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Not so long ago a movie would and Shepparton (Victoria). At Yallourn antecedent company had attempted
appear with the tag ‘Presented in 70mm (Vic.) the State Electricity Commission years earlier, long before stereo sound
and six-track stereophonic sound.’ Such owned the theatre. became available.
descriptors have all but disappeared The demise of this process came William Fox, head of the Fox Film
from newspapers, radio and television. from two directions: the high costs of Corporation in the 1920’s pursued,
This story is about the rise and fall of prints and technological changes in the amongst others, the development of
70mm film presentations and some of motion picture industry. wide film technology (see box), but it
the theatres that used to screen them The introduction of D.T.S. sound was not until the early 1950s that a
regularly; a review from a personal (reproduced by compact disc) and standard for 70mm was adopted.
perspective, aided by some input from Dolby Digital and Sony SDDS systems However, the Fox group could not
other keen followers of the subject. (optical sound in both six and eight claim all the credit for the invention.
Why has 70mm almost disappeared channels) made obsolete the four and The enterprising Mike Todd (in
from our cinemas? Yes, if you watch six-track magnetic sound systems. In association with the American Optical
for advertisements of special 70mm addition, the smaller screens of many Company) went on to develop 70mm
screenings, you are supporting one of cinema complexes have diminished film and branded it as TODD-AO
the three surviving bastions of the impact compared with some of the 70mm. The advantages of this system
process in Australia: in Melbourne - the veteran theatres. However, thanks to a were, for their time, awe-inspiring. Any
Astor at East St. Kilda; in Sydney – the dedicated group of exhibitors and theatre that advertised a 70mm feature
Orpheum at Cremorne, and the Edge technical support people both here and would, invariably reap box office
Cinema at Katoomba. (At least these in the U.S.A. it is still possible to rewards. 70mm features garnered
are the theatres known to the author.) marvel at this technology. Academy Awards out of all proportion
The Edge has the largest image for 70 The company that did most to to their numbers. MGM’s Ben Hur won
MM films – 24m wide by 11m high develop, market and ultimately perfect 11 Academy Awards, which has been
(80ft by 35ft.) 70mm movies was the 20th Century matched, but never surpassed, by Fox’s
70mm theatres were not only in the Fox Film Corporation in conjunction Titanic (1997) and Lord of the Rings -
big cities, but also in regional centres with the Magna Theatre Corporation. In Fellowship of the Ring (2003).
such as Lithgow (New South Wales) a sense Fox was completing what their

The giant 70mm screen of the Chelsea, Flinders Street in 1962, Melbourne’s second 70mm venue.

14 2005 CINEMARECORD