General Boards > Questions and Answers
original aspect ratio & original length released in theaters
Darkhoarse820:
--- Quote from: stooged and confused on July 17, 2007, 06:36:18 PM ---The original aspeect ratio in theatres is a bit off for TV broadcast and earlier video tape and DVD releases. One way that you can tell is when a newspaper headline was shown in a scene, some of the words are cut off.
Also, a good number of times at the opening credits, the "A Columbia Picture" wording is cropped from the early shorts. When the Columbia torch lady appeared later to the left of the screen the verbage 'A Columbia Short Subject Presentation" had some of the letters missing. Like Looney Tunes cartoons, the aspect ratio on Three Stooges shorts were more of a square box format. They inflate the image to fill up a 4x3 TV screen. The last few DVD releases were restored and remastered in high definition, which configured the image accordingly.
I hope that helps!!
--- End quote ---
Well, if you ask me, I think the remaining releases (because it can't be helped through 1939 anymore) should be done in letterbox (wide screen) form, just as they do with feature films, both new and old. Maybe THAT WAY we can see the entire picture...or is it a filming flaw itself?
BeAStooge:
--- Quote from: Darkhoarse820 on June 08, 2008, 02:15:04 PM ---I think the remaining releases (because it can't be helped through 1939 anymore) should be done in letterbox (wide screen) form, just as they do with feature films, both new and old. Maybe THAT WAY we can see the entire picture...or is it a filming flaw itself?
--- End quote ---
Widescreen releases only apply when a movie was filmed in widescreen. Prior to 1953, the standard aspect ratio was 1.37:1. The DVDs show the shorts in their original framed image.
It won't be until [circa] Volume 7 that the Stooges' aspect ratio becomes an issue.
Darkhoarse820:
--- Quote from: BeAStooge on June 08, 2008, 02:46:27 PM ---Widescreen releases only apply when a movie was filmed in widescreen. Prior to 1953, the standard aspect ratio was 1.37:1. The DVDs show the shorts in their original framed image.
It won't be until [circa] Volume 7 that the Stooges' aspect ratio becomes an issue.
--- End quote ---
I knew there had to be a catch. There always is...
BeAStooge:
Film collector/historian/preservationist/etc., Bob Furmanek is an expert on this topic. In regard to the Stooges' films, some months ago, he provided these comments on the Home Theater Forum website...
--- Quote ---Starting with the release of GOOF ON THE ROOF in December 1953, all newly shot material was composed for widescreen. The problem you run into is the extensive use of older footage in these shorts. Some of them have 2 or 3 minutes of newly shot 1.85 footage, and the rest of the short is pre-1953, 1.37. I've run some in 35mm (PALS AND GALS, OF CASH AND HASH, FLING IN THE RING, etc) and they are WAY too tight at 1.85.
However, titles like INCOME TAX SAPPY, BLUNDER BOYS, SHOT IN THE FRONTIER, MUSCLE UP A LITTLE CLOSER and OUTER SPACE JITTERS look great in widescreen, as they consist of all newly-shot footage.
--- End quote ---
"Composed for widescreen"... Does this mean that it was shot in 1.37, but the image was composed for 1.85 to accommodate 35mm widescreen prints?
--- Quote ---Yes, Columbia began composing all material for widescreen exhibition in the summer of 1953. However, they still photographed an image which can be projected 1.37. This was for smaller theaters that hadn't yet converted to widescreen, 16mm prints, television, etc. However, all theatrical play dates were intended for widescreen.
--- End quote ---
Was STOP, LOOK & LAUGH handled the same way?
--- Quote ---I used to have a 35mm print of this one. All the newly shot footage was printed full frame, which meant that when shown open matte, boom mikes and other artifacts would creep in. (The old Curly footage was printed as photographed, in 1.37.)
The film was intended for widescreen showing however, as the composition on the new footage is intended for 1.85 ratio. The older footage would simply get cropped in theaters, much like the stock footage in the post-1953 releases.
Sometimes, other studios (when issuing older 1.37 films in the widescreen era) would go to the trouble of modifying certain shots so as not to cut off important information. For instance, Universal's 1965 release THE WORLD OF ABBOTT AND COSTELLO has several gag shots optically altered so as not to cut off the gag when shown widescreen.
--- End quote ---
All the 1960s Columbia features were shot in 1.85?
--- Quote ---At one point or another, I had 35mm prints of all of them. Like the shorts, they were printed full frame but were composed for 1.85.
--- End quote ---
archiezappa:
Thanks for the info on the aspect ratios. I was wondering about that. Very interesting.
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