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Author Topic: Asad day in Hawaii, all three Waikiki theatres is closed Claude S. Ayakawa Film God Posts: 2738 From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 11-21-2002 02:40 PM                        What was expected for a very long time has finally happened. Consolidated Theatres (Pacific) has decided without any advance notice, closed all three of it's Waikiki theatres last night after their last shows. Although the new Victoria Ward 16 Theatres are wonderful theatres with state of the art picture and sound, the Waikiki theatres especially the twins (#1 & #2) were Hawaii's finest motion picture theatres in the opinion of many people who are very savvy about excellent motion picture theatre picture and sound. Althought the four largest theatres at the Ward has the same XL class HPS-4000 sound system as the Waikiki Twins, the sound at the Waikiki was much fuller and better because it had better acoustics. What a sad day! Here is the direct link to one of Honolulu's two major newspaper and an extensive article about the theatre closing is reported in todays edition. The story will only be up today (11/28). Here is the direct link http://www.honoluluadvertiser,com -Claude  |  IP: Logged Bill Gabel Film God Posts: 3873 From: Technicolor / Postworks NY, USA Registered: Jan 2002 posted 11-21-2002 02:50 PM                     Here is the link http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2002/Nov/21/ln/ln01a.html  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 11-21-2002 03:02 PM                        The closing of any good theatre is a sad event, but it's especially sad for ones that were extraordinary. Try this link: http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2002/Nov/21/ln/ln01a.html  |  IP: Logged William Leland III Master Film Handler Posts: 336 From: Charleston, SC, Registered: Aug 2002 posted 11-21-2002 03:36 PM                        What Consolidated Amusement should do is turn the Waikiki 1, 2 and 3 theatres into second run theatres. I don't know anything about Hawaii's other theatres; but i think second run theatres are a good investment. I understand what the people of Waikiki are going threw. I lost my job because we didn't have a good turn out and multiplex's put us out of business. I have worked Carmike Ultravision 4 in 1998. The Ultravision was opened in 1969 (True Grit) and was the flagship theatre in Charleston S.C.. People from 75 miles away would drive just come just for movies. It was all light up at night and huge spotlights outside. The Ultravision had 1 screen, 780 seat auditiourm. It closed with 4 screens the biggest house 250 seats. It was a great place to work and get experience with older equipment. The best part I was the last head projectionist to run a movie. The end of a line for projectionist at the Ultravision.  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 11-21-2002 03:48 PM                        Did the Charleston Ultravision 4 still have the original "Optiverter" that was part of the Ultra-Vision system installed by Wil-Kin and Glenn Berggren? Century projectors, correct?  |  IP: Logged Bill Gabel Film God Posts: 3873 From: Technicolor / Postworks NY, USA Registered: Jan 2002 posted 11-21-2002 03:50 PM                     The Waikiki Theatre opened in 1936. They added the twin in 1969. The Hawaii Cinerama Theatre closed in 1999. It is now an auto parts store. The Hawaii Theatre is a Performing Arts Center now.  |  IP: Logged Claude S. Ayakawa Film God Posts: 2738 From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 11-21-2002 04:03 PM                        William, All three ofthe Waikiki theatres are equipped for 70mm. I do not think playing second run regular pictures at the Waikiki will work but they should do very well with special 70mm revival showings. They did very well with the exclusive re release of "APOCALYPSE NOW-REDUX". I think "LAWRENCE OF ARABIA", "PATTON", "RYAN'S DAUGHTER, "HELLO DOLLY and "LORD JIM" which are now being shown in some special 70mm venues should do very well in Waikiki. -Claude  |  IP: Logged Claude S. Ayakawa Film God Posts: 2738 From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 11-21-2002 04:04 PM                        William, All three ofthe Waikiki theatres are equipped for 70mm. I do not think playing second run regular pictures at the Waikiki will work but they should do very well with special 70mm revival showings. They did very well with the exclusive re release of "APOCALYPSE NOW-REDUX". I think "LAWRENCE OF ARABIA", "PATTON", "RYAN'S DAUGHTER, "HELLO DOLLY and "LORD JIM" which are now being shown in some special 70mm venues should do very well in Waikiki. -Claude  |  IP: Logged William Leland III Master Film Handler Posts: 336 From: Charleston, SC, Registered: Aug 2002 posted 11-21-2002 04:10 PM                        John, Yes we had Century heads our platters where "blue" and white rollers that could use both 35mm and 70mm. I do know that our heads did have gates for 70mm film. I'm not a very technical guy. I have no idea what an "Optiverter" is. We also had 3 port windows and on the floor you could see where they had mounts for the projectors. I do know they use to do reel changes because of the toilet in both. We had switchs in between our projectots that would motor both projectors. I have never worked with reel changes, but I would love to. I believe the orginal screen had 3 sections. If you have any more questions I "might" be able answer.  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 11-21-2002 08:41 PM                        AFAIK, the Ultra-Vision "Optiverter" was a mirror arrangement that let the beams from two projectors go through a single port on the center optical axis of the theatre, minimizing keystone distortion. The two projectors were "toed in" toward the center port. Lenses and gates were specially selected, and optical alignment was optimized. Superior image quality was claimed, and it was the subject of an SMPTE paper in the late 1960's. The old SMPTE Projection Manual has a discussion and a photo of the setup.  |  IP: Logged Chris Markiewicz Expert Film Handler Posts: 209 From: Glenaviegh, County Tipperary, Ireland Registered: Aug 2002 posted 11-21-2002 09:18 PM                     A sad day indeed. I remember seeing Aliens at Waikiki 2, absolutely awesome on that huge screen. I got to see the booths when my dad was doing repairs on the auditorium dimmers in the 70s; 35/70 changeovers and non-sync on 8-track(!). Also saw many films at Waikiki 3, but I had left Honolulu before the 30s palm trees were removed. An ocean of seats stretching off into the distance, and an army of uniformed usherettes. NOBODY misbehaved with those ladies patrolling the house. All of those theatres always had great presentation with curtains, and on weekends the organ played before shows at Waikiki 3.  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 11-21-2002 10:22 PM                     It has been 30 years since I was in Hawaii, and I remember some of the theaters in Waikiki. They were nice, and it seemed they cared about picture presentation, clean auditoriums, etc. If the theatres that were just closed were making a profit, I am sure someone will re-open them. I hope so, anyway.  |  IP: Logged Paul Cassidy Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 549 From: Auckland, New Zealand Registered: Aug 2001 posted 11-21-2002 11:51 PM                        WOW I missed out I hope they don't pull them down ???  |  IP: Logged Claude S. Ayakawa Film God Posts: 2738 From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 11-22-2002 12:38 AM                        Yes Paul, you did indeed missed out. I was planning to take you to the twins when you come during the Christmas holidays but it is not to be. The Waikiki theatres are no longer in operation but Thank God, the Waikiki IMAX will continue to operate. Now that the Waikiki's are history, Hawaii's best theatres are now the Victoria Ward 16. The best houses are #7,#8, #9 and #10. They all have 60 foot screens like the Waikiki twins with SRD and SDDS-8 digital sound processors. One or two of them also has DTS. They also have John Allen's awesome XL class HPS-4000 sound systems which I consider much better than the THX systems at the DOLE Cannery you visited during your last visit to Honolulu last year.  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 11-22-2002 07:10 AM                    There is a picture of an Optiverter installation on P.8 of the old SMPTE Motion Picture Projection and Theatre Presentation Manual. I'm told they did not have any moving parts (no flipping mirrors) so if that's the case then both beams cannot come from exactly the same spot, not with 100% reflective mirrors anyway. BTW, Wil-Kin went on to become the wholly owned supply unit of Cineplex Odeon.  |  IP: Logged

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