Cinerama Dome to be Preserved Guild Members Take Leading Role by Jeff Burman In a city often said to have no past, an adored cinematic shrine has been saved. The Cinerama Dome in Hollywood, with its remarkable exterior and huge concave screen, has been spared from the wrecking ball by its owner, Pacific Theatres. The Cinerama Dome during its heyday in the 1960s. On December 8, months after announcing plans to level the 1,000-seat theater and build a retail-entertainment complex in its place, Pacific stated that the Sunset Boulevard landmark will remain essentially as is. In an agreement with various preservation groups, Pacific Theatres real estate executives have modified their $60 million development planned for the site. Giving the 1963 geodesic dome its due, the height of proposed adjacent buildings has been reduced and the beloved theater and its Sunset-facing plaza will be kept distinctly separate from the rest of the development. In addition, plans to replace the auditorium's curved screen have been abandoned. Instead, the lighting, sound and projection systems will be upgraded, seating will be modestly reconfigured, and asbestos on the dome interior will be removed. The new complex is scheduled to include a health club, shopping arcade, restaurants and the addition of a 12-screen multiplex. The Community Redevelopment Agency sweetened the deal for Pacific Theatres by negotiating a considerable subsidy: a city-owned, 1,700-car parking structure worth as much as $20 million. Championing the preservation efforts were Editors Guild members Doug Haines, president Donn Cambern, A.C.E., American Cinema Editors board members Jack Tucker, A.C.E., and president Mark Goldblatt, A.C.E., and American Society of Cinematographers president Woody Omens, ASC. DGA members Martin Scorcese, Stanley Kramer and Joe Dante joined the preservationists at a public forum, while directors John Frankenheimer and Steven Speilberg wrote letters to Los Angeles city councilwoman Jackie Goldberg and the City of Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission, which approves historic landmark designations. These efforts were, in turn, joined by preservation groups Hollywood Heritage and the Los Angeles Conservancy, and later by councilwoman Goldberg. According to Doug Haines, who spearheaded the Friends of Cinerama movement, of the more than a thousand letters logged on the issue, only two were against preserving the Dome. "We're saving something that is uniquely Los Angeles," said Linda Dishman of the Los Angeles Conservancy. "I think Pacific was swayed by the passion people felt." Although the Cultural Heritage Commission had ruled in August that Pacific Theatres could remodel the inside of the Dome, the company faced growing grass-roots resistance and the likelihood of costly delays from lawsuits. Ultimately Pacific conceded, saying its design staff found ways to correct viewing and acoustical problems without sacrificing the screen. "I'm happy," said Neil Haltrecht, Pacific's vice president for real estate and development. "We satisfied the community and satisfied ourselves." The development is tentatively scheduled to break ground later this spring. However, the project must be reviewed by several city agencies before receiving final approval.   Jeff Burman is an assistant editor representative on the Guild's Board of Directors.   Reprinted from The Motion Picture Editors Guild Newsletter Vol. 20, No. 1 - Jan/Feb 1999   Guild Home | Newsletter Home | Top of Page   Copyright © 1999, All Rights Reserved by The Motion Picture Editors Guild, IATSE Local 700