I had the great privilege of seeing this film in Cinerama when it first came out--and in a theater specifically equipped to show it with full stereophonic sound. What an experience! It put CinemaScope to shame. I was astounded when "Durante's" car flew out over the edge of the ravine during the chase scene near the beginning--and landed right in the laps of the audience (or least it appeared that way with the fact that most audience members actually ducked to avoid the impact--including me--even though I was sitting in the far left aisle)! Of course, the movie (much of it true slapstick by just about every comedian of the time included in the cast) had us all laughing so hard that by the end of the film I know my sides were hurting and just couldn't take any more. As we left the theater, I heard many people saying the same thing! While I have a restored version of the complete film (even including the Intermission, Entr'acte, and end of film Exit Music sections) on Blu-Ray and have watched it several times on my home TV with full surround sound, it just doesn't do the original theatrical version justice. While I know Cinerama was an expensive process, what a loss film presentation lost when they closed up shop.
I saw this fantastic movie at the Plaza theatre in Sydney Australia when I was 11years old. It was advertised as a Cinerama movie and was shown on the Cinerama screen. I remember getting motion sickness when the car just sailed right out there and I threw up over my father. We were sitting in the 3rd row from the front and in the centre of the row. It was in 1963. I also saw Poseidon Adventure, Ice Station Zebra and Butch Cassidy on the same giant screen. I was in cinema heaven.
Yes, the experience is not as a spectacular as the 3-projector system (however more complex to execute for action scenes of this level). Remember that Ultra Panavision 70 recordings were squeezed on 70 mm film by an anamorphic lens, giving a similar look to Cinerama perfomances.
They are all just processes. Ultra Panavision 70 (1.25 anamorphic) was intended for the full Cinerama curve, Super Panavision (flat) was not, but looked great on a reduced curve at 2.20:1 projected with D150 lenses as did TODD-AO on a reduced width Cinerama curve. Kubrick's 2001 was shot in Super Panavision but was presented in Cinerama for best effect. Even the 35 -70 blow ups' looked great on a big curved screen in 70mm - notably 'Logan's Run' which was shot in 35mm but carried a TODD -AO credit; 70mm prints were stunning.
@@Ampex196 THANK YOU! I have tried and tried to understand the anarchy of Post WWII wide screen processes but in getting only bits here and pieces there, with a memory of Teflon, I hadn't been able to "Get It." The two "Panavision 70's" had come to BITE me in that I am particularly disappointed to have flown from Oakland to L.A. in 1978 to see the tenth anniversary of one of my favorite films, "2001: A Space Odyssey" at The Cinerama Dome where it premiered and I swear that screen must have been no wider than 70mm. I can remember being more impressed with the screen width of "Bye Bye Birdie" in the early 1960's. I had seen "This Is Cinerama" at age 6 but there is no way my childhood memory could have exaggerated that screen width in 1958 [I saw a re-release.] . I could swear that Cinerama Dome presentation wasn't even Cinemascope. [Are you associated with Ampex in Pal Alto? I was only a clerk when I worked at Dolby Laboratories in 1982 [of only 55 employees!] it was known that Ray Dolby worked at Ampex when the company was perfecting...of all things...VIDEO tape! Ray Dolby? VIDEO? Well, a guy's gotta start somewhere...]
Have the restored Blue Ray with the Theatrical and Extended version (with the Theatrical I feel the better one) but to get a Smilebox Version on my current 8ft wide movie screen via a cinema quality vp would be very, very, very, very neat......
The extended version I thought gave too much away about Tracy's character and other scenes were not really adding anything but still interesting to see. So the the theatrical version was very well edited in that respect.
in this day and age , with all our technology , you would think they could come up with something as great as cinerama . i feel sorry for the newest generations . how the west was won , was one big epic . i saw the show twice in two days , and once ten years later. people who don't get this movie today , are prime examples of the society incapable of greatness.
The secret was then and is today..... "Everybody Pull Together to Make it Happen". .... and they did and it turned out great be it behind the scenes or on camera. Stanley was ahead of his time... never satisfied..... knew his stuff.
Stop worrying about who "gets" this movie or any other movie. You think it's great. Most people who have seen it appreciate it. It's okay if other people have different entertainment experiences. How many people have seen Abel Gance's Napoleon 1927 or won't get it because it's silent. It's a masterpiece of innovation and story telling. That said, it's entirely fine it's not widely known almost a hundred years later. You can find it if you look for it - just like Mad Mad World.
@@weitzfc1 No sillier than lamenting the lack of a modern day Cinerama in the era of IMAX. Gance's Napoleon, btw, employed a three camera technique which was a forerunner to Cinerama. But, really - people today will be just fine for not having seen How the West was Won in Cinerama. I have, and it's silly to worry about other people not having had the same entertainment experiences.
I had the great privilege of seeing this film in Cinerama when it first came out--and in a theater specifically equipped to show it with full stereophonic sound. What an experience! It put CinemaScope to shame. I was astounded when "Durante's" car flew out over the edge of the ravine during the chase scene near the beginning--and landed right in the laps of the audience (or least it appeared that way with the fact that most audience members actually ducked to avoid the impact--including me--even though I was sitting in the far left aisle)! Of course, the movie (much of it true slapstick by just about every comedian of the time included in the cast) had us all laughing so hard that by the end of the film I know my sides were hurting and just couldn't take any more. As we left the theater, I heard many people saying the same thing! While I have a restored version of the complete film (even including the Intermission, Entr'acte, and end of film Exit Music sections) on Blu-Ray and have watched it several times on my home TV with full surround sound, it just doesn't do the original theatrical version justice. While I know Cinerama was an expensive process, what a loss film presentation lost when they closed up shop.
I saw this fantastic movie at the Plaza theatre in Sydney Australia when I was 11years old. It was advertised as a Cinerama movie and was shown on the Cinerama screen. I remember getting motion sickness when the car just sailed right out there and I threw up over my father. We were sitting in the 3rd row from the front and in the centre of the row. It was in 1963. I also saw Poseidon Adventure, Ice Station Zebra and Butch Cassidy on the same giant screen. I was in cinema heaven.
Wow
The greatest comedy movie of all time with a tremendous cast that you will never see again!
Guessing from the “Silent Majority” reference in the narration that this was from the 1970 re-release?
It was not Cinerama but filmed in Ultra Panavision.
Yes, the experience is not as a spectacular as the 3-projector system (however more complex to execute for action scenes of this level).
Remember that Ultra Panavision 70 recordings were squeezed on 70 mm film by an anamorphic lens, giving a similar look to Cinerama perfomances.
They are all just processes. Ultra Panavision 70 (1.25 anamorphic) was intended for the full Cinerama curve, Super Panavision (flat) was not, but looked great on a reduced curve at 2.20:1 projected with D150 lenses as did TODD-AO on a reduced width Cinerama curve. Kubrick's 2001 was shot in Super Panavision but was presented in Cinerama for best effect.
Even the 35 -70 blow ups' looked great on a big curved screen in 70mm - notably 'Logan's Run' which was shot in 35mm but carried a TODD -AO credit; 70mm prints were stunning.
@@Ampex196 THANK YOU! I have tried and tried to understand the anarchy of Post WWII wide screen processes but in getting only bits here and pieces there, with a memory of Teflon, I hadn't been able to "Get It." The two "Panavision 70's" had come to BITE me in that I am particularly disappointed to have flown from Oakland to L.A. in 1978 to see the tenth anniversary of one of my favorite films, "2001: A Space Odyssey" at The Cinerama Dome where it premiered and I swear that screen must have been no wider than 70mm. I can remember being more impressed with the screen width of "Bye Bye Birdie" in the early 1960's. I had seen "This Is Cinerama" at age 6 but there is no way my childhood memory could have exaggerated that screen width in 1958 [I saw a re-release.] . I could swear that Cinerama Dome presentation wasn't even Cinemascope. [Are you associated with Ampex in Pal Alto? I was only a clerk when I worked at Dolby Laboratories in 1982 [of only 55 employees!] it was known that Ray Dolby worked at Ampex when the company was perfecting...of all things...VIDEO tape! Ray Dolby? VIDEO? Well, a guy's gotta start somewhere...]
Have the restored Blue Ray with the Theatrical and Extended version (with the Theatrical I feel the better one) but to get a Smilebox Version on my current 8ft wide movie screen via a cinema quality vp would be very, very, very, very neat......
Alan Bond A complete version would be great.....if anyone could find it.
The extended version I thought gave too much away about Tracy's character and other scenes were not really adding anything but still interesting to see. So the the theatrical version was very well edited in that respect.
This is actually the 1970 re-release trailer.
Thank you! I was very curious about the references to inflation and the “Silent Majority” on a film from the early 60’s.
When will 2001 a space Odyssey 70 mm shown as Cinerama get the smilebox treatment ?
Imagine if there are more epic cinerama farcical comedies like "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World", that would be astounding if that was the case.
Sounds like Bill Burr is narrating
in this day and age , with all our technology , you would think they could come up with something as great as cinerama . i feel sorry for the newest generations . how the west was won , was one big epic . i saw the show twice in two days , and once ten years later. people who don't get this movie today , are prime examples of the society incapable of greatness.
The secret was then and is today..... "Everybody Pull Together to Make it Happen".
.... and they did and it turned out great be it behind the scenes or on camera. Stanley was ahead of his time... never satisfied..... knew his stuff.
Stop worrying about who "gets" this movie or any other movie. You think it's great. Most people who have seen it appreciate it. It's okay if other people have different entertainment experiences. How many people have seen Abel Gance's Napoleon 1927 or won't get it because it's silent. It's a masterpiece of innovation and story telling. That said, it's entirely fine it's not widely known almost a hundred years later. You can find it if you look for it - just like Mad Mad World.
@@jkorshak what a silly remark .
@@weitzfc1 No sillier than lamenting the lack of a modern day Cinerama in the era of IMAX. Gance's Napoleon, btw, employed a three camera technique which was a forerunner to Cinerama. But, really - people today will be just fine for not having seen How the West was Won in Cinerama. I have, and it's silly to worry about other people not having had the same entertainment experiences.
@@jkorshak the experience of cinerama could be copied with all the technology today .