This is topic 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' turns 30 today... in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.


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Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 06-12-2011, 07:26 AM:
 
Share your stories...where did you guys and gals see it first?

For me it was the Rockhampton Cinema Centre. I was 15 (released here in August '81). I carried all 6 reels in two film trunks from the bus depot to the cinema. I made up the print and ran the first session on 2000' reels.

I've run it many times since then...on Super 8mm, 16mm, 35mm and 7Omm.

So Happy Birthday, Indy and remember...it's not the years honey, it's the mileage.
 

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Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 06-12-2011, 08:32 AM:
 
I saw it opening night at the midnight show at the Mann's National Theatre in Westwood area in Los Angeles. All shows sold out that day (1100 seat single screen) The National's presentation in 70MM was outstanding the whole room rocked. It played there from June-Oct and came back in Nov. Over the next year or two I saw it in 70MM at the Pacific's Cinerama Dome, Pacific's Picwood, Mann's Chinese, Mann's Bruin, Mann's Hollywood and GCC's Avco Theatres. I've never seen it in 35mm.
 

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Posted by Fred Georges (Member # 505) on 06-12-2011, 09:45 AM:
 
I saw it opening day at the now defunct United Artist Theater in downtown Chicago. 35mm Dolby optical. Liked it straight away. Took the Wife & in-laws to see it at the (Now also Defunct) Edens II Theater. This time,in 70mm on a Dimension 150 screen...I was Blown away & went back to that theater at least 6 times with different people to see it again. Happy Birthday Dr.Jones!!
 

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Posted by Mark Lensenmayer (Member # 134) on 06-12-2011, 11:13 AM:
 
Saw a week early in a sneak preview at the Continent in Columbus, where the projectors sat in the lobby. No left channel sound, so I went to complain and pointed to the meters on the processor to the manager who told me there was no problem because "no one else had oomplained." Moron...

Anyway, a full house watched this film in amazement. Since this was early, no one had any idea of what was going to happen. At the ninja scene, the place just erupted. It did the same during the final Nazi angel of death scene. One of my favorite movie memories.
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-12-2011, 12:40 PM:
 
I've never seen it, except on a 12" portable TV about 15 years ago. These friends of mine, who had recently married, heard I'd never seen it and insisted that I come over and watch it with them. Of course on that little TV it was terrible, so I pretty much tuned out for most of the movie. So for all intents and purposes, I haven't seen it.

The only one of the series I've seen was "Temple of Doom" which I really liked a lot. Having heard many times that that's the worst of the series, I really want to see the others -- but it has to be on a big enough screen.
 

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Posted by Mitchell Dvoskin (Member # 751) on 06-12-2011, 01:29 PM:
 
I saw it opening weekend at the RKO Stanley Warner Route 4 Theatre in 70mm. The main floor of the original auditorium was still intact with around 1000 sold out seats. The sound cut during the show, and after 5 minutes of picture and no sound, a friend I was there with stood up and in a loud booming voice shouted, "I don't know about the rest of you, but I want my money back". He headed up the aisle and around 200 people followed him. I stayed and eventually the sound was restored.
 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 06-12-2011, 02:51 PM:
 
I first watched Raiders of the Lost Ark during its original release at a theater in New Orleans. I forget the name of the place; it was near Oakwood Mall on the West Bank not far from where my family lived in Gretna.

My parents saw the movie a couple evenings earlier and loved it. They insisted I ride my bicycle over there for an afternoon show. I wasn't all that interested in seeing it. The movie didn't have space ships or monsters and it was set in the 1930s. At the same I figured movies set in previous decades instead of the present or future were boring. I gave the show a chance and loved it so much I sat through two screenings of it back to back.

I don't know if any movie theaters in New Orleans showed Raiders in 70mm. I didn't know enough about the tech side of theaters and film prints at that time to search for theaters that did show it in 70mm.

I'm hoping Paramount and Lucasfilm do an excellent job with the Blu-ray whenever they get around to releasing it on the format.
 

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Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 06-12-2011, 03:54 PM:
 
It has been slated (along with Temple and Crusade) for a 2012 release on BR.
 

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Posted by Lionel Fouillen (Member # 1475) on 06-12-2011, 03:57 PM:
 
Saw it in July 1981 at the Empire Leicester Square (London) in 70mm. I was 11 years old and a Star Wars fan. We were on holiday in London and I asked my dad to go and see Raiders because it was the new Lucas production and had Harrison Ford in it.

The Empire had its front covered with a huge panel representing the poster bill. A full-scale dummy dressed as Indiana Jones was hanging in front of it with a rope. In the foyer, the Ark (the prop) that had been used in the film was being exhibited. It was also my first film at the Empire.

Then I saw it in 70mm in Brussels, at the now closed Varietes on its Cinerama screen. Then in 35mm with French dubbing in my city Liege (crappy projection, no sound during first 5 minutes because it was the opening day of this cheap multiplex Opera and the automation went havock).

Then again in 70mm in London at the Plaza and the Columbia, when it kept moving over for years, touring almost all 70mm houses of London.

I wish I could see it again today in 70 at a decent theater...
 

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Posted by Sean Weitzel (Member # 244) on 06-12-2011, 04:20 PM:
 
When this came out I was 6 years old and my folks back then didn't have a lot of time or extra money to go to the Cinema. Even then my first real movie memory starts at a drive-in for Empire Strikes Back. I believe my first exposure to this movie was from VHS tape at a friend's house. I fell in love with it then and have watched it countless times in various home video formats but to this day I have yet to actually see it on film in a theater.
 

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Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 06-12-2011, 05:34 PM:
 
I was still living in The Bahamas when RAIDERS was released. I didn't catch it on opening day but I did see it during its first weekend. I probably saw it on the first Saturday or Sunday. I would've been eleven years old.

The Shirley Street Theatre had something like 864 seats. Smoking was permitted in the balcony. In 1981, sound was mono there.

I remembered liking it but, to be real honest, I didn't remember much about the movie afterwards. I remembered the music, the scene in the map room, the well of souls and opening the ark. And there was a huge poster out in front of the theatre; the size they use at bus stops nowadays.

It would be years before I got to see it again on video - Betamax. (Although, I did work at a store that sold a bunch of copies on RCA Selectavision discs.) Seeing it on video obviously wasn't the same. The spectacle was missing, but I'll say this: I got to focus much more on the story, which was great.

I got to show RAIDERS a few times when I worked at USC. The last time I showed it was to a class (of about 400 students), many of whom had never seen it.

USC also shows a few scenes from RAIDERS in Tom Holman's "Intro to Sound" class. (It's taught by one of Tom's former students now, but the syllabus is the exact same one that Tom created.) George Lucas provided copies of the original predubs for the prologue sequence, so that the students could hear the dialogue, foley, sfx and music in isolation. (IIRC, there are actually 3 separate sfx predubs: Backgrounds/Ambiences and then the SFX are spread over 2 predubs.) The predubs are played against the same "dirty dupe" (B&W) that the sound editors worked with, and then the final 6-Track printmaster is played with picture in color.

Three other scenes (from RAIDERS) used for that class -- the fight in Marion's burning bar, the fight under the airplane and opening the ark. But these scenes are not broken down into predubs -- these are the scenes that were submitted for Academy Award consideration.

Tom used to run a dupe of the 35mm workprint, with the mag tracks on dubbers, but now it's all been transferred to HDCam for the class. Not as much "fun" to run it that way, but it really doesn't look or sound any different (to me).

It's amazing how long those elements held up with that much use. It doesn't sound dated at all, it sounds as good as today's digital tracks - except it was much harder to pull this off back then.
 

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Posted by Caleb Johnstone-Cowan (Member # 3710) on 06-12-2011, 05:53 PM:
 
I saw it on TV and DVD, but managed to see it a couple of years back as a late show at the Empire Leicester Square. There were only about 20 people in there, and it's a huge auditorium. It was apparently a 35mm presentation, but looked and sounded so much better than anything else I'd seen there or most other Cinemas. I cannot believe it got a 'PG' here, the end scene is really scary! If I ever own a Cinema I'm playing it at least once a month, great film.
 

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Posted by Michael Coate (Member # 757) on 06-12-2011, 09:37 PM:
 
Cinema Treasures. The layout was botched on the version posted at Cinema Treasures, so here's a corrected, easier-to-read version that hopefully you fans of the movie will enjoy reading.

But before I post the article, I ought to answer John's question. So...I first saw Raiders at the Barstow Twin in Barstow, CA, in August '81. The movie opened on the final day of school of what for me was 7th grade, but, unfortunately, it was several weeks before I had an opportunity to see it because (1) our small-town theater didn't book it on that initial 6/12/81 break, and (2) I spent much of that summer in Germany where it hadn't yet been released to the American military theaters or the German theaters. I recall buying the soundtrack album before seeing the movie.

Raiders is my #2 all-time favorite movie and is one of about four movies I've seen over 100 times (about a dozen in the theater).

quote:

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HAPPY 30TH, “RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK”

CELEBRATING THE ACTION-ADVENTURE CLASSIC ON ITS 30TH ANNIVERSARY

Compiled by Michael Coate

“The thing to keep in mind about RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK is that it is only a movie. It takes all the license of an exotic entertainment that aims to thrill and scare and strike one with a sense of wonder.” — Steven Spielberg

Indiana Jones – Harrison Ford
Marion Ravenwood – Karen Allen
Rene Belloq – Paul Freeman
Arnold Toht – Ronald Lacey
Sallah – John Rhys-Davies
Satipo – Alfred Molina
Dietrich – Wolf Kahler
Gobler – Anthony Higgins
Marcus Brody – Denholm Elliott

Director – Steven Spielberg
Producer – Frank Marshall
Screenplay – Lawrence Kasdan (screenplay), George Lucas and Philip Kaufman (story)
Executive Producers – George Lucas, Howard Kazanjian
Music – John Williams
Editor – Michael Kahn, ACE
Associate Producer – Robert Watts
Director of Photography – Douglas Slocombe
Production Designer – Norman Reynolds
Visual Effects Supervisor – Richard Edlund
Sound Designer – Ben Burtt
Supervising Sound Effects Editor – Richard L. Anderson
Re-recording Mixers – Bill Varney, Steve Maslow, Gregg Landaker
Production Sound – Roy Charman

Studio – Paramount Pictures
Production Company – Lucasfilm Ltd.
Release Date – June 12, 1981
Running Time – 115 minutes
Projection/Sound Format – Scope/Dolby Stereo
MPAA Rating – PG

NUMBERS

1 = Rank on top-grossing films of 1981
2 = Indy’s rank on AFI’s list of the 100 Greatest Heroes and Villains
3 = Rank on all-time boxoffice list at close of run
5 = Number of Academy Awards (four competitive + one special achievement)
8 = Number of Academy Award nominations
13 = Number of years RAIDERS was Paramount Pictures’ most-successful film
15 = Rank on current list of all-time top-grossing films (adjusted for inflation)
60 = Rank on American Film Institute’s list of the 100 Greatest American Films
67 = Rank on current list of all-time top-grossing films
73 = Number of days of principal photography
81 = Number of weeks longest-running engagement played
1,078 = Number of opening-week bookings in the United States and Canada
6,500 = Approximate number of snakes used for the Well of the Souls sequence

$8.3 million = Opening-weekend box-office gross
$22.8 million = Production cost
$242.4 million = Cumulative domestic box-office gross
$386.0 million = Cumulative worldwide box-office gross
$692.8 million = Cumulative domestic box-office gross (adjusted for inflation)

MEMORABLE DIALOGUE

“Snakes. Why’d it have to be snakes?” — Indy / “Asps. Very dangerous. You go first.” — Sallah

“Jones, do you realize what the Ark is? It’s a transmitter. It’s a radio for speaking to God.” — Belloq

“Bad dates.” — Sallah

“It’s not the years, honey, it’s the mileage.” — Indy

“I hate snakes, Jock. I hate ’em.” — Indy

“Trust me.” — Indy

WHAT THE CRITICS HAD TO SAY

“The guys who made JAWS and STAR WARS have done it again. It’s too good to be true.” — David Ansen, Newsweek

“I don’t know how strong is Paramount’s percentage in the distribution of RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, but of one thing I’m certain — Lucas and Spielberg have just opened up another goldmine.” — Arthur Knight, The Hollywood Reporter

“RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK is sensational. This awesomely entertaining adventure spectacle succeeds in fusing the most playful and exciting elements of Spielberg’s JAWS and Lucas’s STAR WARS in a fresh format.” — Gary Arnold, The Washington Post

“Two hours of non-stop thrills condensed into one giant, fun-filled entertainment.” — Rex Reed

“RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK is one of the most deliriously funny, ingenious and stylish American adventure movies ever made.” — Vincent Canby, The New York Times

“Hurrah and hallelujah! It’s hats-in-the-air, heart-in-the-mouth time at the movies again.” — Sheila Benson, Los Angeles Times

“RAIDERS has it all — the best two hours of pure entertainment anyone is going to find — a blockbuster on the order of STAR WARS and JAWS.” — Richard Schickel, Time Magazine

“RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK is about as entertaining as a commercial movie can be.” — Gene Siskel, Chicago Tribune

“Spielberg has directed it all brilliantly, finding his own way to tell a 1930s story in 1981’s visual language…it’s the best movie he has ever made.” — Bernard Drew, Gannett News Service

“RAIDERS contains within five minutes more scenes, thrills and action than can be accomplished by most movies in two hours.” — Ron Base, Toronto Star

“A frantic, frenetic, fantasy frolic that is sure to be one of this summer’s biggest box office hits.” — Gene Shalit, THE TODAY SHOW

“[RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK is] no more substantial than cotton candy, but it’s easily the best piece of entertainment Hollywood has produced in 1981.” — Bruce McCabe, The Boston Globe

“Remember when movies used to promise a thrill a minute? Well, RAIDERS nearly doubles that ratio. It makes you feel like you’re beating the speed limit just sitting still.” — Michael Sragow, Rolling Stone

TRIVIA & FACTOIDS

Promotional slogans used for the RAIDERS release included: “Indiana Jones—the new hero from the creators of JAWS and STAR WARS” and “The creators of JAWS and STAR WARS now bring you the Ultimate Hero in the Ultimate Adventure.”

RAIDERS spawned two sequels, a prequel, a prequel television series, a theme park attraction, video games, and countless imitations.

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ART was Mad Magazine’s spoofy take on RAIDERS.

RAIDERS included stock footage from LOST HORIZON (1973) and THE HINDENBURG (1975).

The longest theatrical engagement of RAIDERS is believed to have been an 81-week run in San Jose (25 weeks at the Century 21 followed by a 56-week moveover run at the Century 25). The longest, continuous engagement in a single-screen theater is believed to have been a 58-week run at the Cinema Grossmont in the San Diego suburb of La Mesa.

RAIDERS won four Academy Awards: Film Editing, Art Direction, Sound, and Visual Effects, plus a special achievement award for Sound Effects Editing. The film was also nominated in the categories of Picture, Director, Original Score, and Cinematography. Other awards RAIDERS received included Favorite Motion Picture (People’s Choice Award), Golden Reel (Motion Picture Sound Editors), Best Fantasy Film (Saturn), Best Edited Feature Film (ACE Eddie), Best Production Design/Art Direction (BAFTA), Best Film Music (BAFTA), Best Album of Original Score written for a Motion Picture or Television special (Grammy), Best Dramatic Presentation (Hugo).

By the close of its theatrical release, RAIDERS had become the highest-grossing film in the history of Paramount Pictures. It held that distinction until being dethroned in 1994 by FORREST GUMP.

Two original documentaries on RAIDERS were produced: THE MAKING OF RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (for public television) and GREAT MOVIE STUNTS: RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (for network television).

RAIDERS was test-screened on May 9, 1981, at the Northpoint Theatre in San Francisco.

Paramount’s originally-scheduled release date for RAIDERS was June 19, 1981. Shortly before release, so as not to compete during opening weekend with SUPERMAN II and THE CANNONBALL RUN, the studio moved up the release by one week where instead the competition was CLASH OF THE TITANS and HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART I.

RAIDERS was screened at the Cannes Film Festival in May 1981.

RAIDERS was screened as a sneak preview in selected markets one week before release.

RAIDERS was released to the home video market in December 1983, thirty months after initial theatrical release.

RAIDERS had its cable television premiere broadcasts during November 1984.

RAIDERS had its network television premiere broadcast (on ABC) on September 28, 1986.

RAIDERS was the first home video release to sell over one million units. The Beta and VHS editions retailed for the then-low price of $39.95.

RAIDERS was Steven Spielberg’s fifth collaboration with composer John Williams and third with editor Michael Kahn. Williams and Kahn have worked on the majority of Spielberg’s projects.

Richard Amsel, famous for his numerous TV Guide covers, was the artist who painted the artwork used on the film’s promotional material.

RAIDERS was re-released during the summer of 1982 and spring of 1983. The re-release was promoted as “The Return of the Great Adventure.”

The idea for RAIDERS was told by George Lucas to Steven Spielberg on a beach in Hawaii during a May 1977 vacation following the completion and release of Lucas’s STAR WARS and the completion of principal photography of Spielberg’s CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND.

RAIDERS was filmed in 73 days, fifteen days ahead of schedule. Principal photography commenced on June 23, 1980, in La Rochelle, France. Several weeks of studio work was done at EMI Elstree in London. This was followed by a month of shooting in Tunisia before wrapping on October 3, 1980, in Kauai, Hawaii. Although not counted on the official principal photography schedule, the production also included several days of second unit work. Visual effects were produced at Industrial Light & Magic in Marin County, California. In addition, there were a couple of days of additional photography, in January 1981, in San Francisco and Stockton, California.

Indiana was the name of one of George Lucas’s pet dogs.

Tom Selleck was originally cast in the role of Indiana Jones, but a commitment to CBS for the MAGNUM, P.I. television series prevented him from accepting the role. Shortly after Harrison Ford was cast and production began, a Writers Guild strike delayed the production of network television shows, a break which, ironically, would have enabled Selleck to have done RAIDERS. Selleck later would do a RAIDERS-esque episode of MAGNUM, P.I. as well as the similar adventure film HIGH ROAD TO CHINA (1983)

The STAR WARS connections are endless: The canyon where Indy threatens to blow up the Ark and subsequently surrenders to Belloq and the Nazis was the same Tunisia location where R2-D2 was captured by the jawas. Numerous crew members worked on both productions. As a joke, images of STAR WARS characters R2-D2 and C-3PO were included among the hieroglyphics in the Well of the Souls set. The registration letters on Jock’s plane were OB-CPO (as in Obi-Wan Kenobi and C-3PO). And, in addition to Harrison Ford, STAR WARS actor William Hootkins (Porkins) appeared in RAIDERS (as Major Eaton).

The classic “Wilhelm” scream sound effect can be heard during the truck chase sequence.

The submarine featured in RAIDERS was used in DAS BOOT (full scale) and Spielberg’s 1941 (miniature model).

Actors Vic Tablian and Pat Roach each had a dual role in RAIDERS. Tablian played the Peruvian porter Barranca as well as the Monkey Man who attempts to poison Indy and Sallah. Roach played the Giant Sherpa in the Nepal sequence and the German mechanic Indy fights near the Flying Wing.

Producer Frank Marshall played the part of the pilot of the German Flying Wing.

In 1989, the leather jacket and fedora worn by Harrison Ford were donated to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.

RAIDERS in 1999 was selected for preservation by the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress.

THE ORIGINAL ENGAGEMENTS

What follows is a list of the theaters in the United States and Canada that opened RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK on its initial June 12 release date. Bookings that began after June 12 have not been included.

ALABAMA
Anniston – Plaza Cinemas (Dolby Stereo)
Bessemer – Bessemer Twin
Birmingham – Cinema City 8
Birmingham – Fair Park Drive-In
Decatur – Gateway Twin (Dolby Stereo)
Dothan – Northside Mall Cinema 6 (Dolby Stereo)
Gadsden – Mall Triplex
Homewood – Brookwood 1 & 2
Huntsville – Westbury Twin (Dolby Stereo)
Mobile – Village 6 (Dolby Stereo)
Montgomery – Eastdale Triple
Muscle Shoals – Cinema Twin
Opelika – Plaza Twin
Tuscaloosa – Capri

ALASKA
Anchorage – Fireweed Triplex

ALBERTA
Calgary – Chinook (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
Edmonton – Westmount A & B (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
Lethbridge – College
Red Deer – Paramount 1 & 2

ARIZONA
Glendale – Thunderbird Drive-In
Mesa – Fiesta 5
Phoenix – Chris-Town 5 (Dolby Stereo)
Phoenix – Town & Country 6 (Dolby Stereo)
Scottsdale – Camelback Mall Cinema I-II-III
Scottsdale – Scottsdale Drive-In
Tucson – Buena Vista 1 & 2 (Dolby Stereo)
Yuma – Mesa Drive-In

ARKANSAS
Fayetteville – Razorback Twin (Dolby Stereo)
Fort Smith – Mall Trio (Dolby Stereo)
Hot Springs – Gene Boggs Twin
Jacksonville – Flick Twin
Jonesboro – Plaza Twin
Little Rock – Cinema 150 (Dolby Stereo)
Pine Bluff – Flick Twin (Dolby Stereo)

BRITISH COLUMBIA
Burnaby – Lougheed Mall Cinemas 1-2-3 (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
Kamloops – Paramount 1 & 2
Kelowna – Orchard Park 1-2
Prince George – Plaza 400
Vancouver – Vancouver Centre (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)

CALIFORNIA
Alhambra – Alhambra Twin
Antioch – Metro 4 (Dolby Stereo)
Auburn – Auburn Cinema I & II
Bakersfield – Crest Drive-In
Bakersfield – Nile I & II (Dolby Stereo)
Berkeley – California 3 (Dolby Stereo)
Brea – Brea Plaza Square 4
Buena Park – Lincoln Drive-In
Burlingame – Burlingame Drive-In
Capitola – 41st Avenue Playhouse Triplex (Dolby Stereo)
Citrus Heights – Birdcage Walk 6
City of Industry – Puente Hills 10 (Dolby Stereo)
Concord – Solano Drive-In
Corte Madera – Cinema (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
Costa Mesa – South Coast Plaza Triplex (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
Covina – Fox Triplex
Davis – Varsity Twin
Dublin – Dublin Place 6
El Centro – Valley Cinemas 1-6
El Monte – Starlite Drive-In
El Toro – Saddleback Plaza 6
Escondido – Plaza Twin
Eureka – State Triplex (Dolby Stereo)
Fairfield – Chief Cinemas
Fresno – Festival Cinemas (Dolby Stereo)
Fresno – Sunnyside Drive-In
Gardena – Vermont Drive-In
Gilroy – Valley
Glendale – Alex
Grass Valley – Grass Valley Cinema 1 & 2
Hayward – Festival Cinemas (Dolby Stereo)
Hemet – Hemet (Dolby Stereo)
Indio – Kay Donna Drive-In
Isla Vista – Magic Lantern Twin
La Habra – La Habra Drive-In
La Mesa – Cinema Grossmont (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
La Mirada – La Mirada 6 (Dolby Stereo)
Laguna Beach – South Coast Twin
Lakewood – Lakewood Center South (Dolby Stereo)
Lancaster – Lancaster Drive-In
Laverne – Mt. Baldy Drive-In
Long Beach – Lakewood Drive-In
Long Beach – Movies 6 (Dolby Stereo)
Los Angeles (Hollywood) – Chinese Triplex (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
Los Angeles (Sherman Oaks) – La Reina (Dolby Stereo)
Los Angeles (Van Nuys) – Van Nuys Drive-In
Los Angeles (Westwood Village) – National (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
Los Angeles (Woodland Hills) – Topanga 1 & 2 (Dolby Stereo)
Manhattan Beach – Manhattan 6
Marysville – State Triplex
Merced – College Green Cinemas I & II (Dolby Stereo)
Modesto – Festival Cinemas
Montclair – Montclair Triplex (Dolby Stereo)
Monterey – State Triplex
Mountain View – Moffett Drive-In
Napa – Uptown 1 & 2
Norco – Crest Drive-In
Oakland – Coliseum Drive-In
Oakland – Rockridge Showcase 1 & 2
Oceanside – Oceanside 8
Oceanside – Valley Drive-In
Orange – Cinedome 6 (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
Oxnard – Sky View Drive-In
Palm Springs – Camelot Triplex (Dolby Stereo)
Palo Alto – Palo Alto Square Twin (Dolby Stereo)
Paradise – Mountain Pines Cinema 1 & 2
Paramount – Rosecrans Drive-In
Pasadena – Academy (Dolby Stereo)
Pleasant Hill – Century Complex (Dolby Stereo)
Porterville – Porter 3
Redding – Mt. Shasta Mall Movies 3
Rialto – Foothill Drive-In
Richmond – Hilltop Drive-In
Riverside – Canyon Crest Cinemas (Dolby Stereo)
Sacramento – Century Complex (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
Sacramento – Sacramento Drive-In
Salinas – Northridge 4 (Dolby Stereo)
San Bernardino – Crest Twin
San Francisco – Regency I (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
San Jose – Capitol Drive-In
San Jose – Century 21 (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
San Jose – Century 23 A & B (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
San Luis Obispo – Fremont
San Mateo – Hillsdale Cinema I-II-III-IV (Dolby Stereo)
Santa Barbara – Arlington Center (Dolby Stereo)
Santa Maria – Movies 3
Santa Rosa – Cinemas 6
Simi Valley – Simi Drive-In
Sonora – Plaza Twin (Dolby Stereo)
Stockton – Regency Cinemas
Thousand Oaks – Conejo Twin
Torrance – Old Towne 6 (Dolby Stereo)
Union City – Union City Drive-In
Valencia – Valencia 6
Vallejo – Cine 3
Ventura – Ventura (Dolby Stereo)
Victorville – Movies 4 (Dolby Stereo)
Visalia – Fox Triplex
Westminster – Cinema West 4 (Dolby Stereo)

COLORADO
Boulder – Fox (Dolby Stereo)
Colorado Springs – Citadel Cinema I-II-III (Dolby Stereo)
Denver – Century 21 (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
Durango – Gaslight Twin
Fort Collins – Century Mall Triplex
Grand Junction – Colorado West Cinema 4
Greeley – Greeley Mall Twin
Longmont – Movies (Dolby Stereo)
Loveland – Orchards Twin
Pueblo – Southside 4 (Dolby Stereo)

CONNECTICUT
Bridgeport – Merritt Twin (Dolby Stereo)
Danbury – Cine I,II,III
Farmington – The Movies at Westfarms
Manchester – East 1-2-3
Mystic – Village Cinema 1 & 2
Newington – Newington Cinema I-II-III
Norwich – Norwich Cinema 1 & 2
Orange – Showcase Cinemas (Dolby Stereo)
Stamford – Cinemas I,II,III (Dolby Stereo)
Storrs – College Twin (Dolby Stereo)
Waterbury – Plaza 1-2-3-4
Westport – Post
Willimantic – Jillson Square Cinemas

DELAWARE
Claymont – 3 Tri-State Mall (Dolby Stereo)
Dover – Blue Hen Mall
Rehoboth Beach – Midway Palace V

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Washington – Cinema (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)

FLORIDA
Altamonte Springs – Interstate Mall 6
Bradenton – Cortez Twin
Clearwater – Countryside 6
Coral Springs – Coral Springs 6
Dania Beach – Hi-Way Airport 9 Drive-In
Daytona Beach – Daytona 6 (Dolby Stereo)
Deerfield Beach – Ultravision Twin
Fort Lauderdale – Coral Ridge Twin (Dolby Stereo)
Fort Myers – Colonial Twin
Fort Myers Beach – Beach
Fort Pierce – Village I & II
Gainesville – Center Triple (Dolby Stereo)
Hollywood – Florida Twin
Jacksonville – Murray Hill
Jacksonville – The Movies at Regency
Jupiter – Jupiter 3
Kendall – Kendall Twin
Key West – Plaza I & II
Lake Worth – Movies of Lake Worth
Lakeland – Grove Park Cinema I & II
Lauderdale Lakes – Lakes 6 (Dolby Stereo)
Mary Esther – Santa Rosa Triplex
Melbourne – Sarno 2
Merritt Island – Merritt Square 6 (Dolby Stereo)
Miami – Ambassador 4
Miami – Gables Triple
Miami – Omni 6
Naples – Gulfgate Plaza Twin
North Miami Beach – 167th Street Twin
Ocala – Springs Triple (Dolby Stereo)
Orange Park – Kingsley 1 & 2
Orlando – Fashion Square Cinema I-II-III-IV-V-VI (Dolby Stereo)
Panama City – Florida Triple
Pensacola – Fairfield Plaza Twin (Dolby Stereo)
Plantation – Broward Mall Cinema I-II-III-IV (Dolby Stereo)
St. Pete Beach – Dolphin
St. Petersburg – Tyrone Square 6 (Dolby Stereo)
Sarasota – Sarasota Square 6 (Dolby Stereo)
South Miami – Suniland Triple
Stuart – Smithfield 3
Tallahassee – Capitol Cinemas (Dolby Stereo)
Tampa – Hillsboro 1-2-3 (Dolby Stereo)
Tampa – Varsity 6 (Dolby Stereo)
Titusville – Miracle City 1 & 2 (Dolby Stereo)
West Palm Beach – Mall Cinemas

GEORGIA
Albany – Georgia Four (Dolby Stereo)
Athens – Classic Triple
Atlanta – Lenox Square 5 (Dolby Stereo)
Atlanta – Starlight Drive-In
Augusta – Cinema I-II (Dolby Stereo)
Austell – Marbro Drive-In
Chamblee – North 85 Drive-In
Columbus – Columbus Square 4 (Dolby Stereo)
Decatur – North DeKalb Twin
Decatur – South DeKalb Mall Quad
Douglasville – Douglasville Twin
Dublin – Westgate Twin (Dolby Stereo)
Fayetteville – Fayette Triple
Fort Oglethorpe – Southgate Triple
Gainesville – Sherwood
Griffin – Griffin Quad
Lawrenceville – Lawrenceville Triple (Dolby Stereo)
Macon – Cinemas 3 (Dolby Stereo)
Morrow – Southlake Plaza Triple (Dolby Stereo)
Rome – DeSoto
Roswell – Roswell Village Twin
Savannah – Cinema Centre (Dolby Stereo)
Smyrna – Promenade Triple (Dolby Stereo)
Statesboro – Georgia
Union City – Shannon Four
Valdosta – Cinema Twin
Waycross – Mall Twin

HAWAII
Honolulu – Royal (Dolby Stereo)

IDAHO
Boise – Overland Park Cinemas (Dolby Stereo)
Coeur d’Alene – Coeur d’Alene Tri-Cinema
Idaho Falls – Yellowstone Plaza Triplex
Jerome – Jerome Cinema 4 (Dolby Stereo)
Lewiston – Orchards Cinemas
Pocatello – Chief
Twin Falls – Twin Cinema 3

ILLINOIS
Aurora – Fox Valley 1-2-3-4 (Dolby Stereo)
Belleville – Ritz Twin (Dolby Stereo)
Bloomington – Eastland Cinema I-II-III (Dolby Stereo)
Calumet City – River Oaks 1-2-3-4-5-6 (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
Carbondale – Varsity 1-2-3 (Dolby Stereo)
Carpentersville – Spring Hill 1-2-3-4
Champaign – Country Fair 4
Chicago – Plaza 1-2-3
Chicago – United Artists (Dolby Stereo)
Chicago – Water Tower 1-2-3-4 (Dolby Stereo)
Cicero – Bel-Air Drive-In
Crystal Lake – Showplace 1-2-3-4 (Dolby Stereo)
Danville – Times
Decatur – Northgate Mall Cinema I-II-III (Dolby Stereo)
DeKalb – Campus Cinema 4
Evergreen Park – Evergreen 1-2-3 (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
Galesburg – West Twin
Joliet – Jefferson Square Cinema I-II-III (Dolby Stereo)
Kankakee – Meadowview 1-2-3
Lombard – Yorktown Cinema I-II-III-IV (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
Machesney Park – The Movies at Machesney Park
Marion – Town & Country Cinema 4
Niles – Golf Mill 1-2-3 (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
Norridge – Norridge 1-2-3-4 (Dolby Stereo)
North Riverside – Harlem-Cermak Cinema I & II
Northbrook – Edens 1 & 2 (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
Palatine – 53 Drive-In
Peoria – Fox
Peru – Peru Cinemas
Quincy – State
Rockford – CherryVale 1-2-3 (Dolby Stereo)
St. Charles – Arcada (Dolby Stereo)
Schaumburg – Woodfield 1-2-3-4 (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
Springfield – Town & Country
Tinley Park – Bremen 1-2-3 (Dolby Stereo)
Vernon Hills – Hawthorn 1-2-3-4 (Dolby Stereo)
Waukegan – Lakehurst Cinema I-II-III (Dolby Stereo)
Wheeling – Twin Drive-In

INDIANA
Anderson – Mounds Tri-plex
Bloomington – Indiana
Columbus – Columbus Center Cinema 1-2
Elkhart – Concord Mall Cinema 1 & 2
Evansville – North Park Cinemas (Dolby Stereo)
Evansville – Washington Square Cinemas
Fort Wayne – Gateway I-II-III
Fort Wayne – Georgetown I & II
Greenwood – Greenwood Quad (Dolby Stereo)
Hammond – Hammond Drive-In
Indianapolis – Eastgate Cinema I & II
Indianapolis – Glendale Cinema I-II-III-IV-V-VI (Dolby Stereo)
Indianapolis – Lafayette Square Quad (Dolby Stereo)
Kokomo – Kokomo Mall Cinema I-II-III-IV (Dolby Stereo)
Logansport – The Movies at Cass Plaza
Marion – The Movies
Merrillville – Southlake Cinema I-II-III-IV
Michigan City – Dunes Plaza Cinema I-II-III-IV-V-VI
Mishawaka – University Park Cinema I-II-III (Dolby Stereo)
Muncie – Delaware Twin
Richmond – Sidewalk (Dolby Stereo)
Terre Haute – Plaza North Twin
West Lafayette – Cinema West

IOWA
Ames – Mall 1 & 2
Burlington – West I & II
Cedar Falls – College Square Cinema I-II-III (Dolby Stereo)
Cedar Rapids – Westdale Mall Cinema I-II-III-IV (Dolby Stereo)
Davenport – Northpark Cinema I & II (Dolby Stereo)
Des Moines – Riviera
Iowa City – Cinema I & II
Sioux City – Riviera I & II

KANSAS
Hutchinson – Alco Plaza Twin
Kansas City – State Drive-In
Lawrence – Hillcrest Triplex
Leavenworth – Landing 4
Manhattan – West Loop Twin
Overland Park – Oak Park 6
Salina – Mid State Cinemas
Topeka – Fairlawn Twin
Wichita – Boulevard (Dolby Stereo)

KENTUCKY
Bowling Green – Martin Twin
Erlanger – Showcase Cinemas (Dolby Stereo)
Flatwoods – Flatwoods Cinemas
Frankfort – Brighton Park Cinemas 1-2
Hopkinsville – Alhambra
Lexington – Northpark Cinemas (Dolby Stereo)
Lexington – Southpark Cinemas (Dolby Stereo)
Louisville – Showcase Cinemas (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
Owensboro – Malco
Paducah – Paducah Cinemas 1 & 2

LOUISIANA
Alexandria – Don
Baton Rouge – Cinema 8 (Dolby Stereo)
Baton Rouge – University Cinema 4 (Dolby Stereo)
Gretna – Oakwood Cinema I-II-III-IV (Dolby Stereo)
Houma – Southland Cinema 4
Lafayette – Northgate Triple (Dolby Stereo)
Lake Charles – Oak Park Cinema 6
Monroe – Eastgate Triplex (Dolby Stereo)
New Orleans – Plaza Cinema 4 (Dolby Stereo)
New Orleans – Robert E. Lee (Dolby Stereo)
Shreveport – Cinema City 6 (Dolby Stereo)
Shreveport – St. Vincent 6

MAINE
Augusta – State Street Cinemas
Brewer – Cinema Center
Brunswick – Cook’s Corner Cinemas 1, 2 & 3
Lewiston – Parkview
Portland – Nickelodeon Cinemas
Waterville – Cinema Center

MANITOBA
Winnipeg – Northstar 1 & 2 (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)

MARYLAND
Annapolis – Eastport Cinema 1 & 2
Baltimore – Mayfair
Bel Air – Harford Mall Cinemas
Bethesda – Georgetown Square Twin (Dolby Stereo)
Catonsville – Westview Cinema I-II-III-IV (Dolby Stereo)
District Heights – Jerry Lewis Cinemas (Dolby Stereo)
Eldersburg – Carrolltowne Cinemas
Frederick – Mall Cinemas
Greenbelt – Academy 6 (Dolby Stereo)
Hagerstown – Long Meadow Cinemas
Landover – Landover 6
Laurel – Laurel Town Center Twin
Ocean City – Sun & Surf IV
Pasadena – Jumpers Mall Cinema I-II-III-IV-V
Rossville – The Movies
Salisbury – Salisbury Mall Twin
Silver Spring – Silver Spring East
Timonium – Timonium Cinemas

MASSACHUSETTS
Acton – Acton Cinemas 1-2-3-4
Boston – Cinema 57 Twin (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
Brockton – Brockton 1-6 (Dolby Stereo)
Brookline – Chestnut Hill Cinema I-II-III-IV-V (Dolby Stereo)
Chelmsford – Route 3 Cinemas
Danvers – Danvers 1-6 (Dolby Stereo)
Dedham – Showcase Cinemas (Dolby Stereo)
Edgartown – Town Hall
Falmouth – Falmouth Mall Cinemas
Framngham – Shoppers World Cinema I-II-III-IV-V (Dolby Stereo)
Franklin – Franklin
Gardner – Gardner Cinemas
Greenfield – Garden
Hadley – Mountain Farms 4
Hanover – Hanover Mall Cinema I-II-III-IV
Hyannis – Airport Cinemas 1 & 2
Lawrence – Showcase Cinemas (Dolby Stereo)
Leominster – Leominster Cinemas
Mashpee – New Seabury Cinemas 1 & 2
Milford – Cinema Centre (Dolby Stereo)
North Dartmouth – North Dartmouth Mall Cinema I-II-III-IV (Dolby Stereo)
Northampton – Calvin
Oak Bluffs – Island
Orleans – Orleans Cinemas 1 & 2
Pittsfield – Cinema Center
Plymouth – Cinemas 1 & 2
Somerville – Assembly Square 1-8 (Dolby Stereo)
Swansea – Swansea 4
Vineyard Haven – Capawock
West Springfield – Palace 1-2 (Dolby Stereo)
Woburn – Showcase Cinemas (Dolby Stereo)
Worcester – Showcase Cinemas (Dolby Stereo)

MICHIGAN
Ann Arbor – Village 4
Battle Creek – Towne Cinemas (Dolby Stereo)
Bay City – Westown
Benton Harbor – Cinema 5
Bloomfield Hills – Showcase Cinemas (Dolby Stereo)
Dearborn – Dearborn Drive-In
Dearborn – The Movies at Fairlane (Dolby Stereo)
Detroit – Renaissance 1-2-3-4
Farmington Hills – Old Orchard 1-2-3
Flint – Flint (Dolby Stereo)
Grand Rapids – Alpine Twin (Dolby Stereo)
Jackson – Plaza Cinema 1-2-3 (Dolby Stereo)
Kalamazoo – Eastowne 5
Kentwood – The Movies at Woodland
Lansing – Starlite Drive-In
Madison Heights – Abbey 1-2-3 (Dolby Stereo)
Marysville – Playhouse I & II
Midland – Stadium Cinemas
Monroe – Denniston 1 & 2
Mount Pleasant – Broadway
Muskegon – Cinema 6
Muskegon Heights – Getty Drive-In
Novi – The Movies at Twelve Oaks Mall (Dolby Stereo)
Okemos – Meridian 8 (Dolby Stereo)
Pontiac – Pontiac Drive-In
Riverview – Showboat Cinemas
Rochester Hills – Hampton 3
Roseville – Gratiot Drive-In
Saginaw – Quad 8
Southfield – Northland 1-2 (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
Sterling Heights – Showcase Cinemas (Dolby Stereo)
Trenton – Holiday Drive-In
Warren – Cinema City
Westland – Quo Vadis Entertainment Center
Wyoming – Beltline Drive-In

MINNESOTA
Blaine – Northtown Cinema I-II-III-IV
Bloomington – France Avenue Drive-In
Burnsville – The Movies at Burnsville
Duluth – Cinema I & II
Eden Prairie – The Movies at Eden Prairie
Mankato – Mall 4
Maplewood – The Movies at Maplewood
Minneapolis – Skyway 1-2-3-4 (Dolby Stereo)
Moorhead – Safari 1-2-3
Rochester – Oakview
St. Cloud – Cinema 70
St. Paul – Grandview 1 & 2 (Dolby Stereo)
St. Paul – Minnehaha Drive-In
West St. Paul – Cina 4 (Dolby Stereo)
Winona – Cine 4

MISSISSIPPI
Biloxi – Surfside 4 (Dolby Stereo)
Columbus – Varsity Twin
Greenville – Cinema 2
Gulfport – Hardy Court Twin
Hattiesburg – Cinema
Jackson – DeVille (Dolby Stereo)
Meridian – Royal Triple
Natchez – Tracetown Cinema 2
Oxford – Cinema Twin
Pascagoula – Twin
Tupelo – Tupelo Twin (Dolby Stereo)
Vicksburg – Battlefield Twin

MISSOURI
Cape Girardeau – Town Plaza Cinema 1 & 2
Columbia – Biscayne 3
Des Peres – Des Peres 4
Florissant – Grandview Cinema I & II
Independence – Independence Center 2
Jefferson City – Ramada 4
Joplin – Eastgate 5
Kansas City – Bannister Mall 5
Kansas City – Chouteau 4 (Dolby Stereo)
Kansas City – Seville 4
Poplar Bluff – Mansion Mall 1-2
Riverside – North Drive-In
St. Ann – Cypress Village Twin
St. Joseph – Hillcrest 4
St. Peters – I-70 Drive-In
Sikeston – Mall
Springfield – Petite 3
Sunset Hills – Mark Twain (Dolby Stereo)

MONTANA
Billings – Cine 3 (Dolby Stereo)
Bozeman – Cinema
Great Falls – Cine 4
Helena – Gaslight Twin
Kalispell – Strand
Missoula – Mann Triplex

NEBRASKA
Bellevue – South Cinema 4
Fremont – Cinema III
Grand Island – Conestoga 4
Lincoln – 84th & O Drive-In
Lincoln – Douglas 3
North Platte – Mann Triplex
Omaha – Cinema Center (Dolby Stereo)
Omaha – Indian Hills (Dolby Stereo)
Scottsbluff – Village Twin

NEVADA
Las Vegas – Fox (Dolby Stereo)
Reno – Century Complex (Dolby Stereo)

NEW BRUNSWICK
Fredericton – Plaza 1 & 2
Moncton – Paramount 1 & 2
Saint John – Grand Bay Drive-In
Saint John – Paramount 1 & 2

NEW HAMPSHIRE
Concord – Merrimack Cinemas
Laconia – Colonial (Dolby Stereo)
Nashua – Brandt Studio Theatres
Newington – Cine 1-2-3-4-5-6
West Lebanon – Valley I & II

NEW JERSEY
Bloomfield – Royal Twin
Brick Township – Brick Plaza Twin
Clifton – Clifton (Dolby Stereo)
East Brunswick – Route 18 Twin
Edgewater – Showboat Quad
Edison – Plainfield-Edison Indoor/Outdoor
Freehold – Pond Road Quad
Jersey City – Jersey City Triplex
Lawrenceville – Twin Lawrenceville (Dolby Stereo)
Middletown – The Movies at Middletown
Moorestown – Plaza Moorestown (Dolby Stereo)
Morristown – Morristown Triplex (Dolby Stereo)
Newton – Newton Twin
Paramus – Route 4 Quad (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
Parsippany – Morris Hills Cinema I & II
Raritan – Somerville Circle Cinema I-II-III
Ridgewood – Warner Quad (Dolby Stereo)
Rio Grande – Rio Twin
Rockaway Township – Rockaway 12 (Dolby Stereo)
Sayreville – Amboy Sixplex (Dolby Stereo)
Secaucus – Harmon Cove Quad (Dolby Stereo)
Shrewsbury – Shrewsbury Plaza Cinema I-II-III
Toms River – Cinema Alley Twin
Totowa – Totowa Cinema I & II (Dolby Stereo)
Union – Union Twin (Dolby Stereo)
Ventnor City – Twin Plaza
Vineland – Vineland Triplex
Washington – Washington Twin
West Orange – Essex Green Cinema I-II-III (Dolby Stereo)

NEW MEXICO
Albuquerque – Far North Cinema 5
Albuquerque – Louisiana Boulevard Cinema I-II-III
Clovis – Hilltop Twin
Farmington – Centennial Twin
Gallup – Chief
Las Cruces – Rio Grande
Roswell – Cinema I & II
Santa Fe – Movies Twin

NEW YORK
Amherst – Boulevard Mall Cinema I-II-III-IV (Dolby Stereo)
Auburn – Fingerlakes Mall Cinema 4
Bedford Village – Cinema 22
Binghamton – Binghamton Plaza Cinema 1 & 2
Cheektowaga – Holiday 6 (Dolby Stereo)
Colonie – Cine 1-2-3-4-5-6
Cortland – Cinema 1 & 2
Elmira – Elmira Theatres 1-2-3
Elwood – Elwood
Fayetteville – Fayetteville Mall Triplex
Fishkill – Movies 4 Fishkill
Garden City – Roosevelt Field Twin (Dolby Stereo)
Gates – Westgate Twin
Geneva – Geneva Cinema 1 & 2
Hartsdale – Hartsdale Cinema I-II-III-IV (Dolby Stereo)
Ithaca – Pyramid Mall Cinema 4 (Dolby Stereo)
Kingston – Mayfair Twin (Dolby Stereo)
Lawrence – Lawrence Triplex (Dolby Stereo)
Levittown – Nassau Quad (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
Massapequa – Pequa
Middletown – Plaza I & II
Monroe – Monroe
Monticello – Mall Cinema I & II
Nanuet – Route 59
New Hartford – Sangertown Square Cinema 6 (Dolby Stereo)
New Hyde Park – Alan
New Rochelle – Proctor’s Quad
New York (Bronx) – American Twin
New York (Bronx) – City Cinema Twin
New York (Bronx) – Dale
New York (Bronx) – Paradise Quad
New York (Brooklyn) – Georgetowne Twin
New York (Brooklyn) – Kenmore Quad (Dolby Stereo)
New York (Brooklyn) – Metropolitan Quad
New York (Brooklyn) – Oceana Triplex (Dolby Stereo)
New York (Brooklyn) – Oriental Twin
New York (Manhattan) – 34th Street Showplace (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
New York (Manhattan) – Astor Plaza (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
New York (Manhattan) – Coronet (Dolby Stereo)
New York (Manhattan) – Orpheum (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
New York (Queens) – Boulevard Triplex
New York (Queens) – RKO Keith Triplex (Dolby Stereo)
New York (Queens) – Meadows Twin
New York (Queens) – Trylon
New York (Staten Island) – Amboy Twin
New York (Staten Island) – Rae Twin
Newburgh – Windsor I & II
Niagara Falls – Jerry Lewis Twin
Oneonta – Oneonta 1 & 2
Patchogue – Sunwave Twin
Peekskill – Westchester Mall Cinema I-II-III
Pittsford – Pittsford Triplex (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
Poughkeepsie – Juliet Quad
Queensbury – Route 9 Cinemas
Rye – Rye Ridge Twin
Southampton – Southampton Twin
Stony Brook – Stony Brook Triplex
Valley Stream – Sunrise Eightplex (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
West Babylon – South Bay Trio
West Haverstraw – Plaza
Yonkers – Movieland (Dolby Stereo)

NEWFOUNDLAND
St. John’s – Avalon Mall Cinemas 1-2-3-4

NORTH CAROLINA
Aberdeen – Town & Country 1 & 2
Asheville – Asheville Mall 1 & 2 (Dolby Stereo)
Boone – Chalet Triple
Burlington – Janus
Chapel Hill – Ram Triple
Charlotte – Charlottetown Cinema I-II-III
Charlotte – Tryon Mall 1 & 2
Durham – Northgate Twin
Fayetteville – Eutaw Movies 1-2
Gastonia – Eastridge Twin
Goldsboro – Berkeley Cinema 1-2-3
Greensboro – Carolina Circle 6 (Dolby Stereo)
Greensboro – Four Seasons Mall Cinema I-II-III-IV
Greenville – Carolina East Centre
Hickory – Carolina Twin (Dolby Stereo)
High Point – Capri Triple
Jacksonville – Brynn Marr Cinema 1 & 2 (Dolby Stereo)
Lumberton – Cinema 1-2-3 (Dolby Stereo)
Morehead City – Morehead Plaza
Nags Head – Colony House
New Bern – Southgate Twin
Raleigh – Tower Twin
Raleigh – Village Twin (Dolby Stereo)
Rocky Mount – Englewood Cinema 1 & 2
Salisbury – Rowan Cinemas 1 & 2
Statesville – Playhouse
Wilmington – NewCentre Cinema 1-2-3
Wilson – Parkwood Cinema 1 & 2
Winston-Salem – Hanes Mall Cinema I-II-III-IV
Winston-Salem – Parkview Twin

NORTH DAKOTA
Bismarck – Kirkwood Plaza 1-2-3
Grand Forks – Empire

NOVA SCOTIA
Halifax – Paramount 1 & 2
Lower Sackville – Downsview 1-2-3

OHIO
Akron – Akron Square Cine 6
Ashtabula – Nichol’s Plaza Center Cinema I-II-III-IV
Beavercreek – Beaver Valley Cinemas 1-2-3-4-5-6 (Dolby Stereo)
Bellefontaine – Holland Cinemas (Dolby Stereo)
Berea – Berea
Boardman – Southern Park Twin
Canton – McKinley 1 & 2
Cleveland – Yorktown Twin
Columbus – Continent 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 (Dolby Stereo)
Columbus – Eastland Plaza 6
Columbus – Southland Mall Triplex
Cuyahoga Falls – State Twin
Dayton – Cinema North 1-2
Dayton – Dayton Mall Cinemas 1-2-3-4 (Dolby Stereo)
Elyria – Midway Twin
Findlay – Twin Palace
Gallipolis – Spring Valley Triplex
Hamilton – Village
Lima – American Mall Cinema I & II
Mansfield – Cinema World
Marion – Southland Cinemas
Mentor – Great Lakes Mall Cinemas (Dolby Stereo)
New Philadelphia – Cinema Center III
Newark – Cinema Four
Niles – Eastwood 1 & 2
Portsmouth – Columbia
Richmond Heights – East Twin
Rocky River – West Twin
St. Clairsville – Ohio Valley Mall Cinemas
Sandusky – Mall Cinemas
South Euclid – Cedar Center Twin
Springdale – Showcase Cinemas (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
Springfield – Regent 1-2 (Dolby Stereo)
Steubenville – Fort Steuben Mall Cinemas III
Summerside – Showcase Cinemas Eastgate (Dolby Stereo)
Toledo – Showcase Cinemas (Dolby Stereo)
Westerville – Westerville 6
Zanesville – Colony Square Twin

OKLAHOMA
Enid – Video Twin
Lawton – Video Center 3
Midwest City – Heritage Park Cinema 3 (Dolby Stereo)
Muskogee – Trans-Lux Twin
Norman – Satellite 1 & 2
Oklahoma City – North Park Cinema 4 (Dolby Stereo)
Oklahoma City – Reding 4 (Dolby Stereo)
Shawnee – Cinema Centre (Dolby Stereo)
Stillwater – Satellite 1 & 2
Tulsa – Fox Twin
Tulsa – Plaza 3 (Dolby Stereo)

ONTARIO
Barrie – Imperial 1-2-3
Belleville – Quinte Mall Cinemas 1 & 2
Brantford – Capitol
Burlington – Burlington Mall 1-2-3
Chatham – Capitol 1 & 2
Kitchener – Fairview Park
Kitchener – K-W Drive-In
London – 401 Drive-In
London – Century 1 & 2
Niagara Falls – Seneca 1 & 2
North Bay – Capitol
Oshawa – Oshawa Centre
Ottawa – Britannia Drive-In
Ottawa – Elgin 1 & 2
St. Catharines – Pen Centre 1-2-3
Sarnia – Lambton
Sault Ste. Marie – Algoma
Sudbury – City Centre
Sudbury – La Salle Drive-In
Thunder Bay – Paramount 1 & 2
Timmins – Victory 1 & 2
Toronto – Cedarbrae 4 (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
Toronto – Eglinton (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
Toronto – Runnymede 1 & 2 (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
Toronto – Uptown 1-2-3 (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
Windsor – Devonshire 1-2-3

OREGON
Albany – Albany Quad
Astoria – Liberty
Bend – Tower
Eugene – McDonald
Klamath Falls – Pelican Cinemas
Medford – Cinema Center
Milwaukie – Southgate Quad
Portland – Eastgate Tri-Cinema (Dolby Stereo)
Portland – Foster Drive-In
Portland – Washington Square Quad
Salem – Lancaster Mall Quad

PENNSYLVANIA
Allentown – Allentown 3 (Dolby Stereo)
Altoona – Logan Valley Cinema I-II-III-IV (Dolby Stereo)
Camp Hill – Capital City Mall Cinemas
Charleroi – Coyle
Chester – Twin West Goshen
DuBois – Cinemas III
Easton – Easton 4 (Dolby Stereo)
Erie – Cinema World
Fairless Hills – Twin Penn Jersey
Frackville – The Movies at Schuylkill Mall
Harrisburg – Twin East Park Center (Dolby Stereo)
Hazleton – Church Hill Cinema 1 &2
Hermitage – Cinema World
Indiana – Indiana Mall Cinemas IV
Johnstown – Richland Mall Twin
King of Prussia – Twin Plaza (Dolby Stereo)
Lancaster – Pacific 3
Lebanon – Howard
McCandless – Showcase Cinemas North (Dolby Stereo)
Monroeville – Showcase Cinemas East (Dolby Stereo)
Montgomeryville – 3 Montgomeryville
Muncy – The Movies at Lycoming Mall
New Castle – Cinema
North Versailles – Eastland I & II
Philadelphia – Pilgrim Gardens
Philadelphia – SamEric (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
Philadelphia – Twin Chestnut Hill
Pittsburgh – Chatham
Reading – Fairgrounds 5 (Dolby Stereo)
Robinson Township – Showcase Cinemas West (Dolby Stereo)
Scranton – Viewmont Mall Cinema I-II-III-IV-V (Dolby Stereo)
Selinsgrove – Fox 4
State College – Cinema One & Two
Uniontown – Twin 40
Warren – Warren Mall Cinemas III
Washington – Cinema 19
West Mifflin – Cinema World
Wilkes-Barre – Wyoming Valley Mall Cinema I-II-III-IV-V
York – York Cinema 4

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
Charlottetown – Charlottetown Mall Cinemas

QUEBEC
Montreal – Imperial (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)

RHODE ISLAND
Lincoln – Lincoln Mall Cinema I-II-III-IV (Dolby Stereo)
Middletown – Starcase Cinema I II III
Warwick – Warwick Mall Cinema I & II (Dolby Stereo)
Westerly – United

SASKATCHEWAN
Regina – Capitol 1 & 2
Regina – Starlite Drive-In
Saskatoon – Midtown Cinema A & B

SOUTH CAROLINA
Anderson – Osteen 1 & 2
Charleston – Ashley Plaza Cinema I-II-III
Columbia – Bush River Mall Cinema I-II-III-IV
Florence – Magnolia Mall 1-2-3
Greenville – Astro Twin (Dolby Stereo)
Greenville – Mall Cinema 1 & 2
Myrtle Beach – Dunes Cinema 1-2-3
Spartanburg – WestGate Twin
Sumter – Movies 1-2-3
Surfside Beach – Plitt Triple

SOUTH DAKOTA
Rapid City – Northgate 1 & 2
Sioux Falls – West Mall 1-2

TENNESSEE
Clarksville – Martin Four
Cleveland – Village Twin
Cookeville – Highland Twin (Dolby Stereo)
Goodlettsville – Rivergate 4
Hermitage – Hermitage 4
Hixson – Northgate Triple
Jackson – Cabana
Johnson City – Majestic
Kingsport – Martin
Knoxville – Capri Cinema I-II-III
Memphis – Park (Dolby Stereo)
Memphis – Southbrook 7 (Dolby Stereo)
Murfreesboro – Martin Twin
Nashville – Belcourt Twin (Dolby Stereo)
Nashville – Capri Twin
Oak Ridge – Grove Cinemas I-II-III

TEXAS
Abilene – Cinema 6 (Dolby Stereo)
Amarillo – Fox Twin
Arlington – Six Flags Mall Cinema I-II-III-IV-V (Dolby Stereo)
Austin – Fox Triplex (Dolby Stereo)
Austin – Lakehills Cinema 4 (Dolby Stereo)
Bay City – Bay Cinema 4 (Dolby Stereo)
Baytown – Bay Plaza 1 & 2
Brownsville – Cinema Twin
Brownwood – Cinema Twin
Bryan – Manor East 3 (Dolby Stereo)
Conroe – North Hills Twin
Corpus Christi – National Twin
Dallas – Astro Drive-In
Dallas – Cinema Twin (Dolby Stereo)
Dallas – Walnut Hill 6
Dallas – Wynnewood 2
Del Rio – Cinema III (Dolby Stereo)
Denton – Cinema 1 & 2 (Dolby Stereo)
El Paso – Fox Twin
El Paso – Town East
Fort Worth – Hulen 6 (Dolby Stereo)
Friendswood – Baybrook Mall Cinema I-II-III-IV
Galveston – Galvez Mall Cinema I-II-III
Garland – Apollo Drive-In
Harlingen – Commerce
Houston – Gulfway Drive-In
Houston – North Oaks 6 (Dolby Stereo)
Houston – Northwest 4
Houston – Southway 6
Houston – Windsor Twin (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
Houston – Woodlake 3
Hurst – Belaire
Irving – Chateau 3
Killeen – Cinema 4
Lake Jackson – Cinema 1 & 2
Laredo – Cinema del Norte 4
Longview – Mall Twin
Lubbock – Fox Twin
Lufkin – Towne Square 4
McAllen – Mall Trio
New Braunfels – Brauntex 1 & 2
Oak Ridge North – Oak Ridge Cinema 8 (Dolby Stereo)
Odessa – Permian 4 (Dolby Stereo)
Paris – Cinema 1 & 2
Pasadena – Southmore 6
Pasadena – Town & Country Drive-In
Port Arthur – Village 3
Richardson – Promenade 1 & 2 (Dolby Stereo)
Rosenberg – Twin City Drive-In
San Angelo – Sunset 4 (Dolby Stereo)
San Antonio – Century South 6 (Dolby Stereo)
San Antonio – Cine Cinco (Dolby Stereo)
San Antonio – Ingram 6 (Dolby Stereo)
San Antonio – Wonder Twin
Seguin – Palace I & II
Sherman – Cinema 4 (Dolby Stereo)
Sugar Land – Palms Twin
Temple – Cinema 6 (Dolby Stereo)
Texarkana – Southwest Mall 3
Texas City – Bayou Drive-In
Tyler – Cinema 4 (Dolby Stereo)
Victoria – Salem 6 (Dolby Stereo)
Waco – Richland Mall Cinema I-II-III-IV
Wichita Falls – Sikes Center 6

UTAH
Cedar City – Cedar Twin
Logan – Cache Valley Triplex
Provo – Academy
Riverdale – Mann Fourplex
St. George – The Movies
Salt Lake City – Villa (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)

VERMONT
South Burlington – Showcase 1-2-3-4-5

VIRGINIA
Bailey’s Crossroads – Skyline 6 (Dolby Stereo)
Blacksburg – Capri Twin
Bristol – Bristol Mall 4
Charlottesville – Greenbrier 1 & 2
Coeburn – Coeburn Cinema III
Collinsville – Town and Country
Culpeper – Regal Cinemas
Danville – Riverside 1 & 2
Fredericksburg – Virginians 4 (Dolby Stereo)
Hampton – Riverdale Twin (Dolby Stereo)
Hillsville – Mayberry
Lynchburg – River Ridge Cinema I-II-III-IV (Dolby Stereo)
Norfolk – Circle 10 (Dolby Stereo)
Norfolk – Terrace Twin
Petersburg – Crater Cinemas
Portsmouth – Tower Mall 2
Richmond – Ridge Cinemas 1,2,3,4 (Dolby Stereo)
Richmond – Trans-Lux Twin
Roanoke – Towers 1-2
Springfield – Springfield Mall Cinema I-II-III-IV-V-VI (Dolby Stereo)
Vienna – Tysons Cinema 4
Williamsburg – Martin Twin

WASHINGTON
Bellevue – Factoria 3 (Dolby Stereo)
Bellingham – Viking Twin
Bremerton – Redwood Plaza 4
East Wenatchee – Columbia Triplex
Everett – Everett Mall Cinema I-II-III-IV-V-VI
Kennewick – Columbia Center Triplex (Dolby Stereo)
Kirkland – Totem Lake Cinema 3 (Dolby Stereo)
Lacey – Lacey Cinemas
Longview – Longview
Seattle – Northgate (Dolby Stereo)
Spokane – State (Dolby Stereo)
Tacoma – Tacoma Mall Twin (Dolby Stereo)
Tukwila – Southcenter (70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo)
Vancouver – Vancouver Mall Cinemas (Dolby Stereo)
Yakima – Uptown Plaza (Dolby Stereo)

WEST VIRGINIA
Bridgeport – Terrace Cinema 1-2-3
Charleston – Village
Huntington – Camelot 1 & 2
Morgantown – Warner

WISCONSIN
Appleton – Marc 1 & 2 (Dolby Stereo)
Ashwaubenon – Bay Park Square Cinema I-II-III (Dolby Stereo)
Beloit – Prairie 1-2-3 (Dolby Stereo)
Brookfield – Brookfield Square Cinemas (Dolby Stereo)
Eau Claire – Hollywood 3 (Dolby Stereo)
Fond du Lac – Forest Mall Cinema I & II
Franklin – 41 Twin Drive-In
Greenfield – Spring Mall Triplex (Dolby Stereo)
Janesville – Cinemas 1-2-3
Kenosha – Cinemas 5
La Crosse – Hollywood
Lake Geneva – Geneva Twin (Dolby Stereo)
Madison – Big Sky Drive-In
Madison – East Towne Mall Cinema I-II-III (Dolby Stereo)
Madison – Esquire 1-2
Manitowoc – Capitol
Menomonee Falls – Starlite Drive-In
Milwaukee – Capitol Court Cinemas (Dolby Stereo)
Milwaukee – Centre Twin (Dolby Stereo)
Milwaukee – Movies Northridge
Oconomowoc – Scotsland Cinemas (Dolby Stereo)
Oshkosh – Cinema 1 & 2
Racine – Cinema I & II
Sheboygan – Marc 1 & 2 (Dolby Stereo)
Stevens Point – Campus 1 & 2 (Dolby Stereo)
Wausau – Rogers 1 & 2 (Dolby Stereo)

WYOMING
Casper – Beverly Twin
Cheyenne – Cole Square 3
Laramie – Fox 1 & 2

SELECTED WORLWIDE RELEASE DATES
06.12.1981 … Canada
06.12.1981 … United States
07.16.1981 … Argentina
07.30.1981 … Ireland
07.30.1981 … United Kingdom
08.07.1981 … Sweden
08.13.1981 … Netherlands
08.14.1981 … Australia
08.14.1981 … New Zealand
08.21.1981 … Brazil
09.16.1981 … France
10.09.1981 … Portugal
10.10.1981 … Norway
10.15.1981 … Spain
10.22.1981 … Italy
10.29.1981 … Austria
10.29.1981 … West Germany
12.18.1981 … Finland
12.19.1981 … Japan
12.25.1981 … Colombia
12.25.1981 … Mexico
01.15.1982 … Denmark
01.21.1982 … Hong Kong
02.27.1982 … South Korea

REFERENCES

The primary references for this project were hundreds of daily newspapers archived digitally and/or on microfilm and various issues of Boxoffice, The Hollywood Reporter, Mad, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, Time, and Variety.

Books referenced included THE COMPLETE MAKING OF INDIANA JONES: THE DEFINITIVE STORY BEHIND ALL FOUR FILMS by Laurent Bouzereau & J.W. Rinzler (2008, Ballantine), THE FILMS OF STEVEN SPIELBERG by Douglas Brode (1995, Citadel), GEORGE LUCAS’S BLOCKBUSTING: A DECADE-BY-DECADE SURVEY OF TIMELESS MOVIES INCLUDING UNTOLD SECRETS OF THEIR FINANCIAL AND CULTURAL SUCCESS edited by Alex Ben Block and Lucy Autrey Wilson (2010, George Lucas Books/HarperCollins), THE MAKING OF RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK by Derek Taylor (1981, Ballantine), THE MOVIE BRATS: HOW THE FILM GENERATION TOOK OVER HOLLYWOOD by Michael Pye and Lynda Myles (1979, Holt, Rinehart and Winston), SPIELBERG: THE MAN, THE MOVIES, THE MYTHOLOGY by Frank Sanello (1996, Taylor), STEVEN SPIELBERG: A BIOGRAPHY by Joseph McBride (1997, Simon & Schuster), STEVEN SPIELBERG: THE MAN, HIS MOVIES AND THEIR MEANING by Philip M. Taylor (1992, Continuum).

The following films were referenced: GREAT MOVIE STUNTS: RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981, Lucasfilm Ltd./Paramount Pictures), THE MAKING OF RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981, Lucasfilm Ltd./Paramount Pictures), RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981, Lucasfilm Ltd./Paramount Pictures).

Websites referenced include BoxOfficeMojo, CinemaTour, CinemaTreasures, and the InternetMovieDatabase.

Special Thanks: Jerry Alexander, Al Alvarez, Jim Barg, Kirk Besse, Larry Blake, Raymond Caple, Miguel Carrara, Bob Collins, John Cork, Jonathan Crist, Gerald DeLuca, Nick DiMaggio, Mike Durrett, Monte Fullmer, Steve Guttag, John Hawkinson, Bill Kretzel, Roberto Landazuri, Mark Lensenmayer, Stan Malone, Gabriel Neeb, Jim Perry, Grant Smith, Cliff Stephenson, John Stewart, Bob Throop, Joel Weide, Brian Whitish, Blaine Young, Vince Young. And a very big thank-you to all of the librarians who helped me research information for this project.

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quote:

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New Hartford – Sangertown Square Cinema 6 (Dolby Stereo)

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quote: Frank Angel

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demolished a few years ago.

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The theatre was gutted to become the Nokia Theatre and is now known as the BestBuy Theatre. (For concerts and special events.) It was nice because Paramount Pictures offices were located in the building above the theatre and would pay for extra equipment for the theatre.
 

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Posted by Robert Harrison (Member # 3202) on 06-14-2011, 02:16 AM:
 
My first viewing was in glorious 35mm MONO at what was then known as the Plitt Screening Room in the Chicago Theater building. It was an exhibitor's screening and, as happened often at such, the version shown was slightly different than the final release version. The one difference I recall specifically was that when Indy catches up with the German submarine, the sub begins to go under the water, so he held onto the periscope, presumably doing so the whole trip. In the final version, you just see him on top of the sub and then the scene dissolves to the next, even though you do hear an alarm and the men inside the sub apparently getting ready to submerge. I assumed Spielberg or somebody noticed this was similar to a scene in "1941" or it was just deemed kind of dumb, so they cut it and hoped you wouldn't wonder how in the hell he stayed on top of the submarine for the whole voyage without being detected or drowned.

At the time, I was working at the Golf Mill Theaters (in Niles, Illinois; see the list). The 70 print arrived literally at the last minute. The projectionist was ready to assemble the 35 "back-up" print. Then, as the reel containers were brought out of the delivery truck, one of them opened and a reel nearly started rolling through the parking lot.

We had a preview of the film in 35 optical stereo I guess the week before with the Alan Alda film "The Four Seasons." A lot of older customers were grumbling that they had come to see that film and not "Raiders." But, they loved it. I recall people standing and applauding when Indy pulled out his gun and shot the dude who was menacing him with a big sword.
 

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Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 06-14-2011, 04:58 AM:
 
That scene always got a good laugh. The first four seasons of it at the Westline Drive-In managed to get over 300 cars on each Saturday night (a feat unmatched by anything before or after it) and I always made a point of going down out of the booth to hear them all laugh.
 

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Posted by Mark J. Marshall (Member # 1409) on 06-14-2011, 05:53 AM:
 
According to the commentary, Harrison Ford was feeling really ill that day and improved that scene of shooting the samurai - Spielberg loved it so much that they went with it.
 

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Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 06-14-2011, 10:07 PM:
 
..and that scene was right at a changeover...
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-14-2011, 10:34 PM:
 
We played the movie Sept. 2-7 that same year, just under 3 months after the break. It was a far cry from when "Jaws" came out -- we played that one 17 months after its release. (And the film was probably trashed!)
 

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Posted by Kurt Zupin (Member # 2751) on 06-14-2011, 10:36 PM:
 
I think the best part of that story though is the guy that they got to do it, they looked all over the world for someone who could do the fight and was great with the sword. Flew him to the set, the guy was already to do the scene and then like said above. Ford was sick and told Speilberg it would be better if he just shot him. Guy was going to get a big stunt scene in a Hollywood movie, instead he gets shot after waving his sword around a couple seconds.
 

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Posted by Christos Mitsakis (Member # 143) on 06-15-2011, 01:21 AM:
 
Raiders of the Lost Ark: The deleted scene Arab swordsman
 

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Posted by Michael Coate (Member # 757) on 06-15-2011, 10:20 AM:
 
Regarding the Indy vs. swordsman fight scene, stuntman Vic Armstrong has a different take:

Raiders of the Lost Ark: 30 years later, a stuntman's memories

quote: Vic Armstrong

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In “Raiders” there’s that famous scene where Indy meets this hulking great Arab swordsman and simply shoots him dead. Originally there was an elaborate fight sequence planned and a stunt team went up to the coast for two weeks working it out. They really drew the easy ticket – we heard all this talk about fabulous beaches and topless tourists, and there we were stuck down in bloody Nefta with the dysentery mob. When the main crew finished with us they flew up to the coast to join Peter Diamond, who showed Steven the fight routine. Big Terry Richards played the Arab and he swished his sword about and then the fight carried on through the whole of the Casbah.

Steven watched and said, “Look, I’m going to shoot whatever I can until three o’clock because then I’m getting out of here.” Peter Diamond was dumbstruck: “You can’t do that, it’s gonna take four days to film this fight. It’s a huge fight and the guys have been rehearsing it for weeks.’ Steven said, ‘I’ve got a plane coming at three, I’m out of here, I’ve got enough, I don’t need any more here.’ Tomblin butted in, ‘For Christ’s sake Steven, you’ve got to do this.’ But Steven was standing firm, “No, I’m out at three.” Tomblin said, “Well, it’s stupid doing this whole routine, you might as well just shoot the guy with a gun.” “Don’t be facetious Dave.” Then Steven paused. “I’ll tell you what, let’s try that. Yes, let’s try just shooting him.” And the rest is history.

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quote: "The Complete Making of Indiana Jones: The Definitive Story Behind All Four Films" (Laurent Bouzereau & J.W. Rinzler, Ballantine, 2008)

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Spielberg and Lucas had one ongoing discussion about how a particular scene should play. The final decision came late on May 9, 1981, but the story, told by [co-executive producer] Howard Kazanjian, begins with the first cut:

"So Steven Spielberg brings the film up for us to see. He's cut the film and George and I are looking at the film, and the version Steven has shown us is the one where Harrison takes out his gun and shoots the Arab. The lights come on and it's quiet for a minute, and then George's comment is something like, 'Very good. It works. But what happened to the scene where Harrison fights the Arab?' And Steven says, 'Well, I thought this worked better, this is funnier.' George says, 'I don't know.' Now, Steven goes back to Hollywood and leaves his editor, Michael Kahn, for George to do his version. Two weeks later, Steven comes back up and sees George's version.

"So we look at the film and in this version we have the full fight. Lights come back up and Steven says, 'Boy, you really tightened up the film.' Dead quiet. 'I like it. But, George, I think it works best with Harrison shooting the Arab.' And George says, 'Well, we're gonna test it with an audience. We'll test it two ways.'

"And what George has always done with his films is to test-screen them when they're finished, usually down at the Northpoint Theatre in San Francisco. He just gets different classifications of people into the theater, older people and whatnot, and then you get a reaction from them. Well, when we ran Raiders, we ran the Spielberg version of Harrison shooting the Arab - and the audience went crazy. It was the biggest laugh in the movie. George says, 'Well, I guess that works.' And that's the story of how Indiana Jones shoots the guy instead of fighting him."

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Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 06-15-2011, 05:31 PM:
 
Although the Royal Theatre in the Waikiki district of Honolulu was a 70mm equipped, theatre, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK played only in 35mm Dolby Stereo there. Royal Amusement Company who had operated that theatre had exclusive first run right to Paramount pictures in Hawaii but by the time the 2nd Indiana Jones movie was released, Consolidated once again became the exclusive exhibitor of Pasramount films and played INDIANA JONES & THE TEMPLE OF DOOM in 70mm at the Cinerama. The 3rd film , INDIANA JONES & THE LAST CRUSADE was aslso shown in 70mm in Honolulu at Waikiki #1 (Twins)

The Royal was a beautiful theatre and I always enjoyed going there and the way films were exhibited there was flawless.

-Claude
 

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Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 06-16-2011, 05:26 AM:
 
They brought a 7Omm of 'Crusade' all the way down here too...for one screening. It premiered at Sydney's State Theatre then was sent back to the USA.
 

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Posted by Sam D. Chavez (Member # 1841) on 06-16-2011, 10:23 AM:
 
I did the research tech screenings on this at the Northpoint in SF and other locations and well remember the explosive laughter of the moment.

That classic Harrison Ford look of annoyance was priceless.
 

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Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 06-16-2011, 12:12 PM:
 
Who's telling the stories in those quotes?

Until I actually *see* a version with the sword fight, I have no reason to suddenly disbelieve the long-standing story (attributed to Spielberg) that Harrison was simply sick that day, and they wanted to stay on-schedule.

I'm not inclined to believe a stunt man versus Spielberg.
 

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Posted by Michael Coate (Member # 757) on 06-16-2011, 02:14 PM:
 
Seriously, Manny??? You're confused?

I'm already annoyed/disappointed that very few of you are commenting on the article I posted, and now, Manny, you come along and makes matters worse by acting all confused about another posting of mine that should've been perfectly clear. As well, you ignore another member's posting that offered evidence of the existence of footage of the swordfight in question. Whatever.

I made the effort to identify who was being quoted. Granted, there are quotes within quotes, which might be confusing if the reader is multitasking or drifting their focus while reading (but if readers do those things then they deserve to be confused).

As for whether or not any swordfight footage was shot, note that Christos Mitsakis' comment from 6/15 links you to a clip. A brief clip also appears in one of the documentaries, proving that at least one take of the scripted fight was shot, which in turn suggests that everyone telling these stories is mis-recollecting or at the least selectively recalling what really happened.
 

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Posted by Victor Liorentas (Member # 5272) on 06-16-2011, 02:30 PM:
 
Sorry Michael! I love all your stuff going way back to Widescreen Review!
 

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Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 06-16-2011, 07:08 PM:
 
That clip does not prove that the whole scene got filmed. It only proves that they got some of the shots. A few of them.

But it's not worth arguing over.

I'm sorry if I don't appear to be giving it the level of interest that you deem appropriate. I don't have a great deal of time to devote to this, but I like the movie so I thought I'd participate to the extent that I could.

Rather than have this "celebration" turn into some kind of "flame war" -- and have it get blamed on me -- I think I will just stop right here.
 

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Posted by Michael Coate (Member # 757) on 06-21-2011, 10:47 AM:
 

quote: Bobby Henderson

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I first watched Raiders of the Lost Ark during its original release at a theater in New Orleans. I forget the name of the place; it was near Oakwood Mall on the West Bank not far from where my family lived in Gretna.

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quote: Bobby Henderson

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I don't know if any movie theaters in New Orleans showed Raiders in 70mm. I didn't know enough about the tech side of theaters and film prints at that time to search for theaters that did show it in 70mm.

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quote: Robert Throop

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I'm certain that Sangertown didn't have any Dolby processors at this point. They had Eprad Starlets and advertised Dolby.

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quote: Victor Liorentas

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Sorry Michael! I love all your stuff going way back to Widescreen Review!

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Thank you, but you guys don't need to kiss my ass. It's nice, of course, but in a way makes me uncomfortable. I think too often people mistakenly assume I'm fishing for compliments. What I had asked for earlier were comments, not compliments, meaning whatever crossed your mind as you read the thing. I thought I'd at least get Richard Hamilton to chime in and mention the article was too long.

And, lastly, on the subject of the shooting of the swordsman thing, I just want to mention that at last week's 30th anniversary event at the Academy, during the intro to the screening, the host mentioned how the movie's most popular scene had been improvised and that "200 people took credit for it"!
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-21-2011, 08:13 PM:
 
Well...it IS awful long, which is why I haven't read it yet. Gotta wait until I have the time. I probably check Film-Tech about five times a day but I rarely have more than about 2 minutes at a time to read stuff.
 

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Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 06-22-2011, 05:14 AM:
 

quote:

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at last week's 30th anniversary event at the Academy, during the intro to the screening, the host mentioned how the movie's most popular scene had been improvised and that "200 people took credit for it"!

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Posted by Jonathan Goeldner (Member # 4854) on 06-22-2011, 01:58 PM:
 
in regards to the supposed 2012 bluray release of the four films, avs.com recently noted:

"Frank Marshall, the producer of all 4 films, was on "Geek Time" yesterday. He said the transfers for the blu-rays are done and approved by Spielberg with modifications. All he said was changed was the brightness during the jungle chase at the beginning of the film. Spielberg felt it was too dark. He gave no release date but having the blu-rays done and approved I'm betting spring 2012 which has been speculated elsewhere too."
 

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Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 06-22-2011, 04:31 PM:
 
Apparently as part of Paramount's 100th Anniversary Celebrations.
 

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Posted by Peter Berrett (Member # 672) on 07-17-2011, 07:27 AM:
 
I saw it for the first time at home on DVD only a few months ago.

Yes that's right - I hadn't seen it or the sequels ever before and it was largely John's suggestion that prompted me.

Its a good flick.
 

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Posted by Kurt Zupin (Member # 2751) on 09-14-2011, 01:23 AM:
 
During a special screening at The LA Times Hero Complex screening this past week Spielberg and Ford put to rest the Sword fight scene.

It's pretty much a mix of the two things we've said.

Quoted from Collider

Also the articles a good read as well.

quote:

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On the origin of the famous ‘Just shoot the swordsman’ gag: Originally there was a three-page whip vs. sword battle, but the day of shooting – Ford, feeling ill from some food the night before, told Spielberg that he could only last about an hour or so on set and… —- Spielberg’s answer is cut off by a growl like whisper offstage. “That’s not what happened.” – the voice offers.

Enter surprise guest Harrison Ford to standing ovation

¨ Ford corrects that they had already shot a fight scene with Indy disarming a group of baddies with his whip. Lest the film get repetitive with all this whip fighting, Ford offered up ‘Why don’t we just shoot the son of a bitch.’

¨ But what of the swordsman? Ford reminisces that the poor guy had spent months training just for this fight scene only to be told on the day of that instead of a three page whip-sword battle to the death, he’s just gonna get shot. Spielberg adds that the swordsman– to make up for the lost screen time – staged the most elaborate death scene on the first take. After being shot, he backed up, then forwards, waving right to left, falling to his knees, then flopping down, crawling forward, finally still. On the second take, before Spielberg called action, Ford just fired the prop gun – startling the swordsman to such an extent he just fell straight down – the take which would be used for the final film.

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Posted by Tim Asten (Member # 4051) on 09-14-2011, 05:55 AM:
 
I first saw Raiders at the Eglinton Theatre in Toronto in 70mm. I was on holiday at the time visiting my dad. Very impressive theatre, great sound. I also saw Willow there some years later also in 70mm and they had upgraded to THX as well, complete with the original 'Cimarron' trailer .

I also met the projectionist when Willow was showing. I remember him being very friendly, he showed me all the equipment. I think they had Simplex projectors on changeovers - no platters. I would love to know who he was, perhaps he posts on here?
 

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Posted by Michael Coate (Member # 757) on 06-12-2012, 02:55 PM:
 
*bump*

Today marks the 30th, er, 31st anniversary of the original release.
 

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Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 06-12-2012, 08:54 PM:
 
I saw the movie at the Royal in Waikiki a couple weeks after it was released and there were still long lines. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK played in 35mm Dolby Stereo at this theatres but the two other films that followed it were both shown in 70mm in Hawaii. TEMPLE OF DOOM in 1984 at Consolidated' Cinerama and THE LAST
CRUSADE in 1989 at Consolidated' Waikiki #1

-Claude
 

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Posted by Tony Bandiera Jr (Member # 2365) on 06-12-2012, 10:42 PM:
 
Was at the theatre in line at 5am for the first show on opening day...I think I was about #40 in line. At the now-gone Syufy (Century) Cinedome in Orange. 70mm Dolby presentation, CP-200 processor, Century JJ, Norelco (Now Kinoton) platters. (Found out the equipment details some years later when that location was one of the ones I serviced for RCA Theatre Service.)

I was another who totally got immersed in the story and forgot I was watching a movie.

Too bad Hollywood can't make movies like that anymore.

I have not gone to a theatre to see a movie in over ten years.
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-12-2012, 11:05 PM:
 
Someday, I'll see this movie.

When it first came out, my theatre and the local drive-in had a "split" agreement with the studios. They got first grab on all Paramount films, so the movie played at the drive-in instead of our theatre.

Many years later, I told my friend Keith that I hadn't seen the movie so he said "Dude, you gotta come over and watch it with us! We have the video." So I went to their house, where we proceeded to watch the movie on his 12" TV (from across the room) while drinking beer. I don't count that as having seen the movie considering I literally don't remember a thing about it, except the boulder-rolling-down scene that's been shown a quadrillion times.

EDIT: I just realized that I told this same story last year on page 1 of this thread. Oh well, I think I wrote it better this time.
 

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