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THE 70MM ENGAGEMENTS

Event and prestige movies (and instances to appease a filmmaker’s ego) on occasion are given a deluxe release in addition to a standard release. This section of the article includes a reference/historical listing of the first-run 70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo premium-format presentations of Tron in the United States and Canada. These were arguably the best cinemas in which to have experienced Tron and the only way to have faithfully seen the movie’s large-format cinematography or heard the movie’s discrete multichannel audio mix.

Of the 100+ new movies released during 1982, Tron was among eighteen to have 70mm prints prepared for selected engagements and the only one to have been originated in 70mm (65mm). Only about five percent of Tron’s initial print run was in the deluxe 70mm format, which were significantly more expensive and more time- and labor-intensive to manufacture compared with conventional 35mm prints but offered superior image and audio quality.

The 70mm prints of Tron were intended to be projected in a 2.20:1 aspect ratio. The noise-reduction and signal-processing format for the prints was Dolby “A,” and the soundtrack was Dolby processor setting Format 42 (i.e. three discrete screen channels + one discrete surround channel + “baby boom” low-frequency enhancement).

An EPCOT promo and a trailer for Tex circulated with the Tron prints and which the distributor recommended be screened with the presentation.

The listing begins with the North American 70mm engagements of Tron that commenced July 9th, 1982, and then extends to include many of the film’s subsequent 70mm engagements (i.e. late openings, moveovers, re-release and revival) but does not include any pre-release screenings, international, or any of the movie’s countless standard 35mm engagements.

The duration of the engagements, measured in weeks, has been included for some entries in parenthesis following the cinema name.

Note that some of the presentations included in this listing were presented in 35mm during the latter weeks of engagement due to print damage and the distributor’s unwillingness to supply a 70mm replacement print or because the booking was moved to a smaller, 35mm-only auditorium within a multiplex. In these cases, the 35mm portion of the engagement has been included in the duration figure.

So, for historical reference and nostalgia, the first-run North American theaters that screened the 70mm version of Tron were…

ALBERTA

• Calgary — Famous Players’ Chinook (10)
• Edmonton — Famous Players’ Londonderry Twin (10)

ARIZONA

• Tucson — TM’s El Con 6-plex (12)

BRITISH COLUMBIA

• Vancouver — Famous Players’ Denman Place (10)

CALIFORNIA

• El Cajon — UA’s Parkway Plaza Triplex (4)
• Los Angeles — Mann’s Chinese Triplex (3)
• Montclair — SRO’s Montclair Triplex (12)
• Orange — Syufy’s Cinedome 6-plex (11)
• Sacramento — Syufy’s Century 6-plex
• San Diego — Pacific’s La Jolla Village 4-plex (6)
• San Diego — UA’s Glasshouse 6-plex (19)
• San Jose — Syufy’s Century 24 Twin

ILLINOIS

• Bloomingdale — Plitt’s Stratford Square 4-plex (5)
• Chicago — Center’s McClurg Court (5)
• Chicago Ridge — Chicago Ridge Mall Triplex (6)
• Hillside — M&R’s Hillside Square 4-plex (2)
• Northbrook — Center’s Edens Twin (5)

LOUISIANA

• Gretna — Cobb’s Westside Twin (7)

MARYLAND

• Catonsville — Einbinder & Brehm’s Westview 6-plex (6)

MICHIGAN

• Grosse Pointe Woods — Nicholas George’s Woods Twin (4)
• Livonia — Suburban Detroit’s Terrace Twin (4)
• Southfield — Suburban Detroit’s Northland Twin (3)

NEVADA

• Las Vegas — Syufy’s Cinedome 6-plex
• Reno — Syufy’s Century 6-plex (5)

NEW JERSEY

• Cedar Grove — Cinema 23 (5)
• Paramus — RKO Century’s Route Four 7-plex (5)

NEW YORK

• New York — Loews’ State Twin (5)
• White Plains — UA’s Cinema (5)
• Woodbury — UA’s Cinema 150 (6)

OHIO

• Springdale — Mid States’ Tri-County 5-plex (7)

ONTARIO

• Toronto — Famous Players’ Hollywood Twin (11)

OREGON

• Portland — Moyer’s Bagdad Triplex (9)
• Portland — Moyer’s Rose Moyer 6-plex (23) [w/“Star Trek II” from Week #6]

PENNSYLVANIA

• Pittsburgh — Cinemette’s Warner (3)

TEXAS

• Dallas — Inwood Twin (6)
• San Antonio — Santikos’ Northwest 10-plex

WISCONSIN

• Greenfield — Marcus’ Spring Mall Triplex

ADDITIONAL / SUBSEQUENT 70MM ENGAGEMENTS & SCREENINGS

• 1982-07-16 … Los Angeles, CA — Mann’s Village (4)
• 1982-07-22 … Sainte-Foy, QC — Cinemas Unis’ Canadien (8)
• 1982-07-23 … Montreal, QC — United’s Claremont (11)
• 1982-07-23 … Philadelphia, PA — Budco’s Regency Twin (5)
• 1982-07-30 … Los Angeles, CA — Mann’s Vogue (2)
• 1982-07-30 … Winnipeg, MB — Famous Players’ Metropolitan (9)
• 1982-08-13 … Detroit, MI — Madison (1)
• 1982-08-13 … Honolulu, HI — Royal’s Royal (4)
• 1982-08-13 … Los Angeles, CA — Plitt’s Century Plaza Twin (9)
• 1982-08-20 … Cleveland, OH — Colony (2)
• 1982-09-03 … Chicago, IL — Center’s McClurg Court (1)
• 1982-09-03 … Cleveland, OH — Variety (2)
• 1982-09-03 … Northbrook, IL — Center’s Edens Twin (1)
• 1982-09-17 … Burnaby, BC — Famous Players’ Lougheed Mall Triplex (2)
• 1982-09-17 … Edmonton, AB — Famous Players’ Garneau (1)
• 1982-10-08 … Boston, MA — Sack’s Charles Triplex (2)
• 1982-10-08 … Henrietta, NY — Loews’ Towne Twin (4)
• 1982-10-08 … Towson, MD — Rappaport’s Hillendale Twin (1)
• 1982-10-15 … Cincinnati, OH — Mid States’ Carousel Twin (3)
• 1982-10-15 … Portland, OR — Luxury Theatres’ Music Box (3)
• 1982-10-15 … Salt Lake City, UT — Plitt’s Regency (3)
• 1982-10-15 … San Francisco, CA — Plitt’s Northpoint (1)
• 1982-10-15 … Washington, DC — Circle’s Uptown (2)
• 1982-10-22 … Atlanta, GA — Plitt’s Phipps Plaza Triplex
• 1982-10-22 … Los Angeles, CA — Mann’s Hollywood (1)
• 1982-10-22 … Los Angeles, CA — Mann’s National (1)
• 1982-10-22 … Renton, WA — MCR’s Roxy (3) [w/“Capricorn One”]
• 1982-10-29 … Los Angeles, CA — Mann’s Hollywood (1) [w/“Superman II”]
• 1982-11-05 … Brooklyn Center, MN — Plitt’s Brookdale (2)
• 1982-11-05 … Montreal, QC — Odeon’s Place du Canada (1)
• 1982-11-19 … Tucson, AZ — Plitt’s El Dorado Twin (2)
• 1982-11-24 … Colorado Springs, CO — Commonwealth’s Ute 70 (2)
• 1982-11-24 … Seattle, WA — SRO’s Music Box (2)
• 1982-11-26 … Lynnwood, WA — SRO’s Grand Cinemas Alderwood 5-plex (3)
• 1982-12-17 … Los Angeles, CA — Mann’s Valley West 6-plex (1)

• 1983-01-28 … Orange, CA — Syufy’s City Center Twin (1) [w/“Star Trek II”]
• 1983-03-02 … Toronto, ON — Cinesphere (5 days) [70mm fest]
• 1983-04-15 … San Francisco, CA — Blumenfeld’s Regency II
• 1983-05-13 … Dearborn, MI — UA’s The Movies at Fairlane 10-plex (2)
• 1983-05-13 … Troy, MI — UA’s The Movies at Oakland 5-plex (2)
• 1983-05-20 … Livonia, MI — Nicholas George’s Mai Kai (1)
• 1983-05-20 … San Diego, CA — Pacific’s Cinerama (1)
• 1983-05-20 … Southfield, MI — Nicholas George’s Americana 4-plex (1)
• 1983-05-20 … Southgate, MI — Nicholas George’s Southgate Triplex (1)
• 1983-07-15 … Montreal, QC — Odeon’s Champlain Twin (5) [Version Francaise]
• 1983-09-23 … Montreal, QC — United’s Claremont (1)
• 1983-12-21 … Toronto, ON — Cinesphere (4 days) [70mm fest]

• 1984-03-04 … Cleveland, OH — Variety
• 1984-05-11 … Toronto, ON — Odeon’s Hyland Twin (1)
• 1984-05-11 … Vancouver, BC — Odeon’s Park (2)

• 1985-09-06 … Cleveland, OH — Colony [fest; midnight]

• 1999-05-14 … Los Angeles, CA — Pacific’s El Capitan (1) [THX]
• 1999-10-23 … Long Beach, CA — CSULB’s Carpenter Center [Wide Screen fest]

• 2004-05-06 … Los Angeles, CA — Pacific’s El Capitan (2) [THX]
• 2004-06-06 … Los Angeles, CA — Directors Guild

• 2006-06-07 … Beverly Hills, CA — AMPAS’ Samuel Goldwyn [Movie Magic series]
• 2006-08-19 … San Francisco, CA — Castro [midnight]

• 2007-06-17 … Santa Monica, CA — American Cinematheque’s Aero [w/“Star Trek II”]
• 2007-08-24 … Austin, TX — Paramount (2 days) [70mm fest]

• 2008-02-24 … Seattle, WA — Cinerama [70mm fest]
• 2008-02-26 … Seattle, WA — Cinerama [70mm fest]
• 2008-03-02 … Seattle, WA — Cinerama [70mm fest]
• 2008-03-04 … Seattle, WA — Cinerama [70mm fest]
• 2008-07-04 … San Francisco, CA — Castro [70mm fest]

• 2011-03-05 … Los Angeles, CA — American Cinematheque’s Aero
• 2011-06-04 … San Francisco, CA — Castro [70mm fest]
• 2011-07-01 … Los Angeles, CA — American Cinematheque’s Egyptian [Blu-ray substitution]
• 2011-07-01 … Silver Spring, MD — AFI Silver (4 days) [70mm fest]
• 2011-10-09 … Seattle, WA — Cinerama [70mm fest]

• 2012-03-17 … Los Angeles, CA — American Cinematheque’s Egyptian
• 2012-08-31 … Silver Spring, MD — AFI Silver (4 days) [70mm fest]
• 2012-12-29 … New York, NY — Film Society Lincoln Center (2 days)

• 2014-06-08 … Los Angeles, CA — American Cinematheque’s Aero
• 2014-07-19 … Chicago, IL — Music Box [70mm fest]

• 2015-03-17 … Toronto, ON — TIFF Bell Lightbox
• 2015-03-18 … Toronto, ON — TIFF Bell Lightbox [replaced damaged “The Black Hole”]
• 2015-04-03 … Toronto, ON — TIFF Bell Lightbox (2 days)
• 2015-08-14 … New York, NY — MOMI’s Sumner M. Redstone (3 days) [70mm fest]
• 2015-08-28 … Columbus, OH — Wexner Center for the Arts (2 days)

• 2016-06-11 … Tucson, AZ — The Loft (2 days)
• 2016-09-09 … Seattle, WA — Cinerama [70mm fest]
• 2016-09-18 … Somerville, MA — Somerville [70mm fest]

• 2017-04-07 … Portland, OR — Hollywood [70mm series]
• 2017-06-16 … Los Angeles, CA — American Cinematheque’s Egyptian [70mm series]
• 2017-06-24 … Los Angeles, CA — American Cinematheque’s Egyptian [70mm series]

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