When I was a wee lad, I was utterly blown away by 2001: a space odyssey.
I first saw it in San Antonio where I was born and raised. I remembered
reading about it and even buying a comic book serialization before it ever hit
the town learning much later as to why: the Cinerama engagements were
first roll out, all other cities had to wait on the engagements in a very slow
deliberate roll-out by MGM. Once opened, the film played exclusively at a
General Cinema, 1000 seat theatre over a year, and literally keep getting
moved to other houses for the better part of another year. We are talking
San Antonio guys.......where the search for illegal aliens was nothing
special....
When I took a job in exhibition in Washington DC that was when I hit
Odyssey nirvana. The theatre chain I worked for owned the 1000 plus seat
UPTOWN THEATRE a true Cinerama Theatre beginning in 1962 located walking
distance from THE NATIONAL ZOO. But what really blew my mind was knowing
the theatre was the host of the World Premiere of 2001: a space odyssey .
The theatre was shut down several months before the premiere and was
completely renovated at a cost just north of $900,00.00 when $900,000.00
really
meant something.....mind blowing given the reason for the renovation was
for the premiere of "some space movie" as told to me by the same manager
still employed at the theatre when I started working for the circuit. (The
Washington Post actually did an article on him when he retired in 1986 two
years after I moved to DC since it was estimated 50% of the population knew
who he was. Plus you can see the theatre in newsreel footage on the special
DVD extras of 2001 but I digress)
Further, since my job had me interacting with all studio publicists,
one named Ted Hatfield who worked for MGM out of NYC at the time (later
moved to Columbia) told me great stories of that horrible/wonderful time. In
DC there were scheduled a series of screenings but the first was the
WORLD PREMIERE and gala reception with NY and LA to follow. This film was a
big, big investment for the studio at the time.
Kubrick agreed to attend but he flexed, probably for his own
amusement and eccentricity, some unusual demands. Can't remember them all,
but he
did insist at the ultra deluxe and traditionally Georgian styled,Hilton
Hotel literally walking distance from the theatre, that one elevator be
his exclusively............and be painted out completely in purple.
But he was a man under pressure as all of MGM's brass were there
along with a battalion of execs from NASA, McDonnell Douglas, TWA, Hilton and
anyone else that lent their names, technology and sizeable promotional
commitments.
Did I mention there was never a test screening?
Not surprising he took control of the actual presentation demanding
agonizing test runs with the projectionists that went on well into the
evening prior. The Premiere proved a huge media event with the typical
black-tie glitterai of DC and numerous Members Of Congress and Ambassadors in
attendance. It un-spooled without a hitch.....
............AND IT BOMBED. We are talking B-O-M-B-E-D. Panicked MGM
execs all met after only briefly showing up at the reception and assembled
at the hotel with Kubrick. He actually began to suggest cuts to an
evidently despondent, if not suicidal group of brass. But there were still
two
screenings scheduled the next day---one for national press and a second for
employees of TWA and lower tiered not-so-swells. My friend Ted told me the
vibe of premiere night was nothing short of funereal. He didn't sleep at
all, so got reasonably soused with his cohorts. He showered and went to
the theatre with his equally whacked ad pub cohorts and all braced
themselves for the worst.
The first screening at 10:00 am with critics he felt went okay as many
commented on exiting but it was only about 200-300 critics and as you know
are a very sullen bunch anyway. But at least they didn't seem to be
outright bored. When Ted and gang got outside the theatre to see if anyone
from
TWA, and the other invited, not-so-swells were even going to show
up...............the lines stretched blocks down Connecticut Ave in both
directions
way, way more than the theatre could hold.... And they were shocked. This
time they had to stand bleary eyed through this packed to the rafters
screening (with scores of other people standing with them along the rear and
sides of the main auditorium and sitting jammed in the aisles of the balcony
It was for Ted and his co-publicists as if watching 2001 for the first
time. Instead of the agony of witnessing indifferent, shifting-in-their
seats restlessness from the night prior, this crowd of pilots, corporate AD
and PR flaks, Capitol Hill staffers the crowd was engaged, tense and
ultimately blown by the experience. Ted told me you could literally feel the
audience reaction. Not even waiting for the film to end, Ted called his
boss's
suite from the theatre manager's office where the other execs were gathered
with Kubrick and he literally screamed into the phone 'WE HAVE A FUCKING
HIT! I KID YOU NOT. WE HAVE A FUCKING HIT! GODDAMN IT'S A HIT....... ( I
may have left out a second goddamn..... ) While on the phone reporting the
reaction and turnout he then heard the roar of applause from the
auditorium echoing through the building. It was something Ted recalled never
quite
experiencing again in his career as extreme of swing from perceived bomb
to apparent hit in the course of less than 24 hours with any other movie
he was involved.
Shortly after returning to the hotel comments from some of the better
known National press began to filter to Kubrick and the execs as they were
literally packing to take a private charter to NYC for the NYC premiere.
The mood was definitely improving. Ted had to skip NY to supervise the
junket wrap-up ...... and the repainting of Kubrick's elevator. The rest as
they say is history
Still Kubrick based on the DC Premiere and I am pretty sure after
watching the NYC Screening set about cutting about 12 to 14 minutes of his
original cut of the film but then adding intermission music and mandating
that all theatres completely darken the house during the Overture (rather
than half-down) and for the final minute of the Intermission.
And that is why the style B halfsheet sold for $2000
freeman
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