Right around the time Star Wars: A New Hope was released (1977), I went to see the premier of The Grateful Dead Movie at the Harvard Square Theatre. They had to bring in 4 stacks (1 in each corner), amps and a mixing console to do "four channel sound". Pink Floyd really took the lead in doing that in live concert setting. I saw them at Ivor Wynn Stadium in Hamilton, Ontario in 1975 with their full two stacks in the rear and two stacks in the front 360 degree Wish You Were Here, Dark Side of the Moon, Meddle tour.
This was an expensive undertaking, resulting in very limited releases to places that could accommodate the gear. Dolby Surround (pre-digital) on optical tracks revolutionized movie sound tracks, making it more economically feasible for theaters to convert to "four channel sound". I can still remember the opening sequence with the huge Empire cruiser passing overhead, and the sound moving from the back of the theatre to the front.
This was an expensive undertaking, resulting in very limited releases to places that could accommodate the gear. Dolby Surround (pre-digital) on optical tracks revolutionized movie sound tracks, making it more economically feasible for theaters to convert to "four channel sound". I can still remember the opening sequence with the huge Empire cruiser passing overhead, and the sound moving from the back of the theatre to the front.