[AMIA-L] Early Widescreen

[James Layton <layton90210@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi,

In the late 20s and early 30s several films were produced in large format widescreen; processes such as Fox Grandeur, Realife, Vitascope, Natural Vision & Magnifilm - all rival formats from different studios. 

Does anyone know what has survived of these films and in what condition? I would imagine that for most of these we only have 35mm copies if that. I know there have been restorations of 'The Big Trail' and 'The Bat Whispers', but are there 70mm prints available for modern theatrical projection or just 35mm anamorphic? Also I believe there is a 35mm print of some Fox Grandeur News which has been shown at the Widescreen Festival in Hollywood, I'm not sure where though.

Here is a short list of many of these early large format films. Does anyone know if elements of any type for these films still exist? I'm very interested to know and are there any modern prints of the widescreen versions of these films in 70mm or 35mm?

Natural Vision
The American (J. Stuart Blackton, 1927, Natural Vision Pictures)
Danger Lights (George B. Seitz, 1930, RKO)
Niagra Falls
Campus Sweethearts (James Leo Meehan, 1930, RKO) short

Fox Grandeur
Fox Movietone Follies of 1929 (David Butler, 1929, Fox Film Corporation)
Fox Grandeur News (1929)
Happy Days (Benjamin Stoloff, 1929, Fox Film Corporation)
The Big Trail (Raoul Walsh, 2 October 1930, Fox Film Corporation)Song O' My Heart (Frank Borzage, 1930, Fox Film Corporation)

Vitascope
A Soldier's Plaything (Micheal Curtiz, 1930, Warner Bros. Pictures)
The Lash (1930, First National Pictures)
Kismet (John Francis Dillon, 1930, First National Pictures)
Larry Ceballos Review (short)
You're in the Army Now (short)

Realife
Billy the Kid (King Vidor, 1930, MGM)
The Great Meadow (Charles Brabin, 1931, MGM)

Magnifilm
The Bat Whispers (Roland West, 1930, Joseph M. Schenck Productions/United Artists)

All help and information is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

James Layton