Thanks Freeman, You remain a good read. Maintain. ad --- On Sun, 3/21/10, [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote:
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> Subject: [MOPO] 2001: a space odyssey Anecdotal True Stories To: [email protected] Date: Sunday, March 21, 2010, 1:26 AM 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 Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com ___________________________________________________________________ How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List Send a message addressed to: [email protected] In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L The author of this message is solely responsible for its content. Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com ___________________________________________________________________ How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List Send a message addressed to: [email protected] In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L The author of this message is solely responsible for its content.
