Scott..some Cooper info you will like
Sounds like Minn and Denver have some similarities.
"Three Strip Cinerama" came to towns across the country in the 50s. This amazing technical feat, especially for the time, was comprised of three interlocked projectors that each shot one third of the total frame of the movie. The film was shot in huge, bulky Cinerama cameras. Each camera had a front lens and two on either side on an angle. Each lens had its one film mechanism. The shutters were all synchronized.
What you basically had was three strips of film that made up the picture. The fourth "film" was magnetic stock the same width of 35mm film, ran through a huge synched sound system in the theaters, so you had insane sound, before Dolby, before widespread use of stereo, before FM, before anything.
In the early 60s, they built three of the "hatbox" Cooper Cinerama theaters. These made up the "Golden Triangle", which was Minneapolis (lucky you!), Denver (lucky me!) and Omaha (I know you guys know who you are!)
These theaters were absolutely amazing. They were built for the 3 strip process from the ground up, versus the earlier theaters that showed Cinerama, which were modified to accomodate.
These had curved screens which were NOT screens, but special strips of highly reflecting material. They were so good that you could not tell. The screens were curved. Everything from the snackbar to the carpeting was super upscale. Aside from the classic movie palaces, these were the best theaters ever built.
Although I was too young to have seen films of the 3 strip process (the last being, I believe, "How the West Was Won" the theater was perfect for later 70mm and Super Panavision releases because of the acoustics and screen. I saw 2001:A Space Odyssey there on opening day. You can't imagine how cool that was for me as a 7 year old boy--well maybe you can. I was just flabbergasted how good it really was.
Sadly, all three theaters were destroyed. The Denver one for a freaking Barnes and Noble. Minn was torn down, not sure what went there. Some very determined people in Omaha did everything possible to try to save the last one. Even getting Leonard Maltin and Charlton Heston to plead for saving it. A hospital bought the property, tore down the theater, and claimed they desperately needed the parking. By last count, only about 10% of the parking area is used. So much for wonderful history.
On the bright side, a few amazing things happened. The co-creator of Microsoft stepped in and saved and remodeled a Cinerama theater in Seattle. This was not a "hatbox" style, but it was a great save nonetheless.
The best is from my personal experience. The original "This is Cinerama" film plated in Hollywood at a theater for over a year! Eventually, the Dome (also known as the Cinerama Dome) was built, and played mostly later one strip Cinerama features, although it could accomodate 3 strip. The theater sat in disrepair for years, until a theater company got it and were very, very smart. They added on a series of very nice theaters in back, an amazing cafe and gift shop, and the KEPT THE DOME! They play all sorts of movies in it.
When I went there, I was looking at a display of one of the 3 Strip cameras in a little window there, and a guy came up and started to talk to me. He was a projectionist, and told me that they found and restored the ORIGINAL projectors, and that they would be playing 3 Strip for a special engagement.
Sure enough, 3 months later I went there with the family and saw "This is Cinerama" in 3 strip. Amazing, it was still good.
I have much more information on all this if anyone is interested.
