Updates (15 Mar 2012)

Dan Sherlock has provided evidence (namely a contemporary document from Panavision sources) that confirms both THE GAZEBO (USA - 1959) and STRANGERS WHEN WE MEET (USA - 1960) were shot with Panavision anamorphic lenses, rather than CinemaScope (as they are currently listed). I've amended both entries, and added the following note: "Photographed with Panavision lenses, though promoted as a CinemaScope production".

This practice wasn't uncommon at the time, as a glance through some of the older titles at the main scope filmography can attest. Some films promoted as 'CinemaScope' productions were actually shot with other anamorphic lenses - mostly Panavision, but sometimes others, too. Significant titles in this category include A HOLE IN THE HEAD (USA - 1959) and SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH (USA - 1962), both shot in Panavision, regardless of what their contemporary ad-mats might say! THE BLUE MAX (USA - 1966) was shot in Franscope, though credited as a CinemaScope film, and so on and so forth. This complex state of affairs appears to have developed because the production companies involved in the making of these films were bound by legal and contractual obligations to 20th Century Fox, which owned the CinemaScope copyright. All well and good, but almost sixty years later, it tends to complicate things for anyone trying to compile a filmography like this one!

One more complication: Some of these early 'scope' films were shot in the equivalent of Superscope 235 or Super 35, despite being promoted as 'CinemaScope'. It's easy enough to distinguish them from one another, as webmaster Martin Hart recently commented in an e-mail:

"Any MGM black & white CinemaScope film that had a credit stating 'Process lenses by Panavision' were shot in the Super 35 format.  A credit stating "Photographic lenses by Panavision' indicates the use of Panavision anamorphic camera lenses."