Films in two different aspect ratio versions (1 Viewer)

[Brent Reid]

I watched The Robe (1952) US BD again recently, with its 2.55:1 CinemaScope aspect ratio, and wondered if the alternate 1.37:1 version is available to buy or watch anywhere in its entirety? On VHS perhaps – or was that simply the widescreen version cropped? The flat version was, of course, made for cinemas that didn't yet have the requisite lenses and screens to project and display the new widescreen AR.

With the BD and 2-DVD releases of John Wayne's epic western The Big Trail (1930), we were lucky enough to get the 70mm Grandeur widescreen and separate 'flat' English language version. I find it fascinating to watch each on alternate viewings for (literally) a whole different take on the film. Likewise with The Bat Whispers (1930), issued on a long-deleted Image DVD in both its flat and 65mm Magnifilm versions. I'm sure everyone here's aware of Oklahoma! (1955), also available in both its 70mm Todd-AO and 35mm CinemaScope variants.

What other films have been made in two completely different OAR versions? That is to say, entirely distinct from each other, composed and shot separately, with different takes, angles, edits, runtimes, etc? Are there any others with both versions on BD?

EDIT:
After a lot more digging and some of the suggestions so far, here's a list of multiple-aspect ratio version films or MARVs*:

• Around the World in 80 Days (1956)
• Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)
  
• The Bat Whispers (1930) – both versions on DVD
• The Big Trail (1930) – both versions on DVD and BD
• Billy the Kid (1930)
• The Black Shield of Falworth (1954)
  
• Brigadoon (1954)
• A Bug's Life (1998) – animation; both versions on DVD and BD
  
• The Command (1954)
  
• Danger Lights (1930)
  
• Fox Movietone Follies of 1929 (1929)
  
• The Great Meadow (1931)
  
• Happy Days (1929)
  
• Kismet (1930)
• Knights of the Round Table (1953)
  
• Lady and the Tramp (1955) – animation; both versions on DVD and BD
• The Lash (1930)
  
• Oklahoma! (1955) – both versions on DVD and BD
• The Robe (1952)
• Rose Marie (1954)
  
• Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) – both versions on DVD
• Sign of the Pagan (1954)
  
• A Soldier's Plaything (1930)
  
• Song o' My Heart (1930)
• The Student Prince (1954)

Surprisingly, though I expected most to date from the final transition to widescreen in the early 1950s, it's a fairly even split between those and ones from the studios' first concerted experiments with widescreen, soon after the transition to sound. There are many more besides from both eras that were planned but never produced or ultimately not completed. Sadly, as with so much of film history, many of the variant versions – and sometimes both – do not survive.

I didn't initially consider animated features because they aren't 'shot' as such. However, the examples here have been largely recomposited to fit an academy ratio frame, so I guess they still count! That being said, I'd have thought there'd be more examples.

*Seems a good name for them, analogous to multiple-language version films or MLVs.

 

[Matt Hough]

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Brigadoon, Lady and the Tramp are the ones that spring immediately to mind.

 

[aPhil]

"Oklahoma"
"Around the World in 80 Days"

 

[ahollis]

Don't forget THE BAT WHISPERS (1930) was filmed in 65mm and 35mm.

Edit: sorry already mentioned. That's what I get for trying to work and read HTF at the same time.

 

[Vegas 1]

I believe John Wayne's Hondo is available in different ratios

 

[cinemiracle]

Andy Warhol's THE CHELSEA GIRLS? When I saw this film in NYC upon it's original release it, was projected onto three separate screens. It ran for almost 3 and a half hours. I also saw it again many years later and it was shown on a single screen and with a running time of only 90 minutes approx.

HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE ? The first film completed in cinemascope but released after THE ROBE.

CAROUSEL ?

THE KING AND I ?

 

[John Sparks]

"3 Worlds of Gulliver." 1.37:1, 1.66:1 and 1.78:1.

 

[TravisR]

It doesn't fall into this category exactly but Shout Factory recently released Dead Ringers in both 1.66 (Cronenberg's preferred AR) and 1.78

 

[Stephen_J_H]

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers included the simultaneously shot "flat" version in the 2-disc SE DVD version, but has yet to be released on Blu-ray.

 

[Wayne_j]

James Cameron's Avatar. There were 2.35 and 1.85 versions, theaters were instructed to project whatever version would be bigger in their auditorium.

 

[bujaki]

Vegas1, Hondo was shot in one aspect ratio: widescreen, protected for 1.37 screens There are no two separate versions, unless you mean 3D and 2D. Reference Bob Furmanek's research.

 

[bujaki]

King Vidor's Billy the Kid; The Great Meadow; Kismet (1930); were these also shot in two versions?

 

[Mark-P]

Those of you who are bringing up open-matte films matted at various aspect ratios are completely missing the point. He's talking about films shot in two completely different formats. Here's a more recent example. Pixar prepared a special 1.33:1 version of A Bug's Life where they completely rearranged the elements to fit in the new ratio.

 

[Gary16]

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers included the simultaneously shot "flat" version in the 2-disc SE DVD version, but has yet to be released on Blu-ray.

There was also a laserdisc release with both versions.

 

[bigshot]

Disney's Sleeping Beauty and Lady and the Tramp were released in two totally different aspect ratios. They had two sets of layouts for each scene and photographed the versions separately

 

[Brent Reid]

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone; there are more than I thought. I've now edited my OP to include a list – keep 'em coming!

 

[Mark-P]

Disney's Sleeping Beauty and Lady and the Tramp were released in two totally different aspect ratios. They had two sets of layouts for each scene and photographed the versions separately

That's not correct on Sleeping Beauty. It was only shot in Technirama though the 2.55:1 aspect ratio was cropped in the release prints to 2.20-2.35.

 

[KeithDA]

Touch Of Evil was released on 'Masters of Cinema' Blu with 2 versions 1.37:1 and 1.85:1...

 

[nara]

Touch Of Evil was released on 'Masters of Cinema' Blu with 2 versions 1.37:1 and 1.85:1...

See post #13

 

[Matt Hough]

Disney's Sleeping Beauty and Lady and the Tramp were released in two totally different aspect ratios. They had two sets of layouts for each scene and photographed the versions separately

The funny thing about Lady and the Tramp is that even though Disney had this 1.37:1 version of it, when they released it on videotape, they released a pan and scan of the 2:55:1 version. Dumb.

The believe a laserdisc of the flat version was eventually released as well as a letterboxed Cinemascope version.