1.66:1 (aspect ratio)(1953–Present)
A flat widescreen format for 35mm projection introduced in the 1950s.
Film Explorer
A faded 35mm Eastman Color original release print of Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon (1975). This print is hard matted to 1.66:1.
Film Atlas collection, George Eastman Museum, Rochester, NY, United States.
A 35mm Technicolor print of Shane (1953). Although this film was shot composed for the Academy ratio, it was cropped upon release in the projector gate to an aspect ratio of 1.66:1.
The Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY, United States.
Lyckliga skitar (Blushing Charlie, 1970). This was the first film shot in Super 16 and blown-up to 35mm for release. This 35mm print is hard matted to 1.66:1, the native aspect ratio of the Super 16 format.
Svenska Filminstitutet, Stockholm, Sweden. © AB Svensk Filmindustri (1970).
Identification
20.96mm x 12.62mm (0.825 in x 0.497 in).
B/W, or color.
1
Compatible with any color process.
Variable; commonly 22.05mm x 16.03mm (0.868 in x 0.631 in), or 22.05mm x 13.25mm (0.868 in x 0.521 in) (open matte).
B/W, or color.
History
During the early 1950s, cinema faced new competition from television. To entice audiences back to theaters, Hollywood studios and movie theater chains promoted larger and wider screens, enhancing the spectacle.
Widescreen formats such as Cinerama and CinemaScope were expensive solutions that required cinemas to be overhauled with larger screens, new projection equipment and enhanced sound systems. A cheaper way to achieve a wider aspect ratio was simply to crop the top and the bottom of the standard 35mm Academy frame (1.37:1 aspect ratio). Hollywood studios began reviewing their back catalogs to determine how wide of a ratio could be achieved in this way without compromising the composition of their existing films. This method also required theaters to use shorter focal length projection lenses to greater enlarge the projected image – this negatively impacted the quality of the onscreen image, with reduced sharpness and brightness. And, because a smaller portion of the frame was being blown up to a greater size, more visible film grain and softer images plagued early widescreen presentations. The 35mm frame could be variably cropped to create aspect ratios that were increasingly widescreen: 1.66:1, 1.75:1, 1.85:1 and 2:1 were the most common options at this time.
After Twentieth Century-Fox launched its extra-wide 2.55:1 CinemaScope widescreen format (February 4, 1953), rival studio Paramount Pictures was quick to respond with the temporary adoption of 1.66:1 as their new standard house aspect ratio – though the studio remained undecided as to exactly which aspect ratio was best suited to its productions.
On April 23, 1953, Paramount’s western film Shane premiered at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with a projected image aspect ratio of 1.66:1, on a new screen measuring 50 ft x 30 ft (15.24m x 9.14m), despite the fact that the film was conceived for, and shot in, the squarer Academy ratio of 1.37:1.
A month later, a meeting of studio executives from Paramount, Universal, MGM and Columbia was held in New York, where they all put forward their respective preferences with regard to aspect ratio, with an emphasis on the principle that the same screens could be used for the playing of both 3-D and 2-D pictures. Consequently, it was agreed that the aspect ratio for any given film would be set by employing a "masking projector aperture plate”, and by using “lenses of different focal length and installing an all-purpose maskless screen" (Canby, 1953). The “all-purpose” screens proposed by Paramount and Universal-International would be capable of handling aspect ratios ranging between 1.37:1 and 2:1, and would be perfectly suitable for the widescreen systems chosen by the other studios.
Within movie theaters, everything was in the hands of the projectionist, who became either the director's principal collaborator, or his greatest opponent. Projectionists would set the aspect ratio of a film by installing the appropriate aperture plate and corresponding lens into the projector. The metal aperture plates consisted of a rectangular opening sized to reveal the portion of the film frame to be projected, while masking the unwanted sections of the frame. A corresponding projector lens would have a focal length designed to magnify the resulting image to fill the cinema screen appropriately.
After a year of exhibiting their 35mm prints at 1:66:1, on February 13, 1954, Paramount announced the ratio of 1:85:1 as the chosen optimum presentation format for their studio productions. With the aim of challenging Fox's Cinemascope format, Paramount's camera technicians developed the Vistavision format, in collaboration with Eastman Kodak and Technicolor, in order to show their own productions at this new intended aspect ratio, with dazzling clarity and color. However, Paramount, demonstrating some flexibility and understanding towards the exhibitors, stated that projection ratios between 1.66:1 and 2:1 were acceptable with VistaVision prints.
By 1955, the proliferation of competing cropped and anamorphic widescreen systems increased the call for standardization by art directors and cinematographers, who, for obvious reasons, wanted their creative intentions reproduced accurately in exhibition. Yet, a couple more years were to pass before a standard flat aspect ratio prevailed among the 15 variants that had sprung up in film exhibition.
By September of 1956, 1.66:1 had largely been supplanted by 1.85:1, which became the de facto non-anamorphic industry standard for widescreen presentation in the US, the same ratio being frequently used for shooting. In Europe, however, 1.66:1 was still favored for reasons of quality and adopted as a standard – the ratio being particularly popular among French Nouvelle Vague filmmakers. Less cropping resulted in better projected image quality – the ratio is also the closest to the normal proportions of human vision.
The Super 16 film format, introduced in the 1970s, had a native aspect ratio of 1.66:1. Many independent productions shot on Super 16, and subsequently blown-up to 35mm for release, were composed to 1.66:1.
The 1.66:1 aspect ratio continues, to the present, to be used by many contemporary filmmakers the world over.
Selected Filmography
Screenplay by Collier Young, from an original story by Larry Marcus and Lou Schor. Starring Joan Fontaine, Ida Lupino and Edmond O’Brien. For the first time in her career, Ida Lupino, one of the most important auteurs of American cinema, played in a film she directed and produced.
Screenplay by Collier Young, from an original story by Larry Marcus and Lou Schor. Starring Joan Fontaine, Ida Lupino and Edmond O’Brien. For the first time in her career, Ida Lupino, one of the most important auteurs of American cinema, played in a film she directed and produced.
Starring Michelle Williams, Ryan Gosling and John Roman. A painful romantic drama; the second film written and directed by Derek Cianfrance. Shot on Super 16 and blown-up to 35mm for distribution.
Starring Michelle Williams, Ryan Gosling and John Roman. A painful romantic drama; the second film written and directed by Derek Cianfrance. Shot on Super 16 and blown-up to 35mm for distribution.
An adaptation from Paul Guimard’s novel. Starring Romy Schneider, Michel Piccoli and Lea Massari. Claude Sautet first collaboration with music composer Philippe Sarde and actress Romy Schneider.
An adaptation from Paul Guimard’s novel. Starring Romy Schneider, Michel Piccoli and Lea Massari. Claude Sautet first collaboration with music composer Philippe Sarde and actress Romy Schneider.
Adapted and produced by Stanley Kubrick, based on Anthony Burgess's 1962 novel. Starring Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee and Michael Bates. Although a box-office success in the US and overseas, the film caused a great deal of controversy, especially in the UK. On a side note, it’s interesting to mention that Stanley Kubrick privileged the 1.66:1 aspect ratio for shooting Paths of Glory (1957), Dr. Strangelove (1964) and Barry Lyndon (1975).
Adapted and produced by Stanley Kubrick, based on Anthony Burgess's 1962 novel. Starring Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee and Michael Bates. Although a box-office success in the US and overseas, the film caused a great deal of controversy, especially in the UK. On a side note, it’s interesting to mention that Stanley Kubrick privileged the 1.66:1 aspect ratio for shooting Paths of Glory (1957), Dr. Strangelove (1964) and Barry Lyndon (1975).
Screenplay by Philip Yordan, based on Roy Chanslor’s book. Starring Joan Crawford, Sterling Heyden and Mercedes McCambridge. The original script was written for Joan Crawford, who held the adaptation rights for the story, and asked Republic studio to hire Nicholas Ray to direct the movie. Shot in Arizona in Trucolor.
Screenplay by Philip Yordan, based on Roy Chanslor’s book. Starring Joan Crawford, Sterling Heyden and Mercedes McCambridge. The original script was written for Joan Crawford, who held the adaptation rights for the story, and asked Republic studio to hire Nicholas Ray to direct the movie. Shot in Arizona in Trucolor.
Written by François Truffaut and Suzanne Schiffman. Starring Catherine Deneuve, Gérard Depardieu and Jean Poires. Truffaut’s most successful film in France, but also his most intimate work.
Written by François Truffaut and Suzanne Schiffman. Starring Catherine Deneuve, Gérard Depardieu and Jean Poires. Truffaut’s most successful film in France, but also his most intimate work.
Adapted from a Carl Stephenson short story. Starring Eleanor Parker and William Conrad. Joanna from New Orleans joins her new husband, whom she married by proxy, in Brazil; their plantation is threatened by an invasion of red ants.
Adapted from a Carl Stephenson short story. Starring Eleanor Parker and William Conrad. Joanna from New Orleans joins her new husband, whom she married by proxy, in Brazil; their plantation is threatened by an invasion of red ants.
Story and screenplay by Earl Mac Rauch. Starring Liza Minelli and Robert de Niro. A film of fragile beauty, a homage to the director’s hometown as much as to 1940s musicals.
Story and screenplay by Earl Mac Rauch. Starring Liza Minelli and Robert de Niro. A film of fragile beauty, a homage to the director’s hometown as much as to 1940s musicals.
Screenplay by John Michael Hayes, from a Cornell Woorich detective story. Starring James Stewart and Grace Kelly. An artistic and critical success at first release. In 1997, the film entered into the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry for preservation.
Screenplay by John Michael Hayes, from a Cornell Woorich detective story. Starring James Stewart and Grace Kelly. An artistic and critical success at first release. In 1997, the film entered into the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry for preservation.
Screenplay by A. B. Guthrie, from Jack Schaefer’s novel of the same name. Starring Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur and Van Heflin. Shot in the high plains of Wyoming. In 1993, the film entered into the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry for preservation.
Screenplay by A. B. Guthrie, from Jack Schaefer’s novel of the same name. Starring Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur and Van Heflin. Shot in the high plains of Wyoming. In 1993, the film entered into the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry for preservation.
Written by Jean-Luc Godard. Cinematography by Raoul Coutard. Starring Mireille Darc, Jean Yanne and Jean-Pierre Klaxon. "Weekend is an ethnologist’s film about an imaginary world" – Jean-Luc Godard (1967).
Written by Jean-Luc Godard. Cinematography by Raoul Coutard. Starring Mireille Darc, Jean Yanne and Jean-Pierre Klaxon. "Weekend is an ethnologist’s film about an imaginary world" – Jean-Luc Godard (1967).
Technology
1.66:1 is a “flat”, or spherical (non-anamorphic), matted widescreen format. Spherical lenses focus light equally in the horizontal and vertical planes, while anamorphic camera lenses squeeze a wider-ratio image horizontally, so as to fit within a standard 35mm film frame. The image is then horizontally expanded during projection through the use of a similar, complementary anamorphic projection lens, typically producing an on-screen image with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, or greater. Films with a 1.66:1 aspect ratio have a screen image that is 1.66 times wider than it is tall.
From 1953 onwards, in the United States, most flat movies were cropped top and bottom, and then enlarged on-screen to a wider aspect ratio, producing a widescreen effect. The Academy aspect ratio of 1.37:1 could be cropped to 1.66:1, 1.75:1, 1.85:1 and even wider. There are two ways to do so: with a soft matte or a hard matte.
Soft Matte
A soft matte (also known as an open matte) involves shooting and printing the full 1.37:1 Academy frame, in the knowledge that the top and bottom areas of the image will be cropped during projection to achieve a widescreen aspect ratio.
During shooting, the negative is exposed at either the full aperture of 1.33:1 (24.89mm x 18.66mm [0.980 in x 0.735 in]), or Academy aperture of 1.37:1 (20.96mm x 15.24mm [0.825 in × 0.600 in]). During filming, cinematographers could precisely frame their scenes by adding a ground glass mask with the 1.66:1 frame outline to the camera viewfinder, with the effect of blurring-out the areas of the scene that lay outside of the 1.66:1 composition. The resulting projection prints were typically printed at 1.37:1. Theater projectionists would install a 1.66 aperture plate in the projector, along with an appropriate focal length lens, to project a 1.66:1 image onto a wider cinema screen. It was then beholden upon theatre projectionists to carefully adjust the vertical position of the film frame in relation to the 1.66 rectangular opening in the aperture plate, to ensure that objects captured during the shooting, but not intended for the screen (such as boom microphones, or stage lights) were hidden from the view of theater audiences.
Hard Matte
A hard matte involves masking the frame in the camera during filming, so that black bars obscure the top and bottom of the image area to the desired aspect ratio. This is accomplished by using a masking plate in the camera. Anything outside of the 1.66:1 masking plate is not exposed. The resulting projection print has black bars above and below the image, thereby defining the image area/aspect ratio. During projection, the position of the film’s frame must be very carefully aligned in the vertical plane, so that the hard-matted film frame aligns precisely with the opening in the projector’s aperture plate.
Hard mattes can also be added during post-production by the film laboratory.
Ground glass viewing screen marked for 1.66:1 photography. This would have been placed in the camera’s viewfinder.
An original 35mm Technicolor print of Shane (1953). On open matte prints like this, the top and bottom of the image were masked during projection.
The Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY, United States.
A 35mm print of A Clockwork Orange. Some parts of print are hard matted to 1.66:1 (left), but other parts are open matte (right).
Film Atlas collection, George Eastman Museum, Rochester, NY, United States.Rochester, NY, United States.
A comparison of widescreen aspect ratios.
Duquesne, Gérard (1995). Technologie de l'opérateur projectionniste: cinéma et vidéo. Paris: Editions Dujarric, p. 73.
A graphic comparison of the most commonly used aspect ratios.
Mitchell, Robert A. (1961). “Non-Anamorphic Aspect Ratios: a Return to Sanity“. International projectionist, 36:12 (Dec.): p. 5.
References
Belton, John (1992). Widescreen Cinema. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Canby, Vincent (1953). “Projection Technique Can Give a ‘Wide-Look’ To Conventional Picture“. Motion Picture Herald (May 16): p. 13
Eames, John Douglas (1985). The Paramount Story: The Complete History of the Studio and Its 2,805 Films. London: Octopus Books.
Enticknap, Leo (2005). Moving Image Technology, from Zoetrope to Digital. London: Wallflower Press, pp. 53–73.
Finler, Joel W. (1988). The Hollywood Story. London: Octopus Books.
Furmanek, Bob (2015) “The First Year of the Widescreen Production“. The 3-D Film Archive. https://sites.google.com/site/3dfilmarchive/first-year-of-widescreen-production (accessed January 20, 2025).
Gomery, Douglas (2005). The Hollywood Studio System: A History. London: BFI Publishing.
Lipton, Lenny (2021). The Cinema in Flux: The Evolution of Motion Picture Technology from the Magic Lantern to the Digital Era. New York: Springer-Verlag Inc.
Mitchell, Robert A. (1956). “A Common Sense to Screens, Apertures and Aspect Ratios“. International Projectionist, 31:6 (Jun.): pp. 7–12.
Mitchell, Robert A. (1961). “Non-Anamorphic Aspect Ratios: a Return to Sanity“, International Projectionist, 36:12 (Dec.): pp. 4–6.
Motion Picture Research Council (1955) “Count Them! 15 Different 35-mm Release Prints“. International Projectionist, 36:10 (Oct.): p. 22.
Saetervadet, Torkell (2006). The Advanced Projection Manual. Oslo: The Norwegian Film Institute/FIAF.
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Author
Loubna Régragui is an independent film curator/preservationist and filmmaker with solid experience in an international, multicultural professional environment.
Loubna’s training in film preservation included participation in the ARCHIMEDIA European training network for the Promotion of Film Heritage, in addition she is a certified motion picture projectionist. She graduated from The L. Jeffrey Selznick School of Film Preservation, at the George Eastman Museum, where she had the opportunity to work on the private film collection of Martin Scorsese. Since then, Loubna has collaborated with major film festivals (Europe and US), with leading film archives (US and Europe) and with specialized film laboratories on film preservation programs and many prestigious restoration projects around the world.
She is a film director and Paris-based producer. Written as an homage to the finest poet and director of Indian cinema, Mani Kaul, her debut film The Nine Lakh Stars had its world premiere at the prestigious International Film Festival in Rotterdam (IFFR 2022). She’s currently developing further feature films, and is writing a book on the cinema of Mani Kaul.
In addition, Loubna is researching a doctoral thesis in Cinema Studies at Sorbonne Nouvelle University, Paris. Her PhD dissertation investigates Technicolor’s dye-imbibition process in the US, notably through the exploration of the unique Technicolor collections conserved by the George Eastman Museum, Rochester, NY.
The author would like to extend warm thanks to James Layton, Crystal Kui and Ken Fox (George Eastman Museum).
Régragui, Loubna (2024). “1.66:1 (aspect ratio)”. In James Layton (ed.), Film Atlas. www.filmatlas.com. Brussels: International Federation of Film Archives / Rochester, NY: George Eastman Museum.
