Dutch lens maker Oude (Old) Delft produced 8mm and 16mm prism anamorphic lenses for the amateur. The 8mm version featured a modest 1.5x squeeze which yielded a 2:1 screen ratio, so as not to overtax the tiny 8mm frame. For 16mm cameras, Delft produced both 1.5x and 2x anamorphic lenses. The design of these tiny lenses was the basis for the optics produced by Delft under their Delrama name for Technicolor Corporation's Technirama system.

All that said, some of the claims made for the use of anamorphic lenses are pretty hilarious. Somehow it's hard to believe that you save 50% of your film because the shape of the picture is 50% wider. As for shooting closeups and long shots simultaneously, well...