1983-09-02 Calgary, AB North Hill (6) 1983-09-02 Norfolk, VA Naro (2 days) [w/ Star Trek II] 1983-09-02 San Francisco, CA Cinema 21 (3) 1983-09-07 Philadelphia, PA SamEric Triplex (1) 1983-09-09 Edmonton, AB Meadowlark (1) 1983-09-09 Oakland, CA Grand Lake Twin (1) 1983-09-16 Los Angeles, CA Chinese Triplex (2) 1983-09-16 Los Angeles, CA National (2) 1983-09-27 Ottawa, ON NAC Opera (2 days) 1985-01-16 Toronto, ON Cinesphere (12 days) [70mm festival] 1986-05-09 Washington, DC Cinema (2) [w/ Temple of Doom] 1986-09-23 Norfolk, VA Naro [w/ Temple of Doom] # 1988-04-08 Edmonton, AB Meadowlark (1) 1989-02-24 San Antonio, TX Rivercenter IMAX (1) 1990-06-03 Los Angeles, CA Fairfax Triplex [70mm festival] 1990-06-12 Los Angeles, CA Beverly Connection 6 [venue grand opening] # 1990-06-26 Santa Monica, CA Criterion 6 [THX festival] # 1991-09-23 Vancouver, BC CN IMAX (4 days) [Indiana Jones festival] 1992-12-26 Vancouver, BC Caprice [Indiana Jones festival] 1993-08-14 Toronto, ON Uptown 5 1993-10-02 Vancouver, BC Capitol 6 [Saturday Latenite] 1994-01-08 Boston, MA Wang Center [Indy triple feature] # 1994-04-02 Calgary, AB Palliser Square Twin [midnight] 1995-01-06 Toronto, ON Cinesphere [70mm festival] 1995-05-13 Vancouver, BC Capitol 6 [Saturday Latenite] # 1995-12-01 Vancouver, BC Capitol 6 [Fri/Sat Latenite] # 1996-04-26 Toronto, ON Eglinton [w/ Last Crusade] 1996-05-24 Los Angeles, CA Plaza [Fri-Sun midnight] 1996-06-10 Toronto, ON Cinesphere (3 days) [festival] 1996-09-20 Chicago, IL Navy Pier IMAX [Fri-Sun late night] 1996-11-01 Chicago, IL Navy Pier IMAX (1) [late night] 1999-12-25 Addison, TX Granada Prestonwood 5 [Sat-Sun] 2001-02-16 Seattle, WA Cinerama (1) 2001-03-09 Seattle, WA Cinerama [Indy triple feature] 2001-03-30 Washington, DC Uptown (1) # Presentation not explicitly or consistently promoted as 70mm suggesting presentation may have been 35mm The information included in this article was principally referenced from film industry trade publications and regional newspaper promotion, with thanks to David Ayers, Bill Kallay, Bill Kretzel, Victor Liorentas, and to the librarians who helped with this project. 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. | More in 70mm reading: Remembering Raiders of the Lost Ark in70mm.com's page about films blown up to 70mm 35mm to 70mm Engagements by Year 35mm to 70mm Engagements by Title Presented on the big screen in 7OMM The Alleged 70mm Releases 70mm Blow Ups Which Never Were |
 Go to 7OMM Engagements: Raiders of the Lost Ark | "The Temple of Doom | "The Last Crusade Go to Remembering: Raiders of the Lost Ark | "The Temple Of Doom | "The Last Crusade | |
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