Theater Screens EXPANDED For KONG in 1933? in Kong - 8th Wonder of the World Forum

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Theater Screens EXPANDED For KONG in 1933?

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Rakshasa	Theater Screens EXPANDED For KONG in 1933?	Lead	[-]
Feb 3 12 4:19 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Check out the first paragraph in this clipping from The Providence Journal, April 16th, 1933: Uploaded with ImageShack.us Links To All The Classic Monster Stills I've Posted: http://monsterkidclassichorrorforum.yuku.com/topic/30758
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Wich2		#1	[-]
Feb 3 12 5:45 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Sounds like ye olde MAGNASCOPE trick? http://vitaphone.blogspot...ascope-and-vocalite.html
Rakshasa		#2	[-]
Feb 3 12 6:00 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I reckon so, Craig. Pretty cool! Links To All The Classic Monster Stills I've Posted: http://monsterkidclassichorrorforum.yuku.com/topic/30758
Aupperle		#3	[-]
Feb 3 12 6:12 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	When I attended the KING KONG 50th Anniversary Screening at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood the projected image did switch to a wider aspect ratio about the time Kong started to climb the Empire State Building. They told us in advance that KONG was shown the same way when it premiered there back in 1933. I can't remember hearing anywhere else that part of Kong was shown as a wider image and I've never seen it projected that way before or since but I see no reason to doubt it. I think it was fairly common at one time but the only other classic film I remember seeing open to wide screen at the final reel was PORTRAIT OF JENNIE.
TServo4		#4	[-]
Feb 3 12 6:42 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Magnascope is not a wider image, it's a larger image. Theater screens up until the late '40s were quite small, largely a hold-over from the early days of carbon-arc lighting that was not particularly powerful nor efficient. The effect was an immersion experience a la widescreen. Since the Magnascope lens/set-up was not a proprietary system of any studio, it was used up until 1953 on a number of first-run presentations of films, including PORTRAIT OF JENNIE, which also featured in its New York run "cycloramic sound" (surround effects). J. Theakston Capitol Theatre, Rome, NY
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Rakshasa		#5	[-]
Feb 3 12 7:00 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Fascinating info, all. This is why I love the CHFB. Links To All The Classic Monster Stills I've Posted: http://monsterkidclassichorrorforum.yuku.com/topic/30758
Aupperle		#6	[-]
Feb 3 12 7:09 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	TServo4 wrote: Magnascope is not a wider image, it's a larger image. Theater screens up until the late '40s were quite small, largely a hold-over from the early days of carbon-arc lighting that was not particularly powerful nor efficient. The effect was an immersion experience a la widescreen. Since the Magnascope lens/set-up was not a proprietary system of any studio, it was used up until 1953 on a number of first-run presentations of films, including PORTRAIT OF JENNIE, which also featured in its New York run "cycloramic sound" (surround effects). Now that you jar my memory I do recall we went over the wider/larger Magnascope process sometime ago. Thanks for reminding me. I do know that I saw both KONG and JENNIE one time each when the size of the image enlarged at the last reel but I couldn't say after all these years (KONG in 1983 and JENNIE about ten years earlier) if the theaters* got their Magnascope correct or if they just switched to a 1.85 projector lens and matte. The JENNIE screening also had what I would describe as surround effects when the storm started as well as being colored blue during the storm and amber for the sunrise sequence of Joseph Cotten recovering in bed. *KONG at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood and JENNIE at the Vagabond Theater in downtown Los Angeles. our earlier conversation about much the same thing http://monsterkidclassich...-Silent-Era#reply-412057 Last Edited By: Aupperle Feb 4 12 1:52 AM. Edited 1 times.
The Giant Pacific Octopus		#7	[-]
Feb 4 12 2:17 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Forrey Ackerman said the screens image was enlarged during the ESB battle when he saw the film back in 1933. (I think he was 16 at the time). Apparently this was also done in the film Chang during the climatic elephant stampede. The Catch of the Day!
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