The Controversial Aspect Ratio of The Country Girl

02/12/25 • 34 min

Building on our last episode about widescreen formats in the 1950s, we’re taking you inside a virtual restoration room for a hands-on look at how we determined the correct aspect ratio for The Country Girl (1954). You'll see clips of the film in multiple aspect ratios so you can decide for yourself—was it meant to be seen in 1.66:1 or 1.85:1? If you’ve ever wanted to be a film restorationist for a day, this is your chance to experience what the job is really like. Join us as we compare the film side by side, break down the visual and historical evidence, and reveal how the final decision was made—no lab coat required!

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Previous Episode

Widescreen Chaos! Unveiling The Truth About Aspect Ratios with Special Guests!

Join us for an eye-opening (and hilarious) deep dive into the wild world of Hollywood aspect ratios! We’re thrilled to welcome Bob Furmanek and Jack Theakston from the 3D Film Archive, who share their extensive research and experience restoring classic films and solving aspect ratio mysteries.
We discuss some fascinating case studies from their recent restorations, including "The Glass Web (1953)" and "Gog (1954)," and Charlotte shares the challenges of finding the correct aspect ratio for "The Country Girl (1954)." Along the way, we crack jokes, geek out over widescreen formats, and have a great time unraveling the history of how Hollywood framed its biggest films.
PLUS—don’t miss an exclusive premiere of a newly restored clip from "Money From Home (1953)," coming soon from Kino Lorber!
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The original widescreen articles referenced in this episode can be found archived on the Wayback Machine here:
https://web.archive.org/web/202201260...
https://web.archive.org/web/202201260...
Check out 3dfilmarchive.com for more news from Bob, Jack and the rest of the 3D Archive gang!

Next Episode

VistaVision invades the TCM Film Festival - and It's Our Fault!

We can finally share the news we've been teasing for months - Charlotte is heading to the TCM Film Festival to give a talk on The History of VistaVision alongside Craig Barron! In this special mini-episode, we’re breaking down everything you need to know about this widescreen deep dive, the classic films she’ll be introducing, and how this whole crazy project came to life. From behind-the-scenes stories to the magic of VistaVision on the big screen, we’re giving you a sneak peek at what’s in store. See you at TCMFF (and yeah, this one’s totally our fault)!
Head over to https://filmfestival.tcm.com/programs/vistavision/ for more info on the VistaVision film prints.
Charlotte's Presentation "Bigger, Sharper, Better: The History of VistaVision" can be found here: https://filmfestival.tcm.com/schedule/bigger-sharper-better-the-history-of-vistavision/
Charlotte's TCM page can be found here: https://filmfestival.tcm.com/programs/special-guests/charlotte-barker/