This is topic Hard Day's Night Aspect Ratio in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by Sean Goodrich (Member # 475) on 01-15-2001, 05:48 PM:
My theatre is getting a print this Friday. The Internet Movie Database says it's 1.37. Since I work for a 20 screen at a major theatre chain, I don't have any of those lens. Can somebody tell me if IMDB is correct, and if it will be printed a la Gone with the Wind and Wizard of OZ with black bars on the side.
Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 01-15-2001, 08:54 PM:
It's flat/Academy, which would make it 1.33. The release prints are almost certainly full-frame. You could probably run it at 1.66 if necessary without butchering it too much. Alternatively, you could come pretty close to 1.33 by running it with the scope aperture plate and the backup scope lens (remove the anamorphic adapter and just use the regular lens).Even better, since you're in a 20-plex which likely has many screens of different sizes and throw distances, you can borrow the proper lens(es) from another house to run 1.33 on your size screen (post the screen height and throw distance and someone here will tell you what focal length you need) and cut new aperture plates for 1.33.
Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 01-15-2001, 09:06 PM:
In reality, "Academy" has a projectable image area of 0.825 x 0.602 inches, which is 1.37:1 (per standard SMPTE 195). I would bet that the vast majority of US theatres showed it close to 1.85:1 during it's initial release. Call the distributor (Miramax?) and ask what they recommend.If it was indeed composed for 1.33:1, perhaps they originally intended it primarily for television, and the success as a theatrical feature was a pleasant surprise.
------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
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Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 01-15-2001, 10:50 PM:
I believe that the original prints were marked 1.66:1
Posted by Dick Vaughan (Member # 540) on 01-16-2001, 09:32 AM:
After consulting with one of our more "well preserved " projectionists who ran this the first time round he says that most of the town centre cinemas in the UK at that time were only set up for 1.85 and scope .Therefore , even though the print was full frame, the film maker would tend to frame most of the action for 1.85.I think that you should take the advice of your soon to be departed president, " Suck it and see!" 
Posted by john bishop (Member # 36) on 01-16-2001, 10:20 AM:
my 1982 re-issue print has a shot of a slate stating "A Hard Day's Night 1.77:1 for about a foot at the head of each reel.
Posted by Joseph Pandolfi (Member # 223) on 01-16-2001, 02:23 PM:
We ran the Miramax release version of "A Hard Day's Night" over the holidays and it is Flat 1.85 to 1. It did fill our screen with masking on the sides. But I did noticed that there was stray light shinning at the top and bottom of the port window, but it did not affect the screen. Check the heads and tail leaders I remember it listed the aspect ratio right on the leader itself. Which was the original United Artists leader.
Posted by Jeff Stricker (Member # 224) on 01-16-2001, 03:24 PM:
I saw it in it's initial release. It was somewhere near 1.85:1 as John P. notes. Sure don't remember if anything was cut off top or bottom, though. I've slept since then. 
Posted by Jeffry L. Johnson (Member # 453) on 01-17-2001, 12:25 PM:
The leaders clearly identify the projection aspect ratio as 1.75:1.