I've been irritating everyone on one of those Facebook nostalgia groups "you knew you grew up in Hollywood if" things. Someone for the umpteenth time started a Cinerama Dome thread and all the people who post in all the Cinerama Dome threads (there have been hundreds) all come and post their same mistaken memories and no matter how many times you correct them they refuse to believe it and SWEAR they saw what they saw at the Dome, the two most frequent examples being How the West Was Won in its original engagement and the same for 2001 in its original engagement. Now, you tell these morons they didn't either there during their initial runs and they will not admit they're wrong, EVER. So, I actually have proof that after making sure they've made complete idiots of themselves I then wheel out - the photo of How the West Was Won's premiere at the Warner Cinerama in Hollywood, and the same for 2001 which played that very same theater five years later. Then they disappear with no admittance of anything - until the next thread when they spout their BS all over again. Oh, and by the way, the Dome wasn't even built when How the West Was Won opened - but not even that can dissuade the morons. But in this epic thread it's not just - it's almost every movie - some they're correct about - yes, Blazing Saddles played there but not on its initial run, yes Jaws played there but years after its initial run, and yes, 2001 played there long after its initial run and even How the West Was Won played there - in 2002. And they all SWEAR they saw true three-panel Cinerama there - only they didn't because the Dome could not play three-panel Cinerama and that held true until 2002, when they finally brought in the equipment so that they could. But people SWEAR they saw This is Cinerama there in real Cinerama in the early 1970s - yes, it played there, but in a 70mm composited print, NOT in three-panel true Cinerama. But happily, some amazing person compiled a list of every film that's played the Dome from the time it opened right up until now. I'd found this years ago but never thought to save it - so, it took thirty minutes but I finally found it again, and began a new thread showing the morons the truth in black-and-white, irrefutable - every film through 1980 I posted because after that who cares? Not only ever film, the opening date, how long it played, when the theater was closed occasionally - no one can argue. Here is that post because I thought this might interest anyone who was in LA during these years:
Here we go:
11.07.1963 IT'S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD (World Premiere, 67 weeks)
02.17.1965 THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD (43 weeks)
12.16.1965 BATTLE OF THE BULGE (World Premiere, 27 weeks)
07.23.1966 KHARTOUM (24 weeks)
12.22.1966 GRAND PRIX (44 weeks)
11.01.1967 CAMELOT (51 weeks)
10.23.1968 ICE STATION ZEBRA (World Premiere, 29 weeks)
05.14.1969 KRAKATOA, EAST OF JAVA (American Premiere, 23 weeks)
10.22.1969 PAINT YOUR WAGON (35 weeks)
06.23.1970 DARLING LILI (World Premiere, 20 weeks)
11.10.1970 SONG OF NORWAY (35 weeks)
07.14.1971 BLUE WATER, WHITE DEATH (13 weeks)
10.13.1971 theater closed “for exciting rehabilitation” (1 week)
10.20.1971 PLAY MISTY FOR ME (5 weeks)
11.24.1971 THE SECRET ADVENTURES OF THE RAILWAY CHILDREN (3 weeks)
12.17.1971 SOMETIMES A GREAT NOTION (12 weeks)
03.10.1972 SILENT RUNNING (7 weeks)
04.28.1972 THE GREAT NORTHFIELD MINNESOTA RAID (4 weeks)
05.24.1972 THE WAR BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN (5 weeks)
06.28.1972 FRENZY (7 weeks)
08.16.1972 DELIVERANCE (18 weeks, 70mm-Stereo)
12.20.1972 YOU'LL LIKE MY MOTHER (5 weeks)
01.22.1973 theater closed (3 weeks)
02.16.1973 THIS IS CINERAMA (RE, GSP, 13 weeks, 70mm-Stereo)
05.18.1973 THE DAY OF THE JACKAL (13 weeks)
08.15.1973 MAURIE (6 weeks)
09.28.1973 WINDJAMMER (RE, 3 weeks)
10.19.1973 CHARLEY VARRICK (4 weeks)
11.16.1973 THE DON IS DEAD (6 weeks)
12.25.1973 THE STING (13 weeks)
03.27.1974 MAME (13 weeks)
06.26.1974 ZANDY'S BRIDE (4 weeks)
07.24.1974 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (RE, 5 weeks, 70mm-Stereo)
08.28.1974 RUN RUN, JOE! (3 weeks, 70mm-Stereo)
09.20.1974 JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (RE, 4 weeks, 70mm-Stereo)
10.18.1974 AIRPORT 1975 (9 weeks)
12.19.1974 THE LITTLE PRINCE (6 weeks)
01.29.1975 REPORT TO THE COMMISSIONER ([/i]6 weeks[/i])
03.13.1975 THE GREAT WALDO PEPPER ([/i]10 weeks[/i])
05.21.1975 THE RETURN OF THE PINK PANTHER (5 weeks)
06.25.1975 ROLLERBALL (19 weeks, 70mm-Stereo)
11.06.1975 PAPER TIGER (5 weeks, 70mm-Stereo)
12.12.1975 theater closed (1 week)
12.20.1975 BARRY LYNDON (8 weeks)
02.11.1976 BLAZING SADDLES (RE, 4 weeks)
03.10.1976 1776 (RE, 2 weeks)
03.26.1976 AMERICAN GRAFFITI (RE, 2 weeks)
04.09.1976 PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE (RE, 5 weeks, Stereo)
05.20.1976 THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT, PART II (5 weeks, 70mm-Stereo)
06.23.1976 LOGAN'S RUN (6 weeks, 70mm-Dolby Stereo)
08.04.1976 THE RETURN OF A MAN CALLED HORSE (9 weeks, 70mm-Stereo)
10.06.1976 WOODSTOCK (RE, 4 weeks, Stereo)
11.03.1976 THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT, PART II (RE, 1 week, 70mm-Stereo)
11.12.1976 ALL THIS AND WORLD WAR II (5 weeks, Stereo)
12.15.1976 THE PINK PANTHER STRIKES AGAIN (11 weeks)
03.02.1977 JAWS (RE, 3 weeks)
03.25.1977 THE SLIPPER AND THE ROSE (8 weeks, Stereo)
05.20.1977 FANTASIA (RE, 5 weeks, Stereo)
06.22.1977 NEW YORK, NEW YORK (4 weeks)
07.20.1977 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (RE, 4 weeks, 70mm-Stereo)
08.17.1977 FANTASIA (RE, 5 weeks, Stereo)
09.23.1977 TOMMY (RE, 4 weeks, 70mm-Stereo)
10.21.1977 THE CHICKEN CHRONICLES (4 weeks)
11.18.1977 CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (4 weeks, 70mm-Dolby Stereo)
12.14.1977 SEMI-TOUGH (9 weeks)
02.15.1978 ANNIE HALL (RE, 2 weeks)
03.03.1978 SEXTETTE (4 weeks)
03.29.1978 THE BIG SLEEP (5 weeks)
05.03.1978 THE LAST WALTZ (6 weeks, Dolby Stereo)
06.14.1978 THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY (5 weeks, Stereo)
07.19.1978 REVENGE OF THE PINK PANTHER (5 weeks)
08.23.1978 FANTASIA (RE, 5 weeks, Stereo)
09.29.1978 BULLY (2 weeks)
10.12.1978 THE LAST WALTZ (RE, 2 weeks, Dolby Stereo)
10.26.1978 THE WIZ (20 weeks, Dolby Stereo)
03.15.1979 HAIR (14 weeks, Dolby Stereo)
06.22.1979 THE MUPPET MOVIE (6 weeks, 70mm-Dolby Stereo)
08.02.1979 THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT (2 weeks, Dolby Stereo)
08.15.1979 APOCALYPSE NOW (GSP, 13 weeks, 70mm-Dolby Stereo)
11.16.1979 FANTASIA (RE, 4 weeks, Stereo)
12.14.1979 1941 (9 weeks, 70mm-Stereo)
RE means REISSUE. So, yes, 2001 played there, but not during its original run - not until 1974 and then again 1977. Blazing Saddles didn't play here originally, but did in a reissue. Jaws didn't play there originally, but did play subsequently in a reissue. No actual three-panel Cinerama films ever played the Dome until 2002. How The West Was Won never played the Dome originally - the Dome wasn't built when that film opened at the Warner Cinerama on Hollywood Blvd. Thanks to Michael Coate for setting all of this straight. Memories are funny things aren't they?
