The History of the 70mm Blow Up

In this episode, The 24 Frames Cast dives deep into one of cinema’s most fascinating and overlooked revolutions: the rise of the 70mm blow-up. Beginning with Otto Preminger’s The Cardinal in 1963—an ordinary 35mm film that stunned audiences when projected in 70mm—the episode explores how Panavision, Eastman Kodak, and Technicolor worked together to create a process so convincing that even seasoned projectionists mistook it for true 65mm photography.

From the widescreen arms race of the 1950s to the golden era of roadshow presentations, we trace how exhibitors’ demand for spectacle drove the development of blow-up technology. The episode examines the birth of Dolby 70mm six-track magnetic sound, the introduction of the famous “baby boom” bass channels, and how these innovations laid the fou ...