“White Nights”: The North American 70mm Engagements | Read more at in70mm.com The 70mm Newsletter |
| Compiled by: Michael Coate | Date: 01.03.2019 |
 The following is a reference / historical listing of the 70-millimeter engagements of “White Nights” in the United States and Canada. These were the cinemas worth seeking out to experience this motion picture“White Nights” was among twenty-three first-run films released in 1985 with 70mm prints for selected engagements. The Columbia release — directed by Taylor Hackford (“An Officer and a Gentleman”) and starring Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines — opened in limited release November 22nd. For the release of “White Nights,” Columbia employed the services of Lucasfilm’s Theatre Alignment Program (TAP) to evaluate and approve the cinemas selected to book a 70mm print. Pre-release screenings included an invitational preview on November 7th at the Samuel Goldwyn in Beverly Hills and a sneak-preview screening in select locales November 16th. The 70mm prints of “White Nights” featured magnetic Six-Track Dolby Stereo (“A” encoded Baby Boom format [Dolby processor setting “42”]) and pillarboxed imagery (approximately 1.85:1) blown up from spherical 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. Columbia circulated 70mm Six-Track Dolby coming-attraction trailers for “A Chorus Line,” “Murphy’s Romance,” and “Quicksilver” during the release of “White Nights.” Other studios circulated 70mm trailers during this period, as well. Ultimately, any 70mm trailers screened during 70mm presentations of “White Nights” varied by venue and screening. CALIFORNIA Costa Mesa — Edwards’ South Coast Plaza Triplex (10) Los Angeles — Cineplex Odeon’s Showcase (10) [opened Nov. 27th] Los Angeles — Cineplex Odeon/Plitt’s Century Plaza Twin (18) [HPS-4000] Orange — Syufy’s Cinedome 6 (4) San Diego — Mann’s Valley Circle (8) [opened Dec. 6th] San Francisco — Cineplex Odeon/Plitt’s Northpoint (8) [opened Dec. 6th] San Jose — Syufy’s Century 24 Twin (8) [opened Dec. 6th] DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Washington — Circle’s MacArthur Triplex (8) [opened Dec. 6th] ILLINOIS Chicago — Cineplex Odeon/Plitt’s Esquire (4) NEW JERSEY Paramus — RKO Century’s Route Four 10 (10) Sayreville — Redstone’s Amboy 12 (9) Secaucus — Loews’ Meadow 6 (10) NEW YORK Commack — Redstone’s Commack 10 (10) New York — Walter Reade’s Ziegfeld (10) Valley Stream — Redstone’s Sunrise 12 (10) Woodbury — UA’s Cinema 150 (9) ONTARIO Toronto — Cineplex Odeon’s Hyland Twin (12) Note that some of the presentations included in this listing may have been presented in 35mm during the latter week(s) of engagement due to contractual terms or print damage and the distributor’s unwillingness to supply a 70mm replacement print or because the booking was moved to a non-70mm-equipped auditorium within a multiplex. 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 1985-12-20 … Orange, CA — Syufy’s City Center 4 (6) 1986-01-03 … New York, NY — Walter Reade’s Coronet (4) 1986-01-31 … New York, NY — Guild’s Embassy I (7) 1986-01-31 … San Jose, CA — Syufy’s Century 25 Twin (1) 1986-02-14 … Toronto, ON — Cineplex Odeon’s Canada Square 8 (1) [THX] 1986-02-28 … Downers Grove, IL — Classic Cinemas’ Tivoli (2) [HPS-4000] 1986-03-07 … Norfolk, VA — Naro [70mm?] 2026-09-15 … New York, NY — Paris [Big & Loud! series w/ Isabella Rossellini Q&A] The information included in this article was principally referenced from film industry trade publications, regional newspaper promotion, print enclosures, TAP records and Dolby records. Special thanks to Bill Kallay and Bill Kretzel. International 70mm engagements of this title have not been accounted for in this article. If you believe this article contains any errors or omissions, please consider emailing the author or editor. | More in 70mm reading: in70mm.com's page about IMAX & Omnimax “Dune” (1984): The North American 70mm Engagements “Dune: Part Two” 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 |
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