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Funny, but I never spent any real time in Ridgewood other than around the Erie station. This despite it being the only other hoity-toity community to need an actual Junior League -- Englewood and Ridgewood had to join together to throw their excuse for a cotillion, and everyone with an eligible daughter apparently schemed to set up some sort of credible residence across the river to be able to 'get into' the Manhattan version.
The real unsung 'time capsule' is in Westwood, which as of a couple of years ago was still a little time capsule the way Tenafly was for so long.
I'll be thinking about Van Dyk's now that I know it's there.
Bischoff's is definately still there, as a matter of fact it always make the "Top Ten Places For Ice Cream in North Jersey" lists year after year, so it's not going anywhere, not for a while.
When we're up north we prefer Van Dyk's on Ackerman Avenue in Ridgewood. All home-made ice cream, some of the gutsy-est chocolate and maple walnut ice cream anyware! Kind of a "hole-in-the-wall" place, not fancy, so much so some of the local snowflakes moan "There's no place to sit downnnnn..."
Sure there is! That's what the cinder block retaining wall is for! Wimps!
Lady Firestorm will be heading north in a week or so, winter or not she'll be hitting Van Dyk's!
Aside from superficially Ridgewood is another one of those towns that hasn't changed too much. The old Erie station complex still looks much as it did when it opened in 1914.
Flintlock76Lady Firestorm wants me to ask you a "Route 4" question. Do you remember "Jahn's" ice cream parlor on Route 4 just west of Paramus Road? On her side of town it was THE place to go for special events that absolutely required ice cream!
That was in Fair Lawn. Remember, I was from much further east, in an era when a couple of miles made all the difference, and any special ice-cream runs would be split between Baumgart's (just down Palisade Avenue in Englewood) and Bischoff's. If you wanted 'special occasion' drama you could have it at Holly's ... which I thought, like the World Trade Center, would be there forever. (Of course, you didn't go there for the taste, or quality, of the ice cream itself...)
Baumgart's closed and then went radically, unrecognizably upscale. I prefer to remember it as the place where my mom and I scientifically demonstrated that fries taste better when stolen off someone else's plate. You'd need a platinum card to duplicate that research there today...
...but, as far as I know, Bischoff's is still there, still good, still familiar. "Long may it wave!"
It's been gone for decades now.
BUT ... there is still a Jahn's from the original line in Queens, last I heard, just a few blocks from the Castle on Northern Blvd. (Of course a Kitchen Sink will set you back north of $50 there now...)
Mod-man, I don't know how often you get back home, I usually do about once a year, but every time I do it's quite honestly shocking how much things changed and still change. For the most part, anyway.
Oddly enough, if you go east from Paramus on the back roads (I'm sure you know them!) through River Edge, New Milford, Bergenfield, Tenafly, and right to the Hudson much of what's there hasn't changed much at all. It's still quite reconizable. Oh, the store and business fronts are different in many or most cases, but it's still somewhat familiar.
My home town, Paramus? What can I say? There's a McMansion occupying the spot where our house used to be! It's like we were never there!
On the other hand, the house my father grew up in in Tenafly on Gordon Ave. is still there. Go figure.
Lady Firestorm wants me to ask you a "Route 4" question. Do you remember "Jahn's" ice cream parlor on Route 4 just west of Paramus Road? On her side of town it was THE place to go for special events that absolutely required ice cream!
Flintlock76Mod-man, I'm guessing you saw "Star Wars" at the Stanley Warner theater on Route 4.
Right in my old stomping grounds, just west of the New Bridge Road exit to North Hack where U34CHs regularly held court, but still well east of 17 and the Garden State Parkway which I always thought of as being where the real 'Paramus' started.
Funny that almost everything I went to on that stretch was on the north side, right up until I was introduced to Fuddruckers (when it was still delightful and clean in the late '80s). Strange that I didn't associate it with the theater then.
When I was a kid of 3, the only road that went from the GWB west was Route 4, down its little valley from the Palisades and then straight as a die grade-separated, and that was a Real Highway to a kid! Three lanes each way, and I imagined it went all the way to somewhere important ... in those days I thought any railroad of consequence out of New York westbound would go to Chicago, and that was probably somewhere that 'my' Rt. 4 would go, straight as rails into the invisible distance past where we always turned off (at 17, later the Parkway, south to 46), into the sunset.
All gone now, as thoroughly as any of miningman's Canadian steam. But it's still fun to wait at North Hackensack in the snow for the evening parade...
A nice discussion of the various wide screen formats: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CinemaScope
And Cinerama
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinerama
54light15The original Star Wars was done in Cinerama?
I don't think that was the original "3 camera" Cinerama. More likely the 70 mm Panavision varient
The original Star Wars was done in Cinerama? Holy S***! I had no idea! Boy did I love the Mos Eisley cantina scene, that was a classic! The other thing was the land speeder- remember how it looked like a beat up old Mustang convertible? I loved how when anyone got in it, it would drop down and then resume it's normal running height and the same when anyone got out. As a long time Citroen owner, I sure can relate to that!
Mod-man, I'm guessing you saw "Star Wars" at the Stanley Warner theater on Route 4. We, on the other hand, saw it (first time, summer 1977) at a small theater in Havelock NC, just outside MCAS Cherry Point.
No matter, you are correct, the opening scene does NOT disappoint!
Semper, your mentioning of the Cinerama souvenir book reminds me of the one I had, it was the souvenir book for "How The West Was Won," and like yours had a section explaining the Cinerama process.
Kept that book for 30+ years, then gave it to one of my brother's daughters who is a big fan of the film. The book was still in perfect condition, and was she thrilled to get it!
Anyone remember that thundering main theme to "How The West Was Won?" Well if not, here you go...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwPI80EALPU
Erik_MagFirst Cinerama I watched was It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World (think I put the right number of "Mads" in the title).
No. There are four.
Keep in mind that "Cinerama 70" is not at all the same thing we were talking about, which has an extreme aspect ratio due to the three panels.
If I remember correctly, I saw Star Wars open in 70mm with multiple-track Dolby in Paramus, Wayne's beloved city, when it first opened in spring 1977. We sf nuts at Princeton made a special pilgrimage to see that version on the promise of the opening scene ... which did not, and still does not, disappoint in 70mm with full six-track.
The situation is complicated when you include Cinerama theaters, for example the famous dome-shaped one for the 360-degree moon movie, which are a different thing from the formats...
Flintlock76Semper, did it look something like this... (Look at the ground around 2:05 during the aerial sequence, you'll see the shadow of Paul Mantz's B-25 camera plane!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrzjdlyZCD8 This one's a little different, the B-25 goes under the Golden Gate Bridge. Yes, you remembered correctly! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWgG5ioX_sA Woo-hoo!
(Look at the ground around 2:05 during the aerial sequence, you'll see the shadow of Paul Mantz's B-25 camera plane!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrzjdlyZCD8
This one's a little different, the B-25 goes under the Golden Gate Bridge. Yes, you remembered correctly!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWgG5ioX_sA
Woo-hoo!
Thanks! That is what I was remembering. I had forgotten the name of the narrator at the beginning... Lowell Thomas!
Mom and Dad really liked him... I think it was because he was in the film that convinced them to go to the movie!
I remember getting a small booklet at the theater that explained how Cinerama worked. Had cut-away drawings of how the camera worked and the projectors in the theater. I remember devouring that booklet to see how it worked.
And I remember being a bit sea-sick viewing some of the segments of the movie!
It was at the Indiana Theater on W. Washington St. in Indianapolis, Indiana. I remember my parents talking about it being the only theater around that was big enough to install the triple wide screen.
Semper Vaporo
Pkgs.
The original Star Wars movie was first screened in Cineramas, and it was the last movie I watched in a Cinerama (San Jose, June 1977). First Cinerama I watched was It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World (think I put the right number of "Mads" in the title). I also watched 2001 and Krakatoa "East" of Java in a Cinerama.
Semper, did it look something like this...
I vaguely remember being taken to what I believe was the first Cinerama film. Don't remember the title, but as I remember the film, it started with a documentary of how a Cinerama film was made. It started with a very small image down low in the middle of the screen and some personality introduced the process and then either curtains were opened to expose the full triple wide screen, or maybe it was part of the film itself showing the entire screen area. It then presented various scenes starting on the east coast, and traversing the U.S. to the west coast. I remember a sequence near the end was flying over San Fransicso bay and nearing the Golden Gate bridge. I was wondering if they would fly over it or under it... and they flew UNDER it. We were all impressed.
Flintlock76I think you've got 'em all. The only other Cinerama film I can think of was actually a documentary called "Windjammer." It was about the cruise of a sail taining ship, the "Danmark" I think. I remember seeing it, it was pretty good! Wait a minute, there was another called "Custer Of The West," starring Robert Shaw as Custer. Didn't see it in the Cinerama process, saw it on television. It's lousy.
Wait a minute, there was another called "Custer Of The West," starring Robert Shaw as Custer. Didn't see it in the Cinerama process, saw it on television. It's lousy.
I seem to recall 'Around the World in 80 Days' was in Cinerama. Recall seeing it with my parents with reserved seat tickets - there was a intermission and momentos for sale in the theatre lobby. Going to see it was a big deal at the time.
TV does not really do many movies justice in their presentation.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
I think you've got 'em all. The only other Cinerama film I can think of was actually a documentary called "Windjammer." It was about the cruise of a sail training ship, the "Christian Radich" I think. I remember seeing it, it was pretty good!
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I did see How the West Was Won in a Cinerama theater, and rented it not long ago. On TV, you can see the two vertical lines in the picture where it is a little bit blurry. I also saw Grand Prix in Cinerama. Battle of the Bulge, How the West, Grand Prix, 2001 A Space Odysey- were there any other Cinerama films? I'm guessing that Spartacus was, but I don't really know.
I remember that Cinerama theater in Manhattan as well! Dad took us to see "How The West Was Won." WOW!
If you've only seen "HTWWW" on television, you really haven't seen it, as good as it is.
I've only seen "BOTB" on the tube.
Flintlock- I agree 100%- "Battleground" is a superb film- I see Bill Mauldin all over it for example, when propoganda leaflets drop and a guy grabs a bunch to use as toilet paper and just the way they guys looked. They were all Willie and Joe.
Kelly's Heroes was a spiffy one- the scene I like best was when they approached the German tank on foot and the spaghetti western music played. That was pretty cool!
I saw BoB in a theatre in Manhattan when I was a kid and it was shown in full Cinerama. The tank battle near the end must have taken 20 minutes and the tanks were right in your lap from the 3D effect, but when it showed in the local theatre, it wasn't Cinerama and that long battle scene was cut out.
Thanks, I'll have to look in on that.
Very loosely based. I've seen the "Wiki" article and if I remember correctly all that larceny going on was after the German surrender and German loot was being found all over the place. As the old cowboy saying goes "There's bound to be a lot of tore-up ground where a herd's stampeded!" so it's no wonder a lot of GI's of ALL ranks helped themselves to whatever was laying around.
And not just the Americans either. Everyone was grabbin' goodies.
Yes, General Eisenhower was still alive when "BOTB" came out and did a rip job on the film. I can imagine.
I'll tell you what, if you're interested in true tales of WW2 and it's aftermath, such a German treasure caches, gold trains, and post-war confusion and chaos, try this website, Mark Felton Productions.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfCKvREB11-fxyotS1ONgww
Man, he has got some GOOD stuff to watch! You'll really get hooked! Better than a lot of the drivel on TV nowadays.
Flintlock76Maybe, but I look at it this way, "Kelly's Heroes" is fiction, whereas the "Battle of the Bulge" is a true event. That being the case they should have tried for the maximum amount of correctness conducive with good storytelling. It can and has been done.
Just playing devil's advocate, but you can often talk with people who were party to real events ("in the trenches" you might say) who's narative deviate considerably from the "official record" as well.
Something about the victors getting to record their version of events, is the way I believe it is often described.
But yeah, I heard that even Eisenhower had severe reservtions about BoB.
Kelly's Heroes, btw was loosely based upon real events. Check out the wikipedia entry about the movie for a concise summary.
Maybe, but I look at it this way, "Kelly's Heroes" is fiction, whereas the "Battle of the Bulge" is a true event. That being the case they should have tried for the maximum amount of correctness conducive with good storytelling. It can and has been done.
The best "Battle of the Bulge" movie, in my opinion anyway, is the 1949 film "Battleground," with Van Johnson, James Whitmore, and others in a great ensemble cast. It tells the story of the battle through the experiences of a platoon of the 101st Airborne in Bastogne. The characters are fictional, but the story's well told.
Aside from the beginning of "Battle of the Bulge" where General Kohler gives Colonel Hessler his briefing, which does a pretty good job of explaining what the German attack is all about, the rest of the film is a miss with too many errors and missed opportunities to go into here.
Entertaining I suppose, if you don't know much about the actual event, but if you do...
American M-47's playing the role of Tigers? Well I have to overlook that, they had to use something, and outside of museums there aren't too many Tigers around for film makers to play with. The M-24's used as the American tanks are correct for the period, more or less, but they only arrived in Europe in the last weeks of the war. Interestingly, the M-24 was a light tank, it was the replacement for the M-3 and M-5 Stuarts. No way would an M-24 be expected to slug it out with a Tiger, or a Panther for that matter.
Flintlock76d as a service comedy and not a history they could get away with a lot of things you couldn't if you were doing an historic film
One source I have read describes Kelly's Heros as a "historical romance", which I guess in the broadest sense you could also use to excuse Battle of the Bulge's troubling deviations?
"Kelly's Heroes" was fun, and as a service comedy and not a history they could get away with a lot of things you couldn't if you were doing an historic film.
It's also one of the more authentic films I've seen considering the equipment used, such as real Sherman tanks and those T-34/ Tiger 1 replicas. Very impressive!
By the way, I've never met a veteran of any of the services that didn't love "Kelly's Heroes!" Isn't that something?
Oh yeah, and the way Karl-Otto Alberty's eyes widen when they tell him what's in that bank he's guarding! Priceless!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Csv1wXOr5tY
Flintlock76Like I said, the movie could have been better, but it does have it's moments.
I also found "Kelly's Heroes" to be a good flick. At least they cared enough to try and copy the look of a Tiger I......I believe they were Soviet T-34's under all that make up, but the look was heads above what you get in most WWII movies.
Karl-Otto Alberty appears in both movies we are discussing, and so many more that I find myself always expecting to see him in any movie casting roles of German soldiers....he shows up in quite a few even uncredited.
"Panzerlied" was real all right, there's five verses but only the first one is sung in the movie. As I understand it the song was recently banned for use in the present-day German army due to it's Nazi-era origin, even though there's no Nazi references in it, however German civilian bands can play it if they want to.
Robert Shaw was great in that film! A tough soldier, you couldn't like the character, but you could respect him, until toward the end of the film you (and his orderly played by Hans Christian Blech) find out what a monster he really is.
Like I said, the movie could have been better, but it does have it's moments.
Flintlock76 As far as I'm concerned it was all downhill after "Panzerlied."
I was surprised when I learned that was a real song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLnv_83cQSw
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