MovieChat Forums > River of No Return (1954) Discussion > CinemaScope extension

CinemaScope extension

posted 14 years ago by Lonixcap
3 replies | jump to latest

A bit of trivia.
This was the first release by 20th Century-Fox of a CinemaScope film with their famous musical logo with the extension added, composed by Alfred Newman.

The Robe was their first release shot in that process in 1953. However, at the start of that film, as well as the first batch of titles released in 1953-54', the film's opening title music played under the Fox logo, not their usual fanfare.
Certain roadshow titles and important releases, like Man in the Grey Flannel Suit and Peyton Place, had opening title music under the logo, not the fanafare.

The extension was a staple of their CinemaScope releases until 1967, when they quietly abandoned the process in favor of Panavision, which had better optics.

Then, they went back to their pre-1953 musical fanfare for most releases until 1977, when George Lucas used the 'Scope extension for Star Wars, subsituting his "Lucasfilm" logo for "A CinemaScope Picture".
Now, the extension, newly recorded, is on all Fox releases to this day.

But River Of No Return was first.

[–] SinemaGirl 13 years ago

Fascinating! I hadn't thought of that, but now looking back, the beginning of How To Marry A Millionaire goes from the original Fox fanfare right into Alfred Newman's "Street Scene."

Do you recall how Beneath the 12-Mile Reef begins?

The CinemaScope extension always gives me goosebumps; to realize its connection to this movie makes it all the better! Thank you!

[–] jeanesingsjazz 12 years ago

12 mile reef has no fanfare. herrmann's score starts the film with the fox logo.

[–] enfilmigult 13 years ago

Neat, thank you! I've been watching a lot of early CinemaScope stuff lately and was wondering which film had gotten this first.