2:1 (aspect ratio) (1953–1956)
A “flat” widescreen format for 35mm projection briefly used in the 1950s.
Film Explorer
A 35mm Ansco Color print of Sins of Jezebel (1953). Although the image on the print is in the Academy ratio of 1.37:1, this film was composed for the 2:1 aspect ratio (with an image twice as wide as its height). During projection the top and bottom of the image was cropped by an aperture plate.
George Eastman Museum, Rochester, NY, United States.
A 35mm Technicolor print of The Glenn Miller Story (1953). This was Universal’s first 2:1 production, although the film was reportedly only seen in the uncropped Academy aspect ratio of 1.37:1 upon initial release.
National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, Library of Congress, Culpeper, VA, United States.
A 35mm Technicolor print of Magnificent Obsession (1954). Because the 2:1 aspect ratio of this film was only revealed during projection, many past home-video releases and television broadcasts have presented this film in the incorrect aspect ratio of 1.37:1, disregarding Russell Metty’s original widescreen compositions.
Identification
20.96 mm x 10.46 mm (0.825 in x 0.412 in) (cropped).
B/W or color.
1
This aspect ratio was used with both Technicolor and Ansco Color prints.
22.05mm x 16.03mm (0.868 in x 0.631 in) (open matte).
B/W or color.
History
The concept of an industry switch to larger, widescreen movies was first introduced in Hollywood in the late 1920s, initially with Magnascope projection. After a few attempts to propose large format systems using 65mm and 70mm film, standard 35mm presentation prevailed for primarily economic reasons, and the aspect ratio for sound films was standardized at the Academy ratio of 1.37:1 in 1932.
Following the success of Cinerama in 1952 and the subsequent launch of CinemaScope in February 1953, US studio Universal-International decided to try both 1.85:1 and 2:1 aspect ratios for its widescreen presentations, in contrast to the less-wide 1.66:1 aspect ratio already settled on by Paramount. A 2:1 aspect ratio meant that the picture was two times as wide as its height. Universal had experimented with a widescreen two-perforation tall frame in 1930 with its Magnachrome process, which had an approximate aspect ratio of 2.2:1.
On April 1, 1953, after a demonstration to some exhibitors from the East coast, Universal-International introduced to the industry its new curved Wide-Vision screen with both the 1.85:1 and 2:1 ratios. A month later, a joint conference was held in New York by executives of Paramount, Universal, MGM and Columbia for explaining their respective choices of aspect ratio, emphasizing the principle that the same screen could be used for the playing of both 3-D and 2-D pictures, and different widths of widescreen compositions: “all based on masking projector aperture plate, using lenses of different focal length and installing an all-purpose maskless screen” (Motion Picture Herald, May 16, 1953). The screens proposed by Paramount and Universal-International were capable of handling projection of pictures with aspect ratios ranging from 1.37:1 up to 2:1 and were perfectly suitable for the widescreen systems chosen by the other studios.
But independent producer Robert L. Lippert pulled the rug out from under Universal-International. While Universal was still implementing its plans, as of May 1953, Lippert was able to produce, advertise and release the historical drama Sins of Jezebel as the first movie composed for the 2:1 aspect ratio.
Between May and December 1953, 19 feature films such as the western Rails into Laramie (1954) and the Spike Jones comedy Fireman, Save my Child (1954) were made by Universal-International in this aspect ratio.
By 1955, following the development and introduction of more than 15 different aspect ratios and anamorphic widescreen systems, the chorus for establishing an industry-wide standardization grew louder – a move driven, in particular, by studio creatives such as art directors, cinematographers and exhibitors. Eventually, in September 1956, the 1.85:1 aspect ratio was settled on as the accepted non-anamorphic industry standard for widescreen presentation in the US, and the 2:1 aspect ratio immediately fell out of use.
Thereafter, Universal briefly turned to CinemaScope, and by late 1956, used it impressively in B/W for the filming of Douglas Sirk’s The Tarnished Angels (1957). Between 1956 and 1958, the studio’s leading director shot four of his films in CinemaScope. Universal went on to produce 35 films in CinemaScope between 1957 and 1958, before turning to Panavision and Techniscope.
Outside of Universal and Lippert’s use of the 2:1 aspect ratio, it’s worth mentioning that Joseph and Irving Tuschinsky’s SuperScope process also used the same aspect ratio, beginning in 1954, arguing that it was the ideal composition ratio for movie projection. Later on, in the 1990s, cinematographer Vittorio Storaro proposed, but did not realize, a 2:1 aspect ratio called “Univisium”. And, in the mid-2010s, there was a limited revival of the 2:1 format on several Universal releases, including Jurassic World (2015).
Selected Filmography
Starring James Stewart, Ruth Roman, Corinne Calvet and Walter Brennan. The film was shot at Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada.
Starring James Stewart, Ruth Roman, Corinne Calvet and Walter Brennan. The film was shot at Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada.
Starring Edward G. Robinson, John Forsythe, Kathleen Hughes and Marcia Henderson. A crime drama.
Starring Edward G. Robinson, John Forsythe, Kathleen Hughes and Marcia Henderson. A crime drama.
Starring James Stewart and June Allyson. Produced with the intended ratio of 2:1, though released primarily in 1.37:1.
Starring James Stewart and June Allyson. Produced with the intended ratio of 2:1, though released primarily in 1.37:1.
Starring Tony Curtis, Piper Laurie and Don Taylor. A young engineer designs a new sports car and decides to run the race against his ex-buddy. Color by Technicolor.
Starring Tony Curtis, Piper Laurie and Don Taylor. A young engineer designs a new sports car and decides to run the race against his ex-buddy. Color by Technicolor.
Based on the novel written by Lloyd C. Douglas. Starring Jane Wyman, Rock Hudson and Agnes Moorehead. A drama shot in color by Technicolor. Rock Hudson’s breakthrough role.
Based on the novel written by Lloyd C. Douglas. Starring Jane Wyman, Rock Hudson and Agnes Moorehead. A drama shot in color by Technicolor. Rock Hudson’s breakthrough role.
Starring Shelley Winters, Barry Sullivan and Colleen Miller. Young Phyllis Matthews from Nebraska goes to New York City, where she encounters adventure and danger.
Starring Shelley Winters, Barry Sullivan and Colleen Miller. Young Phyllis Matthews from Nebraska goes to New York City, where she encounters adventure and danger.
Starring John Payne, Mari Blanchard and Dan Duryea. A Western film set in the 1870s. Color by Technicolor.
Starring John Payne, Mari Blanchard and Dan Duryea. A Western film set in the 1870s. Color by Technicolor.
Starring Alan Ladd, Shelley Winters, J. Carrol Naish and Hugh O’Brian. A Western. Color by Technicolor. A Canadian Mounted Cop tries to prevent the Native American Sioux tribe from uprising.
Starring Alan Ladd, Shelley Winters, J. Carrol Naish and Hugh O’Brian. A Western. Color by Technicolor. A Canadian Mounted Cop tries to prevent the Native American Sioux tribe from uprising.
Starring Paulette Goddard, George Nader and Eduard Franz. The first film completed with the intended aspect ratio of 2:1 – although, in practice, screenings were generally in 1.37:1. Shot in Ansco Color.
Starring Paulette Goddard, George Nader and Eduard Franz. The first film completed with the intended aspect ratio of 2:1 – although, in practice, screenings were generally in 1.37:1. Shot in Ansco Color.
Starring Rock Hudson, Barbara Rush and Gregg Palmer. A Western. Color by Technicolor and photographed in 3-Dimension.
Starring Rock Hudson, Barbara Rush and Gregg Palmer. A Western. Color by Technicolor and photographed in 3-Dimension.
Technology
The 2:1 aspect ratio used by Universal-International and Lippert Pictures cropped the top and bottom of a conventional Academy aspect ratio image to widescreen during projection. This widescreen picture was twice as wide as it was tall. But, because a significant part of the image was cropped during projection, it was considered somewhat wasteful, with approx. 34 per cent of the film unused in projection (Mitchell, 1956).
During filming, the camera’s viewfinder contained a ground glass, marked with a 2:1 frameline. This enabled cinematographers to carefully compose for the 2:1 aspect ratio, while actually capturing a taller, Academy 1.37:1 aspect ratio on the negative. This was known as an open matte (or soft matte). Universal-International’s films in the mid-1950s were photographed on Eastman Color negative, processed and printed by Technicolor.
Universal promoted a lightly curved “Wide-vision” screen for its widescreen and 3-D releases between 1953 and 1955, conceived as “an all-purpose screen adaptable to standard pictures projected in a variety of non-anamorphic aspect ratios, both flat and in 3-D.” The screen was adjustable to the layout and size of each movie theater: the luminance of the projector light source, and the technical set up (including a special treatment on the screen to prevent the build-up of dust) were all designed to minimize the graininess of the on-screen image.
The main features and stipulations were:
• the use of regular, wide-angle projection lenses and apertures on a standard projector;
• a curved screen with a 90 ft (27.4m) radius, measuring 50 ft x 25 ft (15.2m x 7.6m), with a special reflective metallic-coated surface, to maximize illumination and reflectance;
• a supply of Polaroid glasses for 3-D films;
• the installation in the projection booth of a three-track (or more) magnetic reproducing machine for playing stereophonic sound (on select releases).
To provide reassurance to exhibitors, but also to make sure that the correct ratio was respected during the projection, Universal-International informed projectionists regarding the “preferred”, or “optimum” (sometimes “minimum” and “maximum”) aspect ratios for each release. This information was conveyed via cardboard reel bands, which were wrapped around each reel of the exhibition print when it was delivered into theaters.
A comparison of screen sizes formed by varying the height and width. Depending on the restrictions imposed by a theater’s shape and size, it either had to expand the width of its existing screen to obtain a widescreen image, or reduce its height.
Gagliardi, Gio (1953). “Setting Up Conditions for Variable Aspect Ratios“. Motion Picture Herald (Sep. 5): p. 42.
The Glenn Miller Story (Anthony Mann, US 1953). The open matte Academy image on the print was cropped and enlarged during projection to the tighter framing of 2:1. The top and bottom of the image were not intended to be seen by viewers.
National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, Library of Congress, Culpeper, VA, United States.
Reel bands were wrapped around film prints to protect reels during transit between theaters and instruct projectionists on how to present a given film. These two examples show that sometimes aspect ratio instructions were specific, and otherwise, were more flexible.
3-D. Film Archive (Mar. 3, 2018). Accessed via the Internet Archive Wayback Machine (April 3, 2025). https://web.archive.org/web/20180303212152/http://www.3dfilmarchive.com/home/widescreen-documentation
References
3-D Film Archive (n.d.). “Universal International press release (Apr. 1, 1953)”. The 3-D Film Archive (accessed Apr. 3, 2025). https://sites.google.com/site/3dfilmarchive/universal-press-release
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.
Daily Variety (1953). “UI Wide-Screen process, Stereo Sound, Impressive”. Daily Variety (Apr. 2).
Enticknap, Leo (2005). Moving Image Technology: From Zoetrope to Digital, London; Wallflower Press: pp. 53–73.
Furmanek, Bob (n.d.). “The First Year of the Widescreen Production“, The 3-D Film Archive (accessed Apr. 3, 2025). https://sites.google.com/site/3dfilmarchive/first-year-of-widescreen-production
Finler, Joel W. (1988). The Hollywood Story. London: Octopus Books (this edition London: Mandarin Paperbacks [1992]).
Gagliardi, Gio (1953). “Setting Up Conditions for Variable Aspect Ratios”. Motion Picture Herald (Sep. 5): pp. 39–44.
Gomery, Douglas (2005). The Hollywood Studio System: A History. London: British Film Institute.
Hirschborn, Clive (1983). The Universal Story: The Complete History of the Studio and Its 2,641 Films (1st edn, New York: Crown Publishers). London: Octopus Books.
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.
Mitchell, Robert A. (1956). “A Common Sense to Screens, Apertures and Aspect Ratios”. International Projectionist, 31:6 (July): pp. 7–12.
Motion Picture Research Council (1955) “Count Them! 15 Different 35-mm Release Prints”. International Projectionist, 30:10 (Oct.): p. 22.
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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 (2025). “2:1 (aspect ratio) ”. In James Layton (ed.), Film Atlas. www.filmatlas.com. Brussels: International Federation of Film Archives / Rochester, NY: George Eastman Museum.
