Aspect Ratio Documentation (4 Viewers)

[bgart13]

Hi Bob,
I'm watching the original INVADERS FROM MARS right now on IFC. They're showing it 1.78 - the modern fullscreen. It actually appears to look ok like this. The dvd is 4:3, however. What was the theatrical AR? IMDB lists 1.37.
Thanks!
Ben

 

[RolandL]

That appears to be the case. Olive issued a correction to their press release stating that BODY SNATCHERS was not remastered from the original negative. The original negative is lost; the film was remastered from a fine grain.
It's likely that all the surviving film elements are formatted for SuperScope, making an "opened up" 1.85:1 transfer impossible.

dvdbeaver has screen shots with ratios of 1.33, 1.9 and 2.13 http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews24/invasion_of_the_body_snatchers.htm . The wider the ratio, the more information is shown on the sides.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Hi Bob,
I'm watching the original INVADERS FROM MARS right now on IFC. They're showing it 1.78 - the modern fullscreen. It actually appears to look ok like this. The dvd is 4:3, however. What was the theatrical AR? IMDB lists 1.37.
Thanks!
Ben

Production of INVADERS FROM MARS began at Republic studios on September 25, 1952. 1.37:1 is the correct ratio.
Before anyone asks: no, it was never intended for 3-D!
Those screen grabs from various versions of IOTBS beautifully illustrate one thing: you can not trust older zoomed-in transfers for correct compositions!

Case in point, the HD version of KNOCK ON WOOD currently available on Netflix. The film was composed for 1.66:1 which was Paramount's house ratio when it began filming on June 1, 1953. The Netflix transfer is zoomed in so much, both the left and right sides are cut off and the film appears to be composed for 1.37:1.
Check out the transfer of KOW on Olive's DVD release and you'll see the correct widescreen composition.

 

[RolandL]

Those screen grabs from various versions of IOTBS beautifully illustrate one thing: you can not trust older zoomed-in transfers for correct compositions!

So, if Olive is using a print source, the SuperScope ratio would be 2:1

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Work is progressing on our article and it should be ready to go in another 4 to 6 weeks.
For those who feel the widescreen revolution was slow to take off, here is some useful information.
A 12/5/53 survey of 16, 753 operating indoor domestic theaters showed that 80% of downtown theaters and 69% of neighborhood theaters had installed widescreens.
By the end of 1953, 58% of all U.S. theaters had installed widescreen but the conversion was slow in both the Southern and North Central parts of the country. That's why the studios and directors continued to protect for the 1.37:1 standard ratio.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

From other threads and posted here to keep the AR info in one place.

SABRINA began filming in late September 1953, 6 months after Paramount went 100% widescreen.
According to Boxoffice, the aspect ratio is 1.75:1. This was an exception to Paramount's usual 1.66:1 (later 1.85:1) studio policy.

PHARAOH'S CURSE has been released on DVD in 1.37:1.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Our report is also going to document all the films released in stereophonic sound from that period. There's SO much wrong information out there!
From the RAH review thread of THE BIG HEAT.

It was rumored that the original mix was three-track stereo, which does not survive, but I've not been able to confirm that fact.

While 26 Columbia stereophonic titles are announced in a June 6, 1953 trade ad (including The BIG HEAT) the only confirmed and documented stereo releases from Columbia in 1953/54 are:
5,000 Fingers of Dr. T
The Caine Mutiny
Fort Ti
From Here to Eternity
Gun Fury
It Should Happen To You
Let's Do It Again
Miss Sadie Thompson
The Stranger Wore a Gun
THE BIG HEAT was filming from March 17 through April 18 and would have been recorded with 35mm full coat magnetic mono for the dialogue and effects. Most likely, the music tracks were recorded in 3 channel stereo when the film was in post production. Columbia was already recording onto 35mm magnetic three track as of March 31 on the MISS SADIE THOMPSON shoot in Hawaii.
According to the August 1953 issue of "International Sound Technician," (a monthly trade publication by I.A.T.S.E. and M.P.M.O.) it's being dubbed with three mixers, one service recorder and one machine operator. At the same time, Columbia was dubbing FROM HERE TO ETERNITY and GUN FURY with three mixers per film.
As a comparison, THE STRANGER WORE A GUN (which was recorded in 35mm magnetic three track on location in Lone Pine and Chatsworth with a crew of eight including three boom operators) had three mixers, one service recorder and three machine operators.
When advertised in the trades on September 16 and October 17, there is no mention of stereo for THE BIG HEAT. I can find no play-dates listing stereophonic sound either. My suspicion is that it was prepared but never released. Does anyone have any ads for stereo on this film?
Sadly, it appears those 3 channel stereo tracks are LONG gone. Even as early as March 1954, Columbia was no longer making those separate magnetic tracks from the previous year available to exhibitors.
In contrast, Paramount, Universal-International, MGM and Warner Bros. still had their mag full-coats available for booking at that time.

 

[Adam_S]

So what is the correct ratio of films like Shane and On the Waterfront?

 

[haineshisway]

Shane is Academy and On the Waterfront is 1.85

 

[Lord Dalek]

Shane is 1.66:1. It was Paramount's first (and apparently the first in general) to use soft-matting. The dvd is MAR, as are the ones for War of the Worlds, Roman Holiday, and most of Paramount's pre-VistaVision widescreen output.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

SHANE was shown in some large theaters (Radio City Music Hall) 1.66:1 but began filming in late July, 1951. Paramount did not begin composing for widescreen until March 1953.
1.37:1 is the correct director intended ratio.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Again, you have to go by when it was filmed not when it was released.
War of the Worlds and Roman Holiday are both 1.37.

 

[Mark-P]

But you can't deny that 1.66:1 is the original THEATRICAL aspect ratio, and I, for one, would love to see it presented that way on Blu-ray.

SHANE was shown in some large theaters (Radio City Music Hall) 1.66:1 but began filming in late July, 1951. Paramount did not begin composing for widescreen until March 1953.
1.37:1 is the correct director intended ratio.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

That's true but that is opening up quite a can of worms!
I believe the DVD of THUNDER BAY is 1.85.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Documented for the first time from original, primary source materials, the first five features from the Wide Screen revolution of 1953:
http://www.3dfilmarchive.com/home/top-10-3-d-myths
See Myth #7 for the details...
Bob

 

[RPMay]

CALAMITY JANE was photographed in 3-strip Technicolor. The Technicolor camera could only record in 1:37 format.
Dick May

 

[Bob Furmanek]

And it began filming in late December 1952, six months before WB began shooting for widescreen.
Hi Dick - nice to see you here! Hope you're doing well.
Bob

 

[John Weller]

Not to derail the thread but to confirm: by 1957, Mexican films were shooting for widescreen (check out Aztec Mummy, it's so open [matte] it says welcome!)

 

[Bob Furmanek]

That doesn't surprise me, John. Thanks for the update!

 

[Charles Smith]

Wow. Now I have to watch Aztec Mummy ... with a slightly fresher pair of eyes.