In VistaVision? In 1955? No way!
There is no way that The Man With The Golden Arm was exhibited in 1.85 aspect (i.e., VistaVision). Not in 1955. Not by any other studio than Paramount - certainly not by United Artists. I believe it was shot and exhibited in Academy format.
I think it may have been cropped & printed at 1.85 aspect for later exhibitions ...much later exhibitions.
I have these 2 DVDs:
Transfer: 4:3 "NTSC" DVD, dated 6 Feb 2036 (the telecine was probably actually made in 2005), 1:59:36 running time, 5297815552 bytes (video+audio+subtitles), UPC 829567000229 (2xDVD marked "50TH ANNIVERSARY" & "2-DISC SPECIAL EDITION");
Video: 1.31 aspect, MPEG-2/H.262 (lossy) @ 5.04 M-bit/sec average VBR (samples: YUV400 (black & white), 701 x 476 samp/frame @ 8 bit/samp @ 30/1.001 frame/sec);
Audio: English commentary by Ken Barnes (film historian) over English dialog, 2 chan DD/AC3 (lossy) @ 224 K-bit/sec CBR (samples: 16 bit/samp/chan @ 48 K-samp/sec);
Audio: English dialog, 2 chan DD/AC3 (lossy) @ 192 K-bit/sec CBR (samples: 16 bit/samp/chan @ 48 K-samp/sec);
Audio: English dialog, 3/2.1 chan DD/AC3 (lossy) @ 448 K-bit/sec CBR (samples: 16 bit/samp/chan @ 48 K-samp/sec);
Subtitles: English dialog;
Subtitles: French dialog;
Subtitles: Spanish dialog.
Transfer: 16:9 "NTSC" DVD, dated 18 Feb 2008, 1:59:08 running time, 6005755904 bytes (video+audio+subtitles), UPC 085393337124 (marked "Frank Sinatra COLLECTION");While I don't think the 1.31 aspect is quite right, I think the 1.78 aspect is awful -- the framing and composition are obviously not right.
Video: 1.78 aspect, MPEG2/H.262 (lossy) @ 6.53 M-bit/sec average VBR (samples: YUV400 (black & white), 720 x 480 samp/frame @ 8 bit/samp @ 30/1.001 frame/sec), iSharpness %-sharp, iIQ IQ;
Audio: English dialog, 1 chan DD/AC3 (lossy) @ 192 K-bit/sec CBR (samples: 16 bit/samp/chan @ 48 K-samp/sec);
Subtitles: English dialog with cues;
Subtitles: French dialog.
If you are looking for this film, I'd recommend the 50TH ANNIVERSARY, 2-DISC SPECIAL EDITION by SINATRA ENTERPRISES and HART SHARP VIDEO.
PS: For clarity, the 1.31 aspect, 4:3 DVD shows full frames while the 1.78 aspect, 16:9 DVD is cropped. Also, the 16:9 DVD is not as sharp, and it has some vertical scratches. It obviously was made from a print, not an intermediate. That understood, both of these DVDs are very good. It's just that the 4:3 DVD is gooder.
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I don't have a dog. And furthermore, my dog doesn't bite. And furthermore, you provoked him. share