This Is Cinerama

The film begins in black-and-white and in standard 4:3 aspect ratio, as travel writer and newscaster Lowell Thomas appears on screen to discuss the evolution of motion picture entertainment, from the earliest cave paintings designed to suggest movement, up to the introduction of color and sound. At the conclusion of the 12-minute lecture, Thomas speaks the words "This is Cinerama" and the screen expands into the full Cinerama 2.65:1 aspect ratio and color as a series of vignettes, narrated by Thomas begin.

The film includes POV scenes of the Atom Smasher roller coaster from Rockaways' Playland,[2] then moves on to a scene of the temple dance from the La Scala opera company's production of Aïda. Also seen are views of Niagara Falls; a performance by a church choir (out of pace with the rest of the film, this segment is shot in black and white); a performance by the Vienna Boys' Choir; scenes of the canals of Venice; a military tattoo in Edinburgh; a bullfight in Spain; the "Triumphal scene" from Aïda; a sound demonstration in stereo; and scenes from Cypress Gardens amusement park featuring an elaborate water skiing show.[3] The film closes with a sequence featuring soaring scenes of the natural landmarks of the American West, filmed from the nose of a low flying B-25, as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sings "America the Beautiful", "Come, Come Ye Saints", and the "Battle Hymn of the Republic.[4]

The producers were Lowell Thomas, Merian C. Cooper, and Robert L. Bendick. The film was also directed by Bendick (and an uncredited Mike Todd Jr.). Cooper had long experience with technical innovation in cinema, dating back to directing the original 1933 King Kong.

Parts of the film were shot in the Kennecott open-pit mine and in Zion National Park in Utah.[5]

Because the new technology required a special setup of three projectors and multiple soundtracks, the film's distribution was also revolutionary. It was shown in a single theater in most cities, with reserved seats and lengthy runs - a distribution model known as a road show.

For years the only way to see it in its entirety was in one of the three remaining 3-projector Cinerama installations that continue to preserve and show 35 mm prints. However, in September 2012, in celebration of the road show's 60th anniversary, Flicker Alley released the film in its original format, on Blu-ray.[6] The image was adjusted with the "Smilebox" format, much like the Blu-ray release of How the West was Won, and will be accompanied by an Audio Commentary and an assortment of other special features. On October 18, 2012, the Turner Classic Movies cable network aired This is Cinerama in what was announced as the first American TV broadcast of the film in its original aspect ratio (again, in the Smilebox format).

In May 2018, Flicker Alley re-released the movie on Blu-ray with a remastered video and audio presentation once again in its original Cinerama format. However, unlike the original 2012 Blu-ray release, which used a 65mm duplicate negative due to not having the proper fundings for a full restoration at the time, this "Deluxe Edition" release used the original camera negative as the basis for the restoration.[7]

The film's copyright status is unclear. It apparently fell into the public domain in 1980, 28 years after being filed for copyright, but some allege that it was renewed, erroneously, a matter of months after this expiration.

In its opening week in New York, it was shown twice-a-day, with an additional 5pm showing on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It saw near-capacity (1,250) attendance, grossing $35,000 from 17 performances with a top-price of $2.80. The initial 8-week advance sale was increased to 16-weeks after long lines. Early matinee attendance was impacted by the 1952 World Series between the New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers.[8] After one year, the film had played in four cities (New York, Los Angeles, Detroit and Chicago) and had sold 2,225,000 tickets grossing $4,305,000, with $2,208,000 in New York alone.[9]

At the Warner Hollywood in Los Angeles, the film played for 115 weeks, grossing an L.A. record of $3,845,200.[10] The film played for a record 99 weeks in Chicago.[11]

By January 1954, the film had grossed $6.5 million from seven cities in the United States and Canada.[12] A year later, Variety noted that the film was estimated to gross $25 million and included it on their all-time chart with rentals of $12.5 million.[13] By 1995, they noted that it had grossed $41.6 million.[1]

At the 26th Academy Awards, This is Cinerama was nominated for the award for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture. Although the score was credited to Louis Forbes, who conducted the music, it was composed by Paul Sawtell, Max Steiner (who composed the opening credit sequences, Cypress Gardens, the Flight Across America, and the End Credits) and Roy Webb.

In 2002, the Library of Congress deemed the film "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and inducted it into the National Film Registry for permanent preservation.[14][15]

• Cinerama
• Cinerama Adventure

• This Is Cinerama essay by Kyle Westphal at National Film Registry
• This Is Cinerama essay essay by Daniel Eagan in   America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry, A&C Black, 2010 ISBN 0826429777, pages 460-462
• This Is Cinerama at IMDb