A Cleveland Screen Goes From Big To Biggest


Hunting Down Billy The Kid In Realife

Of things that matter less to humanity every day, here is further worry over how many, if any, US theatres exhibited Billy The Kid in true Realife process, that is, 70mm. Would the Loew's Stillman of Cleveland have simply blown up a standard image and passed it off asepoch-making? Worse frauds were put over in theatres, but this being a Leow's house, home to best and brightest out of MGM, I don't think they would have scammed viewership to that extent. Seeing "miles into the distance" and being able to "almost touch the characters from your seat" was heady promise that no 35mm could fulfill. A number of earliest silent shorts had been filmed on 70mm, but narrower gauge became industry-wide standard, which was our loss, as imagine all of movies viewable on Lawrence Of Arabia terms. Such would knock even 4K into a cocked hat. But back to Billy The Kid --- the Cleveland Plain dealer's review further convinces me that here was real Realife, but note enthusiasm withheld. A blasé lot these 1930 critics were. Greenbriar has earlier visited Billy The Kid, and inquired on other occasionif any 70mm element survives on this King Vidor super-western. If so, I'm for seeing it but quick.

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