VistaVision and IMAX feature films
Compiled by Gary Palmer
Because the scope filmography is devoted primarily to films with
an aspect ratio of 2.00:1 or wider, it was decided that VistaVision and IMAX
movies did not really belong in the main listing, even though they represent a
particular kind of acquisition-and-exhibition format, above and beyond
'regular' 35mm and D-Cinema. VistaVision movies were shot with spherical lenses
(8-perf 35mm) and could be projected at any ratio between 1.66:1 and 2.00:1,
though the primary aspect ratio was 1.85:1. Movies shot in 15-perf IMAX are
1.44:1, though the larger frame can accommodate a variety of aspect ratios up
to 2.35:1, letterboxed within the 1.44:1 frame (which has proved handy in the
case of 35mm movies blown-up for IMAX release). Most IMAX films are short
items, between 10- and 49-minutes in length, but a small number of Large Format
features have been produced over the years. I didn't want to drop these titles
entirely, so I opted to list them separately from the main filmography.
Anyone interested in the history of 3-D feature films (another
'particular' kind of acquisition-and-exhibition format) should take a look at
my extensive filmography at the following URL:
www.the3drevolution.com/3dlist.html
The rest of the site ain't bad, either!
----------oOo----------
VistaVision
NB. Except where noted, all titles were optimized for 1.85:1
aspect ratio.
THE ADMIRABLE CRICHTON
(aka: Paradise Lagoon)
UK - 1957
D: Lewis Gilbert
AN ALLIGATOR NAMED DAISY
UK - 1957
D: J. Lee Thompson
ANDREA CHÉNIER
It/Fr - 1955
D: Clemente Fracassi
ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER PLACE
USA - 1958 - bw
D: Lewis Allen
ANYTHING GOES
USA - 1956
D: Robert Lewis
ARTISTS AND MODELS
USA - 1955
D: Frank Tashlin
AWAY ALL BOATS
USA - 1956
D: Joseph Pevney
THE BATTLE OF THE RIVER PLATE
(aka: Pursuit of the Graf Spee)
UK - 1956
D: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger
BEAU JAMES
USA - 1957
D: Melville Shavelson
THE BIG MONEY
UK - 1956
D: John Paddy Carstairs
THE BIRDS AND THE BEES
USA - 1956
D: Norman Taurog
THE BLACK ORCHID
USA - 1958 - bw
D: Martin Ritt
THE BLACK TENT
UK - 1956
D: Brian Desmond Hurst
A BREATH OF SCANDAL
USA - 1960
D: Michael Curtiz
THE BUCCANEER
USA - 1958
D: Anthony Quinn
THE BUSTER KEATON STORY
USA - 1957 - bw
D: Sidney Sheldon
BUT NOT FOR ME
USA - 1959 - bw
D: Walter Lang
COLORADO
(see: Run for Cover)
THE COURT JESTER
USA - 1955
D: Norman Panama
DANGEROUS EXILE
UK - 1957
D: Brian Desmond Hurst
THE DELICATE DELINQUENT
USA - 1956 - bw
D: Don McGuire
DESIRE UNDER THE ELMS
USA - 1958 - bw
D: Delbert Mann
THE DESPERATE HOURS
USA - 1955 - bw
D: William Wyler
THE DEVIL’S HAIRPIN
USA - 1957
D: Cornel Wilde
DOCTOR AT LARGE
UK - 1957
D: Ralph Thomas
DOCTOR AT SEA
UK - 1955
D: Ralph Thomas
THE FAR HORIZONS
USA - 1955
D: Rudolph Maté
FEAR STRIKES OUT
USA - 1957 - bw
D: Robert Mulligan
THE FIVE PENNIES
USA - 1959
D: Melville Shavelson
FUNNY FACE
USA - 1956
D: Stanley Donen
THE GEISHA BOY
USA - 1958
D: Frank Tashlin
THE GIRL RUSH
USA - 1955
D: Robert Pirosh
GUNFIGHT AT THE O.K. CORRAL
USA - 1957
D: John Sturges
HEAR ME GOOD
USA - 1957 - bw
D: Don McGuire
HELL DRIVERS
UK - 1957
D: Cy Endfield
HELL’S ISLAND
USA - 1955
D: Phil Karlson
HIGH SOCIETY
USA - 1956
D: Charles Walters
HOLLYWOOD OR BUST
USA - 1956
D: Frank Tashlin
HOT SPELL
USA - 1958 - bw
D: Daniel Mann
HOUSEBOAT
USA - 1958
D: Melville Shavelson
HOUSE OF SECRETS
(aka: Triple Deception)
UK - 1956
THE IRON PETTICOAT
UK - 1956
D: Ralph Thomas
IT STARTED IN NAPLES
USA - 1960
D: Melville Shavelson
ILL MET BY MOONLIGHT
(aka: Night Ambush)
UK - 1956 - bw
D: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger
THE JAYHAWKERS!
USA - 1959
D: Melvin Frank
THE JOKER IS WILD
USA - 1957 - bw
D: Charles Vidor
KING CREOLE
USA - 1958 - bw
D: Michael Curtiz
LAST TRAIN FROM GUN HILL
USA - 1959
D: John Sturges
THE LEATHER SAINT
USA - 1955 - bw
D: Alvin Ganzer
LI'L ABNER
USA - 1959
D: Melvin Frank
THE LONELY MAN
USA - 1957 - bw
D: Henry Levin
LOVING YOU
USA - 1957
D: Hal Kanter
LUCY GALLANT
USA - 1955
D: Robert Parrish
THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH
USA - 1955
D: Alfred Hitchcock
MARACAIBO
USA - 1958
D: Cornel Wilde
THE MATCHMAKER
USA - 1958 - bw
D: Joseph Anthony
THE MOUNTAIN
USA - 1956
D: Edward Dmytryk
MY SIX LOVES*
USA - 1963
D: Gower Champion
[Despite being listed as VistaVision
in a number of sources over the years, there is some doubt as to whether this
film was shot in anything other than 'regular' 4-perf 35mm. I've included it
here for the record]
NIGHT AMBUSH
(see: Ill Met by Moonlight)
NORTH BY NORTHWEST
USA - 1959
D: Alfred Hitchcock
OMAR KHAYYAM
USA - 1956
D: William Dieterle
ONE-EYED JACKS
USA - 1961
D: Marlon Brando
PARADISE LAGOON
(see: Admirable Crichton, The)
PARDNERS
USA - 1956
D: Norman Taurog
THE PRIDE AND THE PASSION
USA - 1957
D: Stanley Kramer
THE PROUD AND PROFANE
USA - 1956 - bw
D: George Seaton
PURSUIT OF THE GRAF SPEE
(see: Battle of the River Plate, The)
THE RAINMAKER
USA - 1956
D: Joseph Anthony
RICHARD III
UK - 1955
D: Laurence Olivier
1.66:1
ROCK-A-BYE BABY
USA - 1958
D: Frank Tashlin
THE ROSE TATTOO
USA - 1955 - bw
D: Daniel Mann
RUN FOR COVER
(aka: Colorado)
USA - 1955
D: Nicholas Ray
THE SAD SACK
USA - 1957 - bw
D: George Marshall
THE SCARLET HOUR
USA - 1955 - bw
D: Michael Curtiz
THE SEARCHERS
USA - 1956
D: John Ford
THE SEARCH FOR BRIDEY MURPHY
USA - 1956 - bw
D: Noel Langley
THE SEVEN LITTLE FOYS
USA - 1955
D: Melville Shavelson
SHORT CUT TO HELL
USA - 1957 - bw
D: James Cagney
SIMON AND LAURA
UK - 1955
D: Muriel Box
SPANISH AFFAIR
USA/Sp - 1958
D: Don Siegel
THE SPANISH GARDENER
UK - 1956
D: Philip Leacock
ST. LOUIS BLUES
USA - 1958 - bw
D: Allen Reisner
STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND
USA - 1955
D: Anthony Mann
TEACHER’S PET
USA - 1957 - bw
D: George Seaton
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
USA - 1956
D: Cecil B. DeMille
THAT CERTAIN FEELING
USA - 1956
D: Norman Panama, Melvin Frank
THREE RING CIRCUS
USA - 1954
D: Joseph Pevney
THREE VIOLENT PEOPLE
USA - 1956
D: Rudolph Maté
THE TIN STAR
USA - 1957 - bw
D: Anthony Mann
TO CATCH A THIEF
USA - 1954
D: Alfred Hitchcock
TRIPLE DECEPTION
(see: House of Secrets)
THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY
USA - 1954
D: Alfred Hitchcock
THE VAGABOND KING
USA - 1956
D: Michael Curtiz
VALUE FOR MONEY
UK - 1955
D: Ken Annakin
VERTIGO
USA - 1958
D: Alfred Hitchcock
[Restored 70mm blow-up version
released in 1996]
WAR AND PEACE
USA/It - 1956
D: King Vidor, Mario Soldati
WE’RE NO ANGELS
USA - 1955
D: Michael Curtiz
WHITE CHRISTMAS
USA - 1954
D: Michael Curtiz
WILD IS THE WIND
USA - 1957 - bw
D: George Cukor
THE WOMAN FOR JOE
UK - 1955
D: George More O'Ferrall
YOU’RE NEVER TOO YOUNG
USA - 1955
D: Norman Taurog
IMAX
NB. Over the years, a number of films
have been shot in 35mm or HD and 'blown-up' for IMAX release. The following
films were either shot with IMAX cameras or designed for Large Format
exhibition from the outset. All titles were optimized for 1.44:1 aspect ratio.
ACROSS THE SEA OF TIME
USA/Can - 1995
D: Stephen Low
IMAX 3-D
ALL ACCESS: FRONT ROW. BACKSTAGE. LIVE!
USA - 2001
D: Martyn Atkins
AT THE MAX
(aka: Rolling Stones Live at the Max)
USA/Can/Ire - 1991
D: Noel Archambault, David Douglas,
Roman Kroitor, Julien Temple, Christine Strand
FANTASIA/2000
USA - 1999
D: James Algar, Gaëtan Brizzi, Paul Brizzi, Hendel
Butoy, Francis Glebas, Eric Goldberg, Don Hahn, Pixote Hunt
IMAX (cel animation)
MARK TWAIN’S AMERICA
USA/Can - 1998
D: Stephen Low
IMAX 3-D
PROUD AMERICAN
USA - 2008
D: Fred Ashman
ROLLING STONES LIVE AT THE MAX
(see: At the Max)
TITANICA
Can/USA - 1992
D: Stephen Low
ULTIMATE X
USA - 2002
D: Bruce Hendricks
YOUNG BLACK STALLION
USA - 2003
D: Simon Wincer