WideScreen Silent

Spiritus · Post by **Spiritus** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 1:20 am

a couple of years ago I was ordering all of the silents I could find on NetFlix, and came across one that was wide-screen.
I can't really remember anything about the plot, awful memory. I believe the extras talked about how it was done as an experiment with wide film, and didn't catch on.
I'd like to see it again, but can't remember the title. I know it's not much to go on, but all i can remember is that it was a wide screen silent, available on NetFlix at the time.
Any ideas?

Spiritus

Rodney · Post by **Rodney** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 8:05 am

Spiritus wrote:a couple of years ago I was ordering all of the silents I could find on NetFlix, and came across one that was wide-screen.
I can't really remember anything about the plot, awful memory. I believe the extras talked about how it was done as an experiment with wide film, and didn't catch on.
I'd like to see it again, but can't remember the title. I know it's not much to go on, but all i can remember is that it was a wide screen silent, available on NetFlix at the time.
Any ideas?

Spiritus

Well, it could be Abel Gance's NAPOLEON, which goes wide at the end as he triumphantly marches into Italy. The wide-screen effect was achieved by putting three linked projectors side by side and projecting images taken on three different cameras on a triple-width screen. Sometimes the projectors show one wide screen image (with slightly imperfect registration at the junctions, at least when I saw it), and other times three different images. Eventually the three screens are tinted in the colors of the French tricolor.

Does that ring a bell?

The other experiment I know of in large-screen was Magnascope, used on Old Ironsides and possibly Wings, but I think that just made the entire image larger (wider and taller) so the aspect ratio didn't change. It worked because most movie theaters had small screens back then.

I'm sure I'll be corrected by those who actually know these things.

Daniel Eagan · Post by **Daniel Eagan** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 8:58 am

A few years back in its series on color in film, MoMA screened some Gaumont shorts from the early 1900s. They were in color and widescreen, I'd estimate about 1.85. Really beautiful, mostly travelogue scenes in areas with lots of flowers.

I realize that doesn't apply to your Netflix situation, but I wanted to confirm that there were widescreen silents.

Jack Theakston · Post by **Jack Theakston** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 9:32 am

Could you perhaps be confusing the early widescreen talkie, THE BAT WHISPERS (1930)?

Jim Reid · Post by **Jim Reid** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 9:42 am

Jack Theakston wrote:Could you perhaps be confusing the early widescreen talkie, THE BAT WHISPERS (1930)?

Or The Big Trail. John Wayne's first starring role?

DShepFilm · Post by **DShepFilm** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 10:02 am

There's a short one in the UNSEEN CINEMA DVD volume "The Mechanized Eye": IN YOUTH, BESIDE THE LONELY SEA (1925).

David Shepard

urbanora · Post by **urbanora** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 1:08 pm

The Veriscope film of the Corbett-Fitzsimmons world heavyweight contest of 1897 was shot on 63mm film which is approximately 1:1.65, i.e. a widescreen ratio.

missdupont · Post by **missdupont** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 3:40 pm

Biograph shot 65mm actualities and newsreel footage from the late 1890s to the mid 1900s. Pordenone ran a program of these restored by Haghefilm in 2000.

urbanora · Post by **urbanora** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 4:17 pm

Biograph shot 65mm actualities and newsreel footage from the late 1890s to the mid 1900s. Pordenone ran a program of these restored by Haghefilm in 2000.

Biograph films are 68mm x 50mm, so big screen but not widescreen. In shape they are not far from IMAX - albeit IMAX on its side.

Spiritus · Post by **Spiritus** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 7:07 pm

Thanks so much for all of your input.
The only thing that sounded remotely like it was "The Bat Whispers" which is a talkie 1930.

I really appreciate this forum where one can ask such questions i.e. (i dont know the name or the plot could you tell me what it is?)
And get answers.

thanks so much to all of you

spiritus

milefilms · Post by **milefilms** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 7:13 pm

Spiritus wrote:Thanks so much for all of your input.
The only thing that sounded remotely like it was "The Bat Whispers" which is a talkie 1930.
I really appreciate this forum where one can ask such questions i.e. (i dont know the name or the plot could you tell me what it is?)
And get answers.

thanks so much to all of you

spiritus

http://milestonefilms.com/movie.php/bat/ and you can download the free press kit at http://www.milestonefilms.com/presskits.php

Doug Sulpy · Post by **Doug Sulpy** » Thu Apr 08, 2010 9:07 pm

Ah, "The Bat Whispers"!!! I remember being knocked out when I first got it on laserdisc, and being excited to buy it again on DVD because the widescreen version (with completely different takes) is also included (surprisingly, after watching both of them, I prefer the full screen version... it's just weirder!).

I'm confused by the statement in the .pdf that the silent version ("The Bat") is lost. Well, it's not THAT lost, since you can get it on DVD from Alpha Video.

Spiritus · Post by **Spiritus** » Sun Apr 18, 2010 2:24 pm

It did turn out to be "The Bat Whispers", a Talkie.

I got it again from NetFlix and enjoyed it quite allot, it's an Old Dark House kind of movie with people running around in the dark and secret doors opening and closing. Thanks for the lead to it.
Spiritus