You are right about the Imax Ridefilm projectors using conventional (dual pin) intermittents to run 70mm 8-perf film sideways at 48FPS. However, the intermittent disengages to allow high speed rewind through the projector back to the start point, wher the machine locks back up with the intermittent. Those are a modifoed version of a "PRO-VISTA" VistaVision projector on a Ballantyne main frame. We've built a few of those and other variations as well...

Hitchcock was doing a lot of work for Paramount around the time he made those movies. In fact, THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY and VERTIGO were both Paramount releases (NORTH BY NORTHWEST was MGM).

At the time, Paramount was in charge of deciding which films got VistaVision treatment. Hitchcock was reportedly not too thrilled about having to use the process.

We would dearly love to be able to restore one of the original Kalee VV machines to running condition.
However even though we are a National Museum we still have finite resources ,both financial and human, and sadly it is unlikely we will undertake such a project in the near future.Even if we did restore it we would still be faced with the problem of available prints and, more importantly finding somewhere to install it. Pictureville already has 4 Victoria 8s and a DP70 eating up space

We are still trying to find backing for a new print of HTWWW and that is a higher priority at the moment.

"Reverse VistaVision" places the intermittent at the opposite end of the gate from VistaVision. When dealing with converting typical conventional mechanical 35mm or 70mm machines to 8/35 horizontal it is easier to (standby for gross oversimplification)just turn the mech head on its side and enlarge the gate. Unfortunately this places the movement at the right of the gate (if you are facing the screen), which is the wrong place for VistaVision. For some purpose-built attractions involving many projectors -mostly in Japan- this "Reverse VistaVision" format is used to reduce projector costs.

Larry

Point taken about Hitchcock having spent the first three decades of his career working in either full-gate or Academy (he started as an assistant art director and stills photographer on Woman to Woman (1924, dir. Graham Cutts)), but a lot of other directors who entered the industry around the same time subsequently became widescreen enthusiasts and worked in a number of different formats (e.g. Michael Powell or John Ford).

H actually worked very rarely in b/w from the mid-50s onwards: if I remember the Truffaut book correctly, I Confess and Strangers on a Train were b/w because he was working out a contract with Warners before moving to Paramount and wanted to make low-budget films quickly in order to get out, whilst Psycho was b/w on account of having been made with zero money using his Alfred Hitchcock Presents TV crew because Paramount had refused to finance it in the belief that it would be a box-office flop!

Stephen:

AFAIK the printers used for the Vertigo restoration were VV to 65mm, not VV to VV. Both contact and optical step printing was used, the latter in cases where original elements were either badly faded (in which case the new neg was printed through filters using a similar principle to Desmetcolour) or shrunk beyond the point at which contact printing is possible. I do not know of any VV to VV printers in current use that can cope with faded or shrunken originals. Presumably the original generation of printers could be modified, but as none of the original cinema projectors seem to exist in their entirety, I'd be a bit surprised if anyone had a working VV printer stashed in their garage!

In any case, the whole point of archival restoration and preservation is to make a film available in a format which is in current use but without sacrificing the integrity of the original. VV to 65/70mm certainly achieves this as far as what you see on the screen is concerned. From our point of view, the less rare and/or obsolete formats we have to support the better.

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You say in your second post that "All 4 were as far as I know installed in London's West End". Do you know where these installations were? I know that one pair was installed at the Odeon, there are photographs of these to be found in various places, with Mk.1 BTH SUPAs in the background. I have read that the other installation in the uk was at the PLAZA, but that these were Century machines from America, not the Kalee ones. Do you know if this is correct, I have never found any photographs of this installation.

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Until it closed last year, I worked at the Plaza. While I certainly wasn't around at the time, I'm fairly certain there were no VistaVision projectors installed.

Also, Ben Wales said:

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There are hundreds if not thousands of cinemas which can show 70mm now,
I like to know where as now days (certainly in the UK) only a hand full of cinemas can show 70mm and no doubt in the world only a few hundred or so theatres that are really equipted with 70mm.

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I think the list will be longer than you think!

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Michael Swarbrick
Projectionist, Empire Leicester Square

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The Odeon started ut with BTH projectors, which were standard for Odeon, it later had BTH Mk.1 SUPAs, then, for a while, the Kalee Vistavision machines, along with the SUPAs, I'm not certain, but I think one of the SUPAs may have had to be removed to make room for them, then Vic Xs, one of which is now at Bletchley Park, then Vic 8s, until the refurbishment a few years ago. It currently has the Cinemeccanica machines which can take large spools on the base, the feed and take-up spools being off-set, and overlapping. It also has various other equipment, follow spots etc., a platter, and until recently also had a cinemeccanica tower, it was no longer needed with the new projectors which can take the large spools directly. For many years it had an Eidophor, and now has DLP digital projection as well. Normally three film projectors are installed, except when the Vista machines were in; in some early photographs of the original equipment it looks like ther are four, but I think the one furthest from the camera is either a slide lantern, or a spot, there are no spool boxes visable. I have been in the Odeon box, but it was a long time ago, the Vic Xs were in then. These machines were converted to xenon at some time, around the late '70s, or early '80s, I think.

I think the small auditoria built alongside use Vic 5s.

Im sure there is another west end odeon ive being around which used to be an ABC which had 70mm, cant remeber which one it was though ,shaftsbury ave??

The NFT which Leo used to work at had 70 (DP70's), so has the BFI IMAX.
Other sites in the Uk have 70, the ones with DP70's are on the DP70 list on the www.in70mm.com website.
The local Odeon in harrogate used to show 70 but i think the penthouse and the mag sound gear has since being removed when the place was trippled.

You will find a picture of the Supa’s and Kalee VV era on Fred Fullerton’s wonderful website.

www.spoolbox.net

Darren,

You are correct about the ABC 1&2, Shaftsbury Avenue, which has now been re-branded the Odeon, Covent Garden with four screens.

Pity that 70mm was ever removed from what was the Columbia Theatre, Shaftsbury Avenue. I spent a very happy freelance 9 months 30 years ago, mostly running 70mm.