For those of you wondering what has happened to the Los Angeles Cinerama Dome Theatre, there is good news. According to press reports, Pacific Theatres has given up its plan to gut the 1960s landmark's interior spaces and remove the original curved Cinerama screen. Thus ends, according to the New Times (24-30 Dec) "one of the unlikeliest L.A. preservation struggles in recent memory." "Michael R. Foreman, the company's chairman, spoke of being `moved by the passion' of Dome aficionados." The reality of the situation was a bit different. Apparently, the controversy generated so much bad press for Pacific Theatres that they could not find retailers to rent space in their planned expanded shopping mall (One response from a large book store chain was supposedly laughter). The best the developers could do for a "theme" restaurant in a converted Dome lobby was a fast food, near bankrupt chicken franchise. In return for leaving the Cinerama Dome untouched, preservationists will now support Pacific Theatre's plans for a smaller development at the rear of the property, including film screens, a food court, retail shops, and a health spa. L.A. City Council and the Community Redevelopment Authority still also need to approve funds for a $20 million parking facility. A big thank you goes to Hollywood Heritage, the Los Angeles Conservancy, and The Friends of Cinerama for saving a treasured part of our history. No thanks to L.A. City Council, whose members sat on their hands through most of the fight, while allowing developers to gut L.A.'s already pitifully weak landmark protection laws. Chris Horak ---- Online resources for film/TV studies may be found at ScreenSite http://www.tcf.ua.edu/ScreenSite