This is Cinerama

The 1952 extravaganza This is Cinerama ushered in the modern era of widescreen movie exhibition. Invented by Fred Waller, Cinerama cinematography employed three synchronized cameras sharing a single shutter, after which the images were projected from three synchronized projectors onto an oversized curved screen that stretched 146 degrees deep, backed by stereophonic sound that engulfed viewers. Produced by Merian C. Cooper and Robert L. Bendick—with narration by co-producer Lowell Thomas—this debut Cinerama feature is a plot-less assemblage of nonfiction episodes designed to showcase the system's audiovisual brilliance. Sequences shot from the front seat of a roller coaster and from an airplane zooming over the Grand Canyon created a visceral thrill for audiences 60 years ago. Needless to say, no small-screen viewing can re-create the original theater experience, and the segments here—including travelogue views of a Cypress Gardens waterskiing show, an aerial tour of Niagara Falls, and a sampling of European tourist offerings—can be seen as either quaint or dismally dated. However, this release is important because it preserves the historically significant production in a handsome digitally remastered version (presented on a Smilebox curved screen simulation). Bundled with an informative 28-page booklet, the substantial extras here include an audio commentary, a radio interview with Waller, and image galleries, as well as two fine featurettes—one on the laborious work that went into remastering the film, and another offering tribute to the efforts of the New Neon Movies cinema in Dayton, OH, which helped revive Cinerama movies for theatrical presentation in the late 1990s. Recommended. (P Hall) [Blu-ray Review—May 29, 2018—Flicker Alley, 127 min., not rated, Blu-ray: $39.99—Making its latest appearance on Blu-ray, 1952’s This is Cinerama features a fine transfer with a DTS-HD 5.1 audio soundtrack. Extras include audio commentary by production executive John Sittig, restorer David Strohmaier, historian Randy Gitsch, and original crew member Jim Morrison, "The Best in the Biz" documentary on Cinerama composers (58 min.), an archival radio interview with Cinerama creator Fred Waller (16 min.), the behind-the-scenes featurettes 'Tribute to the New Neon Movies' (14 min.), "Restoring This is Cinerama" (13 min.), and 'Cinerama Everywhere' (9 min.), a 'Cinerama Returns to the Cinerama Dome' 2002 promo for the format’s 50th anniversary (6 min.), a 'Breakdown Reel' of interstitials (5 min.), an alternate European opening to Act Two (2 min.), TV spots, and an illustrated booklet. Bottom line: this classic documentary receives a substantial upgrade with a 2K scan and bonus extras.]