Page 28 - CR-94

A look at the

process of … By Earl Martell

f all the films I saw in the 1960s (100s!) Earlier, Paramount Pictures, had developed a The first film to be produced in Technirama
Oone stood out from the rest and remained process which they called VistaVision. In was the European made, The Monte Carlo
in my memory for decades - 55 Days at Peking brief, VistaVision produced a high resolution Story in 1956 with Marlene Dietrich. The first
in Super Technirama 70! image using eight perforations of 35 mm film Hollywood made Technirama film was the
per frame, the film running horizontally. This James Stewart western Night Passage from
I saw it one Saturday afternoon in the mid gave a picture ratio of about 1.61:1 which was Universal in 1957. The last was Disney’s The
1960s at the Chelsea Theatre in Flinders St. cropped to a standard ratio of 1.85:1. For more Black Cauldron in 1985 (although Technirama
Melbourne. The picture on the slightly curved details of the VistaVision process see doesn’t get a mention in the credits). It was
screen was superb and the sound was fantastic. CinemaRecord No. 88. also “blown up” to 70 mm. In all, in nearly 30
When rockets were fired they came from the years, only 70 films were shot in Technirama
back of the theatre, appeared to zoom past you Using a lens developed by the Dutch company, and about 30 of those were also released in
and explode on the screen and that was from Delrama (the name Technirama came from Super Technirama 70, the first of these being
six channels of sound, five at the front and just combining Technicolor and Delrama) on a Disney’s Sleeping Beauty in 1959. However,
the one for surround (a bit different to Dolby converted, now redundant, 3-strip Technicolor this came out with an aspect ratio of 2.55:1,
Atmos but just as effective!). camera, the image was squeezed horizontally presumably to be the same size as Lady and
by a factor of 1.5 (compared to CinemaScope the Tramp which was shot in CinemaScope in
In recent times I have researched the process 2x squeeze), to produce an eight perforation the early ratio of 2.55:1. It’s not clear how a
that was known as “Super Technirama 70” wide image on 35 mm film, similar to ratio of that size was printed onto a 2.2:1
only to find the claim “filmed in Super VistaVision. 70 mm film, I can only assume it was cropped.
Technirama 70”
was false. It was The first “action”
just a “blow up” of movie in Super
a 35 mm Technirama 70 was
Technirama film, Solomon and
or was it? Sheba, also in
1959, but it was
There were dozens decided to “blow it
of movies filmed up” to 70 mm after
in 35 mm the credits had
Panavision that been done so like a
were blown up to number of other
70 mm and they Super Technirama
looked no better films, it just states
than the 35 mm “Technicolor” and
originals so why “Technirama” in
did movies filmed the credits.
in Technirama look and sound so good, so When unsqueezed this gave a picture ratio of
good in fact some were even shown in 2.25:1 which was cropped slightly at the top Solomon and Sheba had it’s premier at the
Cinerama theatres on the huge curved screens and bottom to produce a CinemaScope ratio of Astoria Theatre in London where the huge
(Circus World, Lafayette, The Golden Head 2.35:1 (or cropped marginally at the sides for Todd-AO screen was ripped out and replaced
and Custer of the West, to mention a few). a 2.2:1, 70 mm ratio). with a bigger, specially designed curved screen
for the Super Technirama movie. In 1960, the
Technirama was developed by Technicolor to Super Technirama 70 films were printed onto world premier of the Super Technirama film,
produce high quality images that could be 70 mm film stock, using a special lens made The Savage Innocents was held at Melbourne’s
screened in the CinemaScope screen ratio of by Panavision. As the height of the 35 mm Chelsea Theatre.
2.35:1. image was equal to the
height of the 70 mm frame, 70 mm Super Technirama image. Note: Image has been corrected by
the eight perforation 35 mm
Eight perforation wide 35 mm Technirama image only needed to be unsqueezing it horizontally before printing to 70 mm.
image, showing the 1.5 X horizontal squeeze.
Image size is 38 mm wide by 25.2 mm high. unsqueezed horizontally.
Super Technirama 70 films
looked nearly as good as
films shot in 70 mm because
of the high quality of the
Delrama lens, Technicolor’s
constant aim for perfection
and the fact all 70 mm prints
came from the original
negative.

28 CINEMARECORD # 94