CINERAMA COMES TO THE AMBASSADOR THEATRE February 10, 1954
"The Spectacle Show that Puts You in the Picture"
The St. Louis premiere of "This is Cinerama" was shown at the Ambassador Theatre on Wednesday, February 10, 1954. St. Louis was the tenth city to see this motion picture innovation. The Ambassador Theatre was the first St. Louis theatre to have Cinerama. The Ambassador's screen was the largest Cinerama screen in the country. The Ambassador had to be adapted in order for the Cinerama to be shown. Alterations to the theatre cost $46,000. The number of seats was reduced from 2900 to 1400 so that every viewer had a view of the screen from a 146° angle.
"This is Cinerama" consisted of several different experiences that allowed the audience to experience the illusion that they were actually there. The audience had the chance to ride a roller coaster, participate in a speedboat race, watch a Spanish bullfight, go on a gondola ride, and watch performances by the cast of Aida and the Salt Lake City Tabernacle Choir. The Ambassador Theatre remained a Cinerama theatre until 1959 when it again became a first-run movie house.
