haineshisway
Senior HTF Member
The best framing would be the framing in which the film was projected and that was NOT 1.66, it was 1.85. We're talking about 1957 here.
Contemporaneous copies of the UK trade paper Kine Weekly only provided detailed aspect ratios for films which began shooting from October 1, 1956. "The Prince and the Showgirl" started production at Pinewood before that date but films shot at the studio from that date (other than CInemaScope) were shot for 1.75:1 so it's reasonable to assume that British viewers saw the film at that ratio (I saw the film on first release but obviously don't recall the aspect ratio!). The Warner Bros DVD is a botched job, saying 1.85:1 on the box but which is full frame. No doubt it would have been shown 1.85:1 in the U.S.I finally got around to watching tonight the DVD from the special edition box set I acquired long ago, which includes a separate Marilyn Monroe documentary, booklet, reproduction one sheet, and actual 35mm cel plastic encased on a card stock sheet. I’d been anticipating finally seeing it in widescreen, since the credits sheet under the shrink wrap listed 1.85:1. Alas, the movie was in a snapper case and on the back said 1.33:1. The film began with the typical disclaimed that it had been “modified to fit your screen,” and in fact it was Academy ratio. The title music sound started out thin and shaky but audio was somewhat improved in the dialogue scenes; the picture quality was okay but both sound and picture could use skillful restoration. There was generous headroom in most scenes, but I’m not so sure the best framing wouldn’t be 1.66:1. The IMDb detail simply states 1.37:1, but that’s the way it was filmed, not necessarily projected. As was the case with Criterion’s Summertime (1955), which they stood firm insisting on 1.37:1, I see the interim ratio of 1.66:1 as the most aesthetically pleasing, but suspect the erroneous 1.85:1 listed on the outer package may have been what audiences saw in 1957.
Just to keep the documents in one place, these were recently posted in other threads.
The OAR for the early Allied Artists widescreen films is 1.66:1 and the Universal-International's are 2:1. AA changed to 1.85:1 in mid-September 1953. Their first for 1.85:1 was ARROW IN THE DUST.
Also, in case you missed my new article on the history and preservation of a lost 3-D film: http://www.3dfilmarchive.com/home/dragonfly-squadron
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Yup, the Academy ratio is back in style.OK. Sorry if this might be off-topic but, I'm watching The Chosen One on Netflix and the image is 1.33. First time I have seen a TV show on Netflix that's not 1.77 or 2.0 or other widescreen AR.
OK. Sorry if this might be off-topic but, I'm watching The Chosen One on Netflix and the image is 1.33. First time I have seen a TV show on Netflix that's not 1.77 or 2.0 or other widescreen AR.
Must be in the last episode (unless I didn't notice them) as I didn't see anything but 4:3 in the first five.That series actually has a variable ratio. Some scenes 4:3, others a super-wide 2.75:1.
Must be in the last episode (unless I didn't notice them) as I didn't see anything but 4:3 in the first five.
Yeah, I didn't notice the scenes at the beginning.
From the trailer, it looks like there must be some more widescreen scenes later. When that happens, I don't know.
Presumably digital projection being all but ubiquitous has enabled this? As everything is projected in 1.85:1 or 16:9 with black bars at the sides or top and bottom as appropriate, all manner of non-standard ratios are possible. And a good few films in the last decade or so have been in Academy. I saw one at Frightfest this weekend (Raging Grace). Andrea Arnold has used Academy for all her dramatic features except the first, Red Road.Yup, the Academy ratio is back in style.