absent minded professor right aspect ratio?

[disneyfella]

i was checking on ebay and this guy says that the original absent minded professor was cropped for a 1.85:1 aspect ratio for the laser disc, but was original anamorphic widescreen 2.35:1 . i'm assuming he's just totally way off base, but has anyone got evidence of the original aspect ratio? i know disney said it would be widescreen 1.66:1, but is that another crop? check out his auction and see what his details on the dvd says:


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... egory=2294


i'm gonna think that he's totally off, but if you guys can help i'd appreciate straightening this out. i want to wait and know that it's the right aspect ratio before i shell out the money.

[Luke]

Has Disney ever cropped any title to 1.85:1 widescreen? (Eh, okay, they did with The Recruit, in accordance with the director's wishes.)

But surely, this isn't a Scope title, and if Disney re-released it in 1.66:1, I gotta think that's the original aspect ratio, as opposed to what 'bestdvd2003' has to say.

Cropping to 1.66:1 from 1.85:1 doesn't make for smaller bars, since it will be anamorphic either way and 1.66:1 will just add small bars to the sides as well. So I can't see Disney doing a crop like that, either.

[Jake Lipson]

Has Disney ever cropped any title to 1.85:1 widescreen? (Eh, okay, they did with The Recruit, in accordance with the director's wishes.)

Beauty and the Beast! The Hunchback of Notre Dame! (Well, those were per the directors' wishes too, but still....)

[2099net]

Has Disney ever cropped any title to 1.85:1 widescreen? (Eh, okay, they did with The Recruit, in accordance with the director's wishes.)

Beauty and the Beast! The Hunchback of Notre Dame! (Well, those were per the directors' wishes too, but still....)

Animated Disney films these days are filmed 1.66:1 because this is the ratio used by their CAPS system. I assume it was chosen as a midpoint between 1.33:1 and 1.85:1. (I belive the picture on Atlantis was cropped and blown-up from a 1.66:1 digital frame).

Because the artwork was animated at this ratio doesn't mean it is the intended ratio. Very few theaters, for example will show the film at 1.66:1. Most would show it 1.85:1, even if specifically requested to show the film at 1.66:1

Knowing this Kirk and Gary optimised the art on Beauty and Hunchback for the 1.85:1 ratio. They simply composed and filmed it for theatrical presentations. So as far as they are concerned 1.85:1 is the OAR.

It's like super 35 filming. Just because super 35 films a 1.33:1 frame, it doesn't mean is should be opened up or is the OAR. Just because CAPS films a 1.66:1 frame, it doesn't mean is should be opened up or it is the OAR.

[Joe Carioca]

Well, "Mulan" and "Fantasia 2000" are also 1.85:1... maybe this is the original aspect ratio, or maybe Disney was following the producer's wishes.

[Luke]

Right, Disney has done 1.85:1 a number of times on 1.66:1 animated films. I was just trying to think of wider films being cropped down to 1.85:1, namely live action.