Whats the difference between Cinerama, Panavision, Super Panavision, etc.?
Dear Cecil: Here is a matter that has not been on my mind for quite a while now, that isn’t a matter of life or death, and that doesn’t have 50 bucks riding on it: tell me, what are the differences between Cinerama, Panavision, and Super Panavision? Are any of these simply trade names for ordinary 70mm film? — Bruce Lund, Western Springs, Illinois Cecil replies: You might have mentioned CinemaScope, Metroscope, Ultra Panavision, or any of about a dozen other cinematic breakthroughs while you were at it, Bruce; the movie industry has never been at a loss for grandiose titles for its dubious products. All of the above refer to various widescreen techniques intended to help Hollywood meet the TV challenge of the 50s. The earliest, Cinerama (1952), required three projectors flashing onto a huge curved screen to give the illusion of depth. 1953 saw the debut of CinemaScope, which was the first of several processes to use an anamorphic lens. Such lenses squeezed the unusually wide screen ima
