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. All titles were optimized for 1.85:1 aspect ratio.

THE ADMIRABLE CRICHTON
(aka: Paradise Lagoon)
UK - 1957 - col
D: Lewis Gilbert

AN ALLIGATOR NAMED DAISY
UK - 1957 - col
D: J. Lee Thompson

ANDREA CHÉNIER
Italy/France - 1955 - col
D: Clemente Fracassi

ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER PLACE
USA - 1958 - bw
D: Lewis Allen

ANYTHING GOES
USA - 1956 - col
D: Robert Lewis

ARTISTS AND MODELS
USA - 1955 - col
D: Frank Tashlin

AWAY ALL BOATS
USA - 1956 - col
D: Joseph Pevney

THE BATTLE OF THE RIVER PLATE
(aka: Pursuit of the Graf Spee)
UK - 1956 - col
D: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger

BEAU JAMES
USA - 1957 - col
D: Melville Shavelson

THE BIG MONEY
UK - 1956 - col
D: John Paddy Carstairs

THE BIRDS AND THE BEES
USA - 1956 - col
D: Norman Taurog

THE BLACK ORCHID
USA - 1958 - bw
D: Martin Ritt

THE BLACK TENT
UK - 1956 - col
D: Brian Desmond Hurst

A BREATH OF SCANDAL
USA - 1960 - col
D: Michael Curtiz

THE BUCCANEER
USA - 1958 - col
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 - col
D: Norman Panama

DANGEROUS EXILE
UK - 1957 - col
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 - col
D: Cornel Wilde

DOCTOR AT LARGE
UK - 1957 - col
D: Ralph Thomas

DOCTOR AT SEA
UK - 1955 - col
D: Ralph Thomas

THE FAR HORIZONS
USA - 1955 - col
D: Rudolph Maté

FEAR STRIKES OUT
USA - 1957 - bw
D: Robert Mulligan

THE FIVE PENNIES
USA - 1959 - col
D: Melville Shavelson

FUNNY FACE
USA - 1956 - col
D: Stanley Donen

THE GEISHA BOY
USA - 1958 - col
D: Frank Tashlin

THE GIRL RUSH
USA - 1955 - col
D: Robert Pirosh

GUNFIGHT AT THE O.K. CORRAL
USA - 1957 - col
D: John Sturges

HEAR ME GOOD
USA - 1957 - bw  
D: Don McGuire

HELL DRIVERS
UK - 1957 - bw
D: Cy Endfield

HELL’S ISLAND
USA - 1955 - col
D: Phil Karlson

HIGH SOCIETY
USA - 1956 - col
D: Charles Walters

HOLLYWOOD OR BUST
USA - 1956 - col
D: Frank Tashlin

HOT SPELL
USA - 1958 - bw
D: Daniel Mann

HOUSEBOAT
USA - 1958 - col
D: Melville Shavelson

HOUSE OF SECRETS
(aka: Triple Deception)
UK - 1956 - col
D: Guy Green

THE IRON PETTICOAT
UK - 1956 - col
D: Ralph Thomas

IT STARTED IN NAPLES
USA - 1960 - col
D: Melville Shavelson

ILL MET BY MOONLIGHT
(aka: Night Ambush)
UK - 1956 - bw
D: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger

THE JAYHAWKERS!
USA - 1959 - col
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 - col
D: John Sturges

THE LEATHER SAINT
USA - 1955 - bw      
D: Alvin Ganzer

LI'L ABNER
USA - 1959 - col
D: Melvin Frank

THE LONELY MAN
USA - 1957 - bw      
D: Henry Levin

LOVING YOU
USA - 1957 - col
D: Hal Kanter

LUCY GALLANT
USA - 1955 - col
D: Robert Parrish

THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH
USA - 1955 - col
D: Alfred Hitchcock

MARACAIBO
USA - 1958 - col
D: Cornel Wilde

THE MATCHMAKER
USA - 1958 - bw 
D: Joseph Anthony

THE MOUNTAIN
USA - 1956 - col
D: Edward Dmytryk

MY SIX LOVES*
USA - 1963 - col
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 - col
D: Alfred Hitchcock

OMAR KHAYYAM
USA - 1956 - col
D: William Dieterle

ONE-EYED JACKS
USA - 1961 - col
D: Marlon Brando

PARADISE LAGOON
(see: Admirable Crichton, The)

PARDNERS
USA - 1956 - col
D: Norman Taurog

THE PRIDE AND THE PASSION
USA - 1957 - col
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 - col
D: Joseph Anthony

RICHARD III
UK - 1955 - col
D: Laurence Olivier

ROCK-A-BYE BABY
USA - 1958 - col
D: Frank Tashlin

THE ROSE TATTOO
USA - 1955 - bw
D: Daniel Mann

RUN FOR COVER
(aka: Colorado)
USA - 1955 - col
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 - col
D: John Ford

THE SEARCH FOR BRIDEY MURPHY
USA - 1956 - bw
D: Noel Langley

THE SEVEN LITTLE FOYS
USA - 1955 - col
D: Melville Shavelson

SHORT CUT TO HELL
USA - 1957 - bw
D: James Cagney

SIMON AND LAURA
UK - 1955 - col
D: Muriel Box

SPANISH AFFAIR
USA/Spain - 1958 - col
D: Don Siegel

THE SPANISH GARDENER
UK - 1956 - col
D: Philip Leacock

ST. LOUIS BLUES
USA - 1958 - bw
D: Allen Reisner

STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND
USA - 1955 - col
D: Anthony Mann

TEACHER’S PET
USA - 1957 - bw
D: George Seaton

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
USA - 1956 - col
D: Cecil B. DeMille

THAT CERTAIN FEELING
USA - 1956 - col
D: Norman Panama, Melvin Frank

THREE RING CIRCUS
USA - 1954 - col
D: Joseph Pevney

THREE VIOLENT PEOPLE
USA - 1956 - col
D: Rudolph Maté

THE TIN STAR
USA - 1957 - bw
D: Anthony Mann

TO CATCH A THIEF
USA - 1954 - col
D: Alfred Hitchcock

TRIPLE DECEPTION
(see: House of Secrets)

THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY
USA - 1954 - col
D: Alfred Hitchcock

THE VAGABOND KING
USA - 1956 - col
D: Michael Curtiz

VALUE FOR MONEY
UK - 1955 - col
D: Ken Annakin

VERTIGO
USA - 1958 - col
D: Alfred Hitchcock
[Restored 70mm blow-up version released in 1996]

WAR AND PEACE
USA/Italy - 1956 - col
D: King Vidor, Mario Soldati

WE’RE NO ANGELS
USA - 1955 - col
D: Michael Curtiz

WHITE CHRISTMAS
USA - 1954 - col
D: Michael Curtiz

WILD IS THE WIND
USA - 1957 - bw 
D: George Cukor

THE WOMAN FOR JOE
UK - 1955 - col
D: George More O'Ferrall

YOU’RE NEVER TOO YOUNG
USA - 1955 - col
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/Canada - 1995 - col and 3-D
D: Stephen Low
IMAX 3-D

ALL ACCESS: FRONT ROW. BACKSTAGE. LIVE!
USA - 2001 - col
D: Martyn Atkins

AT THE MAX
(aka: Rolling Stones Live at the Max)
USA/Canada/Ireland - 1991 - col
D: Noel Archambault, David Douglas, Roman Kroitor, Julien Temple, Christine Strand

FANTASIA/2000
USA - 1999 - col
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/Canada - 1998 - col and 3-D
D: Stephen Low
IMAX 3-D

PROUD AMERICAN
USA - 2008 - col
D: Fred Ashman

ROLLING STONES LIVE AT THE MAX
(see: At the Max)

SIEGFRIED & ROY: THE MAGIC BOX
Canada/USA - 1999 - col and 3-D
D: Brett Leonard
IMAX 3-D

TITANICA
Canada/USA - 1992 - col
D: Stephen Low

ULTIMATE X
USA - 2002 - col
D: Bruce Hendricks

THE WILDEST DREAM: CONQUEST OF EVEREST
USA - 2010 - col
D: Anthony Geffen

YOUNG BLACK STALLION
USA - 2003 - col
D: Simon Wincer