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Cinemascope

 


Cinemascope is an anamorphic process that compresses an image during filming and uncompresses it when projected. The process involves squeezing a wide image onto 35mm film so that it fits the physical celluloid's square frame. With the help of anamorphic projection lenses, this image is then unsqueezed, allowing for the full width of the image to be displayed.

In the early days of cinema, French inventor Henri Chretien created and patented an anamorphic lens that could be used for motion pictures. However, back in the 1920's and 1930's, no one was really interested.

That all changed in early 1950's, when motive studios were losing their audience to the rise of television. It was convenient, could be enjoyed at home and provided the same entertainment value as movies.

However, in 1952, ''This Is Cinerama'', which displayed a widescreen image with three cameras and three projectors was becoming a smash hit across the country, albeit in limited theatres.

20th Century Fox was in desperate need to bring people back into movie theaters. They needed something that, while unique, could be easily implemented nationwide. With Cinerama as inspiration, studio execs got in touch with Professor Chretien and asked if they could purchase the rights to his Hypergonar technology.

While anamorphic lenses were nothing new, what made Chretien's creation special was that he already had the lenses made. 20th Century Fox was unique for having their own R&D department which meant they could begin making cinemascope lenses for future productions.

By the spring of 1953, Fox had gotten the rights and was moving full speed ahead with their newly named Cinemascope process.

The first film made in Cinemascope was ''The Rope". This 20th Century Fox Cinemascope picture was immediately followed by ''How to Marry a Millionaire'', starring Marilyn Monroe. The two films couldn't be more different: one was a biblical epic, the other a romantic comedy. At the time, there were no rules for what movie could be shown in the Cinemascope aspect ratio as long as it took advantage of its width.

In any case, the studio wanted all of their movies to be shot and presented in Cinemascope from now on. Not only that, but they offered to license out the 20th Century Fox Cinemascope technology to any competitors that were willing to pay the fee. That included Warner Bros. and Walt Disney Pictures, the latter of whom released the first animated films in the format, including ''Lady and the Tramp''.

However not every studio in Hollywood felt comfortable paying their competitors money for technology that, in theory, they could build themselves. So, build it themselves they did. A number of competing "Scopes" came out, not just in Hollywood but around the world. These included WarnerScope, Franscope and TohoScope

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