Todd-AO
Encyclopedia
Todd-AO is a post-production company founded in 1953, providing sound-related services to the motion picture and television industries. The company operates three facilities in the Los Angeles
area.
film
format developed in the mid 1950s.
It was co-developed by Mike Todd
, a Broadway
producer, with American Optical Company in Buffalo, New York
. It was memorably characterized by its creator as "Cinerama outa one hole". Unlike Cinerama
, the process required only a single camera
and lens
. Four lens options (in focal lengths of 35 mm to 56 mm, 63 mm, 65 mm, or 70 mm) covered a 128, 64, 48 or 37 degree field of view. Films were shot on 65 mm negative
and the images printed onto 70 mm
print stock (5mm larger to accommodate sound tracks) for projection. The aspect ratio
of this format was 2.20:1.
While the 70 mm film width had been used before, most notably in the Fox Grandeur
process in 1929–1930, earlier processes are not compatible with Todd-AO due to differences in frame dimensions, perforations and type of soundtrack. Todd-AO actually combined the idea of 65 mm photography with frames 5 sprocket holes tall (also a process with a history extending back to the silent era) with 70 mm wide prints and the magnetic sound that first appeared with CinemaScope
, although improved with 6 channels and much better fidelity. The 70 mm print adds 2.5 mm extra down each edge to accommodate some of the soundtracks. Thus the print actually carried 65 mm perforations and the 65 mm negative was contact printed directly to the 70 mm print stock, as the sprocket holes aligned.
As the production and exhibition markets became saturated with Todd-AO System hardware, the focus of the company began to narrow down to the audio post-production side of the business, and Todd-AO became an independent sound mixing facility for commercial motion picture films and television after acquiring Glen Glenn Sound
in 1986.
(essentially the Panavision company's version of Todd-AO) and Ultra Panavision 70
(the same mechanically but with a slight 1.25:1 anamorphic squeeze to accommodate extremely wide aspect ratio images) are both 65/70 processes. Other processes creating 70 mm prints conform to the Todd-AO print format.
The Soviet film industry also copied Todd-AO with their own Sovscope 70 process, identical except that both the camera and print stock were 70 mm wide.
The original version of the Todd-AO process used a frame rate of 30 per second, slightly faster than the 24 frames per second that was (and is) the standard. The difference does not seem great, but the sensitivity of the human eye to flickering declines steeply with frame rate and the small adjustment gave the film noticeably less flicker, and made it steadier and smoother than standard processes. The original system generated an image that was "almost twice as intense as any ever seen onscreen before, and so hot that the film has to be refrigerated as it passes through the Todd-AO projector.". Actually, the film gate was water-cooled not "refrigerated".
Only the first two Todd-AO films, Oklahoma! and Around the World in Eighty Days
, employed 30 frame/s photography. Because of the need for a conventional 24 frame/s version the former was shot simultaneously in 35 mm CinemaScope. The latter was shot in a simultaneous 2nd Todd-AO version at 24 frame/s. All subsequent Todd-AO films have been 24 frame/s. About 16 feature films were shot in Todd-AO.
Todd-AO was developed and tested in Buffalo, New York at the Regent Theatre. (The Regent was originally constructed by theater pioneer Mitchell Mark
and is still standing and in use as a church.) Richard Rodgers
and Oscar Hammerstein II
went there to see Todd-AO test footage, which led them to approve its use for Oklahoma!. Ampex Corporation engineers were in charge of developing the Todd-AO sound system. Ampex would later go on to manufacture the sound system, including selectable 4-track composite (CinemaScope) or 6-track composite (Todd-AO) or 4-track interlocked or 6-track interlocked or optical sound sources.
The Todd-AO Company (which has since evolved into a sound mixing and audio post-production company) also offered a 35 mm anamorphic process technically similar to 35 mm Panavision or CinemaScope. This may cause some confusion if a Todd-AO credit (not necessarily the more specific Todd-AO 35 credit) appears in some widescreen films made in the 1970s and 1980s. It becomes even more confusing as 70 mm prints were made for films which, unlike earlier pictures made in the process, were shown in multiplexes, like Dune
and Logan's Run
.
During the late 1970s through the early 1990s 65 mm photography such as that used in processes like Todd-AO or Super Panavision became rare. However, some major films had 70 mm prints made by blowup from 35 mm negatives mostly for the benefit of 6-track sound. These prints would typically play only in a few theatres in a few large cities while everyone else viewed the film in 35 mm. The advent of multichannel digital sound in the 1990s obviated the need for these very expensive prints. "Blow-up" 70 mm prints also followed the Todd-AO layout, although in the case of films made with a 1.85 : 1 aspect ratio, it was retained in the 70 mm version, with the sides of the 70 mm frame left black.
, directed by John Huston
, and Patton
, starring George C. Scott
. In some venues, however, Todd-AO and Dimension 150 films received their first run in Cinerama theatres in order that they be shown on a deeply curved screen – such as the first Atlanta, Georgia
showings of The Sound of Music
.
exhibition. At the time, before multiplex theatres became common, most films opened at a large single screen theatre in the downtown area of each large city before eventually moving on to neighborhood theatres. With the roadshow concept, a film would play, often in 70 mm at a movie palace
downtown theatre exclusively, sometimes for a year or more. Often a "hard ticket" policy was in effect, with tickets sold for specific numbered seats, and limited showings per day. Most Todd-AO films through the late 1960s, including Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines
and The Sound of Music
, were initially shown on a roadshow basis.
In some US cities, individual theaters were converted for use in the 1950s as dedicated Todd-AO "Cinestage" showplaces. These theaters showed exclusive roadshow engagements of Todd-AO and other 70mm films on large, deeply curved screens. They included the Rivoli Theatre in New York City, the Cinestage
Theatre in Chicago, and Hunt's Cinestage Theatre in Columbus, Ohio
.
The roadshow era ended in the early 1970s.
in the 35mm motion picture camera rental market. The company built a series of anamorphic lenses in the 2.35:1 scope format, and owned a handful of camera bodies, Mitchell and Arriflex, that they would rent out with the lens package.
By the 1980s, the venture was not growing and was abandoned. Eventually all of the Todd-AO cameras and lenses, both 35mm and 65mm (70mm), were sold to Cinema Products in Los Angeles. Cinema Products is now out of business.
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
area.
History
- 1953: Todd-AO formed as a joint venture of Mike ToddMike ToddMichael Todd was an American theatre and film producer, best known for his 1956 production of Around the World in Eighty Days, which won an Academy Award for Best Picture...
and the American Optical Company for the purpose of developing and distributing a large film format presentation system incorporating a wide, curved screen with multi-channel sound. - 1986: Acquired Glen Glenn SoundGlen Glenn SoundGlen Glenn Sound was an audio post production company.The company was founded by Glen R. Glenn in 1936 and provided creative audio services to the television and film industry for five decades....
. - 1999: Todd-AO was acquired by Liberty Media Group and became part of its Liberty Livewire entity.
- 2002: Liberty Livewire was re-named Ascent Media Group.
- 2005: Ascent Media Group was spun off from owner, Liberty Media, into Discovery Holding CompanyDiscovery Holding CompanyDiscovery Holding Company was a U.S. company headquartered in Meridian, Colorado. The postal designation of nearby Englewood was commonly listed as the company's location in corporate filings and news accounts....
. - 2007: Discovery Holding CompanyDiscovery Holding CompanyDiscovery Holding Company was a U.S. company headquartered in Meridian, Colorado. The postal designation of nearby Englewood was commonly listed as the company's location in corporate filings and news accounts....
announced a restructuring plan where it intended to spin off its interest in Ascent Media and combine Discovery Communications with Advance/Newhouse Communications into a new holding company http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/newstex/AFX-0013-21647779.htm. The reorganization was completed on September 17, 2008. - 2007: The Todd-AO Scoring Stage closed. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117970664.html?categoryid=2650&cs=1
- 2008: What had previously existed as the "Creative Sound Services" division of Ascent Media Group was spun off from Discovery Holding CompanyDiscovery Holding CompanyDiscovery Holding Company was a U.S. company headquartered in Meridian, Colorado. The postal designation of nearby Englewood was commonly listed as the company's location in corporate filings and news accounts....
to create CSS Studios, LLC, which became a wholly owned subsidiary of Discovery Communications. This transaction included the assets of Todd-AO, SoundeluxSoundeluxSoundelux is an audio post production company based in Hollywood, California. Founded by Lon Bender and Wylie Stateman in 1982, Soundelux is currently a member of the CSS Studios, LLC consortium of sound companies....
, Sound One, POP Sound, Modern Music, Soundelux Design Music Group and The Hollywood Edge.http://www.postmagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=news&mod=News&mid=9A02E3B96F2A415ABC72CB5F516B4C10&tier=3&nid=9C0B951DFA8C48CA9DC5F40AFDAE6566
Notable Industry Recognition – Feature Film
| Year | Award | Category | Type | Title | Honorees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 82nd Academy Awards The 82nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2009 and took place March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. The ceremony was scheduled well after... |
Academy Award | Best Sound Mixing | Inglourious Basterds | Michael Minkler Michael Minkler Michael Minkler is a Motion Picture Sound Re-Recording Mixer. His Oscars are for the work done on Dreamgirls, Chicago and Black Hawk Down, but Minkler has a varied career that includes films like Inglourious Basterds, JFK and Star Wars, as well television programs like The Pacific and John Adams... , Tony Lamberti, Mark Ulano |
|
| 2007 80th Academy Awards The 80th Academy Awards ceremony honored the best films in 2007 and was broadcast from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California on ABC beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST/8:30 p.m. EST, February 24, 2008 . During the ceremony, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented Academy Awards in 24... |
Academy Award | Best Sound Mixing | The Bourne Ultimatum The Bourne Ultimatum (film) The Bourne Ultimatum is a 2007 American spy film directed by Paul Greengrass and loosely based on the Robert Ludlum novel of the same title. This film is the third in the Bourne film series, being preceded by The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy... |
Scott Millan, David Parker, Kirk Francis |
|
| 2006 79th Academy Awards The 79th Academy Awards ceremony , honored the best films of 2006 and took place on February 25, 2007 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on ABC. Ellen DeGeneres hosted the ceremony for the first time. The producer was Laura Ziskin. The announcers were Don LaFontaine and Gina Tuttle.The nominees were... |
Academy Award | Best Sound Mixing | Dreamgirls Dreamgirls (film) Dreamgirls is a 2006 musical drama film, directed by Bill Condon and jointly produced and released by DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures. The film debuted in three special road show engagements beginning December 15, 2006 before its nationwide release on December 25, 2006... |
Michael Minkler Michael Minkler Michael Minkler is a Motion Picture Sound Re-Recording Mixer. His Oscars are for the work done on Dreamgirls, Chicago and Black Hawk Down, but Minkler has a varied career that includes films like Inglourious Basterds, JFK and Star Wars, as well television programs like The Pacific and John Adams... , Bob Beemer, Willie Burton |
|
| 2002 75th Academy Awards The 75th Academy Awards honored the best films of 2002, were held on March 23, 2003, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California. It was produced by Gil Cates and hosted for the second time by Steve Martin.... |
Academy Award | Best Sound | Chicago Chicago (2002 film) Chicago is a 2002 musical film adapted from the satirical stage musical of the same name, exploring the themes of celebrity, scandal, and corruption in Jazz-age Chicago.... |
Michael Minkler Michael Minkler Michael Minkler is a Motion Picture Sound Re-Recording Mixer. His Oscars are for the work done on Dreamgirls, Chicago and Black Hawk Down, but Minkler has a varied career that includes films like Inglourious Basterds, JFK and Star Wars, as well television programs like The Pacific and John Adams... , Dominick Tavella, David Lee |
|
| 2001 74th Academy Awards The 74th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2001 and took place March 24, 2002, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. It was the first ceremony to take place... |
Academy Award | Best Sound | Black Hawk Down | Michael Minkler Michael Minkler Michael Minkler is a Motion Picture Sound Re-Recording Mixer. His Oscars are for the work done on Dreamgirls, Chicago and Black Hawk Down, but Minkler has a varied career that includes films like Inglourious Basterds, JFK and Star Wars, as well television programs like The Pacific and John Adams... , Myron Nettinga, Chris Munro |
|
| 2000 73rd Academy Awards The 73rd Academy Awards honored the best films of 2000 and was held on March 25, 2001. It was the last Academy Awards to take place at the Los Angeles Shrine Auditorium... |
Academy Award | Best Sound | Gladiator Gladiator (2000 film) Gladiator is a 2000 historical epic film directed by Ridley Scott, starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Ralf Möller, Oliver Reed, Djimon Hounsou, Derek Jacobi, John Shrapnel and Richard Harris. Crowe portrays the loyal Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius, who is betrayed... |
Scott Millan, Bob Beemer, Ken Weston |
|
| 1998 71st Academy Awards The 71st Academy Awards ceremony, Sunday, March 21, 1999, was the last to take place at Los Angeles County Music Center, and was Whoopi Goldberg's third time hosting the Awards. It was the first time the ceremony took place on a Sunday.... |
Academy Award | Best Sound | Saving Private Ryan Saving Private Ryan Saving Private Ryan is a 1998 American war film set during the invasion of Normandy in World War II. It was directed by Steven Spielberg, with a screenplay by Robert Rodat. The film is notable for the intensity of its opening 27 minutes, which depicts the Omaha Beach assault of June 6, 1944.... |
Gary Rydstrom Gary Rydstrom Gary Roger Rydstrom is an American sound designer and director. He has won seven Academy Awards for his work in sound for movies.-Career:... , Tom Johnson, Gary Summers, Ronald Judkins |
|
| 1997 70th Academy Awards The 70th Academy Awards were noted for their high ratings and the 11 wins obtained by the Best Picture Titanic. Billy Crystal hosted the ceremony for the sixth time, and received an Emmy award for his performance.... |
Academy Award | Best Sound | L.A. Confidential L.A. Confidential (film) L.A. Confidential is a 1997 American film based on James Ellroy's 1990 novel of the same title, the third book in his L.A. Quartet. Both the book and the film tell the story of a group of LAPD officers in the 1950s, and the intersection of police corruption and Hollywood celebrity... |
Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer, Kirk Francis |
|
| 1996 69th Academy Awards The 69th Academy Awards were dominated by movies produced by independent studios, financed outside of mainstream Hollywood, leading to 1996 being dubbed "The Year of the Independents". All but one of the nominees for Best Picture were low-budget independent movies The 69th Academy Awards were... |
Academy Award | Best Sound | Evita Evita (film) Evita is the 1996 film adaptation of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical of the same name based on the life of Eva Perón. It was directed by Alan Parker and written by Parker and Oliver Stone. It starred Madonna, Antonio Banderas, and Jonathan Pryce... |
Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer, Ken Weston |
|
| 1995 68th Academy Awards The 68th Academy Awards were held on March 25, 1996, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, California. The show was hosted by Whoopi Goldberg. The ceremony was watched 44.48 million viewers, with 30.5% households watching... |
Academy Award | Best Sound | Apollo 13 Apollo 13 (film) Apollo 13 is a 1995 American drama film directed by Ron Howard. The film stars Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, Kathleen Quinlan and Ed Harris. The screenplay by William Broyles, Jr... |
Rick Dior, Steve Pederson, Scott Millan, David MacMillan |
|
| 1995 68th Academy Awards The 68th Academy Awards were held on March 25, 1996, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, California. The show was hosted by Whoopi Goldberg. The ceremony was watched 44.48 million viewers, with 30.5% households watching... |
Academy Award | Best Sound | Braveheart Braveheart Braveheart is a 1995 epic historical drama war film directed by and starring Mel Gibson. The film was written for the screen and then novelized by Randall Wallace... |
Andy Nelson, Scott Millan, Anna Behlmer, Brian Simmons |
|
| 1994 67th Academy Awards The 67th Academy Awards, honoring the best films of 1994, were held on March 27, 1995 at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, California. They were hosted by well-known comedian and talk show host David Letterman.... |
Academy Award | Best Sound | Legends of the Fall Legends of the Fall Legends of the Fall is a 1994 epic drama film based on the 1979 novella of the same title by Jim Harrison. It was directed by Edward Zwick and stars Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins and Aidan Quinn. The film was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction , and Best... |
Paul Massey, David Campbell Christopher David, Douglas Ganton |
|
| 1994 67th Academy Awards The 67th Academy Awards, honoring the best films of 1994, were held on March 27, 1995 at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, California. They were hosted by well-known comedian and talk show host David Letterman.... |
Academy Award | Best Sound | Speed | Gregg Landaker, Steve Maslow, Bob Beemer, David R.B. MacMillan |
|
| 1993 66th Academy Awards The 66th Academy Awards were presented March 21, 1994, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles. The show was landmark in that it featured a female African American host for the first time, Whoopi Goldberg, and represented a direct contrast in edgy style from Billy Crystal who had hosted the... |
Academy Award | Best Sound | Schindler's List Schindler's List Schindler's List is a 1993 American film about Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saved the lives of more than a thousand mostly Polish-Jewish refugees during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories. The film was directed by Steven Spielberg, and based on the novel Schindler's Ark... |
Andy Nelson, Steve Pederson, Scott Millan, Ron Judkins |
|
| 1992 65th Academy Awards The 65th Academy Awards were presented March 29, 1993 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles. This was the fourth consecutive show hosted by Billy Crystal.Unforgiven won four Oscars out of nine nominations including Best Picture.-Awards:... |
Academy Award | Best Sound | The Last of the Mohicans The Last of the Mohicans (1992 film) The Last of the Mohicans is a 1992 historical epic film set in 1757 during the French and Indian War and produced by Morgan Creek Pictures. It was directed by Michael Mann and based on James Fenimore Cooper's novel of the same name, although it owes more to George B. Seitz's 1936 film adaptation... |
Chris Jenkins, Doug Hemphill, Mark Smith, Simon Kaye |
|
| 1990 63rd Academy Awards The 63rd Academy Awards were presented March 25, 1991 at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles. The show was hosted by Billy Crystal.The prominent winner was Dances with Wolves which earned seven Oscars, including Best Picture. Joe Pesci winning Best Supporting Actor... |
Academy Award | Best Sound | Dick Tracy | Chris Jenkins, David E. Campbell, D.M. Hemphill, Thomas Causey |
|
| 1988 61st Academy Awards The 61st Academy Awards were presented on March 29, 1989 at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles. The date had been moved from its usual Monday telecast due to Easter, which was on March 26. For this show, there was no "official" host as the show opened with a stage-show featuring Merv Griffin, Snow... |
Academy Award | Best Sound | Who Framed Roger Rabbit Who Framed Roger Rabbit Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a 1988 American fantasy-comedy-noir film directed by Robert Zemeckis and released by Touchstone Pictures. The film combines live action and animation, and is based on Gary K. Wolf's novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, which depicts a world in which cartoon characters... |
Robert Knudson, John Boyd, Don Digirolamo, Tony Dawe |
|
| 1987 60th Academy Awards The 60th Academy Awards were presented April 11, 1988 at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, California. The ceremony was the first to be held there since the 20th Academy Awards... |
Academy Award | Best Sound | Empire of the Sun Empire of the Sun (film) Empire of the Sun is a 1987 American coming of age war film based on J. G. Ballard's semi-autobiographical novel of the same name. Steven Spielberg directed the film, which stars Christian Bale, John Malkovich, Miranda Richardson, and Nigel Havers... |
Robert Knudson, Don Digirolamo, John Boyd, Tony Dawe |
|
| 1985 58th Academy Awards The 58th Academy Awards, honoring the best in film for 1985, were held on March 24, 1986 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, California. They were hosted by Alan Alda, Jane Fonda and Robin Williams. The ceremony was watched by 38.93 million viewers, tying the 78th Academy Awards as... |
Academy Award | Best Sound | Out of Africa | Chris Jenkins, Gary Alexander, Larry Stensvold, Peter Handford |
|
| 1982 55th Academy Awards The 55th Academy Awards were presented April 11, 1983 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles. The ceremonies were presided over by Liza Minnelli, Dudley Moore, Richard Pryor, and Walter Matthau.Louis Gossett, Jr... |
Academy Award | Best Sound | E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a 1982 American science fiction film co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Melissa Mathison and starring Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, and Peter Coyote... |
Robert Knudson, Robert Glass, Don Digirolamo, Gene S. Cantamessa |
|
| 1979 52nd Academy Awards The 52nd Academy Awards were presented April 14, 1980 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles. The ceremonies were presided over by Johnny Carson, who in noting the long duration of the production, joked that President Jimmy Carter was working hard for their "release" from the ceremonies, a... |
Academy Award | Best Sound | 1941 1941 (film) 1941 is a 1979 period comedy film directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, and featuring an ensemble cast including John Belushi, Ned Beatty, John Candy, Toshiro Mifune, Christopher Lee and Dan Aykroyd... |
Robert Knudson, Robert J. Glass, Don MacDougall, Gene S. Cantamessa |
|
| 1978 51st Academy Awards The 51st Academy Awards were presented April 9, 1979 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles. The ceremonies were presided over by Johnny Carson.... |
Academy Award | Best Sound | Hooper Hooper (film) Hooper is a 1978 action-comedy motion picture starring Burt Reynolds, based loosely on the experiences of director Hal Needham, a one-time stuntman in his own right... |
Robert Knudson, Robert J. Glass, Don MacDougall, Jack Solomon |
|
| 1977 50th Academy Awards The 50th Academy Awards were held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, California on April 3, 1978. The ceremonies were presided over by Bob Hope, who hosted the awards for the eighteenth and last time.... |
Academy Award | Best Sound | Sorcerer Sorcerer (film) Sorcerer is a 1977 thriller adventure film, produced and directed by William Friedkin, starring Roy Scheider, Bruno Cremer, Francisco Rabal and Amidou. It is the second remake of the 1953 French film Le Salaire de la Peur .... |
Robert Knudson, Robert J. Glass, Richard Tyler, Jean-Louis Ducarme |
|
| 1977 50th Academy Awards The 50th Academy Awards were held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, California on April 3, 1978. The ceremonies were presided over by Bob Hope, who hosted the awards for the eighteenth and last time.... |
Academy Award | Best Sound | Close Encounters of the Third Kind Close Encounters of the Third Kind Close Encounters of the Third Kind is a 1977 science fiction film written and directed by Steven Spielberg. The film stars Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Melinda Dillon, Teri Garr, Bob Balaban, and Cary Guffey... |
Robert Knudson, Robert J. Glass, Don MacDougall, Gene S. Cantamessa |
|
| 1976 49th Academy Awards The 49th Academy Awards were presented March 28, 1977, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles. The ceremonies were presided over by Richard Pryor, Jane Fonda, Ellen Burstyn, and Warren Beatty.... |
Academy Award | Best Sound | A Star is Born A Star Is Born (1976 film) A Star Is Born is a 1976 American rock music musical film telling the story of a young woman, played by Barbra Streisand who enters show business, and meets and falls in love with an established male star, played by Kris Kristofferson, only to find her career ascending while his goes into decline... |
Robert Knudson, Dan Wallin, Robert Glass, Tom Overton |
|
| 1973 46th Academy Awards The 46th Academy Awards were presented April 2, 1974 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles. The ceremonies were presided over by John Huston, Diana Ross, Burt Reynolds, David Niven.... |
Academy Award | Best Sound | The Exorcist The Exorcist (film) The Exorcist is a 1973 American horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty and based on the exorcism case of Robbie Mannheim, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her... |
Robert Knudson, Chris Newman | |
| 1972 45th Academy Awards The 45th Academy Awards were presented March 27, 1973 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles. The ceremonies were presided over by Carol Burnett, Michael Caine, Charlton Heston, and Rock Hudson.... |
Academy Award | Best Sound | Cabaret Cabaret (film) Cabaret is a 1972 musical film directed by Bob Fosse and starring Liza Minnelli, Michael York and Joel Grey. The film is set in Berlin during the Weimar Republic in 1931, under the ominous presence of the growing National Socialist Party.... |
Robert Knudson and David Hildyard | |
| 1965 38th Academy Awards The 38th Academy Awards, honoring the best in film for 1965, were held on April 18, 1966 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, California. They were hosted by Bob Hope.... |
Academy Award | Best Sound | The Sound of Music The Sound of Music (film) Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music is a 1965 American musical film directed by Robert Wise and starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. The film is based on the Broadway musical The Sound of Music, with songs written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, and with the musical... |
Todd-AO Sound Department | |
| 1963 36th Academy Awards The 36th Academy Awards, honoring the best in film for 1963, were held on April 13, 1964 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, California. They were hosted by Jack Lemmon.... |
Academy Award | Best Sound | Cleopatra Cleopatra (1963 film) Cleopatra is a 1963 British-American-Swiss epic drama film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. The screenplay was adapted by Sidney Buchman, Ben Hecht, Ranald MacDougall, and Mankiewicz from a book by Carlo Maria Franzero. The film starred Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Rex Harrison, Roddy... |
Todd-AO Sound Department | |
| 1961 34th Academy Awards The 34th Academy Awards, honoring the best in film for 1961, were held on April 9, 1962 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, California. They were hosted by Bob Hope; this was the seventh time Hope hosted the Oscars... |
Academy Award | Best Sound | West Side Story West Side Story (film) West Side Story is a 1961 musical film directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins. The film is an adaptation of the 1957 Broadway musical of the same name, which in turn was adapted from William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. It stars Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno,... |
Todd-AO Sound Department | |
| 1960 33rd Academy Awards The 33rd Academy Awards, honoring the best in film for 1960, were held on April 17, 1961 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, California... |
Academy Award | Best Sound | The Alamo The Alamo (1960 film) The Alamo is a 1960 American historical epic released by United Artists. The film was directed by John Wayne, who also starred as Davy Crockett. The cast also includes Richard Widmark as Jim Bowie and Laurence Harvey as William B... |
Tod-AO Sound Department | |
| 1959 32nd Academy Awards The 32nd Academy Awards honored film achievements of 1959 on 4 April 1960.MGM's and director William Wyler's three and a half-hour long epic drama Ben-Hur won 11 Oscars in 1959, breaking the previous year's all-time record of nine... |
Academy Award | Best Sound | Porgy and Bess | Todd-AO Sound Department | |
| 1958 31st Academy Awards The telecast of the 31st Academy Awards is among the most infamous. The show’s producer Jerry Wald started cutting numbers from the show to make sure it ran on time. Unfortunately, he cut too much material and the ceremony ended 20 minutes early, leaving Jerry Lewis to attempt to fill in the time... |
Academy Award | Best Sound | South Pacific South Pacific (film) South Pacific is a 1958 musical romance film adaptation of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific, and based on James A. Michener's Tales of the South Pacific... |
Todd-AO Sound Department | |
| 1957 30th Academy Awards The Oscar for Writing Based on Material From Another Medium was awarded to Pierre Boulle for The Bridge on the River Kwai, despite the fact that he did not know English. The actual writers, Carl Foreman and Michael Wilson were blacklisted at the time and did not receive screen credit for their work... |
Academy Award | Academy Scientific and Technical Award | Todd-AO System | Todd-AO Corp Westrex Corp |
|
| 1955 28th Academy Awards The 28th Academy Awards were presented at the RKO Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Marty, a simple and low-budget film usually uncharacteristic of Best Picture awardees, became the shortest film to win the top honor.This year also was notable for having only 2 of the best picture... |
Academy Award | Best Sound Recording | Oklahoma | Todd-AO Sound Department |
Notable Industry Recognition – Television
| Year | Award | Category | Type | Title | Honorees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Emmy Award | Sound Mixing – Comedy or Drama | Win | Family Guy, Road To The North Pole | James F. Fitzpatrick, Patrick Clark |
| 2011 | Emmy Award | Sound Mixing – Comedy or Drama | Nomination | Mad Men, The Suitcase | Ken Teaney, Todd Orr, Peter Bentley |
| 2011 | Emmy Award | Sound Editing – Series | Nomination | Nikita, Pandora | George Haddad, Dale Chaloukian, Ruth Adelman, Chad J. Hughes Ashley Revell, James Bailey, Joseph T. Sabella |
| 2011 | Emmy Award | Sound Editing – Series | Nomination | CSI: NY, Life Sentence | Mark Relyea, Edmund Lachmann, David Barbee, Ruth Adelman, Kevin McCullough, Joshua Winget, Joseph T. Sabella, James M. Bailey |
| 2010 | Emmy Award | Sound Mixing – Miniseries or Movie | Win | The Pacific, Part Two | Michael Minkler Michael Minkler Michael Minkler is a Motion Picture Sound Re-Recording Mixer. His Oscars are for the work done on Dreamgirls, Chicago and Black Hawk Down, but Minkler has a varied career that includes films like Inglourious Basterds, JFK and Star Wars, as well television programs like The Pacific and John Adams... , Daniel Leahy, Andrew Ramage |
| 2010 | Emmy Award | Sound Mixing – Miniseries or Movie | Nomination | The Pacific, Part Five | Michael Minkler Michael Minkler Michael Minkler is a Motion Picture Sound Re-Recording Mixer. His Oscars are for the work done on Dreamgirls, Chicago and Black Hawk Down, but Minkler has a varied career that includes films like Inglourious Basterds, JFK and Star Wars, as well television programs like The Pacific and John Adams... , Daniel Leahy, Craig Mann, Andrew Ramage |
| 2010 | Emmy Award | Sound Mixing – Miniseries or Movie | Nomination | The Pacific, Part Eight | Michael Minkler Michael Minkler Michael Minkler is a Motion Picture Sound Re-Recording Mixer. His Oscars are for the work done on Dreamgirls, Chicago and Black Hawk Down, but Minkler has a varied career that includes films like Inglourious Basterds, JFK and Star Wars, as well television programs like The Pacific and John Adams... , Daniel Leahy, Marc Fishman, Gary Wilkins |
| 2010 | Emmy Award | Sound Mixing – Miniseries or Movie | Nomination | The Pacific, Part Nine | Michael Minkler Michael Minkler Michael Minkler is a Motion Picture Sound Re-Recording Mixer. His Oscars are for the work done on Dreamgirls, Chicago and Black Hawk Down, but Minkler has a varied career that includes films like Inglourious Basterds, JFK and Star Wars, as well television programs like The Pacific and John Adams... , Daniel Leahy, Gary Wilkins |
| 2010 | Emmy Award | Sound Mixing – Comedy or Drama Series | Win | Entourage, Part Eight | Tom Stasinis CAS, Dennis Kirk, Alec St. John Todd Orr |
| 2009 | Emmy Award | Sound Mixing – Comedy or Drama | Win | Entourage | Tom Stasinis CAS, Dennis Kirk and Bill Jackson |
| 2009 | Emmy Award | Sound Editing – Series | Nomination | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Mace Matiosian, Ruth Adelman, Jivan Tahmizian, David Van Slyke, Joseph Sabella, James Bailey. |
| 2008 | Emmy Award | Sound Mixing, Miniseries or Movie | Win | John Adams | Marc Fishman and Tony Lamberti |
| 2008 | Emmy Award | Sound Mixing, Miniseries or Movie | Nomination | John Adams | Michael Minkler Michael Minkler Michael Minkler is a Motion Picture Sound Re-Recording Mixer. His Oscars are for the work done on Dreamgirls, Chicago and Black Hawk Down, but Minkler has a varied career that includes films like Inglourious Basterds, JFK and Star Wars, as well television programs like The Pacific and John Adams... and Bob Beemer |
| 2008 | Emmy Award | Sound Editing – Series | Nomination | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Mace Matiosian, Ruth Adelman, Jivan Tahmizian, David Van Slyke, Chad Hughes, Joseph Sabella, Zane Bruce. |
| 2008 | Emmy Award | Sound Mixing – Comedy or Drama | Nomination | Entourage | Dennis Kirk and Bill Jackson |
Todd-AO Format
Todd-AO is an extremely high resolution widescreenWidescreen
Widescreen images are a variety of aspect ratios used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ratio greater than the standard 1.37:1 Academy aspect ratio provided by 35mm film....
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
format developed in the mid 1950s.
It was co-developed by Mike Todd
Mike Todd
Michael Todd was an American theatre and film producer, best known for his 1956 production of Around the World in Eighty Days, which won an Academy Award for Best Picture...
, a Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
producer, with American Optical Company in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. It was memorably characterized by its creator as "Cinerama outa one hole". Unlike Cinerama
Cinerama
Cinerama is the trademarked name for a widescreen process which works by simultaneously projecting images from three synchronized 35 mm projectors onto a huge, deeply-curved screen, subtending 146° of arc. It is also the trademarked name for the corporation which was formed to market it...
, the process required only a single camera
Camera
A camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...
and lens
Photographic lens
A camera lens is an optical lens or assembly of lenses used in conjunction with a camera body and mechanism to make images of objects either on photographic film or on other media capable of storing an image chemically or electronically.While in principle a simple convex lens will suffice, in...
. Four lens options (in focal lengths of 35 mm to 56 mm, 63 mm, 65 mm, or 70 mm) covered a 128, 64, 48 or 37 degree field of view. Films were shot on 65 mm negative
Negative (photography)
In photography, a negative may refer to three different things, although they are all related.-A negative:Film for 35 mm cameras comes in long narrow strips of chemical-coated plastic or cellulose acetate. As each image is captured by the camera onto the film strip, the film strip advances so that...
and the images printed onto 70 mm
70 mm film
70mm film is a wide high-resolution film gauge, with higher resolution than standard 35mm motion picture film format. As used in camera, the film is wide. For projection, the original 65mm film is printed on film. The additional 5mm are for magnetic strips holding four of the six tracks of sound...
print stock (5mm larger to accommodate sound tracks) for projection. The aspect ratio
Aspect ratio (image)
The aspect ratio of an image is the ratio of the width of the image to its height, expressed as two numbers separated by a colon. That is, for an x:y aspect ratio, no matter how big or small the image is, if the width is divided into x units of equal length and the height is measured using this...
of this format was 2.20:1.
While the 70 mm film width had been used before, most notably in the Fox Grandeur
70 mm Grandeur film
70 mm Grandeur film, also called Fox Grandeur, was a 70mm widescreen film format developed by the Fox Film Corporation and used commercially on a small scale in 1929-1931. It is technically very similar to the Todd-AO 70mm system, marketed from 1955 and still in limited use today...
process in 1929–1930, earlier processes are not compatible with Todd-AO due to differences in frame dimensions, perforations and type of soundtrack. Todd-AO actually combined the idea of 65 mm photography with frames 5 sprocket holes tall (also a process with a history extending back to the silent era) with 70 mm wide prints and the magnetic sound that first appeared with CinemaScope
CinemaScope
CinemaScope was an anamorphic lens series used for shooting wide screen movies from 1953 to 1967. Its creation in 1953, by the president of 20th Century-Fox, marked the beginning of the modern anamorphic format in both principal photography and movie projection.The anamorphic lenses theoretically...
, although improved with 6 channels and much better fidelity. The 70 mm print adds 2.5 mm extra down each edge to accommodate some of the soundtracks. Thus the print actually carried 65 mm perforations and the 65 mm negative was contact printed directly to the 70 mm print stock, as the sprocket holes aligned.
Glen Glenn Sound
Glen Glenn Sound was an audio post production company.The company was founded by Glen R. Glenn in 1936 and provided creative audio services to the television and film industry for five decades....
in 1986.
Overview
65 mm photography and 70 mm printing became a standard adopted by others. Super Panavision 70Super Panavision 70
Super Panavision 70 was the marketing brand name used to identify movies photographed with Panavision 70 mm spherical optics between 1959 and 1983.-History:...
(essentially the Panavision company's version of Todd-AO) and Ultra Panavision 70
Ultra Panavision 70
Ultra Panavision 70 and MGM Camera 65 were the photographic marketing brands — ca. 1957 to 1966 — that identified movies photographed with Panavision-brand anamorphic lenses using a 65mm negative and 70mm release print...
(the same mechanically but with a slight 1.25:1 anamorphic squeeze to accommodate extremely wide aspect ratio images) are both 65/70 processes. Other processes creating 70 mm prints conform to the Todd-AO print format.
The Soviet film industry also copied Todd-AO with their own Sovscope 70 process, identical except that both the camera and print stock were 70 mm wide.
The original version of the Todd-AO process used a frame rate of 30 per second, slightly faster than the 24 frames per second that was (and is) the standard. The difference does not seem great, but the sensitivity of the human eye to flickering declines steeply with frame rate and the small adjustment gave the film noticeably less flicker, and made it steadier and smoother than standard processes. The original system generated an image that was "almost twice as intense as any ever seen onscreen before, and so hot that the film has to be refrigerated as it passes through the Todd-AO projector.". Actually, the film gate was water-cooled not "refrigerated".
Only the first two Todd-AO films, Oklahoma! and Around the World in Eighty Days
Around the World in Eighty Days (1956 film)
Around the World in 80 Days is a 1956 adventure film produced by the Michael Todd Company and released by United Artists. It was directed by Michael Anderson. It was produced by Michael Todd, with Kevin McClory and William Cameron Menzies as associate producers. The screenplay was written by James...
, employed 30 frame/s photography. Because of the need for a conventional 24 frame/s version the former was shot simultaneously in 35 mm CinemaScope. The latter was shot in a simultaneous 2nd Todd-AO version at 24 frame/s. All subsequent Todd-AO films have been 24 frame/s. About 16 feature films were shot in Todd-AO.
Todd-AO was developed and tested in Buffalo, New York at the Regent Theatre. (The Regent was originally constructed by theater pioneer Mitchell Mark
Mitchell Mark
Mitchell Mark aka Mitchell H. Mark was a pioneer of motion picture exhibition in the United States.-Biography:...
and is still standing and in use as a church.) Richard Rodgers
Richard Rodgers
Richard Charles Rodgers was an American composer of music for more than 900 songs and for 43 Broadway musicals. He also composed music for films and television. He is best known for his songwriting partnerships with the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II...
and Oscar Hammerstein II
Oscar Hammerstein II
Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II was an American librettist, theatrical producer, and theatre director of musicals for almost forty years. Hammerstein won eight Tony Awards and was twice awarded an Academy Award for "Best Original Song". Many of his songs are standard repertoire for...
went there to see Todd-AO test footage, which led them to approve its use for Oklahoma!. Ampex Corporation engineers were in charge of developing the Todd-AO sound system. Ampex would later go on to manufacture the sound system, including selectable 4-track composite (CinemaScope) or 6-track composite (Todd-AO) or 4-track interlocked or 6-track interlocked or optical sound sources.
The Todd-AO Company (which has since evolved into a sound mixing and audio post-production company) also offered a 35 mm anamorphic process technically similar to 35 mm Panavision or CinemaScope. This may cause some confusion if a Todd-AO credit (not necessarily the more specific Todd-AO 35 credit) appears in some widescreen films made in the 1970s and 1980s. It becomes even more confusing as 70 mm prints were made for films which, unlike earlier pictures made in the process, were shown in multiplexes, like Dune
Dune (film)
Dune is a 1984 science fiction film written and directed by David Lynch, based on the 1965 Frank Herbert novel of the same name. The film stars Kyle MacLachlan as Paul Atreides, and includes an ensemble of well-known American and European actors in supporting roles. It was filmed at the Churubusco...
and Logan's Run
Logan's Run (1976 film)
Logan's Run is a 1976 science fiction film based on the novel of the same name by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson. It depicts a dystopian future society in which population and the consumption of resources are managed and maintained in equilibrium by the simple expediency of killing...
.
During the late 1970s through the early 1990s 65 mm photography such as that used in processes like Todd-AO or Super Panavision became rare. However, some major films had 70 mm prints made by blowup from 35 mm negatives mostly for the benefit of 6-track sound. These prints would typically play only in a few theatres in a few large cities while everyone else viewed the film in 35 mm. The advent of multichannel digital sound in the 1990s obviated the need for these very expensive prints. "Blow-up" 70 mm prints also followed the Todd-AO layout, although in the case of films made with a 1.85 : 1 aspect ratio, it was retained in the 70 mm version, with the sides of the 70 mm frame left black.
Curved screen vs. flat
While Todd-AO was intended to be "Cinerama out of one hole", the extreme wide angle photography and projection onto a very deeply curved screen (which is what that would imply) saw little use. Most Todd-AO theatre installations had only moderately curved screens and the extreme wide angle camera lenses were used only on a few shots here and there. Todd-AO films made after 1958 used a conventional flat widescreen, and resembled ordinary films except for their greater clarity and 6-track stereo sound. A variation on Todd-AO called Dimension 150 did, however, make use of Cinerama-like deeply curved screens. Only two films were made in Dimension 150 – The Bible: In the BeginningThe Bible: In The Beginning
The Bible: In the Beginning is a 1966 Biblical epic film recounting the first 22 chapters of the Book of Genesis. It was a joint American/Italian production conceived by Dino De Laurentiis and directed by John Huston. The music score is by Toshirô Mayuzumi. The production was photographed by...
, directed by John Huston
John Huston
John Marcellus Huston was an American film director, screenwriter and actor. He wrote most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered classics: The Maltese Falcon , The Treasure of the Sierra Madre , Key Largo , The Asphalt Jungle , The African Queen , Moulin Rouge...
, and Patton
Patton (film)
Patton is a 1970 American biographical war film about U.S. General George S. Patton during World War II. It stars George C. Scott, Karl Malden, Michael Bates, and Karl Michael Vogler. It was directed by Franklin J. Schaffner from a script by Francis Ford Coppola and Edmund H...
, starring George C. Scott
George C. Scott
George Campbell Scott was an American stage and film actor, director and producer. He was best known for his stage work, as well as his portrayal of General George S. Patton in the film Patton, and as General Buck Turgidson in Stanley Kubrick's Dr...
. In some venues, however, Todd-AO and Dimension 150 films received their first run in Cinerama theatres in order that they be shown on a deeply curved screen – such as the first Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
showings of The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music (film)
Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music is a 1965 American musical film directed by Robert Wise and starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. The film is based on the Broadway musical The Sound of Music, with songs written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, and with the musical...
.
Todd-AO and roadshows
Todd-AO films were closely associated with what was called roadshowRoadshow theatrical release
A roadshow theatrical release was a term in the American motion picture industry for a practice in which a film opened in a limited number of theaters in large cities like Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, Dallas, and San Francisco for a specific period of time before the...
exhibition. At the time, before multiplex theatres became common, most films opened at a large single screen theatre in the downtown area of each large city before eventually moving on to neighborhood theatres. With the roadshow concept, a film would play, often in 70 mm at a movie palace
Movie palace
A movie palace is a term used to refer to the large, elaborately decorated movie theaters built between the 1910s and the 1940s. The late 1920s saw the peak of the movie palace, with hundreds opened every year between 1925 and 1930.There are three building types in particular which can be subsumed...
downtown theatre exclusively, sometimes for a year or more. Often a "hard ticket" policy was in effect, with tickets sold for specific numbered seats, and limited showings per day. Most Todd-AO films through the late 1960s, including Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines
Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines, Or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes is a 1965 British comedy film starring Stuart Whitman and directed and co-written by Ken Annakin...
and The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music (film)
Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music is a 1965 American musical film directed by Robert Wise and starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. The film is based on the Broadway musical The Sound of Music, with songs written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, and with the musical...
, were initially shown on a roadshow basis.
In some US cities, individual theaters were converted for use in the 1950s as dedicated Todd-AO "Cinestage" showplaces. These theaters showed exclusive roadshow engagements of Todd-AO and other 70mm films on large, deeply curved screens. They included the Rivoli Theatre in New York City, the Cinestage
Harris and Selwyn Theaters
The Harris and Selwyn Theaters are twin theatres located in the Loop community area of Chicago, Illinois. They were built by Sam H. Harris and Archie & Edgar Selwyn. They were designated a Chicago Landmark on March 31, 1983. They have been redesigned by the Goodman Theatre, which is located in...
Theatre in Chicago, and Hunt's Cinestage Theatre in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
.
The roadshow era ended in the early 1970s.
Todd-AO attempts 35 mm widescreen
In the 1970s, under the leadership of Dr. Richard Vetter, Todd-AO made an attempt to compete with PanavisionPanavision
Panavision is an American motion picture equipment company specializing in cameras and lenses, based in Woodland Hills, California. Formed by Robert Gottschalk as a small partnership to create anamorphic projection lenses during the widescreen boom in the 1950s, Panavision expanded its product...
in the 35mm motion picture camera rental market. The company built a series of anamorphic lenses in the 2.35:1 scope format, and owned a handful of camera bodies, Mitchell and Arriflex, that they would rent out with the lens package.
By the 1980s, the venture was not growing and was abandoned. Eventually all of the Todd-AO cameras and lenses, both 35mm and 65mm (70mm), were sold to Cinema Products in Los Angeles. Cinema Products is now out of business.
Films produced in 70 mm Todd-AO
The following films were produced in the 70 mm Todd-AO format. (This list does not include films photographed in Todd-AO 35 (see above)).- Oklahoma! (1955) – 30 frame/s (also photographed in Cinemascope)
- Around the World in Eighty DaysAround the World in Eighty Days (1956 film)Around the World in 80 Days is a 1956 adventure film produced by the Michael Todd Company and released by United Artists. It was directed by Michael Anderson. It was produced by Michael Todd, with Kevin McClory and William Cameron Menzies as associate producers. The screenplay was written by James...
(1956) – 30 frame/s (also photographed in Todd-AO 24 frames/s for CinemaScope distribution) - The Miracle of Todd-AO (1956) – 30 frame/s; short subject
- South PacificSouth Pacific (film)South Pacific is a 1958 musical romance film adaptation of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific, and based on James A. Michener's Tales of the South Pacific...
(1958) - The March of Todd-AO (1958) – short subject
- Porgy and Bess (1959)
- Can-CanCan-Can (film)Can-Can is a 1960 musical film made by Suffolk-Cummings productions and distributed by 20th Century Fox. It was directed by Walter Lang, produced by Jack Cummings and Saul Chaplin, from a screenplay by Dorothy Kingsley and Charles Lederer, loosely based on the musical play by Abe Burrows with music...
(1960) - The AlamoThe Alamo (1960 film)The Alamo is a 1960 American historical epic released by United Artists. The film was directed by John Wayne, who also starred as Davy Crockett. The cast also includes Richard Widmark as Jim Bowie and Laurence Harvey as William B...
(1960) - CleopatraCleopatra (1963 film)Cleopatra is a 1963 British-American-Swiss epic drama film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. The screenplay was adapted by Sidney Buchman, Ben Hecht, Ranald MacDougall, and Mankiewicz from a book by Carlo Maria Franzero. The film starred Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Rex Harrison, Roddy...
(1963) - Man in the 5th DimensionMan in the 5th DimensionMan in the 5th Dimension is a 1964 short film produced and directed by Dick Ross and starring Billy Graham.-Plot:Man in the 5th Dimension opens with Rev...
(1964) – NYC World's Fair short subject - The Sound of MusicThe Sound of Music (film)Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music is a 1965 American musical film directed by Robert Wise and starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. The film is based on the Broadway musical The Sound of Music, with songs written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, and with the musical...
(1965) - Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying MachinesThose Magnificent Men in Their Flying MachinesThose Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines, Or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes is a 1965 British comedy film starring Stuart Whitman and directed and co-written by Ken Annakin...
(1965) - The Agony and the EcstasyThe Agony and the Ecstasy (film)The Agony and the Ecstasy is a 1965 film directed by Carol Reed, starring Charlton Heston as Michelangelo and Rex Harrison as Pope Julius II. The film was partly based on Irving Stone's biographical novel of the same name. This film deals with the conflicts of Michelangelo and Pope Julius II...
(1965) - The Bible: In the BeginningThe Bible: In The BeginningThe Bible: In the Beginning is a 1966 Biblical epic film recounting the first 22 chapters of the Book of Genesis. It was a joint American/Italian production conceived by Dino De Laurentiis and directed by John Huston. The music score is by Toshirô Mayuzumi. The production was photographed by...
(1966) – Dimension 150 variant - Doctor DolittleDoctor Dolittle (film)Doctor Dolittle is a 1967 American musical film directed by Richard Fleischer and starring Rex Harrison, Samantha Eggar, Anthony Newley and Richard Attenborough. It's adapted by Leslie Bricusse from the novel series by Hugh Lofting, primarily The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle, The Story of Doctor...
(1967) - Star!Star! (film)Star! is a 1968 American musical film directed by Robert Wise. The screenplay by William Fairchild is based upon the life and career of British performer Gertrude Lawrence.-Plot:...
(1968) - Hello, Dolly! (1969)
- Krakatoa, East of JavaKrakatoa, East of JavaKrakatoa, East of Java is a movie starring Maximilian Schell and Brian Keith. This film was nominated for Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.-Plot:...
(1969) – presented in 70 mm CineramaCineramaCinerama is the trademarked name for a widescreen process which works by simultaneously projecting images from three synchronized 35 mm projectors onto a huge, deeply-curved screen, subtending 146° of arc. It is also the trademarked name for the corporation which was formed to market it... - Airport (1970)
- PattonPatton (film)Patton is a 1970 American biographical war film about U.S. General George S. Patton during World War II. It stars George C. Scott, Karl Malden, Michael Bates, and Karl Michael Vogler. It was directed by Franklin J. Schaffner from a script by Francis Ford Coppola and Edmund H...
(1970) – Dimension 150 variant - The Last ValleyThe Last ValleyThe Last Valley is a 1970 historical drama film directed by James Clavell. Set during the Thirty Years War, it stars Michael Caine as the leader of a band of mercenaries, and Omar Sharif as a teacher fleeing from the violence endemic to Germany during this period...
(1971) - Jesus Christ SuperstarJesus Christ Superstar (film)Jesus Christ Superstar is a 1973 American film adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice rock opera of the same name. Directed by Norman Jewison, the film centers on the conflict between Judas and Jesus during the last weeks before the crucifixion of Jesus...
(1973) - BarakaBaraka (film)Baraka is a 1992 non-narrative film directed by Ron Fricke. The title Baraka is a word that means blessing in a multitude of languages....
(1992)
See also
- 70 mm film70 mm film70mm film is a wide high-resolution film gauge, with higher resolution than standard 35mm motion picture film format. As used in camera, the film is wide. For projection, the original 65mm film is printed on film. The additional 5mm are for magnetic strips holding four of the six tracks of sound...
- CineramaCineramaCinerama is the trademarked name for a widescreen process which works by simultaneously projecting images from three synchronized 35 mm projectors onto a huge, deeply-curved screen, subtending 146° of arc. It is also the trademarked name for the corporation which was formed to market it...
- Glen Glenn SoundGlen Glenn SoundGlen Glenn Sound was an audio post production company.The company was founded by Glen R. Glenn in 1936 and provided creative audio services to the television and film industry for five decades....
- List of 70 mm films
- List of film formats
- Super Panavision 70Super Panavision 70Super Panavision 70 was the marketing brand name used to identify movies photographed with Panavision 70 mm spherical optics between 1959 and 1983.-History:...
- Super Technirama 70Super Technirama 70Super Technirama 70 was the marketing name for films which were photographed in the 35 mm 8-perf Technirama process and optically enlarged to 70 mm 5-perf prints for deluxe exhibition....
- Ultra Panavision 70Ultra Panavision 70Ultra Panavision 70 and MGM Camera 65 were the photographic marketing brands — ca. 1957 to 1966 — that identified movies photographed with Panavision-brand anamorphic lenses using a 65mm negative and 70mm release print...