It was a busy day yesterday for people leaving comments against my Blackpool photos at Flickr. (no longer online) Someone mentioned the old Cinema USA on the Pleasure Beach and, although I haven't any photos of it there I knew there was one of it on the Central Pier somewhere.
A bit of rooting through the computer came up with this. Taken in 1981 this shows the Cinema USA dome. Inside, a film was shown with the normal eye-line way above the normal horizon. There were no seats so you stood looking upwards which threw you off balance a bit to start with. The films were of the fast motion variety - a ride in a Porsche, a roller coaster ride, a helicopter over a gorge etc. People would sway or even lurch sideways watching the film. I seem to remember the odd one in 3D too. They were a pre-cursor to Imax.
It is now the site of a Big Wheel. Almost immediately after uploading the photo to Flickr (still no longer online), a comment appeared against it from "Yorkie", an ex-pat living in America.
"There's a similar attraction still operating in Canobie Lake Park in New Hampshire, and though the film has definitely faded over the years they're still showing the same footage you describe ..."http://www.flickr.com/photos/yorkie/tags/cinema180/ "Love your old shots of Blackpool, John!"
Cheers, Yorkie! The link in Yorkie's message is to his photograph taken inside the dome he mentions showing a film that has decidedly yellowed with age!
