2001's Original Projection Format
by Thomas E. Brown
The original three-film process known as Cinerama was developed by Fred
Waller, and debuted in 1952 with This is Cinerama. True Cinerama was
used to shoot 5 travelogues which played to large audiences during the 50s,
these were the afrementioend This is Cinerama, Cinerama Holiday, Seven
Wonders of the World, Search for Paradise, and Cinerama South Seas
Adventure. The process was then slightly modified before two fiction
films were shot in it: The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm
(1962) and How the West Was Won (1963) -- the last movie filmed in
the three-film process (two compilation films: The Best of Cinerama
and Cinerama's Russian Adventure -- actually filmed in a Soviet
"copycat" process called Kinopanarama -- were shown in a few three-strip
theaters).
By the time 2001 was made, Cinerama was an exhibition format
only, and the movies were shot in one of three 70mm processes (Ultra
Panavision 70, Super Panavision 70, or Super Techirama 70) and specially
modified prints (known as "rectified" prints) were projected on the curved
screen for an only partially successful simulation of the super wide angle
three-film image. Ultra Panavision 70 was used for It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad
World and a few other releases; Super Panavision 70 was used in Grand
Prix, 2001 and a couple of others; and Super Technirama 70 was used in
Custer of the West and Circus World.
Actually 2001 has several "correct" aspect ratios. Theatrically it was
shown in both the 2.21:1 flat 70mm ratio, and the 2.35:1 anamorphic
(scope) 35mm format.
2001 was shot in Super Panavision 70, a process which involved principal
photography on a 65mm wide, 5 sprocket hole high film frame (standard
photography is on 35mm wide 4 sprocket hole high frame). This was
projected back from a 70mm print, the extra 5mm being two 2.5 mm magnetic
soundtrack strips "outboard" of the sprocket holes. Taken together with
two magnetic strips on the inner edge of the sprocket hole area, this gave
2001 a 6 track stereo sound. In the original Cinerama installations, the
film was projected on a deeply curved "louvered" screen which wrapped the
image around the audience, sweeping them into the image. The Super
Panavision version of Cinerama had an aspect ratio of 2.21:1 (the three-film
and "rectified" Ultra Panavision versions of Cinerama were noticeably
wider with an aspect ratio of 2.59:1). The sound was played back from 5
speakers behind the huge screen, with a monophonic surround track, known
as an "effects" track in films of the 50s and 60s because it was only
sparingly used for particular effects, such as the space station
announcements: "Will Mr. Travers please contact the MET office..." and "A
Blue Ladies Cashmere Sweater has been found...". During its original
"roadshow" (reserved seat) run, 2001 was also shown in flat screened 70mm
theaters -- which were spectacular, but had somewhat less of the "you are
there" feel rendered by the curved screen Cinerama presentations.
After the 70mm run was ended, 2001 was released in a 35mm version "at
popular prices" in regular theaters with a monophonic soundtrack, mixed
from the 6 track original. This version was transferred to 35mm film by
optically squeezing the wide image onto 35mm Scope film. It was then
projected back through an anamorphic lens which would unsqueeze the
compressed image onto a CinemaScope or Panavision style screen. Because
'scope has an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, the top and bottom of the 2.21:1
65mm image were cut off in producing the prints. Although nothing
important was eliminated, a comparison viewing of a 35mm source and 70mm
source will reveal the elimination of some parts of the sets, most readily
visible in the moon-shuttle galley scene.
When originally released 2001 had been 161 minutes long; the movie premiered on April 2, 1968 and was cut
between April 5 and 9 of the same year. Kubrick and editor Ray Lovejoy cut
the film and instructions for the cuts were sent to the theaters showing
it.
There are some disputes as to what was cut and when. For example, a
scene of Floyd purchasing a bushbaby for "Squirt" was apparently cut before
the premiere, as were shots of the moonbase painting class and B/W
interviews with leading scientists about expectations for alien life.
After the premiere 19 minutes were trimmed including shots of the final
rendezvous between the Orion shuttle and Space Station 5, and a number of
technical scenes of life aboard Discovery One, as well as longer exercising
shots with Poole. In one instance, footage was added: a few frames of the
monolith at sunrise were inserted at the moment Moonwatcher intuits the
first use of the bone-tool, in order to make clear to audiences the
causality of the event. Also, the title cards "Jupiter Mission..." and
"Jupiter and Beyond the Infinite" were added at this time.
Most important among the deletions however, was the entire preparation for
Poole's EVA, which opens the second half of the film following the
intermission, and which was virtually a repeat of the preparation for
Bowman's EVA during the first half of the film (at one time Bowman's
preparation was longer, as well, featuring a scene in which he removes the
AE 35 from a storage locker). Sadly, other than stills, I have never seen
any of this footage. When film restorationist Robert Harris checked out
the status of 2001, during the restoration of Spartacus, he
found that Turner did not have any of the trims. Kubrick himself may have
copies of them. [For more information on these trims please see Thomas
Brown's article "2001's Post-Premiere Edits" -- Ed.]
For the remainder of the roadshow the film was
presented with an overture and entr'acte (intermission music) both of
which were excerpts from Ligeti's Atmospheres. The closing credits
version of The Blue Danube also extended for a short time after the
credits ended, as "walk out" music. This music added approximately 10
minutes to the running time of the film. When 2001 was released at
"popular prices" after the roadshow, the overture, entr'acte, and
"walkout" music were eliminated (as was the intermission itself), but the
film itself wasn't edited. In the better video versions, this music has
been restored. The recent LBX Turner digital transfer (from a print
supervised by Kubrick himself) includes the overture, intermission
title, and roadshow version end-titles.