TCM aired this classic last week in a strange format; not quite letterbox but the center of the screen was thin and gradually heightened to full-size. Is this something new? It actually looked better than regular letterboxing but I've never seen this before? Are all older films being re-done like this?
shareWow, that must have been a strange sight, if you knew nothing about it!
Google 'cinerama'. It was a 3-camera process, projecting 3 images into a deeply curved screen. It gave depth, and the feeling of motion. Like 3D today, you can tell the scenes it was designed for - the rapids, the train scene, the buffalo stampede...
Originally (1952), there movies were just short specials, showing the spectacular, like early Imax movies.
And the intermission - this was actually shown. It was so the protectionist could change the 3 reels of film. Cinerama theaters were upscale, and you had to reserve tickets in advance.
Actually, I saw the film in Cinerama on that deeply curved screen here in New York at the Loews' Cinerama Theatre but I never saw the film aired on TV in that format. Cinerama was great except the 3 screens did not exactly match in color resolution but nevertheless, many scenes were outstanding in depth. When did TV start airing classic films in the wrap-around screen format? Yes, I had to buy reserved seats in advance and every seat in the house was filled. TCM has shown other Cinerama films in the past but it ways always in regular letterbox.
shareIt's called Smilebox and was created to simulate the appearance of Cinerama on home video. http://www.cineramaadventure.com/smilebox.htm
I caught a bit of this showing while channel surfing and my reaction was wow, they're actually showing this in Cinerama. However, to my knowledge TCM has not done this with any other Cinerama films.
shareMy parents took me to see this movie when it first came out. I was almost five and it was waaaay too long, smile, but I remember there was a triple screen across the front of the theatre and you had to turn your head from side to side to see all the action. My short attention span was recaptured when those buffalo went thundering across the expanse.
Decades later, I saw a revival of Lawrence of Arabia in the last "grand old cinema" in DC and the scope was so huge, head-turning was also required. (I saw many movies in that theatre but L of A was the only time they drew the curtains all the way back to use the full screen.)
They really do NOT make 'em like they used to.
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