American Cinematographer - December 1996 - 26

Ubec

A

promotional schematic of the threeCinerama system as it's being
projected (in an aspect ratio of 2.8:1) upon a
three-panel curved screen at an angle of
146 degrees. Thirties' inventor Fred Waller
derived Cinerama's peripheral perspective
from his designs for an anti-aircraft gunner
training system.
camera

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day films on a radical curve yet yield
good focus without distortion." Harvey
eventually developed the "Wonderama"
lens; it converts 35mm anamorphic prints
for single-projector Cinerama use by not
compensating for the difference in image
distance from the center of the screen to
its outermost regions during projection.
To present features in the
format's full tri-image glory, Harvey
erected a full-size Cinerama apparatus
on his home's main floor in 1988. To do

Harvey was pivotal in the in¬
stallation of Cinerama at The New Neon
Movies in Dayton, Ohio where weekly

Harvey had to eliminate two bed¬
of the kitchen and part of
the living room. To elevate the ceiling by
three feet, he also had to gut the attic.
Harvey refurbished his three-projector
system with a unit located in a derelict
Kentucky theater. Pieces of the A- and Cprojectors are from Europe; most of the
B-projector comes from a unit in India¬
napolis, Indiana; and the seven-track
sound reproducer is from St. Louis. Miss¬
ing components were fabricated from
scratch, based on original blueprints do¬
nated by Fred Waller's widow.
Persistent, Harvey accumu¬
lated Cinerama films in piecemeal fash¬
ion. For his initial living room theater,
Harvey had assembled "rough condition"
prints with missing scenes; he continu¬
ally upgraded his prints with reels con¬

screenings of This is Cinerama and How

tributed from individuals in Australia,

the West Was Won have run since the
Labor Day weekend.
In 1963, Harvey got his first

across

so,

screen

Explains Harvey of the unique
design, "In the mind of inventor

Fred Waller, the curvature of the screen
matches that of the back of the human

The lenses he chose for the Cine¬
to photograph the periph¬
eral view closely approximates that of
the human eye. As the Cinerama screen
only curves from left to right, and not
back over your head, it allows more
people to see the effect without having
eye.

rama cameras

to be in the dead center of the room. The

activity close to the camera and far away
is simultaneously in focus and very
pleasing to the eye, even if you're close
to the screen."

hands-on
rama as a

experience in authentic Cine¬
projectionist for Dayton's now-

defunct Dabel Theater, where the com¬

plex

process was

used for almost a

year

long enough for the youth to squire
away a six-minute preview reel of How

-

the West Was Won.

Harvey's fascination with the
format continued, and, in 1982, he con¬
structed a makeshift Cinerama system in
the basement of his single-story subur¬
ban ranch home. He first modified three
35mm Century projectors and then built
a 16' wide, 7' high screen. Ostensibly,
2405 EMPIRE AVENUE

BURBANK, CA 91504

Harvey created this mini-Cinerama to
theory for "a patented process

test out a

that would allow

818-843-6715 ■ 1-800-CE-STAND
FAX: 213-849-1525
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24

edphil@earthlink.net

December 1996

me

to show

present-

rooms, most

Germany, France, Italy, Scotland and all
the United States.
One enthralled viewer,

Wright
University film student Larry Smith,
began organizing field trips to the
projectionist's home theater. The student
also continually badgered Harvey to
somehow bring Cinerama to the greater
moviegoing public. But Smith says that
the reluctant projectionist "was always
State

nervous

about Ted Turner [owner of the

MGM

library] asking, 'What are you do¬
ing with a print of How the West Was
Won!'
even though he never sold tick¬
ets and never asked anyone for a dollar
-

for all his trouble."
Fast forward to January 1996
when Smith, now manager of The New
Neon Movies, received word that due to
slow ticket sales, he was going to lose
American Cinematographer - December 1996

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