Aspect Ratio Documentation (6 Viewers)

[Jimbo64]

Will you be having the stereo tracks restored?

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Very likely, yes!

 

[Bob Furmanek]

As promised, the test scan of AFRICA SCREAMS from 35mm nitrate. Be sure to watch in 1080p HD!

This footage was scanned in 4K resolution from the composite nitrate 35mm fine grain master positive. There is some baked-in jitter on the raw scan from film shrinkage but that has been stabilized. We have not yet done image grading, dirt clean-up or audio sweetening. I wanted to share this clip ASAP and as you can see, the incredible quality of the original nitrate material speaks for itself!

Please continue to share our campaign. Extra funds that we raise will enable us to do additional restoration work on Africa Screams and pursue other licenses for future Abbott and Costello (and 3-D) restoration projects. www.tinyurl.com/saveabbottandcostello

We'll be announcing some very cool stretch goals within the week. Thank you!

 

[Brent Reid]

1.66:1 has become a ubiquitous ratio for classic widescreen films on DCP and home video, despite originally being nowhere near as common as supposed. I thought I'd compile a list of the worst offenders, that were shot for widescreen exhibition but only released fully open matte on certain Blu-rays.

1.33:1 or 1.37:1 open matte:

• Riot in Cell Block 11 (1954, 1.66:1) Criterion, Alive
• Marty (1955, 1.85:1) Kino Lorber, Eureka, Wild Side
• A Kid for Two Farthings (1955, 1.66:1 or 1.75:1) BFI
• The Man with the Golden Arm (1955, 1.85:1) Concorde Video
• The Silent World/Le Monde du Silence (1956) Go Entertain, TF1 Studio
• Elevator to the Gallows/Ascenseur pour l'échafaud (1958) Curzon Artificial Eye, Arthaus, Gaumont
• Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959, 1.85:1) Legend Films
• Odds Against Tomorrow (1959, 1.85:1) BFI
• Zazie dans le Métro (1960) Criterion, Artificial Eye, Arthaus, Arte Vidéo, Gaumont
• The Killers (1964) Criterion
• World Without Sun/Le monde sans soleil (1964) Go Entertain
• Voyage to the Edge of the World/Voyage au bout du monde (1976) Go Entertain
• All Quiet on the Western Front (1979, 1.85:1) ITV, Beyond Home Entertainment

There are 50-odd different BDs of French director Éric Rohmer's films dating from 1962–2004 with only a few at 1.66:1. The majority are open matte which was his preference, regardless of the fact they weren't screened that way.

Open matte but with alternatives included:

• On the Waterfront (1954, 1.85:1) Criterion US and UK
• Touch of Evil (1958, 1.85:1) Eureka/Masters of Cinema, Koch Media
• The Killers (1964, 1.33:1 and 1.85:1) Arrow
• The Evil Dead (1981, 1.85:1) Anchor Bay, Sony

Then of course, there's the Eureka/Masters of Cinema limited edition release of Shane (1953), which took the opposite approach...

I know there are lots of Blu-rays of the above films that are correctly – or more correctly – framed, but I'm not focusing on them. Can anyone suggest any other culprits, along with any corrections or missing ARs?

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Only two more weeks to help preserve AFRICA SCREAMS and have your name in the restoration credits!

www.tinyurl.com/saveabbottandcostello

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Check out today's update for a complete list of the exciting bonus extras! www.tinyurl.com/saveabbottandcostello

Even though the 1953 reissue (with LOVE HAPPY) was shown cropped to widescreen in some theaters, our restoration will preserve the film in the original Academy ratio as presented theatrically in 1949.

Please remember that you only have until 9:00 PM EST on December 30, 2019 to pledge for this campaign and have your name appear on-screen in the restoration credits. Don't miss this unique opportunity to be a part of this exciting project and help us to preserve and restore this classic Abbott and Costello comedy.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Sirk and Metty's first widescreen film is coming to Blu-ray!

Special thanks to Mike Ballew for the discovery and sharing of this rare unpublished image!​

 

[Tony Bensley]

Hi Bob!

My OAR question is for THE MAN CALLED FLINTSTONE (1966) animated feature, which spoofs the '60s spy film genre that was then in vogue.

While my DVD bears the STANDARD VERSION PRESENTED IN A FORMAT PRESERVING THE ASPECT RATIO OF ITS ORIGINAL THEATRICAL EXHIBITION, it is 1.33:1 open matte. I just read yesterday that the iTunes digital version released in 2010 is presented in a matted 1.78:1 aspect ratio. My guess would be the latter aspect would have been the OAR recommended for theatrical exhibition, but I would love some positive clarification for this title, if you could kindly provide this!

CHEERS!

 

[DVDvision]

So I stumbled onto this while researching TV aspect ratio...

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/819_lignes?

It seems that the french norm for B&W TV was 819 lines, from 1949 to 1983!

It resulted in about 737 active lines which made that format on par with 720p, before additional channels, and color, dumbed it down to SD.

Now the interesting thing in this, is that the aspect ratio was 1.37:1 not 1.33:1.

I'm not sure if this was the same in other countries. But if it was, that would be info pushing toward old black and white TV shows to be presented in 1.37:1 instead of cropped to 1.33:1.

 

[AnthonyClarke]

That's very interesting stuff. So HD from 1949, albeit in black and white!
I don't think that was the case in Australia, where tv transmissions began in late 1956. We were lucky to get any picture at all, let alone in HD!
A good evening was usually made up of episodes of 'The Adventures of Robin Hood' and 'Father Knows Best', followed a year or so later by 'Leave it to Beaver' and Disneyland'. The only one of those which would have benefited from HD was 'Robin Hood', I think. It was a great series.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Hi Bob!

My OAR question is for THE MAN CALLED FLINTSTONE (1966) animated feature, which spoofs the '60s spy film genre that was then in vogue.

While my DVD bears the STANDARD VERSION PRESENTED IN A FORMAT PRESERVING THE ASPECT RATIO OF ITS ORIGINAL THEATRICAL EXHIBITION, it is 1.33:1 open matte. I just read yesterday that the iTunes digital version released in 2010 is presented in a matted 1.78:1 aspect ratio. My guess would be the latter aspect would have been the OAR recommended for theatrical exhibition, but I would love some positive clarification for this title, if you could kindly provide this!

CHEERS!

Hi Tony,

My apologies for the delay, I had missed your inquiry.

The intended theatrical AR is 1.85:1.

 

[Harold Chasen]

So HD from 1949, albeit in black and white!

A modification of this French system was actually used to make theatrical films. They were shot on this early "high definition" video, then transferred to film for release. It was called Electronovision: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronovision

 

[Tony Bensley]

Hi Tony,

My apologies for the delay, I had missed your inquiry.

The intended theatrical AR is 1.85:1.

View attachment 71169

Thank you very kindly for the clarification, Bob!

1.85:1 seems about right for the era. I wonder whether the version of THE MAN CALLED FLINTSTONE (1966) on my DVD is open matte or cropped?

CHEERS!

EDIT: The DVD transfer is 4:3 open matte, according to the liner notes of of the above movie's Wikipedia page:

The Man Called Flintstone - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Of course, the actual DVD liner notes don't confirm the above, with the decidedly less than helpful "STANDARD VERSION PRESENTED IN A FORMAT PRESERVING THE ASPECT RATIO OF ITS ORIGINAL THEATRICAL EXHIBITION."

 

[Bob Furmanek]

Douglas Sirk's TAZA, SON OF COCHISE is a widescreen stereoscopic masterpiece and belongs in every 3-D Blu-ray collection.

You'll enjoy this new article by 3-D experts Mike Ballew and Hillary Hess: http://www.3dfilmarchive.com/taza-son-of-cochise

 

[RolandL]

On the other site, there is a discussion about the aspect ratio of the 1967 film Bedazzled. On the German Blu-ray it's 2.63, on the TT Blu-ray 2.35. I could only find a similar (not exact) match between the Fox DVD and the German Blu-ray. The German Blu-ray is probably showing the full AR of the negative without the sound track. Similar to the 1998 DVD of The Great Escape.

Fox DVD

German Blu-ray

I recorded this title on TCM. Started watching it and remembered this screen shot. Anyhow, here is a comparison to the TCM broadcast. The TCM broadcast shows the same picture info as the German Blu-ray. But TCM's is 2.35. I guess the Germans just compressed the image to make it 2.63.

Fox DVD

TCM broadcast

German Blu-ray

TCM broadcast

 

[RolandL]

Check out the comparison here.

 

[nara]

Check out the comparison here.

That is indeed weird.

 

[Gary Couzens]

I'm currently looking through old issues of Sight & Sound to see if they made any references to aspect ratio changes.

There's a four-page article by Gavin Lambert, "Report on New Dimensions" in the Spring 1953 issue, which is too long to post here, and I'd no doubt be breaching copyright if I did. In it, he talks about 3D, Cinerama and CinemaScope.

In the following issue (Summer 1953), Lambert reviews three 3D films (House of Wax, Man in the Dark, Bwana Devil) and makes this comment:

I doubt anyone would disagree with him about showing Academy Ratio films cropped on wide screens, but it's further evidence that UK cinemas were converting to widescreen by mid 1953, or big London West End showcase cinemas at least.

 

[Gary Couzens]

Autumn 1953, Another piece from Gavin Lambert, interviewing Mel Ferrer about the shooting of Knights of the Round Table in CinemaScope (and simiultaneously in "flat"). Also, this by Penelope Houston on Shane:

 

[RolandL]

Bad Seed on TCM in 1.33 AR right now. It should be 1.85 but if I crop it heads are cut off.