Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: TORA! TORA! TORA! (1970) now on Blue Ray

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Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 12-08-2011, 07:13 PM:

The Waikiki Twin Theatres closed nine years ago in 2002 after it opened with TORA! TORA! TORA! in 1970 in 70mm in house #1. THe movie was world premiered at this theatre and in Washington D.C. and Tokyo on the 31st anniversary of the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor.

I really enjoyed this movie and watched it many times after I saw it at the Waikiki and on VHS tape, laserdisc, DVD and now on a Blue Ray disc. I thought the movie looked pretty good on laserdisc and DVD but they both cannot compare to the way it now looks on BD. The single disc is housed in a Digibook package with some very interesting information about the historical figures and the actors portraying them in the movie. In addition to the fantastic picture quality, the sound is also very good.

-Claude

Posted by Bill Duelly (Member # 3612) on 12-08-2011, 07:50 PM:

So glad to hear. I was looking forward to a Blu-Ray of that.

I remember visiting Pearl Harbor in 1971 and talking to the launch operator about the filming. He noted that it was very unsettling, even some 29 years (at that time) after the fact, of scores of Japanese fighter planes swarming in and explosions going off.

Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 12-08-2011, 08:26 PM:

Can't say I liked the movie, but it was my first introduction to movie making.

My family was stationed in Hawaii when it was being shot. Lots of the Navy personel were extras and got paid more for providing their own uniforms. One of the NCO's borrowed my father's officers uniform because they were paying more for officers.

A beach straffing scene was shot near my school. It was there I learned the concept of hurry up and wait as they shot the scene. Then had to do all of the set up, including reloading the squibs in all the guys shot and shoot it again. Boring as hell, took all day and I'm not even sure it made the movie.

We lived on the Iroquois Point Navy Housing, at the mouth of Pearl Harbor, so got to watch the "attack" from our lanai. Bigger than 70mm [Wink]

Posted by Michael Coate (Member # 757) on 12-08-2011, 11:37 PM:

quote: Claude S. Ayakawa
THe movie was world premiered at this theatre and in Washington D.C. and Tokyo on the 31st anniversary of the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor.

The 31st anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor would've been on December 7, 1972. Tora! Tora! Tora! opened on September 23, 1970, with multi-city premieres in Tokyo, New York, Los Angeles, and Honolulu (listed in time-zone order). A day later, the film opened in Osaka and Washington, DC.

Posted by Markus Ito (Member # 6207) on 12-09-2011, 12:11 AM:

I have only been able to seen this on DVD but I found it to be very informative and enjoyable. I would have loved to have seen it in 70mm, but since its on BD now I will have to see it again. One thing I found particularly interesting with this movie was how much historical data was contained in the film. After watching it for the first time I went and looked up many of the different characters and events, which made watching in a second time even more interesting.

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 12-09-2011, 02:47 PM:

Martin,

As you may well know, Iroquois Point near Ewa Beach is not too far from Waipahu where I live. I have lived here all my life except the years I spent in California studying photography. When the attack at Pearl Harbor took place, we lived on the shore of the west lock of the Harbor and on the opposite side of the peninsula where the attack took place. Because I was only a little over 2 years and four months old, I do not remember the attack at all but my father told my brother and me years later how the houses in our neighborhood were riddled with bullet holes including ours. I also remember my mother telling us about my grandfather and grandmother who immigrated to Hawaii from Niigata Japan around the turn of the twentieth century both crying that December 7th when my family went to their home immediately after the attack.

Michael,

Are you sure about Los Angeles, New York, Honolulu and Tokyo simultaneously hosting the world premiere of TORA! TORA! TORA! ? If you are, the Honolulu newspaper articles I read when the film premiered here with the other cities was wrong when they reported Washington D.C. Honolulu and Tokyo were co hosting the world premiere on the same day because the events leading up to the attack and the attack itself occurred in those three cities.

BTW: The new Blue Ray of TORA!TORA! TORA! features both the domestic as well as the Japanese version which is slightly longer.

-Claude

Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 12-09-2011, 03:02 PM:

Claude:

We used to see movies at the Waipahu drive in (don't know if that was its real name). 7 kids in a station wagon. I know I saw Hawaii there, and pretty sure The Jungle Book.

Google maps tells me the "temporary housing" a Iroquois point we lived in then is still standing and being used. It's been over 40 years since I've been to Hawaii, hope I get to visit again someday.

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 12-09-2011, 03:33 PM:

Martin,

The drive in theatre you mentioned was the Royal Sunset Drive In and it is gone now. In fact all of four of the drive in theatres on Oahu have all been demolished due to the high prices of real estate in the islands and replaced with more profitable ventures.

I remember the Royal Sunset a lot because I used to go there often. It was operated by Royal Theatres who at one time operated the Royal in Waikiki, the King, Queen, Palace, Royal Marina and also the Waalae Drive In. All of the theatres are all gone now with the exception of Queen Theatre building in Kaimuki. The building is empty and there is talk of restoring it to it's former glory as a motion picture and performing arts venue. The Queen was where Walt Disney's SLEEPING BEAUTY played an exclusive run in Honolulu in 70mm.

-Claude