MGM's CinemaScope cartoons

[Daniel P]

After seeing the CinemaScope section in Misce-Looney-Ous, why can't the cartoons be shown letterboxed? They show the credits like that, why can't they show the entire cartoon that way so that parts of the picture are not cut off?

[TServo2049]

Well, some people at CN think that kids don't like seeing those black bars at the top and bottom of the screen...actually, pan-and-scanning has become the norm for ANY widescreen films shown on network and basic-cable TV, so I don't think we'll see these in widescreen in the near future...

[Daniel P]

Originally posted by TServo2049
Well, some people at CN think that kids don't like seeing those black bars at the top and bottom of the screen...actually, pan-and-scanning has become the norm for ANY widescreen films shown on network and basic-cable TV, so I don't think we'll see these in widescreen in the near future... I like the black bars -- the stupid logo doesn't cover up any parts of the picture.

[J Lee]

Just wait about five years, until HDTV and its wider srceen ratio are scheduled to become the federally-mandated standard U.S. television format. Then all the CinemaScope T&Js can be seen at something close to their normal ratio, while the pre-1954 Warners (and Paramount Popeye) cartoons CN has could have some loss of their upper and/or lower images if 16 mm prints are converted to the HDTV format.

[Paul Penna]

Originally posted by J Lee
Just wait about five years, until HDTV and its wider srceen ratio are scheduled to become the federally-mandated standard U.S. television format. Then all the CinemaScope T&Js can be seen at something close to their normal ratio, while the pre-1954 Warners (and Paramount Popeye) cartoons CN has could have some loss of their upper and/or lower images if 16 mm prints are converted to the HDTV format.

Most people will still probably want their screens filled with image. That means anything shot in Academy Ratio will have the top and bottom cropped off, and anything wider than 1:1.78 (like CinemaScope) will have the sides chopped off.

Speaking of aspect ratios, notice that after around 1953, all films (both live action features and shorts as well as cartoons) started formatting the credit sequences to accomodate the increasing practice of matting the image for widescreen projection (eventually settling in at 1:1.85). Especially check the copyright line to see where the bottom of the image would be in a theatrical presentation.

Has anyone here with a widescreen TV experimented with watching post-1953 cartoons in "zoom" mode, thereby replicating the theatrical aspect ratio?

[Banned Bunny]

Zoom mode doesn't restore cropped images.

And don't wait for HDTV broadcasts to record. Unless Jack Valenti is dead by then, he will be suing EVERYONE who makes a device capable of recording HDTV. And even even if he is dead you still can't be sure that he won't.

[Jack]

Originally posted by Paul Penna
Has anyone here with a widescreen TV experimented with watching post-1953 cartoons in "zoom" mode, thereby replicating the theatrical aspect ratio? I have. I went to a graduation party durring June Bugs, the person throwing it had a widescreen TV, and I watched the last couple minutes of Shiskabugs, and the opening credits of Show Biz Bugs.

Things seemed to fit pretty well, but there was overscan since even widescreen TVs have "TV-cutoff." That, and things looked a little pixelated, IMO. I guess the resolution wasn't high enough.


Jack :D