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It had a number of awkward features
including a three-tier auditorium. G.U.
decided to trim the seating from 1,358
down to 800. They did so by
eliminating the Upper Circle and
placing a false ceiling from this point to
the stage. The theatre was re-seated, re-
decorated and re-named the Cinema
Forum, in the knowledge that the décor
would fit nicely with a forthcoming
blockbuster.
The opening attraction in June 1960
was Sam Goldwyn’s adaptation of the
George Gershwin musical Porgy and
Bess. Next came the really big one,
Universal's 70mm epic Spartacus. The
head of G.U., (the late Sir Norman
Rydge) then managed another coup.
His film distribution company, British
Empire Films secured the output from
the Samuel Bronston Studios. Bronston
saw himself as the new Cecil B.
DeMille, with films to match - El Cid,
55 Days At Peking, Circus World and
Fall Of The Roman Empire. All were
70mm and all were shown at the
Forum and the Chelsea.
For 70mm both theatres were
equipped with Cinemeccanica Victoria
10 projectors. I worked on the Chelsea
plant for many years. Here the
projectors were labelled Victoria X –
the Roman numeral for 10. Only the
later Victoria 8 projectors were re-
labelled RK 60 for Australia. This
changed in the late 1960’s when they
were correctly labelled as Victoria 8
projectors. They are still in production
with the last one purchased in Australia
for the Village Knox Cinema 1 in
Victoria. (Ironically it is 35mm only; it
is the Bauer U3 next to it that gives this
theatre its 70mm capability!)
What was MGM doing at this time? Top: Projection room at the Chelsea, Melbourne in 1962. First is the slide machine,
After plugging away with various 35mm with two Cinemeccanica projectors in the background. (Photo: Bob March).
systems the studio changed direction and Above: Cinemeccanica (Victoria 10 model) at Hoyts Plaza, Sydney (now closed.)
commissioned the Panavision lens Photo by the author.
company to devise a system that would
provide the best possible release prints
MGM’s second excursion into At this time MGM was considering
in any of the processes currently in use.
Camera 65 was the super blockbuster whether to convert the Metro Bourke
Panavision came up with a system that
Ben Hur. It did 70mm engagements in Street to 70mm, but decided against it
used 65 mm film (as did Todd-AO), with
the conventional unsqueezed 70 mm because of the steep projection rake and
a slight horizontal squeeze. From the big
format, completely compatible with a small projection room. They did
negative, clear, sharp prints in any
Todd-AO. Ironically it sometimes however install four track magnetic
format from Cinerama to Super 8 could
looked better in full width sound.
be produced. The process was called
Cinemascope (2.55:1) than in 70mm. If No other films carried a Camera 65
Camera 65.
you have seen it at the Astor, the side credit. Panavision re-named their
MGM’s first film in this process
of the image is cut off in a few scenes, process Ultra Panavision which was
Raintree County played no 70mm
as for example when the beggar rejects used for Mutiny On the Bounty (the
engagements whatsoever, possibly
Ben Hur’s leprous coin. Marlon Brando version) and many of
because all 70mm equipped houses
the ‘single lens’ Cinerama productions.
were occupied with the first three Todd
–AO productions.
CINEMARECORD 2005 17