The Tabernacle Choir, with Richard P. Condie directing, sings at "This Is Cinerama" premiere at Villa. The choir also does background music for several impressive sequences in the picture, which contains scenes taken in Utah, Yellowstone, Wyoming and other western sites. The world-famed choir sings three full selections in "This Is Cinerama." Deseret News, 22 July 1961, page B1

S.L. Premiere Of Cinerama Thrills Throng

By Howard Pearson
Deseret News Feature Editor
Deseret News, 22 July 1961, page B1

To help perpetuate the memory of the Mormon pioneers, nearly a thousand persons Firday night "traveled" in a few minutes much of the route it took that hardy group months to cover.

However, conditions were much different.

The Friday night group "traveled" the ground in the comfort of theater seats while watching a movie showing a plane skimming low over the plains and the mountains the pioneers traversed in wagons or on foot, while pulling handcarts.

CROWDS AT CINERAMA OPENING - Enthusiastic crowds gathered outside the Villa Theater Friday night for the premiere of "This is Cinerama " First time it has appeared in the Mountain West. Deseret News, 22 July 1961, page B1

The Friday night occasion was the Mountain West premiere of "This Is Cinerama," the world-famous motion picture that played to a capacity crowd of nearly 1,000 at the Villa Theater. The film opened its regular run Saturday at that showhouse.

One of the main sequences in "This is Cinerama"is a flight across the U.S. in the nose of a converted bomber.  The opening night audience thrilled as the plane skimmed low over "the amber waves of grain" and flew close to the tops of "the purple mountain's majesties" unrolling on the giant screen before them.

They thrilled, too, to the voices of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing "America the Beautiful" as these scenes flashed over the screen.

They thrilled to these movie scenes and sound just as they had thrilled earlier to the in-person singing of the Tabernacle Choir.  For the world-famed musical group was there in full wardrobe - white gowns for the women and black suits for the men - to sing four numbers, two of which they do in the film.

Gov. and Mrs. George D. Clyde, left discuss Cinerama with Elder Harold B. Lee of the council of the Twelve, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and Mrs. Lee during Friday premiere of the film at the Villa Theater. The motion picture has started its regular run. Deseret News, 22 July 1961, page B1

The and the premiere audience helped perpetuate the memory of the Mormon pioneers in different ways.  The choir appeared to help assure the success of the premiere, which was staged for the benefit of Days of '47. Eight-hundred members of the premiere audience had paid $3 each for their gold-colored tickets. Every cent they paid went to Days of '47 to help defray expenses for the parades and other events that keep alive the memory of the Mormon Pioneers.

More than $2,500 will be donated to Days of '47, according to Ted Kirkmeyer, manager of the Villa.  He said that in addition to the money from ticket, proceeds from the sale of programs Friday night will go to the celebration committee fund.

The premiere was sponsored by President David O.  McKay of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Gov.  George D.  Clyde, the Deseret News and Cinerama with the cooperation of Fox Inter-Mountain Theaters, which operates the Villa.

It was an event to put a Hollywood first-night in the shadow.

A red carpet with the word Cinerama stretched in front of the Villa, which was ringed with spotlights and crowded with showgoers.
 

Deseret News, 22 July 1961, page B1

Headed by Gov.  Clyde, the premiere audience included state and city officials and Church leaders as well as theater executives and visitors from all western states.  Among the guests were Robert W. Selig of Denver, president of National Theaters; B. J. Kranze of New York and Hollywood, international president of Camera, and Everett Callow, international vice president in charge of public affairs.

Also included in the first-night audience was Mrs. C. Fred Wilcox of Los Angeles, who has seen the Cinerama production 31 times as chairman of a special group sales committee in southern California.

'Thrilling' Event

She said Friday's performance with the Tabernacle Choir there in person was one of the most "thrilling" in her memory.

The reaction of the premiere audience was the same as that of Mrs. Wilcox.  The choir, directed by Richard P. Condie and with Alexander Schreiner as accompanist, sang "The Star Spangled Banner" after a National Guard unit posted the colors.  There was hardly cough or a rustle in the audience as the singing group "trilled" them with a magnificent rendition of the national anthem.

After that, Mr.  Kirkmeyer introduced Gov.  Clyde and as he walked to the front of the theater, the choir sang surprise "Happy Birthday To You, Governor."  The governor lauded "This Is Cinerama" and said he was "proud of being a sponsor with President McKay and the Deseret News."

Nary A Whisper

The choir sang "Come, Come Ye Saints" and there was nary a whisper as they swelled to the ringing finale: "All is well.  All is well."  The choir wound up its part of the program with "Battle Hymn of the Republic," which brought comments from the audience: "It was beautiful.  I thrill all over every time I hear them."

After that came "This Is Cinerama" itself - the daddy of all wide screens and stereophonic sound.  And both elements were made even more impressive than ever with the beautiful new 96-foot curved screen and the sound system installed at the Villa for Cinerama.  Many in the audience, who have seen Cinerama several times in different cities called the Villa presentation the "best yet."

From the opening of the Cinerama portion - after Lowell Thomas tells the history of movies - "This Is Cinerama" holds a thrill through nearly every foot of film.

Roller Coaster Ride

It begins with a memorable ride on roller coaster that had the first-night audience gasping as if on the thrill-ride itself.

Its visual and sound wonders include "The Temple Dance" and "The Triumphal Scene" from "Aida," as presented on the stage of the La Scala Opera House in Milan.  "The Triumphal Scene" has one of the many breath-taking scenes of the film - a view from the stage up through the six tiers of boxes to the very dome.

Audiences at "This Is Cinerama" glide along the canals of Venice after a visit to St. Mark's Square in the city.   The picture becomes a melange of color and sound as the screen shows Edinburgh Castle, where kilted Scot clans march to the music of shrill bagpipes.

The Long Island Choral Society sings "Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's "Messiah" as the wide screen shows a simple church service.

Other Highlights

Other highlights include a bullfight in Madrid, Spanish dances, a flight over Niagara Falls, a visit to Cypress Gardens in Florida, a thrilling visit to Vienna with the Vienna Boys Choir singing "Blue Danube."

The magnificent and thrilling finale consists of the plane ride across the nation with the West, and especially Utah, figuring greatly in the scenes.  Among views in Utah are a thrilling spiral flight around Kennecott Copper's Bingham mine; a sweep over Salt Lake from the Capitol; and impressive flight over Arches National Monument; and to the Goosenecks of the San Juan River. After flying over such other areas in the West as the Columbia River, Crater Lake, San Francisco, Yellowstone, the Tetons and the Pacific Coast, the plan ride and the film finish up in Zion National Park.

The plane makes a low-flying trip into the park and just misses The Great White Throne as it banks sharply to sweep up into "The beautiful for spacious skies" about which the Tabernacle Choir is singing in the background.

"This Is Cinerama" will be followed at the Villa by other Cinerama productions, according to Jack McGee, district manager, and John O.  Penman, city manager for Fox Inter-Mountain.  They pointed out that four other productions have been completed and that three are now being produced.