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Grandeur
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All
70mm film lists
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Compiled
by: Thomas Hauerslev |
Date:
17.02.2010 |
By Dan Sherlock:
Mitchell Fox
cameras developed by: Earl Sponable.
Film size: 4 perf 70mm. The film had larger sprocket holes and a
long 0.234 inch pitch before shrinkage, which produced an image about as
tall as that found on modern 70mm film that uses a conventional pitch.
Aspect ratio: 2,13:1. The aspect ratio changed from the often
quoted 48 x 22.5 mm (1.890 x .886 inches), which is a 2.13:1 aspect ratio
for the camera, to 1.920 x .926 inches which is a 2.07:1 aspect ratio. The
projected aspect ratio stayed at about a 2:1 aspect ratio.
Frame rate: The speed was 90 feet per minute, which is about 19 1/2
frames per second. The speed was increased to 24 frames per second in the
Spring of 1930, which may have been due to Realife needing to be 24fps, and
to allow the potential for Grandeur to optically printed as well. Thus, it
would have been very unlikely that the reel of "FOLLIES" was blown up
from 35mm unless they filmed a special reel at 19 1/2 frames per second. And
since the rest of the films at the showings at the Gaiety theater were
filmed with a Grandeur camera and projected with 70mm projectors, it would
not make much sense to have used an optically printed enlargement for the
demo.
Sound:
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Further
in 70mm reading:
Magnified Grandeur
Projection and
Wide Film (1895-1930)
1930's Large Format Equipment
at the USC Archive
The Bat Whispers in
65mm
The Bat Whispers
Early Large Format
Films
Magnifilm
Natural
Vision
Realife
Vitascope
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Title |
Released |
Cinema |
Notes |
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Fox Grandeur News
(S) (FOX) |
Gaiety, NYC, USA |
17.09.1929 |
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 Fox Movietone
Follies of 1929 (FOX) |
Gaiety, NYC, USA |
17.09.1929 |
70mm only in
New York
This film was never shot in a widescreen format despite some books
referring to it being in widescreen .About ten minutes of it was
blown up to 70mm and shown as a featurette with another fox film in
New York only. The film is said to be lost forever.
Mansor Peter
Added 17.02.2010 by Dan Sherlock:
Although I don't have any record of a 70mm release of the "FOX
MOVIETONE FOLLIES OF 1929" in Los Angeles, it was shown in 70mm
Grandeur in New York at the Gaiety theater in September 1929. I
strongly question the claim that only about 10 minutes of it was
shown in 70mm, and that it was blown up from 35mm. The "GRANDEUR
NEWS" and "NIAGARA FALLS" films were short subjects, and
"FOLLIES" was the only feature-length film to be shown at
those screenings.
Other evidence that it was a feature length movie:
The review from the New York Times, September 22, 1929, page X7:
"The long film, "The Fox Movietone Follies," which is also
screened in Grandeur form, ...
The memo by H.F. Germain to Earl Sponable, noting that during the
evening performance on Friday, September 27th:
"... the sixth reel of the Follies on the
Simplex
machine ran off the top sprocket and jammed, due to a break in the
perforations. The show was continued on the other machine and
finished without further trouble."
This clearly indicates there were at least 6 reels to "FOLLIES".
The Germain memo may give a hint on the origin of the belief that
only one reel was in Grandeur: He mentions that at special
demonstration screenings at 11:30 PM on September 24th and at 11:15
AM on September 25th, only one reel of "FOLLIES" was shown at
those demonstration screenings along with other footage.
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Niagara Falls (S)
(FOX) |
Gaiety, NYC, USA |
17.09.1929 |
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 Happy Days (FOX) |
Roxy, NYC, USA |
14.02.1930 |
AFI 17.09.1929. NY
release 02.03.1930. 70mm only in New York and Los Angeles. Shot
simultaneously in 35mm. |
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Song o' My Heart
(FOX) |
44th
St.th, NYC, USA |
11.03.1930 |
Only 35mm version
released, Grandeur version never shown.
This film was never released in 70mm anywhere despite it being
filmed in the wide screen process. It was also the most popular of
the early widescreen films from 1929/31.A strange film as the songs
were sung but the dialogue was silent with title cards.
Mansor Peter
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 The Big Trail (FOX) |
Chinese, LA, USA |
02.10.1930 |
24 fps |
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Hudson River Bridge (S) (FOX) |
Roxy Theatre, New York |
01.03.1930 |
24 fps
"Hudson River Bridge" was shown with the 35mm feature film
"LET'S GO PLACES" |
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Internet
link:
(S) = Short film
Assistant contributors on some large format lists includes
Michael Coate, David Coles, Jeffrey L. Johnson, Scott Marshall, Tak Miagishima,
Rick Mitchell, Dan Sherlock, Richard Vetter and Ingolf Vonau.
Based on material found in many sources, including trade papers, Variety,
Wide Screen Movies (Robert E. Carr & R. Michael Hayes) and Four Aspects of The Film (James L Limbacher) |
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Updated
28-07-24 |
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