Early Development
Americans’ love affair with Cinerama dates back to the 1939 World’s Fair when inventor Fred Waller fascinated crowds with an experimental motion picture process that used 11 different movie cameras to film the same shot from slightly different angles. Waller then showed his picture on a spectacular dome-shaped screen using 11 separate projectors, creating a seamless “virtual reality” experience for audience members.

Later, Waller simplified his cinematic innovation to just three cameras, and collaborated with world-renowned sound wizard Hazard Reeves to create a package that would soon be known around the world as Cinerama - a revolutionary new motion picture format that engulfed the audience with life-like imagery and stereophonic sound, transforming the movie-going experience into a spectacular multi-sensory experience.

In 1950, Waller and Reeves demonstrated their breakthrough Cinerama process to Hollywood movie producer and director Lowell Thomas, who immediately commissioned the first feature-length Cinerama film.

Cinerama's Debut
On Sept. 30, 1952, after two years of complicated production, “This Is Cinerama” premiered at the Broadway Theater in New York City. The curtains opened just far enough to reveal a standard-size movie screen. A black and white film began with a short, dry prologue by Thomas. Patrons in the audience began to wonder about the supposed novelty of the much-hyped Cinerama technology. They were about to find out.

Thomas’ prologue ended with, “And this is Cinerama!” On cue, the curtains drew back to reveal a massive wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling screen. Rich surround-sound filled the theater and suddenly the audience found themselves thrust in the middle of a powerfully convincing roller coaster ride that left them dizzy and white-knuckled – without leaving their seats. Cinerama was a hit… and history had been made.

The premiere sent shock waves through the nation. Movie critics raved about the new, visceral art form. Movie houses across the country raced to install the specialized wall-to-wall curved screens and seven-channel sound systems required to present Cinerama films, while Hollywood immediately started work on the next feature-length Cinerama presentation: “Cinerama Holiday.”

Over the next decade, five more Cinerama movies were made using the three-eyed process: “Seven Wonders of the World”, “Search for Paradise,” “South Seas Adventure,” “The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm,” and “How The West Was Won.”

Cinerama Today
Today, as the world realizes the importance of the Cinerama art form in motion picture history, serious efforts are being made to ensure that a whole new generation of movie buffs will be able to experience the magic of Cinerama. Currently, there are only two places in the world still capable of showing three-panel Cinerama films: Seattle’s Cinerama Theatre and a theatre and museum in Bradford, England. The L.A. Dome, which will also offer Cinerama screenings, is currently under renovation in Los Angeles.

The 1999 re-opening of Paul G. Allen's restored Cinerama Theatre in Seattle brings new hope that the revolutionary art form will be preserved for generations to come. Audiences well into the 21st century – and beyond – will be able to experience the magnificence of the three-eyed and 70mm Cinerama format that captivated America 40 years ago!