Page 29 - CR-94

In the same year the most well known Super the sides of the frames
Technirama 70 film of all was released – slightly squeezed. This
Spartacus – although on a number of corrected itself on the deeply
advertising posters at the time, it was said to curved screen.
have been in Technicolor and Panavision (see
page 11, Cinema Record No. 92). Panavision At one stage there were
only supplied the lens for the 35 mm to 70 mm plans to convert Super
transfer. Technirama 70 prints to

Kirk Douglas behind the Technirama camera during the filming of Spartacus

The first Super Technirama film to be shown three strip Cinerama films by printing one third The Russian born, American producer, Samuel
in Cinerama (Europe only) was Lafayette in of the image to each of the three films, the Bronston who had set up a studio in Spain
1961. The Golden Head in 1964 was originally image being reassemble when projected onto made most of his epics in Super Technirama –
to be filmed in Cinerama but costs saw it the Cinerama screen. There was also a process King of Kings, El Cid, 55 Days at Peking and
transferred to Technirama (and 65 mm MCS called ARC-120 where by Super Technirama Circus World. Bronston’s first movie from his
70 for the action scenes). Custer of the West films (2 only - Honeymoon and Black Tights) Madrid studio was John Paul Jones (starring
(Super Technirama 1967) was shown in were cut in half down the middle and then Robert Stack) in 1959 and shot in Technirama.
Cinerama at the Plaza in Collins St. shown through a special twin lens projector
Melbourne, and presumably at the Plaza in which reassembled the image onto a deeply The claim “filmed in Super Technirama 70”
Sydney as well. Cinerama had supplied curved screen. was really a lie but apparently no one
Technicolor with a lens that left the image at complained probably because they looked like
films shot in 70 mm! For a look at the quality
An original three strip Technicolor camera modified for use as a Technirama camera. of high resolution Super Technirama films,
check out the blu-ray releases, especially the
1963 made, Italian film starring Burt
Lancaster, The Leopard. You get two discs,
one has the 70 mm Italian version, the other is
the regular 35 mm English language version.
Though both have mono sound tracks the
picture quality is superb on the Italian version,
while it’s “not so good” on the English release.
Interestingly, the credits at the end of disc one
state “Technicolor and Technirama” (not
“Super 70”). Neither process is credited on disc
two. While not claiming to have been filmed
in CinemaScope, it states “CinemaScope is the
trade mark of 20 Century Fox”. ★
th
Credits:
www.in70mm.com
www.widescreenmuseum.com
Images:
Internet downloads

CINEMARECORD # 94 29