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Author Topic: Cinemascope in mono. Stephen Furley Film God Posts: 3059 From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England Registered: May 2002 posted 09-02-2013 06:57 AM                     When were the first 'scope prints with mono optical tracks released, either optical only, or mag-opt? Also, what was the first black and white 'scope release?  |  IP: Logged Martin McCaffery Film God Posts: 2481 From: Montgomery, AL Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-02-2013 08:47 AM                        Don't know the first, but probably the last B&W 'scope mono feature was Woody Allen's Manhattan in 1979.  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 09-02-2013 08:57 AM                        I would guess right away since not everyone bought 'scope right away and I'm sure they couldn't leave a sheckle uncollected. louis  |  IP: Logged Sam D. Chavez Film God Posts: 2153 From: Martinez, CA USA Registered: Aug 2003 posted 09-02-2013 09:27 AM                       I'm sure there were any number of Westerns or B war movies as early as 1953 or so. "Longest Day" and "Hustler" come to mind but these are early '60's.  |  IP: Logged Mark Ogden Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 943 From: Little Falls, N.J. Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-02-2013 10:03 AM                     I’m not sure how you will go about answering this with any accuracy. There were experiments in anamorphic cinema as early as the late 1920s in France, but the titles are likely lost to history. If you want to define “Cinemascope” as films from the Twentieth Century-Fox era and later, I would probably look to the output of Regal Films, which was their early 1950s B-movie division. For the first b/w Cinemascope photographed film, IMDB lists a picture called The Desperados Are In Town in monaural and b/w with a November 1956 release date. Also, there were apparently ‘scope monaural prints, albeit in color, of Broken Lance and Carmen Jones, both 1954.  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 09-02-2013 11:46 AM                        I can't now remember where I read this, but Forty Guns (1957) was one of the first features to be shot on Eastman 5231 stock, which was noted because previously, cinematographers had been reluctant to shoot in b/w scope because of the graininess of the existing b/w negative stocks when anamorphically stretched. 5231 was widely perceived to have solved the grain problem, and b/w anamorphic was used (though obviously, in a minority of films as an artistic choice) more often thereafter. On the Beach and The 400 Blows (both 1959, the latter shot on Ilford HP5) and The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961) were three pics that attracted critical attention for their use of b/w 'scope, which was quite fashionable in art movies throughout the '60s.  |  IP: Logged Jeffry L. Johnson Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 809 From: Cleveland, Ohio, USA Registered: Apr 2000 posted 09-02-2013 02:52 PM                        1956 Fox Regalscope (Black & White CinemaScope) Films The Black Whip The Desperadoes Are in Town 1955 Superscope black-and-white Bangazi The Return of Jack Slade See Widescreen Museum process filmography and Gary Palmer's widescreen lists . MGM's first CinemaScope release, KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE (1954), had a Perspecta optical track. quote: A February 5, 1954 Hollywood Reporter news item reported that Knights of the Round Table was the first film for international release to feature M-G-M's new optical track stereophonic sound system.  |  IP: Logged Bill Enos Film God Posts: 2081 From: Richmond, Virginia, USA Registered: Apr 2000 posted 09-03-2013 02:34 PM                     The very first Cinemascope prints didn't have a optical track, the first optical prints were mono. It was intended to be a fall back.  |  IP: Logged System Notices Forum Watchdog / Soup Nazi Posts: 215 Registered: Apr 2004 posted 12-21-2014 11:12 PM                 It has been 474 days since the last post.  |  IP: Logged Robert Furmanek Expert Film Handler Posts: 113 From: Clifton, NJ, USA Registered: Jun 2012 posted 12-21-2014 11:12 PM                     On April 9, 1956, MGM began filming THE POWER AND THE PRIZE in black and white 2.35:1 CinemaScope. It was released on September 26, 1956 and was the first black and white CinemaScope film.  |  IP: Logged Mitchell Dvoskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1869 From: West Milford, NJ, USA Registered: Jan 2001 posted 12-22-2014 03:57 PM                     If memory of things that I have read serve me correctly, and I don't guarantee that this is indeed correct, to install CinemaScope when it was introduced, part of the licensing required mag stereo. There was no optical track on those early prints. Theatre owners fought the stereo requirement tooth and nail. At some point, Walter Reade Theatres started installing CinemaScope with just the mag stereo preamps, merging the front channels into one amp so they could use their existing sound equipment. Shortly thereafter, Fox relented and started releasing mag/optical tracks. Originally, CinemaScope was 2.55:1. As a result of mag/optical, the picture area was reduced to make room for the optical track, so the new aspect ratio was 2.35:1. All composite (picture and sound on one print) optical tracks were mono prior to the introduction of Dolby Stereo. Perspecta Stereo utilized a mono track with 3 subsonic control tones that were used to control the volume of the front 3 speakers independently, allowing sound to pan as desired, simulating discreet stereo. Perspecta was intended as a cheaper alternative to mag stereo as dual inventory prints were not required, the prints were really just mono with the control tones filtered out below the academy sound curve.  |  IP: Logged Steve Matz Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 672 From: Billings, Montana, USA Registered: Sep 2003 posted 12-23-2014 12:12 AM                     I believe That there was also a Clause that said any Film shot in Cinemascope in those initial years had to be shot in Color. Nicholas Ray discovered this while Shooting "Rebel without a Cause" in 1955. The picture was intended to be in B&W/Scope and Ray had already shot close to a week's worth of footage in B&W. Apparently legal people with Cinemascope informed Ray of the Clause in the Contract; which he apparently hadn't paid attention too or never read at all. All the prior B&W Footage had to be reshot in Color. They must have conceded shortly after that as the 1st B&W Scope Picture showed up in 1956 as BOB Said...  |  IP: Logged Robert Furmanek Expert Film Handler Posts: 113 From: Clifton, NJ, USA Registered: Jun 2012 posted 12-23-2014 03:14 PM                     More information on black and white widescreen can be found on this page of our website: http://www.3dfilmarchive.com/widescreen-in-black-and-white Here's the story on Fox and stereo sound requirements for CinemaScope: http://centraltheater.blogspot.com/2007/01/stereophonic-sound-or-bust.html  |  IP: Logged Steve Matz Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 672 From: Billings, Montana, USA Registered: Sep 2003 posted 12-23-2014 11:08 PM                     If you have the Special Edition DVD of "REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE" The Bonus disc talks about having to reshoot the Film in Color and shows some scenes of the Original B&W Footage. Also has interviews with Actors like Dennis Hopper,Corey Allen,Jack Grinage and a couple of the female actress's in the gang. I believe these interviews were done in 2009 and sadly a number have died since then....Got this Special edition DVD in the 5 dollar Bin at Walmart....Great Bargain!  |  IP: Logged Robert Furmanek Expert Film Handler Posts: 113 From: Clifton, NJ, USA Registered: Jun 2012 posted 12-24-2014 12:20 AM                     Thanks, Steve. At most they lost four days of shooting in black and white: March 30-31, April 1-2. They switched to Warnercolor on Monday, April 4.  |  IP: Logged

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