Are there any Cinerama cinemas remaining in the UK?

[Oiverbotel]

Good Day!

I see that the amazing 1962 Cinerama production of How the West was Won is being broadcast on Channel 5 today (17:15 Saturday, 22OCT).

I was wondering whether anyone knows if there are any Cinerama cinemas still running the three screen 70mm films?

HTWWW was my first introduction to Cinerama...and of all places in the States. I was in Atlanta with my father as a child and he took me to a place called Martin's Cinerama on Peachtree Street. That part of Atlanta in the early sixties was in the midst of a dramatic decline yet the cinema was posh beyond belief! Gold carpeting, walls, draperies, curtains, and the plushest gold velour rocking-chair seats I had ever experienced.

But oh my goodness, when the overture began, with the curtains parting only to the typical width I was already in awe! I still remember the rush of adrenaline when they opened reaching from my left to my right ear!

I went on to see on another trip The Sound of Music which had the very same effect on me. Apologies, the memory has flooded back! I'll stop.

In any event, I've been to the Imax at Waterloo, but it isn't the same at all.

Anyone know if there's a place here that's showing these lovely old gems? I think it would make a wonderful weekend excursion to drive or take the train to wherever they may be offered. I'm a glutton for nostalgia!

Thank you!

Fr B+

[jno]

They stopped making the films years ago - Imax fills the same sort of slot now. (You only used to get Imaxes in major world cities... but they've just opened one in Swiss Cottage, so they're spreading.) 2001 was the last Cinerama film I saw. By that time they were no longer being filmed with three cameras; I think they'd got one with a wider angle to do the job, so you didn't get the joins. You lose a bit on TV!

Anyway, the only one left in Britain is here:

http://www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk/

You could get in touch to find out what they're screening and when.

[Oiverbotel]

Thank you for that! Yes, I think there were actually only two actual films made with the three cameras -How the West was Won and the Brothers Grimm. The others, such as Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, etc., were all straight 70mm productions on wide screen. But my understanding is that the later films didn't have the full breadth that the first two had.

I'll have a look at the link you provided. My recollection was there was a cinema in Merseyside or thereabouts that was still showing actual Cinerama but I didn't find it when I first looked. Thank you for your time and research!

Still looking forward to seeing the film on telly today. A stunning production!

Fr B+